章節 2: Arcania Concubine Selection

Meliora Livia Delacroix of the Clariant Empire, the daughter of the King of Clariant. Abandoned because of the hideous scar on her face, she was left to rot in the desolate west palace where her mother had birthed and raised her.

After her mother died, even the servants fled, not wanting to fall victim to the supposed curse. Only one maid remained, tasked with aiding Meliora and spying on her.

But Meliora didn't care—she had her childhood friend, a handsome man who saw past her scar and claimed to love her.

Elena, who played Meliora's character in the game, had always found her pitiful. Elena's frustration with Meliora's situation often boiled over into anger—she'd wanted to strangle the girl more than once.

Meliora's life took a dark turn when she caught her childhood friend whispering the same sweet words he'd said to her, to her sister instead.

That betrayal extinguished the last light in her eyes, leaving her resigned to the meaningless life she led. She was soon forced to attend a concubine selection for the king of Arcania, Clariant's greatest enemy, as a spy for her country.

But Meliora isn't Meliora anymore. Elena's in charge now, and things are about to change.

****

"Get me ready," Meliora commanded, standing up and stretching. Her nightshift clung to her body as she waited for the maid to move.

The first thing on Elena's agenda was fixing the girl's bland, disrespectful attitude. She couldn't believe Meliora had put up with such nonsense for so long.

"Excuse me?" The maid's stunned voice cut through the room. She scoffed, rolling her eyes and placing her hands on her hips.

Meliora turned and fixed the maid with an icy glare. The maid flinched, and for the first time, she wondered, 'Was the princess always like this? She's changed.'

Refusing to be intimidated by an abandoned princess, she steeled her heart and snarled, "Who are you glaring at? You're nobody, Meliora, so lower your gaze when I talk to you!"

'Wow,' Meliora thought, 'the people in this damn world are so sick.' Narrowing her eyes, she took slow, deliberate steps toward the maid until she stood a meter away. The maid tried to maintain her composure, but Meliora noticed her trembling hands. She smirked.

"Why are you shaking like that? I haven't even started with you yet." She chuckled, a wicked glint in her eyes.

"How dare yo—"

A loud slap echoed through the room, cutting off the maid's words. A gasp escaped the maid's lips, her eyes wide with horror. For the first time, the abandoned princess had struck her.

"Your tongue is quite sharp for a maid. Should we cut it off? Crucifix, what do you think?" Meliora drawled as she turned around and crossed her arms, pretending to be deep in thought.

The maid stood frozen, her face still tilted to the side from the impact, a bruise forming on her cheek.

[Master, I think we should just fix lots of needles into her tongue. Next time, she won't speak to you like that!]

"You're very wise, Crucifix. I trained you well. Fixing needles into her tongue will teach her to speak properly. What do you think?" Meliora turned her attention back to the maid, her expression calm, a warm smile spreading across her lips.

The maid's heart pounded as she finally saw Meliora as a monster. Falling to her knees with a thud, she hit her head against the floor.

"Have mercy on me, my esteemed princess!" The maid's voice shook with terror, and cold sweat covered her face.

Meliora's expression shifted from joy to anger as she saw how easily the maid gave in to fear. "Aish... This is no fun." She sighed in disappointment, shaking her head and drumming her fingers against her crossed arms. "Alright, stand up and get me ready. His Majesty cannot wait."

Though Meliora didn't care about the king, she knew this was a necessary part of the game. She planned to use this opportunity to present her idea of attending the royal concubine selection.

If they wanted to get rid of her, she'd let them, and the King of Arcania would be an easy target.

"Yes, Your Highness." The maid's voice still trembled as she weakly stood and headed for the bathroom, keeping her head down.

'Now, that's how you assert your position.'

"Hold on. What's your name?" Meliora asked as the girl stopped in her tracks. The maid's head remained low as she answered.

"My name is Maria." After Meliora dismissed her, she left to draw the bath.

Meliora studied the room—it was just like in the game. The four-poster bed, the cracked walls, and the dresser that looked like it belonged to a commoner. Even in her past life, she had better jewelry than what she had now.

'There are a lot of things that need to change.'

After cleaning herself up, Meliora instructed the maid to dress her in one of her worst dresses. In the game, Meliora always appeared in her best clothes, but this time, she chose the worst to meet her father. After all, the discussion wouldn't last long, and she'd be back soon.

***

The atmosphere was tense as Meliora stepped into the palace dining hall, barefoot, without jewelry, and clad in a plain white dress—a simple garment that didn't befit a member of the royal family.

"I'm sorry... Did I ruin it?" Meliora's voice was soft, her eyes downcast, her lips trembling as if she had suffered for years.

Everyone was there—the king, the queen, her sister, and her childhood friend, the Duke of the North, as handsome as ever with his ink-black hair and fiery red eyes.

But what gave Meliora the most satisfaction was the look in their eyes when they saw her: shock, disappointment, and disgust.

"Why are you in such clothes, my princess?" the king asked, his voice devoid of any warmth. But Meliora kept her head low, ignoring his icy glare.

'Look at him. His child was locked in that hellhole since she was a child, and the first thing he asks about is her clothes? Pathetic.' Meliora scoffed internally.

"These are the only clothes I have, Your Majesty," she whined, shaking her head before he could speak, then slumped to the floor. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, if I've annoyed you in any way." She raised her head and caught the king's gaze, her eyes glistening with fake tears—the best strategy.

"My Queen! What is the meaning of this?" The king turned to the queen, his face calm, but a storm brewed in his furrowed brow.

"My King, I had no idea the maids would steal from her! This matter shouldn't be taken lightly. Poor girl..." The queen feigned pity, shaking her head.

'Both mother and daughter are skilled at acting,' Meliora thought, smirking quietly as she noticed the queen turning pale under the king's glare.

[Wonderful performance, Master!]

Meliora's lips curled into a smirk. The queen, sensing the king's anger, turned her glare on Meliora. 'When did this wench learn to speak out like this?' she thought. Meliora just timidly hung her head lower.

She felt a cold glare on her neck and turned to find Johan, the duke, staring at her. Meliora flashed him a warm smile, and he furrowed his brows in confusion.

'Does she still like me? With that ugly appearance of hers?' he scoffed internally. Meliora knew what they were all thinking.

When she turned to her sister, Princess Abella, the latter stared blankly at her as if she wasn't worth a second thought. Meliora felt the same.

She cleared her throat, grabbing their attention before standing up from the floor and settling into one of the seats, surprising everyone.

"Oh my goodness, I'm starving..." she muttered, rubbing her stomach. She took the napkin and spread it on her lap, then picked up a fork and knife and started cutting the meat in the middle of the table.

Just as she was about to take a bite, Abella mumbled, and that prompted Meliora to say what she wanted.

"Oh, by the way, Father, little birds told me the Arcania Empire is recruiting concubines. I'd like to go for it."

And with that, lunch was ruined.