"You tried to kill, Prince Kael. And, fainted at the sight of blood."
W-What? I tried to kill my favourite character!? The f**k!? I never wrote that Evelina tries to kill Kael.
"Details, Lily. Your life hangs on it. If I can't recall well, you'll die."
"My Lady, it's Lila."
"Does it look like I care, right now?"
Lila's trembling intensified, and for a moment, I thought she might faint again. But, to her credit, she swallowed her fear and straightened up just enough to start speaking.
"You… you were at the stables, My Lady," she began hesitantly, her words quivering as much as her hands. "The Duke insisted you practice archery, but when Prince Kael entered… you, uh… you aimed the crossbow at him."
I blinked, dumbfounded.
Me? Aim a crossbow? At Kael? What happened between us? F**k! I need intel. I'll work on that after this.
"And why, exactly, would I do that?" My voice was sweet, but my gaze sharp enough to cut through steel.
Lila flinched. "B-Because you always hated him, My Lady? You called him a… um… 'cursed prince' in front of everyone at the Royal Ball when you were 10."
I groaned, rubbing my temples.
So, Evelina is a pretty psycho with no sense of survival. But, something is wrong. Why did Adrian love the villainess who tried to kill his brother? Didn't I write them as loving brothers? Did he love Evelina to get revenge for Kael?
Ugh... My head hurts.
"You fired the crossbow," she continued, speaking faster now, probably desperate to get through this alive. "The arrow missed, but when you saw the blood on his hand—"
"Blood?" I cut her off. "What blood? If I missed, how was there blood?"
Lila looked like she wanted to dig a hole and bury herself. "He caught the arrow with his bare hand, My Lady. It left umm... a scratch… and you, uh… fainted at the sight."
I stared at her, dumbfounded. "So, let me get this straight. I tried to murder Prince Kael, missed like an idiot, and then passed out like a damsel in distress over a scratch?"
Lila nodded quickly, her eyes wide with fear.
I sighed, collapsing back onto the bed. "Fantastic. I'm a homicidal coward. Why wasn't I charged with treason though?"
"The Duke was furious," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "He ordered you confined to your quarters until the banquet tomorrow. He said… he said you've brought shame to the Duskthorne name. He wanted to report the matter to the King. But, Prince Kael dismissed the matter as a friendly banter."
Of course, he did. Evelina Duskthorne couldn't sneeze without earning the Duke's wrath. Guess the part where her father wanted her dead didn't change. But, why would Kael save his enemy?
Obviously, because my bias is an angel! Why else!? People just misunderstand him.
"Alright," I muttered, sitting up again. "So, my reputation is already circling the drain, and I've probably made an enemy of the Prince before I've even debuted." I clasped my hands together, giving Lila a tight-lipped smile. "Anything else I should know? Maybe a secret assassination plot against me? Or did I accidentally insult the Emperor's mother too?"
Lila shook her head frantically. "N-No, My Lady! That's… that's all."
"Great. Just great." I stood, pacing the room in the suffocating gown. "First thing's first, I need to fix this mess with Kael. Where is he now?"
Lila hesitated, her eyes darting to the door. "He… he's in the South Gardens Of Alzahmer, My Lady. But—"
"No buts." I spun to face her, a fire blazing in my eyes to save my life. "I need to talk to him before this banquet. If I don't, tomorrow could be a disaster. You'll cover for me. Right, Lily?"
"But the Duke—"
"Forget the Duke." I waved her off, striding to the door. "You love your life. Right, Lily?"
"B-But, The Duke and Duchess—"
"Lila," I interrupted, fixing her with a sharp look. "Do you want to keep your head attached to your body?"
She nodded vigorously.
"Then stop arguing and take off your clothes."
"T-Take off my clothes, my lady?"
"I need to wear them to sneak out, Lily. You'll sleep in my bed and pretend to be me like a good girl who wants to keep her life. Right?"
Lila's face turned as red as a ripe tomato, and she stammered incoherently, her hands clutching at her maid's uniform as though I'd just asked her to strip in front of an audience.
Maybe, she was an exhibitionist... Who knows? Cute ones are the freakiest.
"M-My Lady, I—I can't possibly—!"
"Lila," I said slowly, enunciating each word as if she were particularly dense, "you are going to take off that dress, hand it over, and lay your pretty little self in that bed, or I swear to god, you won't need to worry about what the Duke will do. I'll deal with you myself. And, what can anyone do to the Duke's daughter for harming a little maid. Right?"
Lila's eyes widened to saucers, but she reluctantly started unbuttoning her dress with trembling fingers. "I-I ask for your mercy, My Lady," she whispered, her voice shaky.
I rolled my eyes, snatching the dress from her hands as soon as she slipped out of it, leaving her in a thin chemise.
"Don't act like I'm sending you to a brothel. Just lay down, close your eyes, and pretend to be unconscious. I'll be back before the Duke even notices." I spoke as I got myself out of the suffocating frilly material.
"But what if someone—"
"If you make it convincing, no one will even step through the door." I pulled the plain maid's dress over my head, grimacing at the scratchy material.
This body was more sensitive than I thought.
"Besides, you're the only one who gets to live in this room tonight, remember? Consider it a privilege."
Lila looked like she wanted to cry, but she obediently crawled into the bed, pulling the covers over herself. "I-I'll do as you say, My Lady."
"Good girl." I patted her head, smirking when she flinched. "Now, stay quiet, and don't move. If anyone does come in, just moan or something. You're supposed to be unconscious, not dead."
I secured the dress and tugged on the heavy maid's cap to hide my absurdly luxurious black hair.
One glance in the mirror told me I still looked more like a noblewoman playing dress-up than an actual maid, but it would have to do.
"Stay alive, Lily." I shot her one last wink before slipping out the door.
Oh god! I'm going to meet my baby!