Ch.22Female Protagonist (3)

Rashera returned to her family’s mansion after being expelled by Seriniel, maintaining her aristocratic gait despite her distorted features. The servants lowered their eyes at her obvious malice.

“Damn it… how did the princess end up connected to the Windmill?”

Her long-term plan had fallen apart.

The Windmill Mercenary Group. A military force with power second to none in the empire.

The opportunity to swallow that appetizing pie had been cut off from the very beginning.

“If only it weren’t for that damned brat…”

Eshtiel Elenot. That irritating little girl was the core of her plan.

Eshtiel would inherit the title of a man later called the Margrave of the Border. And Eshtiel gaining a title meant the Windmill could potentially transform from a mercenary group into a knightly order. The mercenary leader was probably protecting Eshtiel with that in mind.

Though Windmill had already built considerable trust as mercenaries, in terms of honor, they couldn’t compare to the prestige of a knightly order. Even with the same personnel and reputation, comparing a mercenary group to a knightly order was disrespectful in itself.

‘And I had the chance to swallow that gem whole!’

Conveniently, Eshtiel’s family belonged to the deposed emperor’s faction. They would have been compatible with the Ruat Marquis family, who belonged to the same faction.

Therefore, if she could have manipulated Eshtiel and Commander Rihart to become vassals of the Ruat Marquis family, the benefits would have been enormous.

It was mystifying that this Windmill group and Eshtiel had chosen Princess Seriniel, who should have been their mortal enemy.

“Ha… haha!”

She couldn’t help but laugh.

Yes, that wasn’t the only thing that didn’t make sense.

The truly incomprehensible thing was…

“How is Princess Seriniel even alive?”

The power balance between the current emperor’s faction and the deposed emperor’s faction was actually similar. Some even suggested the deposed faction held the advantage.

Yet despite this environment, there were only two reasons the deposed faction remained cautious:

The absolute ruler of the current empire and emperor of the age – Harum Literion, and Princess Seriniel, who was said to have inherited his monstrous physique.

No matter how much wealth one accumulated, how strong one’s military power, or how many wise advisors one gathered, ultimately they were helpless against absolute power.

If not for those two, the balance of power would have tipped long ago.

Therefore, it was inevitable that they would conduct research after research to eliminate these two asymmetrical forces.

After dismissing the fools who suggested waiting for the emperor to age for over a decade.

Those decades of effort finally bore fruit in the form of a countermeasure.

Poison.

A poison sufficient to incapacitate those superhuman beings for a long time, even if it couldn’t kill them.

She had entrusted that poison to street thugs. To two men who prided themselves on their underworld connections.

They were expendable rogues who wouldn’t cause problems even if caught.

Rashera had recited intelligence gathered from her informant.

When the prey would appear,

Where they would go and what they would wear,

She even told them exactly what the target liked.

Those men probably didn’t know what kind of deadly poison it was, nor who they were trying to poison.

When she received the report from her observer that Seriniel had collapsed, she had exclaimed in joy. That their long-cherished wish had finally been fulfilled.

‘That should have been the case…’

So why! Why had this crazy princess not only survived but returned with ties to the Windmill?

“Did that woman receive some divine blessing…?”

Looking back, there had been no news from the perpetrators after they received their advance payment. Despite the fact that the amount promised upon success was enough to enjoy a lifetime of luxury.

“Was the poison neutralized midway and she counterattacked…?”

No, that couldn’t be. They had conducted countless clinical trials with the emperor in mind. The still-developing Seriniel should have had difficulty resisting. Then the remaining possibility was…

“Perhaps Commander Rihart intervened while they were transporting her to a secret location…”

This was the most plausible explanation. It would also explain why Seriniel and Rihart were already acquainted. It would be strange if this weren’t the case.

“Huff…”

She sighed.

What was so special about that woman that she could turn even a crisis into an opportunity?

‘I should have established a connection with Commander Rihart first, even before Eshtiel.’

From what she’d heard, his personal combat ability was tremendous. He could have been a card capable of checking the emperor or princess militarily. He could have been the key man to turn the tables later, yet instead, he was being called by a nickname from the princess.

‘Rian, was it?’

Seriniel had consistently viewed men coldly since childhood. The fact that there was a man she called by a nickname would be a scandal beyond imagination.

‘Damn it, what’s the use of that now? The princess is in a position where she can get away with it…’

The current imperial family has the authority to easily dismiss the complaints of nobles. With the support of the common people behind them, love that transcends social status would be promoted as a virtue of the current imperial family.

After all, the Empress herself was a lady from a fallen, impoverished baronial family – in an even worse position than Eshtiel. What could possibly be the problem?

‘But does she find Commander Rihart’s face attractive?’

She suddenly became curious.

If he covered his face completely in broad daylight, it would be reasonable to assume he had some major flaw.

Sometimes she would stare at him intently out of curiosity, but he never revealed any openings.

The only meager harvest was his golden hair, beautiful beyond anything she’d ever seen, and blue eyes that seemed modeled after aquamarine.

‘Even though he covered himself thoroughly, his beauty was enough to captivate attention.’

…

……

……?

No.

No way.

“…… Huh?”

In an instant, Rashera’s thoughts entered a new phase. She clung tightly to that moment of dissonance in her mind.

It was excessive speculation.

And a clear leap in logic.

Even though she was fully aware of this, her axis of thought kept tilting.

‘Is it… possible?’

Admirable, beautiful golden hair and blue eyes.

Military prowess that allowed him to reign over the empire’s best mercenary group at a young age.

A person of unknown origin with only rumors to his name.

The elements that made up the human called Rihart guided consciousness toward instinct, ignoring logic.

“The deposed emperor’s child…”

She muttered in a cracked voice.

Immediately after, Rashera rubbed her face dryly.

“Ha… haha, kuk… has my thinking gone awry along with my plans?”

It was an illusion carved by desperate desire.

A dream she would quickly escape from if she looked at the situation with common sense.

The current imperial family had thrown her life into the gutter. Moreover, there was no reason for the deposed emperor’s child to feel affection for the culprit who had driven him out of the system when he was young.

Therefore, Rashera could only reproach her own dulled mind.

“How foolish…”

Projecting desires onto speculation was merely evidence of being ordinary.

What had she been excited about, expecting?

Thud.

Rashera stopped walking. The Marquis Ruat’s room was right in front of her. She knocked politely and entered the space where her father was waiting.

The daughter, meeting her father after a long time, greeted him in a monotone voice.

“Are you well, Father?”

“How do I look to you?”

“Well, I’m still far from having your depth of mind.”

“Seeing you joke around, I take it things didn’t go as planned.”

Marquis Ruat looked at his daughter solemnly. Then suddenly his chest heaved with irregular breathing, and only after several coughs did he find stability.

“What are you staring at? Don’t worry, I’ll live longer for the sake of the one who was unjustly expelled.”

“I’m not worried.”

Rashera stared at the Marquis Ruat with emotionless eyes. In truth, her heart had already left her father. Since coming of age, she had harbored different thoughts from her father.

‘I still don’t understand what drove this person to such madness.’

Marquis Ruat. He was close to being a devotee of the deposed emperor.

As a devotee, he had only one wish.

To restore the deposed emperor’s child, who had fallen into the abyss without sin, back to the throne.

Marquis Ruat was someone who would do anything for that cause. Even his attempt to establish connections with the Windmill was to secure military power in advance to offer to the deposed emperor’s child.

‘If this isn’t madness, what is?’

Rashera carefully concealed her disgusted gaze as she reported the situation to the Marquis.

Since he was extremely strict about matters related to the deposed emperor, she expected to be harshly rebuked.

However, Marquis Ruat showed little inclination to blame her.

Instead, he smiled kindly, increasing the sense of dissonance.

Rashera took a step back at this unexpectedly eerie response.

“It’s alright, Rashera.”

“Father?”

“What does failure matter? Yes, mere failure…”

“…!”

Being family, Rashera quickly sensed it.

This wasn’t a smile containing soft concepts like mercy.

It was certain that he had arranged something she knew nothing about.

“… What are you aiming for, Father?”

“Oh, was it that obvious? I’m quite excessive, aren’t I?”

“Father.”

“Hmm.”

Marquis Ruat stroked his well-groomed beard. As if enjoying Rashera’s impatience. But Rashera didn’t give in easily, and after some mental sparring, the Marquis gave his answer first.

“Do you remember what I just said? That I would live longer for the sake of that person.”

“Yes, you did.”

“But you see, I know my own body. I know that the time I have left is less than half a month.”

“Why such negative talk…”

“That’s why.”

He cut off Rashera’s hollow concern immediately. Marquis Ruat’s eyes were burning passionately, making it hard to believe he was a terminal patient approaching his limit.

She had a bad feeling.

The demeanor of a madman who had lost his reason was truly chilling.

Her father before her eyes spoke.

“Before I close my eyes, I must pave the way for that person.”

“Father…?”

“Yes, that is now my destiny and imperative. To become the first light guiding the way to a new world…”

“…”

He’s gone mad.

He had completely lost his mind.

Rashera felt like closing her eyes at the sight of her father’s behavior, as if witnessing the creation of a new world in a sealed room.

In this way, the conversation between father and daughter continued, grinding like misaligned gears.

Meanwhile, in a blind spot that no one could detect.

A man who had concealed his presence in the quiet shadows was eavesdropping on their conversation.