You must be very shy (2)

"What game are they playing now?"

Aristine quietly stared at the simple tea table laid out before her. She had already suspected something was amiss when they set out with an old-fashioned carriage instead of using a portal.

Sure enough, she was right—she hadn't been allowed to leave the carriage for nearly ten days.

"I can't even feel my legs anymore."

Because of that, she couldn't wash up or change her clothes. She'd tried to at least take off her uncomfortable dress, but the knights kept knocking on her window, preventing her from doing so.

But then, suddenly, they told her she could come out. When she did, they claimed to have prepared refreshments for her…

"It would be weirder if I wasn't suspicious."

"Have a seat," the maid said politely, though her tone and demeanor made it clear it was more of an order than a request. Aristine sat down without saying a word.

'Not yet.'

She was still acting as docile as she always had in the palace.

'It's not time yet.'

Her eyes swept over the armed escorts surrounding them. Who knew whether they were guards, spies, or…

'Assassins.'

Regardless of who they were, the Empire had only just begun reorganizing itself, which meant it needed time. And that also meant it wasn't yet time for Aristine to die. But ironically, that didn't mean they couldn't do anything else to her—short of killing her, of course.

Ironically, Aristine, a princess of Silvanus, could only find protection once she reached Irugo, the enemy nation.

'Though, only time will tell if I'll truly be protected.'

Aristine gazed into the teacup filled with black tea. Its trembling surface reflected her composed face. She hadn't even touched the cup, yet the liquid continued to wobble until her reflection disappeared entirely.

And in its place…

'Ah…'

A different sight emerged.

The reflection showed the handmaid who had just ordered Aristine to sit down. Her attire was exactly the same as it was now.

Unlike Aristine, the maid had been able to wash and change clothes every day, leaving her far cleaner and more groomed.

In the reflection, the maid carried a pot of boiling water toward the tea table—or rather, toward Aristine herself.

Inside the mirrored surface, the handmaid poured the scalding water onto Aristine. Her burned face swelled with redness.

[Oh no! I'm sorry, Princess.]

Despite her words, the maid's face was full of obvious mockery. Her hands were rough and harsh as she wiped Aristine's face with a cold towel, making the injuries worse.

[Wow, she looks like a drenched rat.]

[Perfect look for a barbarian's bride.]

The other maids giggled and whispered among themselves, loud enough for Aristine to hear.

"…"

The surface shook, and soon the scene vanished. The image returned to Aristine's calm face, just as it had been at the start.

This was Aristine's ability.

The ability her father, the Emperor, had coveted so desperately.

But it was also the ability he believed Aristine had failed to obtain—the reason she was deemed a "failure" rather than a "success."

The Monarch's Sight manifested through reflective surfaces. It wasn't merely the power to see the future; Aristine could glimpse the past, present, and future through any mirrored surface. However, she couldn't control what she saw. She couldn't summon visions at will, nor could she prevent unwanted ones from appearing.

'What shall I do?'

Tap, tap, tap.

Aristine's index finger slowly tapped against the table. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the handmaid approaching, carrying the boiling water.

For a brief moment, Aristine's eyes sharpened. As soon as the maid drew near, Aristine sprang to her feet.

"Ahh!"

The maid screamed as she was doused in boiling water. Startled by Aristine's sudden movement, she reflexively stepped back—but lost her balance, spilling the scalding liquid all over herself.

Her face swelled and reddened instantly.

"Oh no," Aristine lamented, covering her mouth with her hand.

"My, my face, my face…!"

The other maids rushed to bring cold water, their actions frantic. This scene was quite different from the one Aristine had seen with the Monarch's Sight.

After fussing over the injured maid for a while, one of them stood up and stormed over to Aristine.

"What are you going to do about this?!"

"Why are you asking me?"

When Aristine responded with a question of her own, the maid—Rosalyn—gaped in shock. How dare this scorned princess talk back to her now?

"All I did was stand up."

"That…!"

"She poured the water on herself. You can't blame me for that. Am I supposed to act as your babysitter?"

Aristine tilted her head innocently.

"Well, it does look like you guys need one."

Her tone was perfectly measured, omitting the snide remarks she wanted to make. But the faint curl of her lips spoke volumes.

"What did you just…!"

"If you don't need a babysitter, you should have been more careful."

Aristine's voice was calm, almost conversational, as if she were simply stating a fact.

Rosalyn was left speechless, her face flushing with humiliation. She was too stunned—and too frustrated—to think of a rebuttal.

'To this dumb bitch of all people…!'

As Rosalyn simmered in silence, Aristine sat back down and sipped her black tea. Her posture was impeccable, her movements graceful, like a swan gliding across water.

Even after nearly ten days without washing or changing clothes, she appeared utterly relaxed, as though nothing could bother her.

"Hah…"

The maids watching her exchanged disbelieving glances. Was this really the same princess they thought they knew?

It wouldn't be accurate to say they truly knew her. After all, she was "that princess"—the nuisance shoved out of the emperor's sight, treated worse than strangers within the imperial family.

The idiot who had never been given the chance to learn or grow. A mentally unstable lunatic who had spent most of her life in isolation.

'But…'

'Is this really that crazy princess?!'

It didn't add up.

This wasn't just different—it was worlds apart.

Right, maybe she'd just gotten lucky this time.

But this was only the beginning.