episode_0001

Should I have set more delicate conditions or was the sponsorship amount insufficient? I thought they showed sincerity.

“Allen, keep hitting this bastard until I order you to stop.”

“What… Your Highness?”

“Just shut up and do it. It doesn’t matter if you die, so start right away.”

“Please give me a chance to explain!”

Upon possession, I received an order to beat someone I had never seen before.

While the memories of the original body’s owner rushed in rapidly, there wasn’t enough time to regain composure.

“Refusing… wouldn’t be the answer.”

I hesitated at the thought of following the instructions to beat an innocent person. But I couldn’t carry it out as instructed.

In my hand was a solid grip, Morning Star, known for its firmness.

At the end of the handle, presumably made of iron, hung a vicious-looking star candy. If I were to swing this thing at someone, it would definitely cause an accident.

Was my hesitation bothering the person who gave the order? The person in question approached slowly.

“You’re acting strange today, Allen. Didn’t you swear that if I told you to bark, you would bark, and if I told you to bite, you would bite, regardless of who the opponent is? Was that a lie?”

The first things that caught my eye were the abundant silver hair and crimson eyes.

Although the eyebrows were a bit sharp, overall, it gave off a cute impression with round features.

However, the behavior was not cute at all. While expressing displeasure with the mouth, the expression was full of mischief.

A face contemplating how to deal with the subordinate who dared to defy her orders… Instead of just glancing over, she was actually licking her lower lip.

I sighed inwardly as I looked at her.

“Sienna.”

Sienna Kallail, one of the characters in the novel, the Second Princess of the Empire.

In a generally peaceful romance novel world, she was the villainess who played pranks alone.

The protagonist was not a cute villainess who gets harassed and then regains her senses after being hit a few times. She was the real villain who carried the emperor’s baseless favoritism on her back, causing the nation to suffer. She distributed opium at the academy, triggered a stock market frenzy, plunging the country into chaos, and eventually orchestrated a war crisis. Although there was a separate main villain called the Dark Cult, their presence was overshadowed by her actions.

“Allen, aren’t you going to answer?”

“No, Your Highness.”

The character I possessed was Alan Maydoff, the right-hand man of Siena during that time.

He resembled the lord but was a scoundrel who had no moral values.

He didn’t have any distinct characteristics; he was simply someone who crushed the joints of people whimpering while following Siena’s orders. He had exceptional skills, but he wasn’t on the level of the strongest in the world.

“Punishing the palace servants was also Allen’s responsibility.”

Siena often punished the personnel working at Thames Palace, her main base.

It wasn’t just random punishment; there was always a justification.

Whether it was a petty theft or interactions with the factions of step-sisters competing for the position of Crown Princess, she would always get involved. If there was even a small tail, she would punish them forcefully. Sometimes, she even used cunning tactics.

Those who begged me for mercy were probably twisting the truth for trivial reasons. Even if they truly committed a crime, it wouldn’t be enough to beat them to death in the middle of the palace.

“Sir Knight! Please, speak up for me! It seems like Her Highness the Princess is misunderstanding something…! What crime did I commit…! Ah, well, it’s true that I received a bribe from Viscount Baldur, who follows the First Princess, but it was only worth 800 talers…!”

It was pitiful to see them pleading for help from someone like me who had no decision-making power.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t in a position to save or not save anyone.

“What should I do? That poor friend is begging like that, Allen.”

“Your Highness.”

“Don’t worry. Actually, I’m someone who appreciates straightforward criticism. Especially if it comes from a loyal knight like you, there’s no need to hold back. If you want to prevent unjust punishment based on mere speculation about an innocent person, feel free to do so.”

…I was also being constantly criticized in real-time.

Judging by her reaction, Siena seemed more interested in me than the barking watchdog. It was only natural since people and even damn bastards suddenly started rebelling against her orders. Maybe she didn’t even realize that I might have already submitted an estimate.

“Answer, Alan.”

Siena’s voice suddenly lowered.

The guards around us began to stare at me with tense faces.

My treatment would be determined by how I handled this situation. Although I was known as a confidant, I wouldn’t kill her, but something unpleasant was bound to happen.

“I can’t witness a harsh scene right after possessing this body.”

Surviving was my priority for now. I felt sorry for that barking watchdog desperately begging for help, but there was nothing I could do.

However, what should I do to avoid her anger? I needed a way to satisfy Siena’s vanity while avoiding a funeral.

After a brief calculation, I opened my mouth.

“I apologize, Your Highness. I had deep reverence.”

“Reverence? I never knew you were such a weak person.”

“It’s not that. I thought it was inefficient.”

“What?”

“I have been punishing disobedient individuals under your command multiple times. After correcting their behavior through appropriate means, I expelled them from the palace. Sometimes, they left as corpses. …But despite all that, this situation has occurred again.”

“So?”

“Now, you should show some leniency.”

Upon hearing these words, despair filled Siena’s face. Before she could part her lips, I added a specific explanation.

“Please continue to use that watchdog.”

“Why should I?”

“So that we can have a proper example.”

Saying this, I approached the watchdog step by step. Morning Star naturally descended from my hand.

A relatively small stature for a man, a grotesquely distorted face that is difficult to distinguish whether he is laughing or crying, hands clinging tightly to the hem of my clothes, swaying. As I approached, struggling to conjure up a smile, I tried to say something… but he ignored me and brushed past. The injured area was on the outer side of the knee.

“Ow…!”

Despite adjusting the force to some extent, the leg gave in weakly, bending inward.

He tried to collapse while groaning, but I didn’t allow it. Sienna wouldn’t be satisfied with just one leg.

“I suppose we have to pay the price for amusement.”

I swung my fist, hitting his struggling neck while holding onto it.

“Just a moment…!”

In quick succession, two strikes, no, three strikes. The sensation of cracking someone else’s bones was eerie, but somehow I managed to control my expression. Thinking of Sienna watching me from behind.

“How about this?”

The outcome of my violent act was dismal.

At a glance, at least torn ligaments and multiple fractured teeth. I’ll probably be on crutches for a few months. It could be worse.

“It looks good. So, what do you want me to do?”

Sienna asked, looking down at the struggling Si Jong.

“…How about having this friend by your side every time you meet the First Princess’s officials? It would demonstrate Your Highness’s tolerance. Just lightly reprimand the guilty Si Jong and keep him by your side again.”

“What if he continues to conspire with her?”

“You can use that too. If Your Excellency is astute, you will understand what it means.”

Now, all that remains is Sienna’s decision.

She alternated her gaze between the wailing Si Jong and me, in a pitiful state. The Imperial Guards and maidservants who anxiously watched this scene also briefly glanced at me.

You should be satisfied by now. It wouldn’t be bad to have Si Jong limping around the palace, causing a stir. Or take him out with you to socialize with other princesses and create a sense of discomfort. It would suit your taste.

Fortunately, it seemed that my efforts were not in vain.

Sienna nodded with a light smile. Judging by her relaxed expression, she seemed somewhat satisfied.

“Not bad. Should I do as you suggested, Alan?”

“I only follow Your Highness’s orders. If you wish, I will act as usual.”

I kicked the head of the sobbing Shijong lying on the floor, recalling a faint smile. It was to prevent Sienna’s capriciousness. Although there was no evidence, I thought that if I let out a sigh of relief at this timing, it would arouse her suspicion.

“Alright. Then let him continue his duties.”

“A wise decision.”

Fortunately, the situation ended there.

Sienna turned around with a bright expression, and I followed her, leaving behind the battered Shijong. Despite feeling a chill in my chest at the thought of surviving a close call, as a royal guard, I still had to fulfill my duty.

“By the way, Alan, I didn’t know you had such cunning tricks up your sleeve.”

“Even if it wasn’t me, I thought someone would offer advice, but apparently not.”

“Yeah, everyone knows how to do what they’re told.”

“It seems that others don’t realize how important communication is to Her Highness.”

Other members of the staff reacted with disdain to our conversation. If I hadn’t done this much, a corpse would have been carried out of the palace today.

“To possess this human…of all people.”

Alan Maydoff was a notorious figure who served as Sienna’s right-hand man. Unfortunately, he was also a character with a predetermined fate. Although the novel itself is unfinished, Alan Maydoff was a character who was initially defeated and miserably expelled by the protagonist. Following Sienna’s instructions, he engaged in drug trafficking among the students of the Academy, the setting of the novel, which resulted in a fatal accident.

My task now is to avoid that ending.

I had no delusions of reviving Sienna. Just based on her recent behavior, it was clear that she wasn’t someone who could be fixed.

“In the original work, he didn’t even attempt to redeem himself.”

The daily life working under this woman didn’t seem easy. Alan Maydoff had committed not just one or two misdeeds, but too many already. However… the situation didn’t feel as outrageously difficult to endure. It wasn’t that I willingly chose this path, but it was slightly better than living with those garbage-like people who are nothing like family. Unlike them, who I never know when or how they will cause trouble, at least there was an estimate in Siena. Yeah. Let’s give it a try. “I’ll keep expecting great things from you, Alan.” “It’s an honor, Your Highness.” He replied confidently while looking at Siena’s back of the head. Despite their wicked nature, they had a small and pretty face.