Escape from the evil lady

My father died, and my old life was ruined.

To sum up, this was the result of my life in this world a year after my rebirth.

And so far, things have not been going well.

After the massacre at the Duke's residence, I was put into the carriage of the Crown Princess without even being given the opportunity to collect my luggage. The woman said that new things had already been prepared for me on the spot, and there was no need to take this «junk» with me.

I wasn't really in a position to object.

And now we have been on our way to the residence of the main villain for more than half a day.

With every breath of wind, dead leaves fluttered in the air like moths. The cold northeast wind of these lands was different from the south wind I was used to. Migratory birds flew by against the background of the deep blue sky, and at that moment I could even envy their freedom.

I sat in the carriage and looked at the lands of Heilos, which were getting closer and closer. If I count it up, I haven't slept for more than a day.

Maybe it was the stress I was going through, but I couldn't calm down. There was no sleep in either eye. The very thought that I would arrive at my new «home» very soon made me shiver to the very bones.

After all, no matter how you look at it, it was a real kidnapping.

«I wonder what kind of place this is? «I was thinking about my fate, and my thoughts were leading me in God knows what direction —a couple of hours ago I was shaking and scared to death, but now a faint spark of hope lit up somewhere in the corner of my heart -Maybe I can somehow pretend to be a maid and escape?»

While I was indulging myself with illusory hopes of escape, a voice coming from the opposite side of the carriage almost stopped my heart.

«When you come to my castle, your life will change,» the main villain told me with a gentle expression on her face, which alarmed me very much.

«Yes, I'm sure she will definitely change…»

— You also don't have to worry about safety. My lands are the most protected in the empire. There are a total of sixteen checkpoints, twenty-seven watchtowers and hundreds of guards in the garrison who patrol the area around the clock.

— .....

«Well, that's what I thought.»

My hopes of escape were crumbling right before my eyes like a sand castle.

Riding in a carriage with the main villain was like torture: I couldn't relax for a second. I shut my mouth tightly like a clam, trying my best not to remind myself of my presence here. But it was pointless. After all, this woman with beautiful but frightening golden eyes hardly took her eyes off me.

To be honest, I still couldn't figure out what she wanted from me.

«Maybe she wants to kill me in some sophisticated way?»

Apart from the worst possible scenario, no other assumptions came to mind. After all, I was well aware of the essence of this man.

«A cold-blooded, ruthless psychopath.»

This is exactly how Cayenne de Ronan was described in the novel. And to be honest, after seeing the spectacle with my own eyes recently, I had no doubt that all this was true.

Not only did she kill people without hesitation, she also had sadistic tendencies. I read a lot of horror about the «dark» side of the main villain while reading the novel. A person who knows at least a little about her would rather commit suicide than be tortured by her.

And I was being taken straight to the lair of this monster…

It can't get any worse.

When I remembered how many obscenities I had managed to do to her during the time we were at the Duke's estate, my whole body was covered with cold sweat. This terrible woman could kill a man just because she didn't like the way he looked at her. Compared to that, what I was doing practically guaranteed me a lifetime of boiling in a hellish cauldron…

In general, I don't have long to live.

I took a deep breath, overcome by a feeling of despondency and hopelessness.

«She'll probably be happy as long as she has the opportunity to mock me, as long as I don't die…»

At this time, the villainess's voice, which was both pleasant and intimidating, reached me again:

— Camille.

— Y-yes?

«You said you were a fan of mine,» Kaena said, leaning back against the back of the velvet seat, «I want to know why.» What do you like about me?

— .....

My tongue suddenly got hot and started to slur.

This one question was more difficult than all the state exams I had to take in my previous life.

Meanwhile, I couldn't miss the answer.

My head started to hurt because the gears in it were spinning very fast, and the princess was looking at me expectantly at the same time. Finally, I slowly opened my lips:

— This… It's all because of your outstanding talent! I heard that you became a sword master at the age of fourteen, and that was a new record for the empire… And also… You have also brought so many military victories to our empire… — while I was praising the villain, based on the information I received from the novel, the pupils of her eyes became wider and wider.

Although every word I said was true, there was really nothing to be proud of here. It would be one thing if this woman used her skills for the benefit of the empire and thereby benefited. But in reality, the crown princess of this country did nothing but destroy it.

She used her innate talent for dark magic and swordsmanship, among other things, to kill innocents and civilians…

Despite the fact that Kaena to some extent protected the empire from external threats, acting on the battlefield against enemy states, in fact, she brought much more harm to her people. What's the point of protecting the population from enemy invaders if she ends up killing them anyway, but only with her own hands?

The only reason the Crown Princess went to the front at all on the emperor's orders was because she was a war fanatic. More precisely, murders. And in the war, where her «passion» could be fully realized, the villain was simply delighted.

To sum up, it can be said that this was absolutely not the kind of person to admire. There was no gradient in the essence of this woman. It was solid black.

However, I wasn't crazy enough to throw my sincere thoughts right in her face.

When Kaena de Ronan listened to me, she looked visibly surprised.

«You really know a lot about me… — she muttered.

— Of course, because I am your fan and have been interested in you for a long time… — while the blatant lies flowed out of my mouth like honey, I tried my best to control myself.

Meanwhile, the villainess, who looked stunned at first, showed a strange reaction. Even with the naked eye, it was noticeable that her face was redder than before. Then a wide smile appeared on her lips, which she tried to hide by looking out the window.

Such a reaction on the face of any other person could be regarded as embarrassment. But since this was the main villain of the novel, I just tensed up. Maybe I talked too much and got on her nerves…? It is likely that now she will want to swat me like an annoying insect.

I watched the villainess and her strange behavior warily for a while. But since she still hadn't drawn her sword and my head was still in place, it didn't seem to be as bad as I thought. Apparently, I got carried away.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I nevertheless did not relax my vigilance.

Soon the landscape appeared ahead. When I reached the Crown Princess's lands, I realized that this place is much bigger than I imagined. The majestic castle of Heilos was of enormous size, more like a military fortress, and at the same time did not lose that exquisite exterior that was inherent in the dwellings of the nobles.

No, compared to them, this castle was much more magnificent and luxurious. Even I, who grew up in a rich ducal estate, opened my mouth wide in disbelief at my own eyes.

«Her Highness is back, open the door!» The knights shouted as they stopped in front of the huge iron gates.

The guards on the tower, seeing the carriage of the crown Princess, hurried to let us in. Soon we passed through the second gate, where the knights of the Dark Host were lined up on the left and right, who were going to meet their mistress.

— Welcome back, Your Highness! They all bowed in unison.

From the window, I saw a lot of guard posts, training grounds, massive stone buildings, and so on. It took some more time before the carriage finally reached the main domain. The carriage entered the luxurious and magnificent gardens without hindrance. When it was time to go out, I anxiously grabbed the skirt of my dress.

— Are you okay? You don't have a very good complexion.

When the villain carefully helped me down, the first thing she worried about was my well-being.

— Ah… me…

She must be tired from the long journey, Kaena thought.

— Now we're finally home. You can rest.

She put her arm around my shoulders and smiled. I barely found the strength to shake my head.

There were about a hundred people standing in front of the main staircase. They all came out to greet their mistress. I didn't see any hint of surprise on their pale and straight faces. Apparently, they had all been warned about my arrival. I just sighed heavily.

— Welcome back, Your Highness!

A huge knight in black armor and with disheveled dark hair immediately approached us.

— As soon as we received the news of your return, we made all the necessary preparations…

The knight's eyes turned to me. I subconsciously tensed up and hunched my shoulders, because there simply weren't any normal people in this place. Even now, it was quite likely that I was facing a real hardened criminal.

But, I was worried in vain, because the next moment this man hurriedly looked away, and in a surprisingly polite manner gave out:

— Nice to meet you, lady. My name is Jacob Osman. I am a loyal subordinate of Her Highness…

The knight greeted me respectfully, bent double.

— I'm… glad to meet you.». While I was desperately muttering, the main villain didn't even give me a chance to finish her greeting in return.

Her hand tightened on my shoulder, and a big smile blossomed on her face.

— let's go. I'll show you your new room,» she said enthusiastically.

«......»

I had no choice but to meekly follow her suggestion. The servants parted and we went up the dark marble staircase.