Beneath the Surviving Princess's Joyful Facade - Chapter 99

Rakane Crispin stepped away as soon as the chamberlain removed the black cloth covering the birdcage. She couldn’t bear to watch the king’s madness, his tormented sister, or the former Margravine’s desperate attempts to protect her daughter-in-law. Instead, she changed into simpler clothes and headed for the hunting grounds, hoping to clear her troubled mind.

“Where is Father?” she asked.

“He’s at the foot of the mountain. He’ll likely remain there until tomorrow,” replied Toven, as he knelt to tighten the laces of Rakane’s hunting boots. Their horses were tethered nearby.

“…It’s done, my lady.”

No one cared that Toven was alone with her in this secluded spot. Even Rakane seemed oblivious to his presence; his low status made him an unworthy object of dalliance. Yet Toven lingered around her, like an insect drawn to a carnivorous flower by its sweet scent.

Rakane only needed two arrows to bag a fox and a rabbit. Considering whether to continue the hunt, she eventually turned her horse around.

“Let’s head back down.”

“You don’t want to hunt more?” Toven asked.

“I need to return and dress like a flower and smile,” she replied, her words always cutting him deeply. Toven followed her, keeping a vigilant eye on their surroundings, wary of wild animals.

“My lady, do you perhaps…,” he began, trailing off as her porcelain face turned to him. He stumbled over his words, asking clumsily, “Is there any particular game you wish to catch?”

“If I tell you, will you catch it for me?”

“Have I ever failed you, my lady?”

“You speak as if you’ve never failed. I might even forget you exist if you’re not careful,” she said, mounting her horse.

“While you are my lady, I am still a knight of the Crispin family. It’s not my place to fulfill such requests,” Toven sighed.

“Indeed. There’s no way you could catch the prey I desire,” she mused.

Toven clenched his jaw as he noticed a white figure moving through the underbrush.

“There’s a fox… Oh, wait, it’s not a fox.”

“It’s the Margravine,” Rakane observed, seeing the woman with dirt-covered skirts climbing towards the mountainside. Contemplating her next move, she gestured to Toven.

“Capture her without harming her.”

“Sorry?” Toven asked, confused.

“I hear the Margrave dotes on his wife. This could be a chance to reduce the compensation.”

“Understood,” Toven replied, dismounting and approaching the Margravine. Miesa alternated between gazing vacantly at Rakane and Toven, then let out a hollow laugh.

“……?”

Rakane’s eyes widened.

Something was different. The woman seemed almost like a different person. Perhaps the shock had returned her to her senses, Rakane thought.

Rakane quickly dismounted and bowed, placing a hand over her heart. “I am Rakane of the Crispin family.”

When she looked up, the woman was laughing with her face in her hands. Rakane sighed, watching her with a mixture of pity and frustration.

The former princess resisted but was easily subdued by Toven. They placed her on the horse and headed back to the Cladnier camp, which was in an uproar. Shouts and hurried voices filled the air as they approached the Cladnier tents. A knight, seeing them, rushed to inform the Margrave.

“Miesa!”

Eirik, his eyes bloodshot, ran towards them. Rakane dismounted, ready to explain.

“The lady seemed lost, so I brought her back.”

“…Thank you. I’ll remember this,” he replied curtly, not even meeting Rakane’s eyes as he strode towards his wife, reaching up to help her down from the horse.

Rakane watched with curiosity, wondering if the Margravine would act out again. Instead, Miesa fell limply into his arms, looking as if she had resigned herself to her fate.

Eirik first removed the earplugs from his wife’s ears after bringing her into the tent. He took a deep breath, trying to contain his rising anger.

“Where were you planning to go?” he demanded, his grip tightening on her shoulders.

Miesa’s body shook like a leaf, but she kept her eyes closed.

“Did you want to see me go mad?” he asked, his voice rising. “Were you trying to destroy everything we’ve worked so hard for in an instant?”

His face flushed with fury, veins throbbing on his forehead and neck. He glared at her, then roughly pulled her into a fierce, prolonged kiss. Unlike any kiss he had given her before, this one was harsh and desperate. When Miesa weakly pushed against his shoulders, struggling to breathe, he still did not stop.

“Listen to me,” he whispered urgently into her ear, his voice trembling with barely suppressed emotion. “You must survive. You have to survive.”

“……”

“Gella can’t move right now. Cullen’s right hand is injured, but it’s a minor wound. He’s adept with his left hand.”

Slowly, Miesa opened her eyes.

“Leave here immediately. Cullen will take you far away. Stay hidden until it’s safe.”

He kissed her face again, clutching her tightly, his voice thick with mixed emotions. “I will come for you. Just stay alive.”

“……”

“As long as you’re alive, we can find each other again. So—”

At that moment, a mocking voice interrupted, “Ah, such an intimate moment between husband and wife.”

The speaker was Vermel, the king. Strolling into the tent, he looked at Eirik holding Miesa and smirked elegantly. “Margrave, your eyes are fierce. You were begging for your parents’ lives, and now you’re upset because I interrupted your time with your woman?”

Eirik’s grip on Miesa tightened. The king, noticing this, continued in a delighted tone.

“Hmm… oh, yes. You are quite fond of your wife.”

The king’s voice dripped with a glee as he seemed to get an idea. “Since you are so eager to enjoy time with your wife, why not use my tent? I’m rather curious about what it’s like to see a man and a monkey together.”

“……”

The king leaned in, as if sharing a secret, “Let’s see just how loyal you are tonight.”

As he left the tent, the king called out gleefully, “Midnight. I’ll wait until midnight.”

Miesa had thought she had seen the worst hell had to offer.

She believed nothing could be more excruciating, but it was as if the goddess had cruelly mocked her thoughts, leading her into an even more severe hell. From the moment she heard Vermel’s words, her blood felt like ice, piercing her body. Her heart felt as if it were being torn into pieces.

So, that’s why.

The mockery in his words about cherishing his wife made sense now. Because I am a monkey…

Scenes from the banquet flashed before her eyes. She now understood what was meant by ‘his affection for his wife was the problem.’ Only now did Miesa realize she had been smearing filthy disgrace upon his face, something she had never even imagined.

Yet Eirik only offered a sad smile and even comforted her.

“Shall I tear his mouth apart if given the chance?”

No insult could tarnish him. Even as her existence covered him in dirty shame, he remained noble and radiant.

She had never sought salvation, yet he continuously saved her. He patiently endured, waiting for her twisted heart to heal. Miesa loved him for that.

But her feelings were wretched, shameless, and excessive. She had tried to give up her life, a life she had clung to so desperately, but now found herself crawling back in shame and humiliation. She was so overwhelmed by the disgrace of her actions that she couldn’t bear it.

“You shouldn’t be here. We can’t delay any longer.”

He continued to explain the situation. Miesa looked into his eyes, those clear, unwavering eyes.

He was the only pure thing left to her. She couldn’t bring herself to say she loved him; it felt too precious, too guilt-ridden, too blindingly beautiful.

“You are not someone to be treated like this.”

Miesa couldn’t even lift her head. She murmured weakly, “I’m fine. But you should not be treated like this.”

Finally, she found the courage to die. But more than dying for him, she wanted to be someone useful for him.

All she wanted now was to do something good for the man who had only suffered because of his association with her. If she didn’t, his love for her would make him a pitiable man.

For the first time, Miesa wanted to protect someone more than herself. She felt she could endure anything for him. Any terrible, frightening thing wouldn’t be painful if it was for Eirik.

As her thoughts reached that point, her mind, which had been paralyzed with fear, began to work swiftly.

“I can do anything for you,” she said, her voice growing clearer as she quickly considered what he needed and what she could do. She felt for the first time deserving to face him, lifting her head to look straight into his eyes.

Eirik listened intently, trying to understand her cryptic words. His radiant presence made Miesa close her eyes for a moment.

She had never dared to think of such a thing for herself. But for him, she could do it. When she reopened her eyes, they were filled with a determined resolve.

“For you, I will kill Vermel and become queen.”