Chapter 04

Chapter 04

Contract Marriage for Atilenta’s Revenge

Selena left soon after. Since the nuisance was gone, it was a good thing for me. Returning to my room, I stroked the mirror once more and organized the information I had gathered.

A guest from a distant land was arriving here shortly.

None other than Henryk, the 2nd Prince of Bwendowska. It was said that dragon blood flowed within their royal family.

“Then again, my own mother is a witch…”

So even that legendary existence of a dragon didn’t seem particularly strange or unusual to me.

Henryk was rumored to be the first northern prince to step onto the central mainland of this continent.

As far as I knew, he was locked in a struggle for the succession against the 1st Prince, Leszyca.

Though Henryk had been pushed onto the battlefield due to certain political motives, he advanced triumphantly, eventually earning the alias of the ‘Black Dragon of the Battlefield.’

In name and reality, he desired a war of conquest—and a reputation beyond even that. Had it not been for that, there was no reason for a man of royal stature to enter the battlefield repeatedly.

“It is proof that he is an ambitious and warlike man. To keep such a person by my side, I must pay a fitting price as well.”

Usually, using magic for an extended period left me feeling suffocated, with a sharp pain near my chest. Because of that, reading further information was difficult, but it didn’t matter.

Reading the future through magic was not omnipotent. It was merely one means for my sake. I possessed various ways to obtain information.

Although I was confined in this tiny room, I was nothing more than a powerless princess, so the surveillance network was hardly airtight.

Therefore, I periodically snuck out of my room to read newspapers and magazines scattered about the trash bins.

Even if I were caught and added another rumor about sifting through trash cans to my name, I had nothing left to lose anyway.

The information I uncovered there was precisely Henryk’s pretext for coming here.

Supposedly, it was for a peace treaty between this nation, Francia, and the northern kingdom of Bwendowska.

I knew that sentence, read from a crumpled, dirt-stained newspaper, was a lie.

Because the future shown by the mirror was nothing like that.

The future I painted was to exact revenge on those who betrayed me, and the mirror’s role was to reveal the method to achieve it.

A future where this kingdom peacefully interacted with the North couldn’t possibly be related to that prince.

A marriage treaty was the method an foreign man of eminent status put forward under the guise of peace.

“Since the other two princesses are both married, the King will surely want to dispose of me, his eyesore.”

The King likely intended to sell me off as a second wife to some noble family and attach a second daughter from a prestigious family to that prince instead.

However, what if that prince, wielding the military strength that breached all the way to the central mainland and holding high the banner of peace with the North, demanded another woman—specifically, ‘me’?

I knew the King’s temperament well. To him, the most important thing was maintaining his authority. He would want to avoid any sudden conflict with a foreign power during this period of peace.

I intended to make use of that exact point.

“I must persuade him to take me with him to the North.”

I would without fail carry out my revenge, repaying my bitter rage in equal measure.

“I must first escape this place before I can plot anything at all.”

Through insults and shame, contempt and cold treatment, with floggings not even inflicted upon servants, they tried to break me. Whispering sweetly and tenderly at times, they tried to shatter my reason and emotions alike.

“I will never let it end that way.”

I steeled my resolve while stroking the mirror. The priority target for revenge was clear.

And once I persuaded him to do my bidding:

“I must prioritize placing him on the throne first.”

To accomplish that, I had to gain his trust first. Whether by selling information about this country that I possessed or by utilizing magic to aid him.

“Only if he holds powerful strength will he be of help to me. Though it will take some time to wage war and bring down this kingdom…”

Simply inflicting punishment on them would not satisfy my anger in the slightest. I would make them lose everything, just like me. Their homeland, power, peace—every single bit of it.

“…Until then, I can endure it well enough.”

Having painted the big picture, my purpose and plan felt much clearer. The detailed specifics could be meticulously adjusted as I got to know him and the northern kingdom better.

First, when Henryk arrived here, I would somehow meet him directly, converse with him, and take the first step.

Since we were strangers to begin with, there was no telling what variables might arise. To ensure things went smoothly, I planned out several moves.

A cool wind blew through the loose gaps of the poorly maintained window.

“Phew…”

In a room where even the fireplace wasn’t properly lit, I let out a long sigh. Frosty white breath spilled out naturally due to the cold autumn wind.

Outside the window, brilliant lights flickered everywhere, and elegant music was in full swing.

Though I was locked in here, I could still tell how things were unfolding.

Today, a grand banquet was being held to welcome the guest from abroad.

Bwendowska was distant and was not a country that interacted frequently. Therefore, those dealing with the prince of that kingdom would be frantic.

Except for me.

It didn’t matter. To be frank, the days I spent navigating social parties as a princess or a duchess felt like nothing more than empty dreams.

“What matters is meeting him, Atilenta.”

I reaffirmed my firm resolve, engaging in the habit of talking to myself that had grown during my confinement.

I also needed to be careful not to make a slip of the tongue in front of the Prince of Bwendowska.

The night deepened gradually. Following the path I had taken to sneak out of this palace numerous times in secret, I advanced toward the detached annex where the guest from abroad was staying.

Utilizing my past escape experiences and abilities, it wasn’t difficult. At times like this, my emaciated body actually helped, as it didn’t draw attention from my surroundings.

In front of the annex stood knights armed in black armor and weaponry.

There he is. Taking a deep breath, I took a step forward. Swords would draw near now.

“Who goes there?”

“Stand back.”

Undeterred by the unfamiliar foreign tongue, I did not draw back; instead, I prostrated myself flat on the ground and pleaded:

“I wish to meet His Highness the Prince.”

To anyone’s eyes, I looked like a frail, powerless woman. Even if I came seeking him late at night like this, they wouldn’t strike off my head immediately.

While the knights hesitated, I murmured once more:

“I harbor no hostility whatsoever. Please let me inside.”

Out of deep respect for my counterpart, I used his native language.

Just then, a low voice spoke from within.

“Who has arrived?”

That voice was as cold as this autumn wind and rested low like the darkness.

In an instant, goosebumps broke out across my back.

“Your Highness. A young girl has arrived.”

Sensing that he was indeed the 2nd Prince of Bwendowska, I bit my lip softly to control my tense heart.

“Your Highness, I am not a child.”

“Can one really turn away a night guest?”

As if those words were a signal, the knights grabbed me, pulled me up, and led me inside the annex.

The interior was lavish and splendid, fitting for a precious guest. Chandeliers, colorful carpets, a solid wood dining table, and luxurious sofas.

Seated on a sofa in this place was only one man.

“She carries no weapons.”

Even when an unfamiliar knight searched my body, I didn’t care much. Only one thing mattered to me right now.

“Why have you come?”

I stole a glance at Henryk. He was a man with hair as black as a moonless dawn and eyes the likes of which I had never seen before—resembling polished amethysts.

Unlike the knights surrounding him, he wore no armor, yet his cold impression and solid build stood out remarkably.

Leaning deeply against the sofa, an aura of composure flowed from him that a wretched princess like me could never dare imitate.

“Watch your words and behavior.”

Even without the knight’s threat, I intended to do so. To anyone, he and I were not on equal footing.

Even so, there was no need for me to lose my nerve. I had come to offer him a deal.

“I am a princess of this kingdom, Atilenta.”

My eyes were green, identical to the King of this Francia Kingdom. This was a truth that could not be fabricated through lies.

Even he, having experienced Francia’s banquet here already, would know it well.

Henryk gave a slight nod as if permitting me to speak. I sat across from him. Raising his large hand, he comfortably rested his chin on it. Even in that minor movement, an elegance cultivated over long years could be felt.

“Far too thin, yet eyes belonging to the royal family. Hardly suitable for an assassin.”

With refined pronunciation and a low voice, Henryk evaluated me as if I were some clumsy novice recruit. Unbothered, I got straight to the point.

“You are correct. There is only one reason I have come here. Since Your Highness desires only a nominal relationship with this country anyway—”

“The princess is mistaken. I thoroughly enjoyed the banquet hosted by your King.”

“—I am precisely the suitable partner for Your Highness.”