The Marionette Cuts Her Own Strings
Rezef mulled over Cayena’s words, his expression twisting almost imperceptibly.
“But Sister, you nearly died.”
Cayena gave a light nod of acknowledgment.
“I did.”
All because of you.
Knowing the truth, she could see every one of his carefully crafted sentences for exactly what it was.
“Are you afraid of retaliation? Please don’t worry. I will protect you so that nothing like this ever happens again.”
Cayena shook her head weakly. Her body had not yet been fully purged of the poison, and carrying on a conversation that required this much mental effort was an enormous strain. She had already exhausted a great deal of strength dealing with the maids.
She longed to rest, yet even if it meant fainting on the spot, she had to finish this dialogue exactly as she intended.
“No. That isn’t it.”
She drew in a labored, feverish breath.
The sight was so heartbreaking that even Rezef—who was more than familiar with Cayena’s impossible beauty—and the maids standing in the room momentarily forgot to breathe.
“You don’t need to play a game you’ll lose, Rezef.”
Rezef could not understand what she meant.
He had been the one to administer the poison. His alibi was flawless. He had already chosen the targets to eliminate and now only needed to place their heads on the block. This was a game he could not possibly lose.
Or so he believed.
“Leave us for a moment.”
At her command, everyone withdrew. Only Cayena and Rezef remained in the bedroom.
“Rezef.”
The way she called his name was so calm, so detached, that it felt strangely unsettling.
“You must never forget that what meets your eyes is not the whole truth.”
“What do you…?”
“Do you know how many men danced with me at the banquet? How many brought me drinks and dishes? It was an environment where identifying any single culprit would be nearly impossible. Conversely… it was the perfect environment for pointing a finger at someone.”
Cayena quickly sifted through her memories, recalling exactly how this incident had played out. The plan had never once moved according to Rezef’s design.
“There was that man who was obsessively fixated on me, wasn’t there?”
She was thinking of the person Rezef had intended to set upon the guillotine.
Her former husband.
Reminding herself that Viscount Gillian had not yet inherited his family title, she referred to him simply as “that young man.”
“That…”
“You planned to execute young Lord Gillian and wipe out his entire house? Yes, that makes sense. He is a vassal of the Kedrey family, so it isn’t a bad move.”
This was the true reason Rezef had orchestrated the incident.
The Gillian viscountcy was renowned for breeding exceptional horses. A single one of their famed steeds was worth more than an expensive mansion.
And the Kedrey ducal house kept that family as one of its vassals.
The Kedrey ducal house guarded the western border and commanded the largest, strongest army in the empire.
Rezef wanted to diminish the Kedrey family’s influence, which stood in the way of his own ascension to the throne.
If he punished the Gillian viscountcy, one of the duke’s vassals would be guilty of treason. Even if the connection was indirect, it would place the Kedreys in an awkward position.
Rezef called to her gently, hoping to persuade her.
“You misunderstand, Sister. That’s not…”
Cayena did not let him finish. She pressed a hand to her throbbing temple and continued.
“But Rezef, the poison you obtained through the black market can have its trail altered at any time. Their ledgers are surely double- or even triple-layered. Do you really think such flimsy evidence could pressure them?”
Rezef had been expecting something profound; he nearly laughed in her face.
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about. The route the poison took into the imperial palace is already crystal clear. Once this becomes public, it will be over, Sister.”
I don’t know how she realized I was trying to implicate the Kedrey house, but it’s an obvious ploy.
He spoke as though scolding a foolish older sister.
“Is this because of Raphaelo Kedrey? If so, you needn’t worry.”
Raphaelo Kedrey. He had been her first love.
He was also the male protagonist of the novel.
Rezef assumed Cayena was trying to stop him out of fear that she might earn Raphaelo’s disapproval. She must be protecting herself because she still carried a torch for the man.
Yet, contrary to his expectations, her expression remained largely unchanged.
It was true that Raphaelo had been the object of her first and longest unrequited love, but that felt like ancient history now. Cayena had lived far too long to still feel that sweet flutter of excitement.
“My maternal grandfather is involved in that black market. If the Kedrey house obtains that information, they will strike back at you instead.”
“…!”
This was exactly why the scheme had failed in the past.
The Kedrey house would never sit idly by while one of their vassal families was destroyed. In the course of their investigation, they would discover that the Hamel countship—Cayena’s maternal family and the late empress’s own house—had been siphoning the emperor’s wealth.
The Hamel countship would fall into ruin, and Rezef would face accusations of biased investigation and evidence tampering, plunging him into a difficult period.
I cannot allow that to be exposed. The Hamel countship is a valuable bargaining chip for me.
In her previous life, after losing her maternal family, Cayena had been left with nothing except what Rezef chose to give her. Naturally, her obsession with him had grown, and he had found it easier than ever to manipulate her.
Biased investigations or fabricated evidence aren’t the real issue. Even Father would let it slide, and the poisoning incident itself would quietly disappear.
She had no intention of letting her maternal family vanish without benefit, nor did she want the poisoning case to fizzle out meaninglessly.
Letting out a tired sigh, Cayena looked at Rezef.
“Is it worth giving up the bones just to claim that small piece of flesh?”
Rezef’s face hardened completely.
Cayena spoke as though loosening the tension that had stretched taut between them.
“Do you know the fable about tightening one’s collar against a cold wind and removing one’s coat under a hot sun?”
“I do.”
Why was she suddenly talking about a children’s story?
Cayena smiled softly and met his eyes. For a moment, it felt as though the weight of the entire room had shifted.
…Impossible.
It was truly impossible. The urge to avert his gaze beneath the pressure of her spirit? It felt like a naughty child who had been caught misbehaving and suddenly found himself standing before a true adult far older and wiser.
Rezef bit down on the soft flesh inside his cheek. This was the first time he truly felt that she was his older sister and an imperial princess of the empire.
“Instead of trying to drag the ducal house down, make them yours.”
He let out a silent sigh.
That is what I want more than anyone.
Rezef had long ago tried to use Cayena’s beauty to win over Raphaelo, the Kedrey family’s heir. Yet despite how desperately she had longed for him until now, Raphaelo had not budged. Rezef had nearly given up on the strategy of using her as bait.
“I don’t understand what you’re saying, Sister. What connection could there possibly be between the ducal house and me?”
Cayena ignored his words and continued to lay out guidelines for how to use the poisoning incident.
“This poisoning has given us several useful justifications, hasn’t it?”
“What do you mean?”
“I would like to take the daughter of a trustworthy family as my lady-in-waiting. Someone whose identity is guaranteed and who cannot possibly harm me.”
Rezef grew suspicious at her sudden statement.
What are you thinking, Cayena?
“How about Lady Olivia Grace?”
“The young lady sponsored by the Kedrey family?”
He wanted to ask if she was serious. Having watched her closely all this time, he knew exactly how much she detested Olivia.
The fact that the duchess herself sponsored the girl had deeply offended the jealous Cayena. There was hardly anyone in high society who did not know how much Cayena disliked Olivia.
“Yes. I’ve heard rumors that the Grace viscountcy may become a vassal house of the Kedrey duchy.”
More precisely, once a marriage proposal is sent to Olivia.
The Grace viscountcy was a minor central noble house. It lacked the prestige to provide a lady-in-waiting for an imperial princess, but Olivia herself was worth recruiting.
“It is one of the few central noble families that has maintained deep ties with the impenetrable Kedrey house.”
No one could know exactly how much value the Kedrey family placed on their relationship with the Grace viscountcy. What mattered was that high society viewed the connection as significant. Cayena used that perception to persuade Rezef.
In truth, she had a separate reason for wanting Olivia as her lady-in-waiting.
Because she is the heroine of this world and, in all likelihood, the woman Rezef will fall in love with in this life as well.
It had been that way in the original story and in her first life. Rezef would desire Olivia again. And once more, when Olivia chose Raphaelo instead of him, he would try to kill her.
Cayena continued speaking as though her only concern was Rezef’s benefit.
“The Grace family’s intentions will likely be interpreted by outsiders as the will of the ducal house.”
“…Are you truly certain this would be all right?”
When Rezef asked with obvious doubt, Cayena gave him a serene smile.
“I can’t keep acting only for my own comfort forever, can I?”
If these events were destined to happen anyway, it would be far more efficient to keep Olivia close and respond to the situation as it unfolded.