Chapter 4:
Daryl
Daryl finds the situation rather odd.
It's the first time in his life as a priest that the Pope has requested such a peculiar order. He has been stationed outside the prayer hall for four days now. Being a five-star priest, he could last a month without food and water if needed.
I wonder who the lady was.
Daryl observes her as she emerges from the prayer room. Judging from her distinctive ashy white hair, she must be a member of a royal family.
He suppresses a yawn and opens the door.
The Pope speaks from inside the prayer room, his voice exhausted. Daryl wonders what transpired during the past few days.
"Daryl, lead the lady out. Discreetly."
"As you wish, Your Holiness."
Daryl closes the door behind him and guides her back through the secret pathways of the cathedral.
*
Once outside, she retrieves a communication crystal to call for her return.
A few minutes later, a Gilcha lizard arrives.
Daryl snorts inwardly. She's definitely royalty.
As she climbs onto the lizard, something around her neck catches the morning light and sparkles.
Daryl's eyes widen.
That's the sacred holy item.
He recognizes the necklace. Only the upper echelons of the church know about the NecklaceofPhases. A legendary piece, made from crystal said to be blessed directly by the goddess herself.
Legend claims the first Pope threw it into the fountain in the prayer room. It was never found again. Daryl always believed it to be a myth.
The realization hits him like a bolt of lightning.
That lady... who is she?
***
Lucina
After a well-deserved nap, I wake up four hours later.
Starving.
I ring the bell for food. Twenty minutes later, a maid enters, pulling a trolley laden with dishes. She places the trolley by the side of my bed.
I eagerly lift the cover.
A repulsive sight greets me.
This sludge. This disgusting-looking thing. This is supposed to be my dinner?
I find it fucking hilarious.
The previous Lucina might have accepted this, but I'm not her. I grew accustomed to luxurious meals in my previous life.
I can't fathom how those novel characters who try to 'blend in' manage it. Because there's no way I'm accepting this.
"Is this my dinner?"
The maid meets my question with a haughty expression.
"Of course."
"Then tell me. Who am I?"
Confusion flickers across her face.
"What do you mean?"
"Fine. Then tell me who you are."
I lean back on the bed and observe her closely. She must sense something is amiss, because she lowers her head.
"I am your exclusive maid, Your Highness."
"Ah ha!" I stand up from the bed.
"Repeat that. 'YourHighness.' You just said that, didn't you?"
I stretch and smooth out the wrinkles in my dress. I must have been exhausted to sleep in this heavy garment.
Mental note: find a progressive designer as soon as possible.
I turn to face the maid. She trembles.
"Kneel. That's an order."
She complies, lowering herself to her knees. She trembles like a leaf in the wind.
"That's a good girl, aren't you?"
I stride toward her without hesitation. I channel all my energy into my palm and deliver a powerful slap across her face.
She recoils, crashing into the trolley. The repulsive sludge that passed for food covers her completely.
Ow. That hurt my arm.
The slap must have been loud because the so-called guards rush into the room.
I scoff at their incompetence. Here they are, finally noticing something after I've been missing for nearly five days. Did they think I was surviving on air?
"Your Highness, we heard a sound."
A big-nosed guard enters, followed by his companion with a prominent forehead. They take in the scene—the maid on the floor, the spilled food, my satisfied expression.
"I was just teaching her a lesson." I smile.
"I'm glad you're here. Call everyone in my palace. The maids. The cooks. The guards. I'm waiting."
The guards hesitate.
"Aren't you bold?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Are you defying an imperial order?"
That strikes a chord. No matter how I've been treated, it doesn't change the fact that I'm royalty. Defying royalty is punishable by death.
They snap out of their hesitation and rush out.
I walk to the vanity chair. A pang of hunger twists my stomach, but I ignore it. I glance at my reflection and take a moment to admire myself.
*
Twenty minutes later, Big Nose and Big Forehead return with the assembled staff.
I stand and walk toward the maid. I grab her hair and drag her across the floor. I stop in front of the gathered crowd and drop her unceremoniously at their feet.
"Now that you're all here, I have something to show you."
Confused faces stare back at me.
I head back into the room and pick up a sharp hairpiece from my jewelry box. I return to the maid.
She trembles as I squat down to be face-to-face with her. She avoids my gaze.
Gently, I turn her head toward me.
With a swift motion, I drive the sharp hairpiece into her palm.
She screams.
"Are you trying to make me deaf?" I look down at the blood gushing from her hand.
Oh dear. Some of it splashed on me.
Furious, I press my foot down on the hairpiece embedded in her palm. It sinks deeper. Her wails grow louder.
"If you scream one more time, your head will be gone."
Instantly, she quiets.
To test her resolve, I press my foot onto the hairpiece again.
She only whimpers. Fear evident in her eyes.
That's better.
I turn to the rest of the staff.
Terrified expressions greet me. None of them dares to meet my gaze. The only sound in the room is the maid's whimpering.
"My little show is over now."
My voice cuts through the tense silence.
"I'm going to have a soak in the bath. When I come out, I expect to find this place in perfect condition and my dinner served."
I walk confidently through the mini-crowd. Their heads are down. None of them faces me.
This is how royalty should be treated.
I enter the main bath area.
Warmth greets me. The water is heated by a fire crystal and kept clean by an auto-filtration system. It reminds me of the heated pool back in my penthouse—smaller, but the same idea.
I undress quickly and slide into the water.
A contented sigh escapes my lips.
This is the life.
*
"Your Highness."
A soft voice wakes me.
I open my eyes. Two maids stand at the edge of the pool.
I climb out. They dry me with an extremely soft towel. Sweet-smelling oil is rubbed onto my body.
I could get used to this.
I head into my room.
The bed. The curtains. The beddings. All replaced.
A wonderful full-course meal waits by the bedside.
I eat my dinner, send the maids away, and clock in for the day.
I wonder what rumors will spread about me tomorrow.
I smile and drift into slumber.
***
The Maids' Quarters
A group of maids gather to discuss the recent events.
"I'm telling you, the third princess has gone mad!"
"It was horrifying. She had this eerie smile while covered in Jane's blood."
"It's like she was possessed or something."
"I doubt I'll sleep tonight. Those screams as she stabbed Jane still echo in my ears."
"The look in her eyes... she seemed ready to kill anyone in her path."
A few maids overhear the conversation.
Soon the whole palace buzzes with the news.
The third princess has lost her sanity.