Marked by the Ruthless Princess

"Father was dispatched north so urgently that he didn't even return home after receiving his orders." Sophia Riley's brow creased slightly with worry. After a brief coughing fit, she looked at the silent Lina Riley.

Considering that Lina might also go to the battlefield, Sophia worried her words might cause her sister undue concern. Hastily, she pushed a plate of pastries toward Lina. "Try one," she said gently.

Lina picked up a piece. The date confection was soft and sweet, just the way she liked it, but her mind remained elsewhere.

Although this period hadn't been entirely smooth, it was nothing compared to the horrors of her past life. Lina considered herself someone who knew contentment. She'd been almost too happy lately—happy enough to forget these were turbulent times.

The northern and southern kingdoms were both making moves. In her previous life, Reginald Riley had also marched north while the southern defense was led by Wilhelmina Ford. If memory served, Wilhelmina would head south and bring Willa Langley along. It seemed Lina would have to go without seeing Willa for a while.

That did leave her feeling a bit reluctant. Although Willa sometimes spoke quite startlingly, her optimistic, cheerful spirit made her an easy companion. Being around such a lively presence was comforting.

"Cough! Cough! Cough!"

A violent coughing fit snapped Lina's attention back. Quickly setting down the pastry, she measured out medicine from a small vial and carefully fed it to Sophia. A crimson stain appeared at the corner of Sophia's mouth—brilliant red against her pallor—an unsettling sight.

In truth, only Daisy Harper and Sophia truly mattered to Lina in the Riley household.

After Sophia wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, she offered an apologetic look. "I'm sorry if I frightened you."

Lina shook her head. Actually, staying by the Crown Princess's side was not a bad idea. Once she had proven herself and earned enough merit, she might be able to request that the Crown Princess arrange for a renowned physician to treat Sophia. Or perhaps Lina could find that miracle doctor herself and request assistance directly.

But for all these days serving near Lucille Everard, only Beatrice Byrd had appeared, and while Beatrice was indeed a physician, she acted more like a matchmaker—forever trying to nudge Lina and the Crown Princess closer together.

After taking her medicine, Sophia looked worn out. She offered a weary smile. "It's late. Go back to your room and rest."

Lina didn't leave immediately. She waited until Sophia fell deeply asleep, then instructed the maids, "Take good care of her through the night." Only after giving careful orders did Lina return to her own room.

She'd repaired the table that Willa Langley had broken the other day, but the patch job was rough. Lina didn't mind; she sat down anyway.

Today was the last day off before she had to face the Crown Princess again, and Lina suddenly found herself hesitant to sleep. The thought of meeting Lucille Everard in the morning weighed on her.

Resting her head on the table, she heard a creak as the table tilted slightly under her arms. Lina ignored it.

"Creak—"

This time, Lina froze. She hadn't moved, and the sound came from the window. A sense of foreboding rose within her. Lifting her head, she saw the door standing open—and the Crown Princess gracefully vaulting in through the window.

Lina glanced from the open door to the princess who had just entered through the window. She was at a loss for words.

Lucille Everard casually seated herself opposite Lina, propping her chin in her hand and commenting with a laugh, "A few days without seeing you, and you've grown even poorer."

The teasing made Lina flush. After all, she was a general's daughter, yet her life looked so shabby. Embarrassed, she said, "Your Highness, please don't mock me."

"Your relationship with Willa and Winnie seems rather good," Lucille remarked.

Lina had no idea why the Crown Princess brought them up. Worried Lucille might misunderstand, she hurried to clarify, "We're just ordinary friends."

With no teacups or anything of the sort on the damaged table, the Crown Princess tapped the tabletop lightly with a fingertip. Each tap made Lina's eyebrows twitch. Just as Lina's brows were about to knot together, Lucille ceased her tapping.

"I believe you," Lucille said lightly. "Otherwise, I wouldn't know that those two haven't returned home yet."

Lina nodded. "Your Highness is most perceptive. Wait—did you say they still haven't returned?"

Lucille admired Lina's wide-eyed astonishment. Normally, the girl was so well-mannered and reserved; seeing her surprised like this was a rare treat. Lucille had half a mind to tease her further, but an inexplicable pang of compassion stopped her. If Beatrice Byrd hadn't checked her health, Lucille might have suspected Lina of poisoning her, so muddled were her feelings tonight.

Annoyed by emotions she couldn't decipher, Lucille closed her eyes briefly, hiding her impatience. The table creaked again. When Lucille looked up, Lina had already reached the doorway.

"Are you going to look for them?" Lucille asked.

Lina froze, realizing she'd been too hasty and had forgotten to explain herself. She had no time to lose, though. "If Your Highness has no further need of me, please excuse me," she said.

Lucille's laugh was cold. "Just ordinary friends, yet you'd run off in the dead of night for them?"

The question sounded accusatory, but Lucille's tone was oddly off. If she weren't the Crown Princess, Lina might have thought she was…jealous?

Lina chastised herself. How absurd. She kept imagining scenarios in which the Crown Princess had feelings for her. That one night they'd spent together, sleeping side by side, must have muddled her mind. Had some strange Heavenblessed-Earthbound influence affected her thoughts and behavior?

The more Lina pondered it, the more plausible it seemed. She began worrying for her own sanity and thought about finding a proper physician to examine her.

She remained silent so long that Lucille grew impatient. Noticing the princess's displeasure, Lina quickly responded. In the moonlight, Lina's expression looked forlorn. "But they are my only friends."

Lucille paused, startled. Gazing into Lina's eyes—filled with helpless sincerity—this normally callous princess felt a sudden twinge of guilt. She turned her head away, her tone softening: "Come back inside. They're safe."

Lina's heart, which had been in turmoil, finally settled. "Really?"

"Do you think I would lie?" Lucille asked, feigning offense.

Lina believed her instantly and returned to her seat, feeling a bit awkward about nearly abandoning the princess moments ago. "Where are they now?"

At that, Lucille's mood soured again. Lina was always mentioning Willa and Winnie, her concern as obvious as daylight. Irritated, Lucille retorted, "They ended up taking a roundabout path back to the city."

Lina couldn't help a wry smile. She must have underestimated Winnie Wren's dreadful sense of direction. In her past life, Winnie rarely acted alone. Before Willa's death, Winnie followed Willa. After Willa's death, Winnie followed Lina. The one time Winnie acted alone was also her last.

Recalling that tragedy tightened Lina's chest. Those old memories—ones she tried so hard not to think of—surged back. She'd not forgotten because she was cold-hearted, but because remembering was simply too painful.

"What are you sad about?" Lucille's voice was unexpectedly gentle, without its usual teasing edge.

Lina thought she'd hidden her sorrow well. She set aside those bitter memories, returning her mind to the quiet, moonlit courtyard. Lifting her gaze, she found Lucille looking at her kindly, as if consoling her.

Convinced she must be imagining things, Lina forced a bitter smile and admired Lucille's perceptiveness. "How did Your Highness notice?" she asked.

Lucille tapped lightly beneath her own eye. "Here, you have tears."

Startled, Lina raised her hand to wipe them away, but Lucille moved faster. Cool fingertips brushed the corner of Lina's eye, sending a shiver through her. Lina stiffened at the close contact, stammering, "Your Highness, this…"

Lucille didn't seem at all embarrassed, calmly withdrawing her hand once the imaginary tear was gone. "There, all done."

Only Lucille's unruffled composure made Lina feel her own reaction was foolish. It was just a brief touch—what was the big deal? A noble like the Crown Princess wouldn't stoop to taking advantage of her in such a trivial way. Lina concluded she was being overly sensitive. Striving to appear normal, she thanked Lucille properly: "Thank you, Your Highness."

Lucille found this amusing. "Aren't we a bit too formal with each other?"

It was a strange question. Lina believed that sovereign and subject should maintain proper distance. Fearful of overstepping, she answered honestly: "A ruler is still a ruler, and a subject a subject. I mustn't cross the line."

Lucille noted how Lina dared not lift her head. They were so close that Lucille could touch her if she chose. Yet, they were also worlds apart.

Lucille sneered softly, though it was unclear if she mocked herself or Lina. "A ruler and subject? And who is the ruler?"

This line of questioning was dangerous. By common reasoning, the ruler should be the reigning monarch, Emilia Everard, but everyone knew the current sovereign was essentially a puppet controlled by the Crown Princess. Thus, 'ruler' could just as easily mean Lucille.

Before Lina's mind could find a safe answer, Lucille unexpectedly let it go. "Never mind," the princess said, "you're too slow."

Lina felt simultaneously relieved and insulted. But before she could react, Lucille continued, delivering a sentence that chilled Lina's blood:

"Since I'm the ruler and you're my subject, doesn't that mean that night you committed the crime of deceiving the Crown?"

Lina's neck prickled. "Your Highness once recognized my worth," she said, her voice tight. "Did you not?"

Lucille smiled. "I was lying—or, shall we say, I've changed my mind."

Terror and then fury surged through Lina. "I thought Your Highness was one who kept promises. Turns out I was blind, in this life as well as the last," she spat bitterly, thinking back to her past regrets with the Everard family.

Lucille released a lock of her hair she'd been toying with and regarded Lina's anger with mild amusement. The girl seemed so much more alive when indignant. But push her too far and she might run away for good.

Lucille rose and walked toward the window. Before leaving, she glanced back with a laugh. "That was also a lie."

Lina, halfway relieved, sensed something amiss. She frowned. "'Also'?"

Noting Lina's belated realization, Lucille found her adorably slow. "You caught that. The other lie is that you never shed any tears."

And with that, Lucille slipped gracefully out the window, vanishing into the quiet courtyard.