The Marionette Awakens
Cayena slowly opened her eyes.
So I really have come back.
Lying in bed, she retraced the chaotic situation she now found herself in.
In her previous life, Cayena had been the villainess of the novel The Lady of the Black Rose, a story read by a certain woman. And that had also been her first life.
Yes, a novel.
Having played the role of the villainess to perfection, she had met a fittingly villainous end—murdered by her mad husband.
Her second life had been lived in South Korea. Naturally, she had held no memories of being Cayena. Yet by chance, she had come across the novel The Lady of the Black Rose. Seen through the eyes of a third party, the Cayena within its pages had seemed like a foolish, vicious creature.
In truth, most of the characters in that story had been the same. Everyone except the heroine had been a powerful figure, yet every last one of them had been insane.
Rezef the sociopath, Yester Heinrich who was obsessed with power, and Bayel, whose very humanity was questionable. Even the male lead, Raphaelo, had appeared the most normal, yet he too had carried his own share of mental issues.
The novel’s premise was that every character would be transformed by the heroine’s influence.
Olivia, the original female protagonist, had been like a living, breathing tranquilizer—filling in the emotional voids of everyone around her.
Cayena had grown jealous of that Olivia and attempted to poison her.
No matter how much of a villainess she had been, Cayena had never been cruel enough to truly kill someone. She had simply been a marionette, manipulated by her tyrannical younger brother.
Rezef, who had wanted Olivia for himself, had used Cayena to try to poison her.
It had seemed to succeed. But the wizard Bayel, master of the Black Rose Garden, had passed his power to her and brought her back from death.
That was why the novel had been titled The Lady of the Black Rose.
What followed had been the predictable tale of villains meeting their just ends.
Cayena had felt little interest in the protagonists’ narrative. Instead, her attention had been drawn to the life of the villainess.
To think the reason she had felt such sympathy was because that life had once been her own.
It’s quite the shock to realize I was the villainess of a novel.
For some unknown reason, she had returned once more as Cayena. And at the age of nineteen, no less—before her coming-of-age ceremony.
I suppose I died in that previous life.
The man who had stabbed her had been someone she barely knew.
She remembered leaking a scandal about his affair to the company. It had been because his project had needed to be canceled.
But that’s all part of a life that’s already over.
She had gained much, yet it had also been a failure of a life.
The woman had been competent. Far beyond merely useful—she had been threatening enough to unsettle others.
And Director Kim had coaxed and controlled her so that she would obey only him. Just like how Cayena had once been controlled by her younger brother.
How on earth did I return as Cayena again?
She had been discarded by Rezef and married off to the Gillan viscount family as if sold. In the end, she had died horribly at the hands of the deranged Viscount Gillan.
Suddenly, she realized her current condition.
This is right after I drank the poison.
During the banquet, she had drunk wine and then vomited blood. The screams and chaos that had filled the Grand Hall still rang vividly in her ears.
“Of all times…”
Even if her body had been healthy, it would have been barely enough. To regress at a moment like this—what kind of cruel twist was this?
“Are you awake, Your Highness?”
The maid who had been guarding the room approached. She naturally began wiping Cayena’s face with a damp cloth and tidying her hair.
Even though Cayena had nearly died, the fact that the maid prioritized only her beauty felt incredibly bizarre. Yet she lacked the strength to stop her, and saw no reason to, so she simply closed her eyes.
“I will help you wash, Your Highness.”
While the maids cleaned her body and changed her into fresh clothes, Cayena fell deep into thought.
Rezef had been a cruel tyrant who could not even be called a decent emperor in the loosest sense, and she had been the equally vicious older sister who matched him.
From the beginning, neither of them had been born with kind hearts. They were impatient, lawless, and brutal. The only miscalculation had been that Cayena never imagined such traits would apply to herself as well.
Rezef, my little brother.
You never once saw me as family, did you?
Cayena had been abandoned. And with ruthless thoroughness.
“Bring me a mirror.”
The maids carried a large mirror before her. She observed her reflection with blue eyes, then gently stroked her cheek.
Truly, unbearably beautiful.
Even in the novel, descriptions of Cayena’s beauty had appeared so often they grew tiresome.
Seeing her own face again like this, the beauty felt almost like a talent in its own right.
But in the end, it was nothing more than the face of a doll for Rezef to use.
That was Cayena’s worth right now.
She quietly studied the beauty in the mirror, with her lemon-colored hair cascading down.
Would it be all right if I don’t live as a villainess from now on?
No. She was still an imperial princess. As long as the right of succession extended to her descendants, she would remain a target of constant checks and suppression for the rest of her life.
I currently have no power at all.
The only thing she possessed was this horrifically beautiful face. She was not foolish enough to believe its value exceeded that of a rare white tiger with white fur.
Beauty can never become true power.
That was a lesson Rezef had taught her.
Hadn’t she personally experienced how the power she held was nothing more than a mirage that could vanish the moment he wished it?
At least I’ve regressed at a point that isn’t too late.
Her father the emperor was still alive. There were still means left to keep Rezef in check.
But there isn’t much time left before Rezef becomes emperor.
Cayena acknowledged that she needed a way to break free from Rezef.
And the only method that comes to mind is marriage.
Of course, a marriage partner like the deranged Viscount Gillan was out of the question.
What method could let me escape while deceiving Rezef’s eyes?
She no longer wanted to live as a princess. Yet she could not simply rush out without any plan.
Marriage, huh…
There was no time to feel anger or sorrow at the fact that she had to ponder such things the moment she opened her eyes. The Imperial Palace was a place teeming with schemes and tricks.
Moreover, having regressed only to immediately drink poison had sharpened every one of her senses with heightened wariness.
I need someone who will help me.
To coax Rezef, she needed people who would move for her sake. But everyone around her had been planted by Rezef.
Cayena’s gaze swept over the maids one by one. They were all insignificant figures.
Then her eyes settled on one person. It was Vera, the senior maid.
Cayena recalled that in the past, Vera had been the one commanding this place.
Vera was Rezef’s person. It seemed her once-adorable little brother had already been manipulating her even before she came of age. She now understood that she had already been dancing as a marionette in the palm of his hand.
In any case, there isn’t a single person here who isn’t Rezef’s.
She remembered how many times Vera had played an active role in the novel. If she could bring Vera to her side, the woman would prove quite useful.
Cayena asked Vera about Rezef’s whereabouts.
“Where is Rezef?”
“His Highness the Crown Prince has taken charge of investigating the assassination attempt on Your Highness, so I believe he left early this morning.”
Vera glanced at her cautiously before adding,
“It is a serious matter, after all. I heard the list of suspects has narrowed considerably. If the one who dared harm Your Highness is found, His Highness the Crown Prince will never forgive them.”
Many eyes were focused on Crown Prince Rezef’s movements, as he displayed great fury over this heinous attempt to poison a member of the imperial family.
“I see.”
Cayena answered indifferently.
Vera handed the damp cloth and basin to the maid beside her and stole another glance at the princess.
Cayena leaned against the cushions with a pale face, staring into the distance. Her calm expression was far removed from her usual demeanor.
I had at least prepared myself for a beating.
The poison had been drunk not in her room but during the banquet. Even so, considering Cayena’s personality, she would have undoubtedly beaten the maids at random for failing to serve her properly.
Yet Cayena had not screamed for Rezef to be brought to her, nor had she wailed about what her father was doing.
Was the shock that great?
However, Cayena did not look like someone trembling in fear from shock.
It felt too suspicious to dismiss as mere pain, but if that wasn’t the case, there was no way to explain the situation.
Vera could not shake the feeling that this was the calm before the storm. Her mind grew tangled with all sorts of speculations.
“Vera.”
Cayena called her in a strangely gentle voice.