Chapter 102: Confrontation

When Princess Jasmin collapsed, Bliss was in her playroom. Various reagents were lined up on shelves converted from bookcases, and one wall was decorated with swords and needles made of various metals.

While the palace was in uproar over Princess Jasmin’s death, her space remained quiet and peaceful. This made it even easier to appreciate her collections at leisure.

“When was this from?”

She couldn’t help but smile at the items she had handled while deeply engrossed in experiments with Princess Jasmin.

The smile slowly faded from Bliss’s face as she held up a reagent bottle and shook it before her eyes. A face reflected in the bottle. If it wasn’t the hallucination she’d been thinking of…

“Found you.”

Bliss turned at the delighted voice behind her.

It was Latte, smiling brightly. There stood Latte, looking both beautiful and cruel to the point where one couldn’t look away.

“You look different today.”

At Bliss’s greeting, Latte tilted her head. She seemed to be thinking about why Bliss would say that. Then, looking at her own clothes, she lifted her skirt. It was stained as if with red paint.

Latte held out her skirt as if to show it off and asked.

“Is it because of this? This is nothing. It’s just…”

Latte seemed to consider what to say, then smiled so widely her lips stretched taut.

“It’s stained with the princess’s blood.”

At Latte’s innocent tone, Bliss looked at the hand she held out. Her voice was utterly childlike as she extended her reddened hand.

“Did you… kill Princess Jasmin?”

“What? Princess Jasmin?”

Latte acted startled. Though a stranger might have thought she knew nothing, at least to Bliss, that wasn’t the case.

Latte quickly replaced her surprised expression with a pretty smile and shook her head.

“I’m not the one who killed the princess.”

Latte lowered her skirt and gently caressed it. Though this wouldn’t remove the blood stained on her hands and skirt… But Latte’s fingertips seemed to be lovingly stroking rather than trying to wipe away the blood.

“I just checked to see if the princess was alright. This blood got on me then, that’s all.”

Latte examined the bloodstains on her hands once more before meeting Bliss’s eyes.

“You’re the one who killed Princess Jasmin. Bliss.”

Bliss frowned, expressing her displeasure.

“You killed her and hid here, and I came to catch you.”

Understanding Latte’s scheme from her explanation, Bliss let out an exasperated laugh.

“So you’re planning to pin everything on me.”

At Bliss’s direct statement, the smile disappeared from Latte’s face. She lifted her hands and examined them from different angles.

“‘Pin everything’ is harsh. Someone might misunderstand if they heard that.”

The atmosphere grew as dangerous as Latte’s lowered voice. Bliss watched Latte warily while looking at the collections around her.

“If it weren’t for you, would Princess Jasmin have died? She would have lived her whole life enjoying the Emperor’s favor.”

Bliss glared at Latte’s measured explanation.

“She could have lived a perfectly normal life – meeting a suitable match, marrying, collecting things she liked, having children. But you ruined it all. From the day you went to Princess Jasmin.”

Listening to Latte’s explanation, Bliss couldn’t help but smile faintly, almost falling for it. Because Latte was right. In the original story where Bliss had died, Princess Jasmin had indeed lived such a life.

But because Bliss had approached the princess using the dagger as an excuse and gained her favor to become her maid, her fate had changed.

“Why… are you smiling? Did I say something so amusing?”

As Latte muttered in puzzlement, Bliss shook her head. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t an amusing story.

“You speak so casually after killing Princess Jasmin.”

“Oh my, Bliss, I told you. You’re the one who killed the princess. So aren’t you the one who doesn’t fit this atmosphere?”

Latte slowly looked Bliss up and down.

“Why are you so calm? You should be rushing to kill me, it wouldn’t be enough.”

“Did you just realize that now?”

Bliss let out a hollow laugh. Latte narrowed her eyes and looked at her suspiciously.

“Could it be…”

Something was off about Bliss. By now she should be rushing at her in rage over killing the princess.

No matter how much she tried to frame Bliss, her reaction wasn’t normal.

“Are you waiting for Marquis Adrian? Thinking he’ll solve everything?”

Bliss’s expression changed. The uneasy shadow that crept into her eyes, which had been glaring at her but not hastily. Realizing she had read Bliss accurately, Latte smiled with furrowed brows.

“Was that really it?”

Latte burst into brief laughter. As if she needed to look away from Bliss to stop laughing, she briefly looked elsewhere before finally collecting herself.

“If that’s really the case, too bad. Caelan can’t come here.”

“…How do you know that?”

“Things got a bit complicated, but the Emperor has locked all the palace gates.”

“What does that have to do with Caelan? He’s the captain of the palace guard. He can enter the palace anytime.”

Bliss shook her head dismissively. Finding her attitude amusing, Latte burst into loud laughter.

“You really don’t know, do you? Right now, rumors are spreading that you killed Princess Jasmin. Still don’t get it? They’re saying they’ll let Caelan in while you’re under suspicion?”

As Bliss’s expression hardened, Latte added another attack.

“Besides, even if he could come in, he can’t. He’s busy with something else right now.”

At Latte’s words, Bliss’s eyes narrowed. What could this mean? Suddenly something occurred to her. Bliss forced herself to speak and asked Latte.

“Could it be what you mentioned before…”

“Yes, that’s right. I’ll kill you, and as for Caelan… well, someone’s keeping him occupied.”

Latte didn’t mention that she had arranged to prevent Caelan from being killed. After all, Bliss didn’t need to know that.

“Shall we sort things out here?”

Latte was finding this moment unbearably enjoyable.

Though her plan to kill Bliss using Princess Jasmin’s belongings had fallen apart, the complicated situation was turning out even more interesting. With Princess Jasmin dead, Princess Jenesha could have the man she wanted, and so could she. Though she couldn’t kill Bliss, it would be easy to claim Caelan, who would feel deeply betrayed.

“This is the best day of my life.”

Latte exclaimed with an utterly delighted face.

***

“I’m going to the palace right now.”

“His Majesty the Emperor has ordered that no one be allowed in.”

“Bliss is under suspicion, and you’re telling me to wait here?”

“…I’ll lead the way.”

As the knight turned to hurry and fetch horses, Caelan followed him. There wasn’t even time to wait for horses to be brought. So as Caelan walked straight to the stables, he suddenly stopped.

A sense of unease, as if someone was targeting him. Before identifying its source, Caelan raised his arm in a defensive stance.

Something immediately whizzed past Caelan’s front. The darkness made it difficult to identify exactly what it was.

Caelan looked around and gripped his scabbard. Sensing something else cutting through the air towards him, Caelan drew his sword and deflected it.

As the sword emerged from its scabbard, it emitted a soft light illuminating the surroundings. It was the sword Bliss had made. Caelan quickly scanned the area and stopped when he spotted someone.

Though completely wrapped in a cloak, he could recognize who it was.

“…Olivia.”

His stepmother, the woman who had instilled in him a fear of poison. The one who had escaped from the tower.

“You really appeared before me.”

He thought she would come if he waited. But while Olivia had appeared, Bliss wasn’t here.

Could this be mere coincidence?

Caelan shook his head as if to shake off the thought.

“That can’t be.”

She probably revealed herself after careful planning.

As Caelan let out a laugh as if acknowledging he’d been caught, Olivia, who had been silent until now, spoke.

“It’s been a while. Son.”

“Why am I your son?”

“My, even if I didn’t give birth to you, didn’t I raise you? Yet you deny it?”

At Olivia’s question, Caelan gave a cold smile.

“Did you ever raise me?”

“Still so impudent.”

To Olivia’s words spoken through gritted teeth, Caelan calmly added.

“And… how can I be your son when no trace of you remains in this marquis household?”

“You…”

“From the beginning, your name wasn’t even listed in the family register. Because it was erased the day you tried to kill me with poison.”

Caelan glared at Olivia while gripping his sword. At the source of his fear.