The Villainess's Household Management
Vera glanced at Cayena after finishing her brief interview with Olivia. The princess was reading a book at her leisure, a travelogue describing the northern territories held loosely in her hands.
At the very least, she could have arranged to meet Lord Kedrey.
The two of them standing side by side in the Imperial Library had looked as though they had stepped out of a fairy tale—a perfect pairing of princess and knight.
Besides, it was Raphaelo who had come to see Cayena in person that day. Hadn’t that been the first stirrings of some deeper emotion? Yet lately Cayena had been keeping her distance from him. Unlike before, she never once spoke of how magnificent he was.
“There doesn’t seem to be much more to see in the north. It would be terribly inconvenient to live there.”
She set the book down with a soft thump and offered only idle remarks.
Vera spoke up suddenly. “Your Highness, do you truly hope Lady Olivia and Lord Kedrey will be happy together?”
Truly hope they’ll be happy together?
Cayena tapped her fingers against the volume for a moment, then opened the first page as though she had reached some decision.
“Of course.”
To be precise, she simply wanted to insert herself into a match that was going to succeed anyway. In the original story, Raphaelo and Olivia first met at Cayena’s coming-of-age ceremony after their marriage talks had already begun. It was the classic fated-love development. For Cayena, however, it had been the prelude to tragedy.
Vera’s questions did not stop there.
“And if Lord Kedrey were to develop feelings for Your Highness instead? What would you do then?”
Cayena’s eyes widened at the absurd supposition. She lowered the book to her lap.
“That is a completely ridiculous assumption.”
She dismissed it outright.
“Besides, Lord Kedrey is already in marriage negotiations with Olivia. I would prefer we drop this subject.”
“Forgive me, Your Highness.”
Cayena shook her head.
“I’m not scolding you. How could I not understand why you would say such a thing?”
At the gentle reassurance, Vera pressed her lips together, looking slightly embarrassed. How wonderful it would be if Her Highness could be with the person she truly wanted. Vera felt even more regretful because she had once heard Cayena’s detailed fifty-year plan for a future with Raphaelo.
Lady Olivia is certainly beautiful, but…
Vera recalled the young woman. Cayena had described her as remarkably perceptive and intelligent. She had also said their working styles would complement each other well, making cooperation easy. From those remarks Vera had realized the princess intended to make considerable use of Olivia.
Is she truly that capable?
Her first impression had certainly been favorable. Setting aside her family background, there seemed to be no obvious flaws. Vera did not yet know her character in depth, but her reputation in high society was not bad.
The fact that Olivia’s social standing remained solid despite Cayena’s open wariness and dislike was itself impressive.
“Vera, have you chosen the staff you’ll be using?”
Vera snapped out of her thoughts at Cayena’s question. The princess was asking about personnel who would assist with official duties.
“Yes. I plan to promote Annie first.”
“A sensible choice.”
Vera had been quietly reorganizing the staff so that the princess’s palace would operate entirely under Cayena’s influence.
“The other two should arrive tomorrow.”
Cayena gazed out the window. Spring rain was still falling steadily.
“Make sure Olivia adapts to the work faster than they do.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Cayena intended to establish a clear hierarchy among them. Rank would reveal exactly where the princess’s favor rested.
The more Cayena elevated Olivia, the more cautiously others would treat her. Once Olivia built up credible influence, neither Rezef nor Grand Prince Heinrich would dare touch her lightly.
This was how Cayena planned to create a safe environment for Olivia before she herself left the imperial palace.
Once Vera withdrew, Cayena remained alone in the bedroom. She closed the book she had been reading. Even holding a volume about the western territories felt unpleasant. The Gillian viscount family had its roots in the west. She set the book aside as though it had grown thorns.
A sigh slipped from her lips. She had believed she was now completely independent of her past. Yet the mere sight of Henverton had shattered that illusion. If she encountered him again, would she truly remain unscathed? Cayena could not promise anything.
“Perhaps it would be better to take measures after all…?”
Was there no way to overturn the Gillian viscount family and tear their warhorse business to pieces?
But if that creates an opening in the Kedrey ducal house, it will become troublesome.
It was dangerous to carelessly meddle with the power of the Kedrey ducal house. Rezef and Grand Prince Heinrich would be delighted to see any weakening of that influence. Moreover, without a clear justification, opposing a ducal family was no simple matter.
The interests are tangled in every direction.
The Gillian family’s warhorse enterprise carried considerable influence. If the business were nationalized to diminish their power while allowing the Kedrey ducal house to develop other ventures instead…
She turned the complicated possibilities over in her mind before stopping. There was no need to take such a roundabout path.
“I simply need to replace Henverton’s position with a new person.”
And that approach suited Cayena’s nature far better.
Fortunately, Henverton Gillian’s innate character and abilities were mediocre at best, and the friends he kept were even worse.
“Hmm…”
Executing the plan would require Raphaelo’s cooperation. After all, one could not simply cast out the heir of a vassal family to the Kedrey ducal house.
For some reason she kept becoming entangled with him. It was not that she disliked Raphaelo, but she feared he might come to feel displeasure toward her. She wanted to live differently from her past self in every possible way.
Cayena stared down at her own trembling hands. Even in this life, Henverton Gillian remained obsessed with her. He might follow her even to the place she had fled and commit the same atrocities as before.
The memories of abuse were not entirely clear. Neither were the memories of the moment she had been killed. Yet even that was enough for her body to react this way. The difference between cooling her head and thinking rationally versus her body’s instinctive response was stark.
Anything I cannot control must be removed.
Gillian was something she could not control.
In that case, there was no reason to hesitate in eliminating him.
* * *
Accompanied by only a single maid, Vera headed toward the central palace kitchens to inspect the princess’s meals. The facility prepared food for the imperial family and was the most critical kitchen in the entire palace.
Despite the strict management, Vera made a point of visiting regularly. Cayena suffered from allergies. In addition, the princess struggled with fishy flavors, so any seafood dishes required especially careful attention.
Her Highness pretends otherwise, but she has lacked energy since yesterday. I’m worried. I should request some nourishing restorative dishes.
Yet every time she intervened, the head chef of the central palace always displayed clear displeasure. He openly rejected her, acted uncooperatively, and tried to chase her out as quickly as possible. He looked exactly like someone hiding something.
He’s unusually resistant to outsiders entering. If his conduct were clean, he wouldn’t behave that way.
Vera snorted to herself. If she discovered anything suspicious, she would report it immediately.
However, her steps were halted at the entrance to the princess’s palace. Court servants had formed a line in front of it. Among them Vera spotted a familiar face—Mrs. Sophinin, right hand to Mrs. Hillyer, who oversaw all female palace staff. She was also a member of Rezef’s faction and openly hostile toward Cayena.
Vera offered a polite greeting.
“Mrs. Sophinin, what brings you here?”
Mrs. Sophinin gave a derisive snort.
“We are currently inspecting the interior of the imperial palace.”
“By ‘inspecting the interior,’ you mean…”
“Where exactly are you going?”
“I was on my way to the central palace kitchens. I must verify the meals for Her Highness the Princess.”
At those words Mrs. Sophinin glared at Vera with a venomous, narrowed gaze. Her expression made it clear she intended to crush the younger woman by any means necessary.
“That is the most strictly controlled department in the entire palace. What business could an unqualified person like you possibly have there?”
Vera realized the woman was determined to find fault no matter what. Since her opponent held higher rank, winning this power struggle would be difficult. Even so, she could not remain silent. Vera’s attitude reflected directly on Cayena. She straightened her spine.
“I am the only senior maid authorized to work within the princess’s palace. If I do not oversee these matters, who else possibly could?”
As though they had been waiting for exactly those words, five senior maids stepped forward to stand beside Mrs. Sophinin.
“As it happens, the chief maid has said the princess’s palace is short on maids and instructed us to select and dispatch new senior maids.”
Vera’s eyes narrowed at the statement.
The villainess is a marionette