บท 190: Her Imperial Highness, The Princess
"Welcome to the world of Akame ga Kill."
The system's metallic voice echoed in Kaguya's mind.
Her eyelashes trembled slightly as she opened her eyes and glanced around the room, feeling a bit dazed. She found herself in a spacious, Western-style room, lavishly and elegantly decorated.
The furniture was elegant and majestic, made of high-quality mahogany, intricately carved with decorative patterns. The gilded walls glistened, and the floor was covered with a soft, exquisite carpet that was undoubtedly expensive. The walls were adorned with lifelike oil paintings, which Kaguya, despite her lack of knowledge of art, could tell were masterpieces. The golden curtains were soft and smooth, and the gold- and silver-embroidered crystal chandelier added a touch of luxury.
Where is this? This doesn't look like Night Raid's territory, and what on earth is Akame ga Kill?
Kaguya couldn't help but comment internally.
"Your current identity is that of the emperor's sister and the empire's elder princess. Your mission is to achieve the empire's rise, ensure the people live in peace and prosperity, and ultimately achieve the empire's peace and prosperity."
"Huh?"
Kaguya was baffled, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion.
Kaguya hadn't expected the system to assign her such an identity; she thought she would be directly integrated into Night Raid.
And this mission was quite unusual. She had always assumed the tasks would be combat-related, but she didn't expect there to be nation-building missions.
However, she soon realized that this wasn't as simple as she had imagined; it was far more challenging.
The current empire was plagued by internal strife and external threats, teetering on the brink of collapse. Internally, it was plagued by corruption, oppressive rule, and powerful ministers with unchecked authority. Externally, it faced invasions from foreign tribes, widespread rebellions, and ongoing warfare, along with revolutionary forces such as Night Raid.
To achieve the revival and rise of the empire, it would be necessary to address these two major issues. Internally, corruption must be eradicated, governance reformed, and the oppressive regime ended, which would require eliminating the ministers who were the source of these evils. Externally, rebellions must be suppressed, and traitors punished, with the first challenge being the revolutionary forces led by Night Raid.
This essentially meant engaging in simultaneous battles with the two major forces of this world, with no allies to support her, which Kaguya found quite daunting.
Choosing a lower-level world would increase the system's difficulty, and this seemed to be the challenge it presented.
"Aaaah."
At that moment, a scream suddenly erupted in the room.
Kaguya turned her head to see a girl with a delicate face, neatly dressed, who appeared to be a maid.
At this moment, the maid's face was filled with terror, her eyes wide with panic as she looked at Kaguya, paralyzed with fear, as if she had witnessed something horrifying, her body trembling like a candle flickering in the wind.
"Who are you?" Kaguya turned around and asked curiously. "Is there something on my face?"
"No, no," the maid replied, her entire body trembling, her teeth chattering, and her speech stammering. "I am your maid, Princess."
Suddenly she fell to the ground with a thud, collapsing like a falling leaf in autumn.
"Please, Princess, don't kill me, don't kill me!"
"Kill you? Why would I kill you?" Kaguya asked curiously, twirling a strand of her silver hair with her fair fingers.
The maid suddenly looked up, her face turning pale, devoid of any color, her eyes losing focus.
"Princess, I understand," the maid said, biting her lip, her face full of sorrow. "Please don't harm my father and brother; I'm willing to endure any torture."
"What exactly is going on?" Kaguya frowned, puzzled by the maid's behavior.
The maid remained prostrate on the ground, motionless, saying nothing, her entire body shaking like a sieve, as if awaiting her final judgment.
Kaguya frowned slightly, feeling impatient, wondering what this maid was so afraid of. Was she a man-eating beast?
"Speak up, and I'll forgive you," Kaguya said with a smile, her voice gentle.
"Really?" the maid suddenly raised her head, her face lighting up with joy, her tear-stained face revealing her relief. She had been frightened to tears.
"Do you doubt me?" Kaguya raised an eyebrow.
"I wouldn't dare," the maid replied in fear, quickly bowing her head to the ground again.
"Raise your head and speak," Kaguya said, walking over to sit on a nearby chair, crossing one long leg over the other.
One must admit, the things in the palace were indeed exquisite. The chair was made of high-quality ebony, and the cushion, filled with something unknown, was incredibly soft.
The maid hesitated for a moment but eventually began to speak.
It turned out that the princess had been renowned for her extraordinary beauty since childhood, captivating countless admirers and earning the title of the empire's most beautiful woman. Unfortunately, the good times didn't last long. A fire broke out in the palace, disfiguring the princess.
Unable to bear the blow, the princess withdrew from public life, living in seclusion and weeping daily, never appearing in public again. People believed she had met with some misfortune.
Since then, the princess wore a mask and never set foot outside the palace. Gradually, people forgot about her.
Those who knew the truth had been silenced, not only the individuals involved but also their families, and even entire villages were slaughtered.
The disfigured princess's mind became twisted, and anyone who saw her face was subjected to extreme punishment, with skinning and dismemberment being common occurrences. In the back of the palace, there was a mass grave where the tortured-to-death maids and guards were buried, which explained the maid's terror.
In fact, the maid hadn't truly seen Kaguya's face earlier. She had been too frightened, her mind muddled, to notice the princess's appearance.
"So this is my mask?"
Kaguya picked up a mask from the table beside her. It was a white fox mask with red lines, identical to the one she had once worn.
Was this a coincidence or the system's twisted sense of humor?
"Exactly," the maid's voice trembled slightly, her terrified face tinged with a glimmer of hope. "I've told you everything I know; please spare my life, Princess."
"Very well."
Kaguya nodded slightly, her eyes like autumn waters emitting a peculiar light, a gentle smile gracing her lips.
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