The Taming of the Beast
Cayena’s face turned icy as the attendants simply stood there, staring blankly.
“What are you all gawking at?”
She hadn’t raised her voice, yet the chilling authority in her tone sent every one of them dropping to their knees.
“Forgive us, Your Highness!”
They had seen her throw tantrums and lash out countless times, but this was the first time she had spoken with such cold command. Even with Rezef present, they instinctively fell to the floor and begged for mercy. It simply felt like the only thing they could do.
“Clean up this mess.”
Only then did they begin to regain control of the room. Cayena clicked her tongue at the shockingly lax discipline.
“Vera.”
She gave Vera a meaningful look, ordering her to take the maids away. The quick-witted Vera immediately stepped into the room with brisk steps and led the other maids out.
“If I had known you would act like this, I would have thrown Lydia out long ago.”
Cayena rolled up her sleeve and unwound the gauze wrapped around her left arm. The angry red mark was revealed.
“If you punish someone severely over a wound that won’t even leave a scar, no one will want to serve in the imperial palace.”
Rezef carefully took hold of Cayena’s snow-white arm. He stared intently at the vivid burn. It didn’t appear to be a deep injury, yet his anger still flared. How dare a mere maid challenge the dignity of the imperial family?
“Injuring a member of the imperial family is an act of high treason, Sister.”
If she wished it, Rezef was ready to chase Lydia down and sever her head that very instant. But Cayena looked at him with an even stricter expression.
“It was nothing more than an unexpected accident.”
“It must hurt quite a bit.”
At his question, Cayena let out a small, wry laugh and answered lightly.
“If it didn’t hurt, it wouldn’t be a wound. Still, a few days of ointment will take care of it.”
Now it was Rezef who seemed to be trying to persuade her.
“What if you sent her to the laundry room?”
Sending a gently raised noble lady to the laundry room was an exceptionally harsh punishment. Even for someone who wasn’t a noble daughter, that place was little better than hell. Cayena frowned.
“You worry about your sister far too fiercely.”
At her mild scolding, Rezef blinked slowly before letting out a deflated chuckle.
“Were you frightened?”
“Not in the slightest.”
At her curt reply, Rezef burst into quiet laughter. Cayena shook her head.
“Are you feeling calmer now?”
“…Yes.”
“Then let’s have some warm tea.”
Cayena took his hand and gently pulled him toward her. It reminded her of their childhood days—now hazy in memory—when they had explored the imperial palace together.
Rezef yielded to that touch, light as a feather. His heart softened in an instant.
Others looked after him—his nanny, the maids, his aides. But being cared for by Cayena felt entirely different. For one thing, she was the first person who had ever scolded him like this. The sensation of being reprimanded by someone was strangely profound.
“Allow me.”
Rezef took the gauze from Cayena’s hand and carefully wrapped it around her arm once more. Having trained rigorously, he was no stranger to injury. As a result, he had become quite skilled at bandaging.
Cayena watched him as he tended to the burn with meticulous care. She could tell his state had stabilized considerably. Whenever he flew into a rage, those around him would only panic and punish whoever had angered him. No one had ever given Rezef any guidance.
That was why he became angry so easily and lacked patience. He did whatever he pleased. And in his desire for their father’s approval, he had only grown more cunning.
It wasn’t difficult for Cayena to imagine how lonely he must have been. She raised her other arm and gently stroked his head.
“…”
Rezef paused for a moment before securing the gauze again. Strangely, he felt as though he had been praised.
He had opened trade routes with other kingdoms for the Hill imperial family and returned the assets of powerful nobles to the national treasury. All of it had been treated as nothing more than his duty, unworthy of praise. Yet here he was, being praised simply for wrapping a bandage well.
Rezef found Cayena’s attempt to act like a proper older sister amusing. And yet, he liked it.
“Are you very busy? It would be nice to have tea in the flower garden.”
He smiled, his expression softening as much as his heart had.
“I will follow your wishes, Sister.”
Rezef removed his cloak and draped it over Cayena’s thin dress.
Cayena pulled the cloak around herself and let out a short sigh. If she had been even a moment later, Lydia’s arm would surely have been severed. There was not a shred of mercy in his cruelty.
She turned to Annie, the maid who had followed them.
“Prepare tea and refreshments at the table in the rear garden.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Rezef, who had been completely blinded by rage over Lydia only moments ago, now seemed to have forgotten it entirely. His mood had brightened. He supported Cayena’s waist and escorted her with gentle affection.
The guards and aides stepped back, clearing the path. Their expressions were dazed, as if everything that had just happened was a dream. It was only natural—they were witnessing for the first time how Rezef could be influenced by Cayena’s words and actions.
Among them, Zenon Evans wore the most serious expression. Even though Rezef was a madman, Zenon had supported him because he was far easier to manipulate than the Grand Duke Heinrich. In fact, Rezef’s continued rampages had only increased Zenon’s own influence, which had pleased him.
But now Cayena had suddenly begun exerting an unknown influence over Rezef.
I’ll have to keep a close eye on the princess from now on.
Zenon watched Cayena with sharp, calculating eyes.
Cayena, feeling every gaze upon her, continued walking with perfect composure as she accepted the escort.
In any case, today’s events will spread in a way that benefits me in many respects.
Cayena was a princess who held no real power. Regardless of her terrible personality, she could easily have become isolated within the imperial family. If not for her exceptional beauty, she would never have enjoyed the luxuries she currently possessed.
Yet that same Cayena had calmed Rezef’s fury as if she were a beast tamer. There was no need to speculate about the impact this incident would have.
Even Father left that wild colt Rezef to his own devices.
In truth, it wasn’t only Rezef who had run wild. Cayena’s own temperament had been just as difficult. In that regard, the two of them truly were siblings.
At least one of us has come to our senses. That’s fortunate.
The imperial palace was a hotbed of power, and that power would one day become Rezef’s weapon.
In her first life, Rezef had tried to use that power to kill countless innocents—including Olivia—and had ultimately brought about her own demise as well.
The current Cayena could prevent that tragedy.
In truth, in her first life, she had been killed by Viscount Gillian before Rezef was slain by Raphaelo, so she had never imagined the empire would meet such an end.
She felt no particular attachment to her family. She pitied Rezef, but the closeness one might expect between blood siblings was faint. After all, she had been used by him and then discarded.
Still…
The most accurate way to describe her feelings was simply that he was her younger brother.
After all, I’ve decided to play the role of princess until I can escape this place.
Looking after her wayward younger brother was probably part of that role.
Once seated at the table in the rear garden, Cayena was finally able to examine Rezef’s face in detail.
“You seem to have lost some weight in just a few days.”
His cheekbones stood out more prominently. It was clear he had been skipping meals frequently due to his recent busyness. That was why she had prepared an apple pie generously flavored with the cinnamon he loved. Had she not read the novel, she would never have known about that preference of his.
“I haven’t had much of an appetite.”
As Rezef spoke, he suddenly remembered the apple pie that must still be in his study.
He called over one of his aides and gave an order.
“Bring the apple pie my sister made here.”
“As you command.”
Cayena took a sip of the tea that had just been poured and asked him,
“Did the pie suit your taste?”
“Immensely.”
Rezef wore a gentle smile beneath the leisurely sunlight and the pleasant spring breeze. His inherently kind features made the smile look as beautiful as a painting.
The plate holding the apple pie Cayena had made was soon placed on the table.
“Even if you have no appetite, you mustn’t skip too many meals. You train with the sword as well.”
“Yes, Sister.”
Even as he answered, Rezef felt a strange emotion stir within him. For some reason, she seemed to know him very well. She was not the type of person to take much interest in others. She should not have known that the hunting season was approaching and that he would be going out frequently, nor that he trained with the sword consistently.
Yet now she acted as if she understood him perfectly, even preparing an apple pie that suited his palate exactly. For the first time in his life, it felt as though a place where he could truly breathe had been created for him within this imperial palace.
I never expected to feel this way because of Cayena.
She had never been particularly outstanding among the things he possessed.
Is this what it feels like to discover a jewel by chance?
Even now, her lemon-colored golden hair sparkled like a gem, and her long lashes resembled those in a masterpiece painting. Her flawless skin and perfectly sculpted bone structure had once made her seem like nothing more than a doll.
But now he sensed a unique vitality emanating from her. The doll named Cayena looked completely different, as if a god had breathed life into it. Had she always been this beautiful?
Rezef found himself harboring a certain expectation toward Cayena, who had once felt like a complete stranger. He had never felt such fulfillment even when acquiring great wealth or when humiliating the detestable Grand Duke Heinrich.
“Sister, you truly are a beautiful person.”
So he spoke those words with renewed appreciation. Cayena set down her teacup, her eyes widening in surprise as she looked at him. The corners of her eyes curved softly.
“You don’t have to say that. I’ll make you another apple pie next time.”
She dismissed it as a joke. Rezef burst into laughter.
My doll.
No. It no longer felt appropriate to call her that.
Rezef had just found the perfect word to describe her.
My solace.
My kind and beautiful solace.