章 23: Sweet Vengeance
The morning sunlight filtered through the trees the next day, casting mottled shadows over the palace grounds whereas Ren and I stood outside beneath a tree. Our eyes and ears were focused on the window of Shilien's lavish bedroom suite, observing and waiting to see if our late-night efforts had paid off.
It wasn't long until our patience was rewarded by the woman's piercing, hysterical shriek a moment later.
"Kyaaaaaaaa!!!"
Ren crossed his arms and grinned. "Heh. Right on the schedule!"
"What happened, Milady??" Shilien's handmaidens scrambled to her aid, their voices laced with panic.
"My hair! My haiir!!!"
Ren and I exchanged a triumphant glance before stifling our laughter, the sound muffled thanks to Ren's soundproof barrier spell. I couldn't resist toying with the empty glue tube I had sneakily emptied into her shampoo the previous night. My ribs hurt from restrained laughter just thinking about her wringing out her stiff hair.
"Think she'll be sporting a hat at the tea party?" Ren's eyes gleamed with mischievous glint.
"Oh, she'll definitely have to," I replied with a smirk. "But if she thinks that's the worst of it, she's in for a real shock."
I patted the small pouch at my waist, which still held the remnants of honey I had used to prepare for the second phase of her torment. Shilien may have thought she was impervious, but today… I was about to show her something she would never forget for the rest of her life!
***
As the tea gathering drew nearer that afternoon, the royal palace garden came alive and abuzz with nobles exchanging pleasantries as they gathered for the party. The air was filled with the delicate scent of blooming roses, mingling with the faint notes of citrus and lavender from the nobles' perfumes. Immaculate white tables were ringed with floral arrangements and platters of treats, while gilded chairs encircled them.
At the epicenter of it all, Shilien sat, her normally graceful demeanor broken. A massive turban covered her hair, disguising the sticky, matted disaster beneath poorly. She put on an act of calmness, but her tightened jaw showed that inside, she was furious.
The nobles around her whispered behind their fans, yet their voices were loud enough as if they ensured Shilien could hear everything they said.
"Look at her. Is she unwell?" a countess murmured.
"Unwell? More like unfashionable," another lady giggled.
The King, who arrived shortly after with Owen at his side, couldn't even suppress the flicker of amusement in his usual stoic expression. His sapphire eyes seemed to twinkle as he regarded Shilien's odd appearance.
"Shilien. What's this peculiar… choice of attire?"
She stiffened as the King asked her. "I'm merely experimenting with the latest fashion trend, Your Majesty," Shilien replied with a strained voice. She tried to smile but her cheeks flushed a deep crimson.
"Fashion trend? From where? As far as I recall, I haven't invited any guests from the Eastern Territories recently," he quipped, the corners of his mouth twitching in suppressed laughter.
The nobles erupted into polite chuckles. Shilien could only stand there biting her lower lip and clenching her hands into fists as she held her anger, feeling humiliated.
But among the laughter, one figure stood silent. He was Duke Argenti, Shilien's father.
The man sat quietly at the corner of the table with an imposing stature. His silver hair and sharp purple eyes glinted like steel. His thick beard gave him a regal yet fearsome appearance, but his expression remained inscrutable. Unlike the others, he didn't laugh or jeer; he simply watched Shilien with a piercing intensity that made even me uneasy.
Ren and I observed the scene from a shaded balcony overlooking the garden, careful not to be seen by the guards patrolling the event. Then the tea party, which doubled as a meeting to discuss the upcoming Kingdom Anniversary Celebration, began.
"Perfect setup," Ren said, leaning against the railing. His soundproof barrier allowed us to speak freely without fear of being overheard.
"Yeah. But we can't hear anything from here." I sighed.
"What choice do we have? Sir Owen and the court mage are there. If we get closer, even with my Translucent Veil, we will be detected instantly."
"Ugh. All I can do now is pray that the plan succeeds before Shilien and her faction bring up my debutante and the arranged marriage proposal to the King."
"But she seems already on edge. What's next?"
"You'll see soon," I replied, a wicked grin spreading across my face.
We couldn't hear the conversation below, but it was clear when Shilien requested permission to speak after they finished discussing the festival's initial plans. She rose from her chair, smoothing the folds of her gown, and addressed the King.
This is it! The moment I've been waiting for…!
"Your Majesty, since Princess Luna will be turning eleven next month, how about—"
Bzzzz!
A single bee darted toward her face, landing squarely on her nose.
"Huh?!" Shilien gasped, swatting at it ineffectively as the bee wouldn't leave her.
A moment later, an entire swarm descended upon her, drawn from the nearby flower garden by the honey I had carefully mixed into her face cream.
"What in the—?! Hiiiiii!!" she shrieked, flailing her arms as the bees buzzed around her and attacked in chaotic formation.
The nobles immediately scattered in panic, some screaming, others shielding themselves behind their chairs.
"What are you standing around for?? Get rid of these stupid insects, you fools!" Shilien yelled at the guards.
The guards rushed forward, fumbling awkwardly as they tried to shoo the bees away with their swords, but their efforts failed.
"Idiots! Stop flailing!" Shilien shouted, her voice muffled as she ducked behind her turban. "Get these insects off me—Aaaaaaaaaahhh!!!"
Ren and I, watching from afar, couldn't contain our laughter, nearly collapsing from how hard we were laughing.
He doubled over with laughter, clutching his stomach. "This is better than I imagined! The honey was a stroke of genius!"
"I told you!" Tears streaming down my cheeks from laughing so hard. "And the bees? Pure poetry!"
Shilien finally fled the garden, but the bees continued to swarm and chase her, stinging her repeatedly. Her hysterical screams echoed long even after she disappeared from our sight.
The tea party then dissolved into chaos, with nobles bemoaning the ruined event and servants scrambling to salvage what they could.
***
For the next several days, Shilien was conspicuously absent from court. I heard that she locked herself in her room, hiding from embarrassment and nursing her swollen, bee-stung face. But rumors spread like wildfire, with each tale more absurd than the last.
Well… Whatever the case, I didn't care. I felt no sympathy for her. The most important thing was I had succeeded in silencing, humiliating, and rendering that snake woman powerless… at least for now.
Or perhaps… I could use this opportunity to do something else? Something I've failed to achieve so far?
As I reveled in my small victories, a knock on my bedroom door followed by Anna's voice pulled me from my thoughts.
"Excuse me, Princess. His Majesty the King requests your presence in his chambers."
"What?" I frowned.
What does that man want? Don't tell me Shilien has already influenced him to discuss my debutante and my engagement to Christopher!
Swallowing my nerves, I straightened my posture and left my room, following Anna to the King's office.
My stomach dropped and my pulse quickened as I looked at the door and thought about the possibility of Shilien successfully swaying the King despite her humiliation.
When the heavy doors swung open, my breath caught. The King sat behind his ornate desk, his piercing sapphire gaze fixed on me. But it wasn't his presence that set my heart racing.
Standing beside my father, there was also my grandfather, Duke Argenti… who was looking at me with an unreadable expression.
Uh-oh!
-- 贈り物
が届きました 
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット