The Villainess is a Marionette

Rezef could smell a familiar scent from him.

It was the scent that burned on Cayena’s bedroom censer. That scent was on Zenon.

“…So you’ve met with my sister.”

‘…How did he know?’

Currently, Rezef had no servants who would report on the outside situation to him. Even the knights stationed outside his room did not dare to come into his chambers for no reason.

But Rezef was able to determine that Zenon had met with Cayena right away.

Zenon’s spine tingled.

He was currently being swayed over by Cayena. But right now, it was more like he was weighing his mind.

He had no intention of conceding to her. Of course, he also had no intention of helping her strengthen her relationship with Prince Rezef.

However, he had a strong premonition that Rezef would not hesitate to draw his sword depending on how his answer.

“Her Highness had come to see you earlier.”

He just had make Cayena’s position slightly more advantageous for Rezef.

“She was looking for you anxiously regarding your health and current situation. Because the knights blocked her way, she went back to her palace.”

It was funny. He had ignored the princess before because she was a woman, but now, he was protecting her when she wasn’t even here.

“…Is that so?”

Rezef was impatient and violent, but he wasn’t dumb.

He had realized that Zenon’s behavior was strange.

Did something happen with Cayena?

He suddenly realized that something he thought he had in his hand was slowly escaping, like grains of sand.

“I’ll call you if I need something, so leave.”

“Then, I shall take my leave.”

A long time after Zenon left the room, Rezef called another aide into his room.

“Keep an eye on Zenon Evans.”

“I will heed your order.”

Like a habit, Rezef asked, “What is my sister doing now?”

“Her Highness has gone on an outing.”

“Then don’t you think you should tell me where she has gone?”

“I apologize, Your Highness. I shall find that information right away.”

Expressionlessly, Rezef grabbed and threw the candlestick next to him.

The aide was hit in the head by the brass candlestick, but he remained in his bowed position without flinching.

Then, as if nothing happened, Rezef continued in a nonchalant voice,

“Figure out my sister’s actions.”

“I will heed your order.”

“And I assume that you’re still steadily mixing poison into my father’s tea?”

“Yes.”

The Emperor always washed away the bitter taste of medicine with a sweet tea.

Rezef had already set up a trick with a silver spoon.

That spoon wouldn’t tarnish when placed into the tea. That was the reason that the Emperor hadn’t healed at all.

“Increase the dosage.”

The aide bowed his still bleeding head.

He went out to carry out his command, and Rezef gently closed his eyes.

It was still bearable. He could be patient. He still believed that Cayena was undoubtedly his.

The peace and happiness that she had shown him so far couldn’t be false.

She wanted his help to marry the person she wanted? He’d help fulfill her request.

Though he didn’t know how long her partner would be able to hold onto his breath and live.

Cayena was his. She had always been under his influence, and she still was.

“She met Raphael at the Imperial Library… ”

The aide who was chasing after Cayena announced the sighting.

Raphael Kedrey.

That man was someone Rezef couldn’t touch even if he were the emperor.

If Cayena were to become his wife, she would escape Rezef’s sphere of influence.

Did she always intend to stab him in the back after making him lower his guard?

Rezef agreed it was good to bring Raphael over as an ally. It was a truly excellent plan.

However, Rezef could not allow that man to take away what was his. Rezef was overtaken by a mad obsession.

Rezef opened the entrance of the secret passageway that led out of the prince’s palace. He had to confirm Cayena’s innermost emotions right away.

He arrived at the princess’s chambers through the secret passageway.

The only thing separating the two of them was a single tapestry. At that time, Cayena, sensing him, called out to him in a slightly choked voice.

“Why don’t you stop now, Rezef?”

She looked directly at where Rezef was hiding.

Rezef obediently stepped out. After he exited the passageway, it rained for a while, so his hair was completely wet.

She stood up from her seat. She took the dry towel that was stocked in her room and brought it over to him.

Rezef only looked coldly at Cayena through his wet bangs.

Cayena had no choice but to try to dry his hair herself.

Smack!

Rezef slapped away her hand, and the towel fell helplessly onto the floor.

Like a sigh, Cayena said, “You’ll catch a cold.”

Rezef huffed out a laugh, then sneered.

“Or would you rather drink some warm tea?”

It was obvious that he would refuse, but she still asked.

Surely enough, Rezef censured her in a cold voice.

“How could you say something like that now?”

Cayena was tired.

She’d gone outside for the first time in a long while, just to come across her former husband.

The memories of how she wrote to Rezef, painfully begging him to save her, arose in full detail.

She recalled how she despaired as Rezef did not return a single one of the countless letters she had sent him every day.

But she tried to push it out of her mind. That past didn’t exist here. She could just regard it as her punishment for acting like a villainess, and swallowed back the rising heat.

She told herself that they had been too hurt in their childhood and couldn’t have done anything else.

Her brother, the one in front of her eyes right now, was still young. She had to believe that there was room for him to change.

They could both be saved.

They could just be siblings with a slightly bad temper rather than the villain and villainess.

That’s what she thought.

Cayena said in her most considerate voice, “Then what should I say?”

She tried to get a fresh towel.

But Rezef grabbed onto her arm firmly so that she couldn’t leave her spot.

Cayena frowned in pain.

“Is marriage what you really want? Is that why you went to meet with Raphael today?”

“It was just a coincidence.”

“Of course it was a coincidence. Elder sister.”

It was a face that did not believe her at all..

Cayena recognized that Rezef had completely turned away from her in anger and disbelief.

“Why aren’t you saying anything else? You only need to say that everything went according to plan. Just like how you got rid of all the people in your palace.”

‘Including me.’

But he didn’t add on that last part.

Rezef tightened his hold on her arm. Cayena let out a small groan.

“It hurts, Rezef.”

He burst disbelieving laughter and let go of her arm. Instead, he grabbed Cayena by her neck.

Their eyes met.

“My beautiful older sister. I don’t like it when my authority is challenged.”

That was something Cayena already knew well.

“I can’t leave anything that might be a threat to me nearby.”

His fingers began to tighten around Cayena’s slender nape.

“If I want it, your life can just disappear, anyway. Because the next emperor is none other than me.”

Still being strangled, Cayena said,

“All right. Then, kill me.”

Rezef’s hand paused for a moment.

“…What?”

“It’s all right if you kill me. As you said, you can kill me anytime you want. I know this well, too.”

Cayena smiled faintly.

Then, she held the hands that were wrapped around her neck with both hands and squeezed. She squeezed so hard that the bones could be seen under her delicate white hands.

“…Are you crazy?!” Rezef shouted. He slapped away her hands.

Already, a red mark was blooming on her neck.

Cayena coughed a few times, then talked to her younger brother as if she were teaching him a lesson.

“Why are you yelling? Don’t you know what will happen if it’s discovered that you ran away here?”

Her calmness was eerie.

Rezef thought that Cayena had become quite mature. He felt that she had become calm, sweet, and kind.

“Are you in your right mind?”

He asked the question in all sincerity.

There was no way she would do this unless she was crazy. The madness and anger that had risen to the tip of his head began to cool.

Cayena did not care. She took Rezef’s hand again, as if telling him to hurry up and strangle her.

He smacked her hand away roughly. Cayena, pushed by the force, fell to the floor.

“Stop it!”

She stood up and smoothed back her hair, which had gotten messy.

Her bare eyes were terrifyingly dry.

“What about you? Why aren’t you choking me?”

“……”

Rezef couldn’t reply.

The two stood face to face. There was some strange tension in the air.

Rezef found it embarrassing and absurd that he was so tense as he faced his older sister.

He was definitely being pressured by Cayena’s will. She, on the other hand, was calm. There was no sign of derision on her face.

‘Why don’t you strangle me?’

He was someone who didn’t hesitate to draw a sword when he was angry. But now, he couldn’t touch Cayena with a single fingertip.

That fact hurt his pride. It was also confusing.

‘They seem to have noticed that Rezef is inside.’

It was clear that her talented employees guessed at the situation inside.

Rezef had been loud several times, but no one came into the room to check.

Furthermore, Vera, who said she was going to prepare bath water, hadn’t come back yet.

It seemed that she was taking care of the situation outside on her own.

Cayena didn’t want to continue with this fruitless confrontation.

Cayena asked in a placating voice, “Now, do you want to talk?”

~~~