Liana Dexsin looked into those insincere, smiling eyes and slowly stretched her lips into a smile in response.
— Your Highness, you must be mocking me.
— Not at all. In fact, I am disappointed that you think so little of me.
The young head of the order frowned, still not taking her suspicious gaze off the woman standing in front of her. This situation seemed simply absurd to her. Offering an alliance on such terms to a person who had openly admitted to trying to kill her? It sounded and looked ridiculous, and even more like a trap.
Knowing that the princess of the north had never had particularly warm feelings towards her, Liana thought that the woman had simply decided to mock her before she died.
— If you really want to kill me, then please do so. After all, you are in a much more advantageous position than I am right now. So if you're going to do it, just do it without further ado.
Over the past few years, Liana had heard many rumours about the northern region and the lord who ruled it. Thus, she knew that the princess was a demon-like person whose cruelty knew no bounds. Liana knew she had been risking her life from the moment she set foot in the northern lands. Nevertheless, she had decided to take that risk in order to obtain justice for her sister.
And now, with death breathing down her neck, she had no regrets.
— Just kill me, and we'll end this here and now.
The cunning lights in the northern lord's eyes danced.
— Lady Dexsin, you keep repeating the same thing, but I will tell you once again that I do not want you dead. I truly have no intention of fighting you.
Liana smiled faintly. She felt that this man was playing with her as he pleased.
Although she could not and was not able to read the northern lord's thoughts, she soon spoke herself:
— Instead of killing you and ending all this senselessly, I propose that you form an alliance with me.
— I don't understand what kind of alliance you could possibly offer me, — Liana replied dispassionately.
— You still want to see your younger sister, don't you?
The princess only had to say one word, and the woman's emerald eyes flashed. She struggled to contain her overwhelming emotions.
— What... What are you talking about?
— I mean, I can help you see your sister again.
That was the last straw, and Liana Dexsin couldn't take it anymore. She rushed forward and grabbed the northern demon by the collar. She was the first person to dare to do such a thing in many, many years.
She clutched the princess's collar tightly, but the princess didn't even flinch.
— From this moment on... I forbid you to mention my sister!' Liana said in a cold voice.
However, despite expecting any other reaction, the princess only smiled quietly with a calm expression on her face.
— My God, that was scary. Lady Dexsin, you really scared me.
— What are you... — Liana stammered. She was confused and trying to understand the current situation.
— But don't you think you just behaved rather rudely? Rudeness towards the master of this castle will definitely not lead you to a good end.
Asil continued to maintain a calm smile on her face, slowly unclenching Liana's fingers that were gripping her collar. The woman was so stunned by what had happened that she couldn't react, and eventually her hands fell limply to her sides.
Asil adjusted her collar and continued:
— So, let's try again. You want your sister back, don't you?
— But I just told you...! — Before Liana could exclaim indignantly, her opponent interrupted her again.
— If that is your wish, I can grant it.
— What...? — The woman froze in shock.
— I said I can help you reunite with your sister, — the princess said, the corners of her lips stretching into a smile. — You can be with her again, just like before, as if nothing had happened.
Liana stared at her in confusion, trying to understand what the princess had said for several seconds. Finally, she asked in a hoarse voice:
— You're joking, aren't you...?
— Not at all. On the contrary, I am absolutely serious. What I said is entirely possible.
"...."
For a few seconds, a heavy silence hung in the room as the young head of the order pondered her words. Finally, she opened her mouth and asked with a hint of irony:
— Does that mean Your Highness possesses magic capable of raising people from the dead?'
Of course, this was nothing more than a mockery of the ruler of the north, who had made such an absurd statement. Everyone in this world knew that magic did not exist. Of course, the temple possessed a holy power in which its parishioners believed, and the astrological order possessed the so-called blessing of the stars.
And yet, it had nothing to do with magic in the literal sense of the word. After all, these were just children's fairy tales. Not to mention black magic, such as raising people from the dead. For this reason, Liana decided that the princess was simply mocking her tragedy again.
However, this time she was not going to fall for this provocation, lest she make herself vulnerable to the Lord of the North.
Although Liana expected the princess to say something at that moment, her answer still stunned her.
The smile on the princess's lips grew even wider.
— What if it's true? — she asked curiously.
— Excuse me?
— After all, I am a monster born under a cursed star of death, am I not?
After the princess said this unexpectedly, Liana Dexsin trembled and froze.
The Star of Death, Asdal. Of course, she understood what the princess meant.
Being born under such a star was the worst misfortune, and perhaps it would have been better for the parents of such a child if he had been born dead.
In the entire history of the Nadal Empire and the existence of the astrological order in the empire, there were only a few cases in the country where a child was born with such a curse. But even in such cases, almost none of these children lived to adulthood because of the heavy fate that this curse brought with it. In other words, the fact that the princess was still alive and had even managed to somehow secure her position in society was a rare exception to such cases.
Nevertheless, how was the princess's unfortunate fate connected to this, and in particular to the topic of their conversation?
Although Liana was confused by the fact that the lord of the north had suddenly brought up this topic, she continued:
— Lady Dexsin, you know about this, don't you? After all, it was your father who "blessed" me with this life. In a sense, I can call him my godfather, who gave me this life, can't I?
The princess laughed loudly. It was a graceful laugh, but it was chilling and piercing. The young head of the order tensed involuntarily.
— And what does your natal origin have to do with this? — she finally asked.
— Everything, — Asil grinned. — Lady Dexsin, have you ever considered that I might be the devil himself?
"...."
Liana opened her mouth but froze and said nothing, unable to speak.
— The curse that befell this empire came with my birth. Perhaps this is my true destiny, the reason I came into this world? — the princess continued.
— So you claim that you are a demon? — Liana asked coldly.
— Why not? — Asil smiled. — Perhaps, having been born under a cursed star, a demon entered me while I was still in my mother's womb? In other words, am I a demon who became human, or a human who became a demon?
Liana Dexsin hesitated.
— I'm sorry, but I don't know the answer to your question.
— Neither do I. Although I would like to know, — the princess's gaze was still fixed on her. — In any case, what do you think of this proposal?
'...'
Liana remained silent.
— If I am indeed a demon, then I can bring your sister back to life, — the princess declared, — You will meet again and be together as before. Isn't that wonderful?
At that moment, looking into the woman's golden eyes, which truly looked like the eyes of a supernatural being, something clouded Liana's mind.
"To see Gardenia again... Could it really be possible?"
She tried to convince herself that it was complete nonsense and simply a provocation on the part of the northern lord, but in the end, her unfounded illusions continued to prevail over common sense.
If Liana could have seen herself at that moment, she would never have believed it. The heiress and eldest daughter of the chief astrologer, who had been praised all her life for her rational approach to things and her cool, sober mind, which many adults sometimes lacked. The woman believed that she would never be confused by such nonsense, more like the ravings of a madman.
And yet...
The image of her younger sister constantly appeared before her eyes, haunting her even after death. She was a child she had cared for since she was a child, ever since their mother died. She was the person closest to her. The person she had sworn to care for until the end of her days. And the person she ultimately lost in an unjust accident.
If there had been even the slightest hope that such a thing was possible, even theoretically, Liana would undoubtedly have done anything to achieve it. She would have obtained any treasure in the world if necessary. She would have paid any amount of money and done anything, even if it had previously seemed unacceptable to her. She would even have given her own life...
But the northern devil did not want her life. And Liana understood this with crystal clarity when she looked straight into her eyes. Dark, bottomless eyes in which she felt she could see her own soul.
— Lady Dexsin, I would undoubtedly be very happy to help reunite these souls, — the princess smiled quietly, — But, as you understand, in this world, everything has its price.
"....."
— That is why I offered you an alliance. Although it would be wrong to call it an alliance. Rather, I am offering you a deal with the devil.
Liana swallowed hard, her eyes fixed on her. She realised that at that moment she was not the person she had always been. Because the next moment, the following words slipped out of her mouth involuntarily:
— And what exactly... do you want from me?
Asil approached and placed her hand on her shoulder. Then she whispered directly into her ear. Liana felt like she had fallen into the trap of a serpent whispering sweet words to her. Nevertheless, at that moment, she could not resist him.
— Your father. You can kill him for me, can't you?