Chapter 261
All the way to the carriage, the former princess did not say a single word.
Just as she was about to step inside, I spoke.
“I hope your health improves soon.”
“You…!”
The princess bared her teeth and glared at me.
“I’ll be watching to see how long you stay so high and mighty.”
I glanced briefly at the imperial coachman and the maids.
‘That’s the maid I saw at the Empress Dowager’s palace last time… ah.’
I immediately understood the situation.
The Empress Dowager must have heard about the mess she caused at the Astra estate. So of course she’d send her own people to keep watch.
I softened my eyebrows and looked up at the princess.
“Did I perhaps offend Your Highness somehow?”
“How disgusting you are…!”
“Pardon?”
“How far do you plan on dragging me down! I can’t even sleep because of you!”
“Is this about what happened with my father? I’m sorry, Your Highness. That was beyond my control as well…”
“You—!!”
Anatoli’s eyes went wild as she grabbed my shoulders.
“Your Highness!”
The maids quickly pried her off me.
I caught the stricken look on the Empress Dowager’s maid’s face.
I hid my amusement expertly and shrank back, wearing a very startled expression.
“Are you alright, Milady?”
The Empress Dowager’s maid hurried to check on me.
“Ah, I’m fine… Just a little startled, so please don’t worry too much.”
“Heavens…”
The maid looked at me with pity.
“Truly, I’m fine!”
Even as I spoke, the former princess shrieked wildly.
“It’s all that wretch’s fault! Do you even know what she said to me?! Does Lord Daymond know you’re such a loathsome girl?!”
She’d been foolish from the start, but today Anatoli had nearly lost her mind.
When fear peaks, people act insane like this.
Even smart ones do stupid things when cornered.
But for someone already foolish to add sleepless anxiety on top, it was no wonder reason had abandoned her.
‘Still, how could you bring up my father’s name here?’
Now everyone will think you’re causing this uproar because of him.
As I expected, the Empress Dowager’s maid’s face went from pale to utterly fed up.
“Honestly…”
She let out a long sigh and ordered another maid.
“Remember Her Majesty’s command. Take special care to keep Her Highness from causing further trouble.”
“Yes, ma’am…”
The Empress Dowager’s maid turned to me.
“Your Ladyship, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager will see you amply rewarded for this incident, so please don’t be concerned.”
I waved both hands quickly, pretending to be alarmed.
“Oh no, please!”
“Pardon?”
“It would only sadden Her Majesty. Her Highness isn’t a bad person by nature…”
“……”
“The elders of Astra say this. Sometimes love too deep can turn sharp like thorns and bring pain. I think Her Highness must be hurting because of those thorns.”
“Milady…”
“And if Her Majesty were to reward me, she’d learn everything that happened today… and if my father found out what I went through, he’d be heartbroken too.”
“Oh, my…”
The Empress Dowager’s maid looked deeply moved.
Even the imperial coachman and Anatoli’s attendants were staring at me with approving, almost proud expressions.
Exactly the look of ‘When would a noble girl ever suffer something like this, and yet she’s so composed.’
‘This kind of thing happens all the time in Astra anyway.’
If anything, the princess just had no resilience, raised too softly in the palace.
It wasn’t even enough to tickle.
The Empress Dowager’s maid glanced at the still-fuming Anatoli and spoke warmly to me.
“I’ll be sure to tell Her Majesty about your noble and considerate heart.”
Inside, I grinned.
But on the surface, I kept my face meek and sad.
“I just don’t want Her Majesty to be too upset.”
“My goodness… If she knows how deeply you care, her sorrow will surely fade quickly.”
“Then I’m relieved.”
I smiled brightly and bowed to the maids.
“How long will you keep this up! How long?!”
“Your Highness, please—!”
While the imperial attendants scrambled to get the princess into her carriage, I moved my lips just enough for her to see:
Until you wither away to nothing.
Anatoli’s face went stark white.
‘Serves you right. Who told you to provoke me?’
I’m a child who always returns what I’m given. Two-fold, even.
From the start, with what she pulled at the Astra estate, there was no way the punishment she got would ever satisfy me.
In truth, her crime was only one thing.
‘She drugged a monster.’
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