Chapter 005: Proof

Nightfall had descended, yet Lina Riley was nowhere to be found, as though she'd vanished into thin air. A few palace maids claimed to have spotted her heading toward the old, deserted wing of the palace. In alarm, Sophia Riley set out to search for her, joining those already combing the grounds.

The creaking of decrepit palace doors broke the silence. Two young maids, wearing uneasy expressions, stood at the entrance. Sophia coughed slightly but noticed nothing out of the ordinary. Once the door swung fully open, she gasped at the sight of someone lying on the ground, wearing only thin garments. There was blood on the snow—vivid and jarring.

The two palace maids at the door shivered visibly. They had harmed this person and hadn't disposed of the scene yet. Ordinarily, no one visited such a neglected wing, but earlier that day, the head maid from The Majesty's side had shown up.

A taller maid, pallid with fright, collapsed into a heap under her own terror. Sophia, rattled herself, was kindhearted enough to rush forward and check for breath. Discovering the victim was still alive, she waved excitedly. "Come quickly—she's still breathing!"

Autumn Clarke, the maid accompanying Sophia on this search, took just one look to figure out what had happened and cast a frosty glare at the trembling palace girls. Royal scandals must never be revealed, so she said briskly, "Take her to the royal physician. The rest of you, follow me—let's search the rest of these rooms."

Sophia watched as the injured person was carried away. Just as she turned to leave, the wounded individual momentarily regained consciousness. Catching sight of Sophia, she cried out with shining eyes, "Sophia!"

Sophia froze—she had never set foot in the palace before now, nor had she met this woman. She wanted to ask who she was, but the stranger fainted again. A chill wind swept by. Wrapping her cloak tighter, Sophia glanced to Autumn. "Who was that?"

Autumn offered an apologetic smile. "She's the fifth princess under the previous monarch—a bit unhinged and always hurting herself. Pay her no mind, Miss."

"Previous monarch" referred to The Majesty's older sister, dethroned by The Princess Royal. Most of that queen's children had been eliminated—who would've guessed one still survived? Unwilling to probe royal matters further, Sophia's main worry was her missing sister.

Regrettably, there was no good news.

"We can't find Miss Lina anywhere; we've searched the well, too—no sign."

Autumn looked at the moon overhead and said, "Miss Sophia, please return to your estate with the general. I'm sure Miss Lina will be fine. Once we find her, we'll send her home."

Though anxious, Sophia knew the palace wasn't hers to roam at will. She curtsied. "Thank you for your help, ma'am."

Seeing the gentle, polite Sophia, Autumn warmed to her. Such a pity for one so delicate, she thought. After escorting Sophia to the city gates and watching the Riley soldiers leave, Autumn's smile faded. She made her way back to the main palace quarters, ablaze with lamplight. Clearly, The Majesty had not turned in for the night.

She had served the throne since childhood and enjoyed a special rapport with Emilia Everard. Hence, she entered unannounced and found The Majesty lying on her bed, exhaustion etched on her features.

The lamp's wick had grown too long, dimming the room, so Autumn trimmed it. The glow brightened. Emilia glanced over, her worry dissolving a bit, and a trace of reliance peeked through her fatigue. "Autumn," she greeted, using the informal name.

Autumn sighed at that. "You shouldn't address me so casually, Your Majesty."

Emilia offered no reply—only studied Autumn's calm, unassuming face. After ruling for so many years, even a seemingly harmless figure like Emilia radiated an air of innate authority. Autumn guessed at her concerns but waited quietly. After a moment, she said, "So, Your Majesty, how did you find Miss Riley today?"

A delicate image of Sophia Riley flashed in Emilia's mind. She wrinkled her brow, annoyance plain. "Pretty enough, but so fragile."

Autumn recognized her tone. The Majesty was resisting. She sighed inwardly. Lucille Everard had overthrown the previous monarch when Emilia was old enough to remember it. The subsequent slaughter left deep scars, making Emilia apathetic to everything. Despite being twenty now, she had no desire to wed. Yet Lucille apparently had her own plan. The day's banquet had been to introduce The Majesty to the eldest daughter of General Riley, perhaps forging an alliance by marriage. Stating it openly would only alienate everyone involved.

Autumn tried once more. "The Princess Royal surely has a solution for her health. From what I saw, Miss Sophia was a fine young woman—proper, cultured—"

Emilia's face clouded abruptly, her suppressed anger rising. "So even you think so? Well, I do not. My father had over twenty children. Now, it's just me and Lucille, plus a single child of The Second Royal Sister still locked in that broken wing. Has that demon not slain enough? She wants to butcher my heirs as well?"

In her vehemence, she hurled her pillow aside. Autumn watched in silence, picking it up quietly. At least Emilia had regained some composure, lowering her voice to avoid being overheard. "If Lucille craves a match with the Rileys so badly, why not marry into the family herself? She and I are both Earthbound, after all."

Alarmed, Autumn pressed a hand to Emilia's mouth. "Your Majesty, please!"

Emilia, blinking, signaled she understood. Only then did Autumn let go. "You must hold your tongue, or you'll anger Her Highness."

Though plainly unconvinced, Emilia bit back further outbursts, trying to stifle her frustration. Unable to openly insult Lucille, she grumbled about the Rileys instead, as if in petty revenge. "Fine, I have no interest in marrying anyone. That Sophia—she staggers every few steps, her face whiter than snow. And that younger sister, Lina Riley, roamed the palace uninvited. Ill-bred, the lot of them. Rileys are hardly worthy of royal ties."

Autumn saw she was simply venting. Meanwhile, Lucille Everard's whereabouts were unknown at this late hour, which worried Autumn. Emilia's eyelids drooped with fatigue. Suddenly, she thought of Lina. "Did they find the second Miss Riley?"

Autumn shook her head. Lina had spent the entire banquet with her head lowered, silent, leaving little impression. "No sign yet. Aren't you concerned about The Princess Royal's absence, Your Majesty?"

Emilia yawned, drifting toward sleep. "She hardly needs anyone's concern. I'm going to bed."

Autumn, resigned, tucked her in. Emilia was prone to nightmares, only sleeping well while clutching Autumn's hand. As she slid into slumber, she dimly murmured, "Autumn, you're the only one I trust…"

Drowsiness blurred her senses, so she never noticed Autumn's flicker of discomfort. Perhaps that was for the best.

The night wore on. Gently withdrawing her hand, Autumn tucked the covers around The Majesty and glanced beyond the window at the dark sky. Feeling inexplicably uneasy, she murmured, "Where are you, Princess Royal? Don't let any harm befall you."

Realizing she was jinxing it, she patted her mouth in superstitious worry. "Scratch that. You're a blessed one—my words mean nothing."

With that uneasy mindset, Autumn waited through the night until, just before dawn, Lucille Everard finally reappeared. Elated, Autumn rushed to greet her, only to sense something off. Studying Lucille, she realized The Princess Royal seemed uncharacteristically cheerful, wearing what looked like a genuine smile.

Lucille waved off Autumn's attempt to kneel, casting a cold glance at the slumbering monarch. "Pig," she muttered.

Alarmed, Autumn stammered, "Her Majesty stayed awake all night fretting about you—she's only just dozed off."

Lucille studied the emperor's drooling face with faint interest. "Is that so?"

Autumn's heart nearly stopped. Before she could respond, Lucille simply said, "Never mind her. Oh, by the way, Lina Riley is in an unused room near the old palace wing. Have her sent home."

Autumn exhaled in relief. "Yes, Your Highness," she replied, bowing. She turned to go, but Lucille halted her again. This time, her tone was neutral. "Try not to scare her."

Autumn's eyes widened in surprise. She tried to read The Princess Royal's expression, but Lucille's back was turned. Biting back a flood of questions, Autumn withdrew.

She found Lina in a daze, as though her soul had left her body. That only piqued Autumn's curiosity further, but she held her tongue and simply escorted Lina back to the Riley Estate.

No one in the household seemed to care much about Lina's return, save for Sophia, who asked a few anxious questions. Seeing Lina too exhausted to respond, Sophia tactfully left. Lina then had Daisy Harper dismissed and crawled back under her covers. She was hiding.

Who would understand the shock of awakening to find The Princess Royal beside you? Worse, the memories snapping into focus. In some wild, moonlit confusion, Lina had…marked The Princess Royal?

Her mind conjured all sorts of grisly demises, but before she could panic properly, Lucille had awakened. The first thing she did wasn't panic or rage—she'd simply wrapped her fingers around Lina's neck, wearing a dazzling grin. "You've had your fun. Now you can die."

She meant it. Lina felt the steadily tightening grip as she slipped toward death. Fear spurred her to fight back, prying Lucille's fingers off one by one. The surprise in Lucille's eyes told Lina she had a chance. From countless previous run-ins, Lina knew The Princess Royal prized talent. The realm was in turmoil; valuable individuals were in high demand.

Still, her heart was churning. In her last life, she'd given her devotion to the wrong person, losing her right hand and her eyesight, and failing to save her family. She had no intention of ending things here after finally being reborn.

As Lucille's grogginess wore off, she was stunned by Lina's physical strength but also struck by how strangely familiar this girl seemed. Staring at her wary expression, Lucille smirked.

Lina didn't notice. Keeping her face solemn, she spoke carefully, "I never meant to offend you, Your Highness. Considering how things stand…what do you think of me?"

What was she even saying? Lina wished she could slap herself; she was aiming to highlight her worth, yet that bizarre wording slipped out. She was silently berating herself when Lucille's voice reached her ears. "I find you quite satisfactory."

Lina froze. "Huh?"

Lucille, amused by Lina's confusion, lifted her chin with a hand, smiling without warmth. "But you're still not enough to hold my notice."

The proximity made Lina uneasy. She stared anywhere but at Lucille's face. "What do you mean, Your Highness?"

Lucille withdrew her hand, rising from the bed. Lina, hearing the rustle of clothing, felt heat creep into her cheeks. She kept her head down.

Lucille's voice drifted from just outside the room. "Prove yourself to me."

At least Lina's life was spared for now. Feeling spent, she barely moved.

"If you fail to meet my expectations…" Lucille added in a chillingly calm voice, "I'll come for your life again."

That merciless threat left Lina thrashing about on her bed. Only when she whacked her head did she finally stop. Cradling her sore forehead, she groaned in frustration.