Chapter 2

“What shall we do, Princess? These are the only clothes you have to change into.”

Roseline twisted her red lips and spoke to Aristine. Though she feigned a tone of deep concern, her eyes gleamed with unhidden delight. The other maids, standing beside Roseline, giggled and ostentatiously shook the clothes, which were more like rags than garments. Seeing Aristine's silence, the maids chattered even more excitedly.

“What can we do with such dirty clothes?”

“We can't give these humble clothes of ours to a noble princess.”

“Oh, but the princess has always enjoyed wearing such things, so it might not matter.”

“That could be true. Look at what she’s wearing now. It smells, and she doesn’t even notice.”

“Besides, these are the clothes the princess originally had, so they might be more comfortable.”

Roseline said this and then, with a thud, knocked the clothes out of another maid’s hand, sending them to the floor. The boots trampled the clothes, but it made no difference; they were already dirty and dusty.

Aristine looked down at the scene with a blank expression.

'Just this much?'

A smirk escaped her lips.

'So, they’re still cautious.'

Aristine casually snatched the clothes from another maid and turned away. The maids were left behind, staring at her.

“What’s this...”

“Really, now.”

Though they pouted, they didn’t feel satisfied. Aristine had indeed put on the dirty clothes as they wished, but somehow, it made them look even more ridiculous.

* * *

Once inside the carriage, Aristine drew the curtains and took off the suffocating dress. The only dress prepared for her for this political marriage was the one she was now taking off. After wearing it for a fortnight during the arduous carriage journey, it was so tattered that it was barely recognizable.

The delicate and weak fabric had worn out quickly and could not be worn again. Aristine put on the clothes that the maids had trampled with their muddy feet. Since they were already dirty, it didn’t matter, and they were much more comfortable than the suffocating dress.

The maids had exaggerated, saying it would be more comfortable, but they weren’t entirely wrong.

‘So, they only trample the clothes and give them to me. They’re clearly scared.’

They must be afraid, though they won’t admit it.

‘I’m glad I responded the way I did.’

Originally, she planned to stay quiet until they arrived in Ailugo. But seeing their attempts to pour hot water on her, she changed her mind. She felt the need to put a brake on the maids’ harassment.

If she had only avoided the water, such incidents would have continued until they arrived.

‘I can’t use the Imperial Eye when I want to, so I might have really been burned.’

So, she responded by making a maid burn herself. This had a significant psychological impact on them.

The princess didn’t intentionally pour the hot water; it was just a mistake. The princess can’t resist us. Even if she tries, it’s just a few words, and we can still ignore her.

They thought this but subconsciously became more cautious.

‘They’re scared.’

The maid who tried to pour hot water on Aristine had a burn on half her face. It was a second-degree burn, and it would be treated when they arrived in Ailugo, but for now, it was a large, dark red blister.

The maids would face this every day, and they would unconsciously become more subdued. They never thought they could get hurt while tormenting others. Now, they realized they could.

Naturally, they became more hesitant about harassing her.

‘So, they can only pull such petty tricks.’

Compared to pouring hot water, trampling clothes is a minor offense. Aristine wasn’t really hurt by this.

She had been in exile for so long that she didn’t care much about her clothes.

‘Still, I didn’t expect they would only bring the clothes I used to wear.’

Aristine, who had been in exile, only had old, worn-out clothes. Even if the maids hadn’t trampled them, they were inappropriate for a new bride in a royal carriage, especially for a political marriage between nations.

The emperor must have ordered only one set of new clothes to be prepared.

‘I understand what the emperor is thinking.’

He wants to make her as dirty and disheveled as possible until they arrive in Ailugo.

The splendid carriage, the gifts, the shining armor of the guards, and the beautiful maids.

Among them, the princess, looking like a palace rat.

‘Do you think this trash suits your barbarians?’

Unlike the palace rat princess, the rest of the entourage and the expensive gifts were meant to show Silvanus’s power and mock Aristine and Ailugo. The emperor, who doesn’t truly want peace, is just buying time to start another war, hence his rude behavior.

Aristine’s treatment in Ailugo doesn’t matter, so he has no qualms.

‘I thought this was a grand wedding procession.’

She vaguely thought Ailugo had demanded many gifts.

Well, Ailugo might have demanded something.

‘His Majesty the Emperor is so naive.’

Does he really think everything will go as he wishes? He thinks his inadequate daughter, who was exiled as a child and knows nothing of the world, can be used and discarded at will.

‘I could find decent clothes and wash if I wanted to.’

Aristine slumped in her seat.

‘Maybe I’ll play along until we arrive.’

A gradual retaliation isn’t fun. It’s better to do it all at once, unexpectedly.

* * *

One month after Aristine’s departure from Silvanus, at the western gate of Ailugo.

“What kind of person is she?”

Though no one specified who, everyone knew who they were talking about. At this moment, the only person the people of Ailugo, especially Tarcan’s subordinates, were curious about was the Silvanus princess, Aristine, who was to marry their lord.

“They say the Silvanus people are all cunning and devious.”

“They’re cowards and weak-hearted.”

“I wonder if the princess will faint at the sight of us.”

Ha ha ha.

The welcoming party was entirely made up of warriors, which was Ailugo’s way of showing respect to a distinguished guest. However, it’s hard to say there wasn’t a mischievous intent behind it. It would be fortunate if the cowardly Silvanus people didn’t wet their pants at the sight of the warriors.

“Quiet.”

The man at the front, with short hair and a scratch, spoke in a low voice. The sound of hooves and the sight of the leading members of the Silvanus delegation appeared in the distance.

“Why didn’t they use a portal and came by carriage instead?”

The warrior grumbled but shut up when he met the scratch’s gaze. Soon, a delegation so splendid it made their eyes hurt stopped in front of them.

“Can they even fight properly, focusing so much on their appearance?”

“They probably have never even held a sword properly.”

“They’re just decorations, that’s all.”

The Ailugo warriors snickered at the shining armor. The maids were all beautiful and luxurious, and they didn’t even glance at the Ailugo side. Their faces were a mix of contempt and arrogance.

By now, the Ailugo warriors had a good idea of what the princess was like.

‘If she’s the leader of such knights and maids, it’s obvious.’

Then, the door of the most splendid carriage, decorated with gold, ivory, and topaz, opened. And the person who appeared was...

‘Huh?’

‘What is this?’

The Ailugo warriors involuntarily opened their mouths at the sight of a small woman in tattered, old clothes.

“Is that the princess...?”

Compared to the maids, she looked like a beggar. Not only were her clothes tattered, but she was also dirty. Her face was dirty with dust and sweat, and her hair was greasy and lank.

“This is... really unexpected.”

“Ha! Do they think we’re what?”

In the midst of the splendid delegation, a ragged bride coming to Ailugo.

The meaning was clear.

“What a despicable Silvanus person.”

“No matter what, to make herself look so dirty...?”

“Is marrying our lord that humiliating to her?!”

“No, the way the attendants treat the princess is a bit strange...”

“Don’t let your guard down and stay quiet. We don’t know what the princess is thinking, but one thing is certain: she is a Silvanus person. She could be targeting our lord.”

The warriors’ eyes sharpened like blades at the scratch’s words.

* * *

‘Hmm, as expected.’

Aristine looked around with this thought. When she stepped out of the sparkling carriage, looking like a clump of dust, the Ailugo people waiting there were greatly taken aback. Seeing this, the great people of the Silvanus Empire couldn’t help but sneer.

The Ailugo people’s faces hardened at the sound of their laughter.

They thought this might be a fraudulent marriage, but it wasn’t.

That was fortunate.

‘The commotion over my appearance is fine.’

It’s within her expectations.

What matters to Aristine is the Ailugo people’s attitude next.

The Ailugo people quickly hid their shock and looked at her with the same expression as before.

‘They’re extremely wary of me.’

Aristine quietly stepped forward.

‘I came here to get married, after all.’

There was no welcoming atmosphere for the new bride.

It’s a bit sad to be looked at like an enemy’s envoy, or rather, an assassin.

‘Maybe I am an assassin from the enemy country?’

She remembered the emperor’s order to her.

‘Kill Tarcan.’

The voice whispering in her ear was as chilling as the sound of a snake slithering.

‘Poison a knife and stab it into his heart, or put poison in his drink.’

The emperor thought Tarcan, who had thwarted his wish to subdue Ailugo, was the culprit.

He wasn’t wrong.

The Silvanus army had to retreat in every battle Tarcan led.

The emperor trembled with rage at the thought of Tarcan.

His hand lifted Aristine’s chin, and his evaluating gaze swept over her face.

‘You’re a useless existence, but at least you look decent, so you can do this much.’

A bitter, unpleasant smile appeared on the emperor’s lips. It was a lecherous, vulgar smile.

‘Good. You don’t look like a noble princess, so you’ll fit the dirty barbarians’ taste, especially in bed.’

Well, at least the emperor was the one thinking vulgar thoughts and acting vulgarly.

‘If you succeed, I’ll recognize you as my daughter.’

It was said in a tone as if he was offering a great reward.

‘I don’t really want to be recognized as your proud daughter.’

The emperor, who had let go of Aristine’s chin, handed her a glass bottle.

The cold, hard touch was as clear as death.

The glass bottle was now in Aristine’s carriage.

He said to kill Tarcan, but he probably didn’t really expect her to succeed.

‘He must have thought it wouldn’t matter if she failed.’

In any case, it would be a pretext for breaking the peace agreement and starting a new conflict.

A pretext that could easily lead to war.

‘He’s really stupid. He thinks I’ll follow his orders and take the poison.’

Especially a deadly poison that could kill instantly.

Aristine, who had come to the front of the delegation, consciously stretched her lips.

She had seen through the Imperial Eye how much a confident and relaxed smile could affect people.

‘Even if I look dirty, it’s better than being embarrassed and shrinking back.’

The man in the middle of the Ailugo people approached her. He had short hair with a scratch.

‘Is this Tarcan?’

The man who would become her husband.

He looked good and had a good aura. His personality would have to be seen, but it didn’t seem like she would have any unpleasant experiences in life.

“Welcome, Your Highness.”

His voice was also good.

Most importantly, his respectful demeanor despite her unprincess-like appearance was quite refreshing.

‘But isn’t he being too formal?’

As if he were a subordinate.

“I am Durante, assigned to guide you.”

As soon as she thought this, the scratch introduced himself.

“I hope you will treat me well, Sir Durante.”

Aristine greeted Durante and quickly scanned the Ailugo people lined up. But she couldn’t find anyone who looked like the prince of Ailugo.

It seemed Durante had the highest rank among them.

‘I heard Tarcan would meet me at the city gate.’

“Where is the one who will be my husband?”

“He went hunting.”

Ah.

Hunting when his future wife is arriving?

It was a bad omen for their marriage.

She understood his intention. He wanted to break the spirit of Silvanus with this cold treatment.

‘And to break my spirit as well.’

Unfortunately, nothing could break the spirit of Aristine, who had experienced everything.

Her lips slowly opened.

“My future husband seems to be a shy person.”

I’ll focus on making money instead of being a husband.