Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: The Kingdom's True Power
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Canibella's days generally went like this. She would wake up at dawn for training with Lukamin, quickly wash up and pretend to sleep, then eat a late breakfast. After that, she would hole up in her room until dinner, then go to bed. That was her routine.
At first, she was tense because of the watchful eyes on her, but as time passed, the surveillance grew lax, allowing her more freedom of movement.
Yes, today was just another ordinary day. As always, she trained lightly, then came back and wriggled under the covers.
"Sister!"
Then came a voice she didn't want to hear. It was a beautiful voice, like an angel descending to speak. Yet at the same time, it sent chills crawling up her spine like a snake slithering over her skin.
It was Lansien's voice. The hatred she usually couldn't quite hide was absent today. Instead, there was a suspicious smile that hinted at some scheme. Canibella forced down her unease and replied in a bright voice.
"Lansien!"
"Are you doing well?"
"I've been so bored without you visiting, Lansien."
"I see! Then I should spend more time with you from now on."
Lansien smiled as she set down the documents she had been holding on the nearby table. Canibella glanced at the text inside.
['Remius Kingdom'
Trius von Remius
The prince of the Remius Kingdom, currently in the midst of a civil war. Outwardly known as extremely courteous and politically astute enough to be the next king, but in reality, he is utterly incompetent and clueless about politics. Despite being the legitimate heir, he has few supporters... (excerpt omitted)...
Notable traits: Extremely lecherous. So much so that women who enter his service as concubines can't endure even a single day and flee.]
"......!"
She nearly twisted her face in disgust. What kind of document was that? Seeing her reaction, Lansien smiled sweetly.
"Don't worry about it, Sister."
"Why?"
"Because it's my final gift to you."
Her final gift? What did that mean?
"......!"
But seeing Lansien's smile, she knew instinctively. Lansien was planning to send her to the Remius Kingdom! It was no different from a sentence of exile to a place from which she could never return.
In the meantime, Lansien leaned in and whispered lewdly into her ear.
"I'll come visit you often while you're there, Sister."
"Huh......?"
Canibella made a puzzled expression. But Lansien turned and left without looking back, opening the door and stepping out.
"Keep the princess from leaving the room."
"Yes."
Lansien probably didn't have the ability to enforce it herself, but she had blocked all escape routes just in case. This was her chance to get rid of Canibella, and Lansien wasn't one to let such an opportunity slip away.
The Rasoni Kingdom was fundamentally a matriarchal nation. The queen ruled the country, and women held the key positions and head of household roles. Men occasionally ascended to the throne, but they were a true rarity.
However, the current heir was Michaelson. He was Canibella's older brother and the firstborn of the royal family. When Canibella lost her right to the throne due to an unfortunate accident, he was named crown prince.
By Lansien's doing, no less. Lansien had strongly argued that she herself was unfit to be queen, Rakari was too young, so Michaelson should take the throne. Her arguments were accepted, and he became the crown prince.
But he was utterly incompetent. A beast of a man whose every aspect was a disaster. He was woefully inadequate to be a ruler. The nobles were deeply dissatisfied with the decision, but the queen remained silent.
And the one who had the queen firmly in her grasp was Lansien. She was the hidden power behind the Rasoni throne. If she had set her mind to it, Canibella was as good as gone.
"I trust you, Dankun Astro."
"Yes, milady."
With those words, Lansien vanished as if she couldn't stand to stay a second longer. Canibella brushed off her body repeatedly, glaring coldly at Lansien's retreating figure.
'Now that surveillance is back on, what should I do?'
She hoped Lukamin, hidden somewhere, would quickly sense this ominous vibe. The man standing outside seemed quite skilled, and she couldn't let them discover her hidden ace.
'For now, I should have Lukamin look into it.'
There was no presence watching her from within the room. She wrote a message in a code only she and Lukamin could understand and tucked it into the ceiling gap.
'I haven't even properly started yet. And now they want me to leave?'
Absolutely not! She couldn't leave here until she uncovered who was behind the incident that had upended her life.
'I'm putting up with so much!'
If she had only been aiming for survival, she would have fled the palace the moment Lukamin appeared. She would have hidden from the Muyila family's violence and those who tried to kill her.
But she endured. To find that group and exact revenge, she had stubbornly rooted herself in the palace.
Just then, she faintly heard the sound of someone taking the note from her ear. She glanced up subtly. Through a small hole, she saw Lukamin's eyes. They stared at each other intently before looking away.
"Is something the matter?"
As Lukamin vanished, the door opened. It was an unfamiliar man. She stared at him and said.
"Something the matter? Who are you?"
"......I'm Dankun Astro."
As he spoke, Dankun glanced at the ceiling. She tensed. Had he noticed Lukamin? Fear surged within her. But Dankun soon fixed his gaze on her and said.
"If there's anything inconvenient, please let me know anytime."
"Sure!"
She smiled innocently. Dankun closed the door with a distinctly uneasy expression. She swallowed hard.
'Who is that guy? A powerhouse like him.'
He seemed to be one of Lansien's close aides. The previous watchers were ones she could beat if she squeezed out a method somehow, but this one was different.
On a whole other level from anyone she'd seen so far. She wondered if even Lukamin could win against him—the gap felt enormous.
"......"
He was dangerous. With a man like that at Lansien's side, she could die at any moment. Forget revenge; she'd die screaming.
'Damn it.'
Cold sweat trickled down her back.
* * *
Lansien wanted to quickly dispose of Canibella under the pretext of marriage. As long as she lived, she was a clear threat to Lansien's plans at any moment. And crucially, Lansien simply couldn't stand the sight of her.
So Lansien hurriedly wrote and sent a marriage proposal to the Remius Kingdom. The Remius king, who had been agonizing over where to send his troublesome son, immediately replied in the affirmative.
This was the operation to ship Canibella off to the Remius Kingdom. Led by Lansien, all the royals and servants worked feverishly behind the scenes.
Time flew by, and the palace buzzed with activity. Everyone sweated to prepare without Canibella knowing.
Of course, Canibella was well aware. She'd seen the documents Lansien brought. And with the palace in such an uproar, it would have been stranger if she hadn't noticed.
'Damn it.'
But there was nothing she could do right now. She'd sent Lukamin to investigate the Remius Kingdom and Prince Trius. Moreover, Dankun Astro, that powerhouse, was guarding her door.
It was effectively house arrest, and in this situation, she had no choice but to sit idly by.
'Lansien......'
She was infuriated to the point of madness. She knew Lansien had deliberately left those documents open to mock her. Lansien, with her obsessive thoroughness, would never make such a mistake otherwise.
'She probably thinks I can't read, so she did it.'
Angry at Lansien's blatant provocation, but powerless to respond. She couldn't ruin the childlike act she'd built up over time for something like this, and with Lukamin absent, she couldn't act rashly.
'What should I do?'
But no solutions came to mind. All she could do was bite her nails.
"Milady, it's time to go."
It was lunchtime. Normally, the maids would dress her perfunctorily, but today they put extra effort into fitting her dress and tying her hair.
'Can't they do something about this lace obsession?'
The excessive lace irritated her as usual. And the mismatched pigtails on top. Her stomach was churning.
"Let's go!"
But as always, she held it in. If you compared a person's patience to a burning candle, hers had long since melted into a sticky puddle on the floor.
'Having to eat at the same table as those people. Makes me want to vomit.'
With departure to the Remius Kingdom in two days, this was surely a nominal last chance to see her face. But she had no desire to see theirs. It would be a miracle if she didn't punch them on sight.
The queen's repulsive smile, the queen mother's dazed eyes staring at her, Michaelson's barely concealed dissatisfaction, Rakari's indifferent expression to everything—it all came to mind.
And Lansien, always looking down on her with disdain. Just thinking about it annoyed her.
She despised them all. This time spent with them already felt like hell.
Yet her feet carried her toward them.
"We've arrived."
At those words, she quickly plastered on an innocent expression. With no maids trailing her, she hadn't bothered hiding it until now.
"Princess Canibella, enter."
Before her was a lavish banquet. She suppressed a rising sneer. It was just like fattening a pig with good grass before slaughter.
'These bastards.'
But she rushed to the queen mother and rubbed her head against her.
"Father Emperor~"
"Carnibella, you look especially pretty today."
"Hehe."
"Sit down quickly. It's time for lunch."
She sat in her seat at the queen mother's words. Her plate was piled high with food far superior to her usual fare. Nothing like the cheap meat they normally gave her.
"I want that one."
The meal began. She whined for food as usual. But this time, the queen mother served her. Well-cooked fish and beef were presented. She read the apology in the queen mother's eyes.
'How laughable.'
Joining in this farce and now making sorry faces? It only disgusted her more.
"My beloved daughter, I have something to say."
"Mm? What is it?"
"Do you know what marriage means?"
Finally, the words she least wanted to hear came from her mouth.