Chapter 4: No One Knows Yet (2)
“You…!”
Just that single word was enough.
Terrence’s face flushed crimson as he clenched his fists, struggling to suppress his anger, while Owen’s eyes turned icy as he ground his teeth. The sight made Ariana want to burst into laughter.
Still, I have to hold back.
This was as far as Ariana could go for now.
Once she held greater power, she would repay every humiliation she had suffered.
For the moment, this was enough.
If she pushed any further, Terrence might actually throw a punch.
Ariana gave the two brothers—whose eyes burned with entirely different kinds of fury—another graceful curtsy before opening the study door without asking for permission.
Only Ariana could get away with such behavior.
“Father.”
As the door closed behind her, Ariana smiled more brightly than ever.
From this moment on, I can’t let the smile leave my face for even a second.
The queen had shut herself away in the deepest part of the royal palace under the pretense of illness, refusing to show even a single strand of hair to the king.
There was no better time to use this face—and this smile—as a weapon.
Ariana knew that her resemblance to her mother was especially effective when dealing with the king.
Maintaining a gentle, radiant smile, she walked over to him and plopped down beside his chair.
It was behavior more fitting for a carefree little child than a princess on the verge of adulthood, yet the king looked thoroughly delighted.
“Ari, you’re late.”
“I ran into my brothers outside and stopped to greet them for a moment. You’re not angry… are you?”
Resting both hands on the armrest and leaning one cheek against them, Ariana looked up at the king with soft, pleading eyes.
Satisfied by her completely defenseless appearance, the king gently stroked her hair before speaking.
“How could I ever be angry with you?”
“I’m so relieved. I was worried you’d scold me.”
“Then I suppose I’ll have to punish those who stole my precious daughter’s time and made her worry.”
In the past, hearing words like these had always eased some of the loneliness and neglect she suffered from her siblings.
But Ariana, who had returned after living through so many years, now understood the truth.
Those words…
…were nothing more than the way one soothed a sulking pet.
Not once had the king ever actually reprimanded either of the princes or princesses over something like this.
And yet she had once treasured those empty words, believing that the king was the only person in the palace who truly cared for her.
“Father.”
“Hm? It seems my Ari has another favor to ask.”
Careful not to lose her smile, Ariana pushed away her thoughts and addressed him with the affectionate title reserved for her alone.
The king reacted instantly.
He was always prepared to grant any request made by the daughter who bore the queen’s face but smiled and spoke in ways the queen never would.
“I want to go outside.”
“Outside?”
“There’s somewhere I really want to visit.”
“Ari. The world beyond the palace is dangerous for you.”
“But I really want to go. Please? Sister Olina has already gone out several times, and she’s been bragging to me about it.”
“Olina?”
At the mention of his eldest daughter, the king frowned.
Olina, the First Princess of Molvian and Owen’s twin sister, was nowhere near as beloved as Ariana.
He had scolded her countless times for her frivolous, careless behavior, yet apparently she still hadn’t learned her lesson and had gone bragging to Ariana about things that never needed to be said.
If his precious flower—Ariana, the most beautiful girl in all of Molvian—were to be tainted by bad influences…
Watching deep wrinkles form between the king’s brows, Ariana continued with an innocent smile, as though she had no idea what he was thinking.
“I’m almost an adult now. Just this once, please? My brothers and sister have gone out countless times, but I’ve never been allowed even once.”
“Ari.”
“Father, please.”
Holding onto the richly embroidered cuff of his sleeve, she gently shook it from side to side in a childish plea.
The corners of the king’s lips lifted.
Even so, permission did not come easily.
Ariana knew that his hesitation wasn’t simply because he was worried about her.
So she spoke again, her voice even sweeter than before.
“What danger could possibly befall me in your Molvian, Father?”
“Ari.”
“You’ll protect me, won’t you?”
This is what you wanted to hear, isn’t it?
Well? Are you satisfied, Your Majesty?
Perhaps he truly enjoyed hearing himself praised so naturally by his beloved youngest daughter.
The king stared into Ariana’s beautiful green eyes before bursting into hearty laughter.
He looked thoroughly pleased to see a daughter with his wife’s face speaking words of admiration toward him.
“That’s right. In my Molvian, there’s no way anyone could ever put you in danger.”
Everything in Molvian belonged to the king.
At least, that was what he believed—and how he ruled.
Even though he can’t do a single thing when it comes to the Empire.
Ariana laughed inwardly at the thought.
Feigning joy, she wrapped her arms around his neck and laughed brightly.
Her stomach churned with disgust.
But after surviving life at the very bottom of society, she had been forced to wade through filth far worse than this.
Compared to that…
At least this didn’t stink.
Enduring it was easy.
“So you’ll allow it? I’m so happy!”
Still clinging to the arm of his chair, Ariana looked up at him with sparkling eyes.
“But since you’re worried about me, Father… I’ll sneak out and come back without anyone knowing.”
“Without anyone knowing?”
“Yes. Absolutely no one.”
She had known those words would please him as well.
And judging by the subtle smile that appeared on his face, she had been right.
“I’ll have the guards follow you in secret. Then no one will notice.”
“Thank you!”
Placing a grateful kiss on the back of the king’s hand, Ariana excitedly declared that she needed to begin preparing and hurried out of the study.
She had entered without asking permission.
She had left without asking permission.
And yet no one dared criticize her.
Returning to her room while the king’s cheerful laughter echoed behind her, the very first thing Ariana did was violently wipe the lips that had touched the back of his hand.
“Your Highness, the invitation…”
“Name.”
“…Pardon?”
“From now on, call me by my name.”
“Ah… Yes. Understood.”
After dismissing the other maids, Maia approached Ariana to speak, only to lower her head obediently.
She was already thoroughly accustomed to the youngest princess’s whims.
After all, this wasn’t an order to replace every maid in the palace or to fetch the newest gown from some famous designer.
It was merely a change in how she addressed her.
Nothing difficult.
Meanwhile, Ariana quietly reflected on the irritation she had unfairly taken out on the innocent Maia.
Having nothing to rely on except acting like a spoiled child in front of the king had filled her with frustration, and it had made her words harsher than intended.
If only Rosa had been the one beside her instead…
Feeling guilty for snapping at Maia—a woman she absolutely intended to make her ally in this lifetime—Ariana found herself carefully watching Maia’s expression, something completely unlike her former self.
Everything has to be different this time.
I need to be more careful from now on.
Of course, for the time being, she only intended to reveal her changed self to the handful of people she could truly trust.
“What were you going to say?”
“I obtained the invitation.”
“I thought it would take longer… That was fast.”
“I was fortunate.”
The maid personally selected by the queen to serve her daughter truly was exceptionally capable.
Ariana had known that even before her regression.
Though I don’t think I ever made proper use of her abilities before.
Taking the invitation Maia respectfully handed her, Ariana silently vowed to make full use of that competence in this life.
“My sister hasn’t gotten hers yet, right?”
“No. If they continue distributing them in order, hers should come after Lady Ariana’s birthday.”
Only a single invitation was issued during each round to make the honored guest seem even more exclusive.
No matter how much money or influence someone possessed, it wasn’t something they could simply buy.
That made Maia’s achievement of obtaining one in only half a day all the more impressive.
“When’s the earliest match?”
“This evening.”
“The timing couldn’t be better.”
It was an admission ticket to the illegal arena known as the Dog Fighting Pit.
Ariana was about to make her move.
This time, she intended to steal the mad hunting hound that, in her previous life, had first fallen into the hands of the First Princess.
