The Villainess Doesn't Want To Fall In Love

Chapter II: The Empty Vessel Part 3

House Belfford received a letter from the Imperial Palace. Clarish was summoned by the Emperor. They could only guess that it had something to do with her result on the awakening test. She was surprised to know that her brother, who was away for a week after their intense confrontation, volunteered to escort her saying that he also had important matters to attend to in the capital.

"Don't be nervous. It will be fine, you're the Emperor's favorite after all," Jefferson said when he noticed she was not looking good. "Or maybe you're uncomfortable with me here. Should I take another carriage?"

"That's not it. Stay here," she insisted and forced a smile.

The Emperor's sudden invitation nor Jefferson's presence in the carriage doesn't concern her at all. She was nervous for some reason. How would she tell her brother that this is her first time riding a carriage and because of that she was not looking good?

The original Clarish must have ridden this vehicle many times before but she was not Clarish. Not only did the carriage travel slowly unlike the tricycles or any vehicles in the modern world but also the roads here were rather bumpy. She couldn't stop herself from imagining things such as the carriage suddenly falling sideways or some monsters attacking them from somewhere deep in the forest.

She pulled a heavy sigh to calm herself and watched the leaves as they freely fell from the trees. Some trees were already bald and dry. It might be a sign of the next season which means the time didn't stop for her to play around in this world.

The thought of facing the Emperor doesn't scare her. She couldn't care less about him nor anything he would say to her regarding her not having any of the four elements. She thought having no gift would only make her plan work smoothly because the Emperor would most likely lose interest in her. That means she would no longer have to make closer ties with any of the royal members of the family. If that went well, she would no longer have to be engaged to any of the two princes.

According to the story, the heir apparent was the eldest son of the Emperor, Prince Darius. He was the one who was meant to be engaged to Clarish. However, something happened to the first prince. During his coming of age, a deadly curse was put on him. His heart was devoured by a blue flame and everything he touched burned to ashes. Because of that he was kicked out of the Imperial Palace to avoid any more deaths and was put in an isolated castle in the city of Louvern. The second son, Prince Warryn, had to replace him. That made Clarish the happiest because she loved Prince Warryn more than anyone in the world.

However, House Marqaux, the bloodline that supported the late Empress Rosaline Marqaux Heinrich and her son Prince Darius Margaux Heinrich, didn't want the second prince to inherit the throne. Prince Warryn Scarlett Heinrich is the son of the Emperor to his second wife, the current Empress Margareth Scarlett Heinrich.

House Marqaux and House Scarlett were mortal enemies and the rivalry had long been rooted since ancient times. When the first prince got cursed, there was a sudden change of the heir precedent, and because of that...

Reina stared at Jefferson who was sitting across her, leaning in the backseat with his eyes closed. She saw an image of a man that has long, silver hair, holding a sword, and wearing a blood-stained dark-blue military uniform.

"The House Marqaux will declare a war," she whispered out of the blue. Jefferson opened his eyes and furrowed his brows. It was well and loud spoken that he heard every word she said but he still didn't understand what his sister said.

"What do you mean?" he intriguingly asked. She bit her lower lip and shook her head. Jefferson heaved a sigh and closed his eyes again. "You must be exhausted, Clarish. This ride will take a few hours, you may take a nap."