༺ Eyes of a Dragon and the Human Heart (23) ༻
Lately, Cien’s mood has not been the best.
Born as the fifth princess of the empire, she lived a life of envy, enjoying immense power and privilege. She was attended by dozens of servants, and her wealth was more than abundant.
In such an environment, there were few reasons for her to be upset. Yet, lately, Cien’s mood had plummeted to a level akin to depression.
This downturn began after a conflict with a certain man. Since then, her mood has been consistently deteriorating.
All outcomes appeared to indicate that underestimating the man had been a mistake.
She hadn’t gained much but had lost a great deal.
Firstly, the honour of her escort knights had been tarnished.
Four of her escort knights had been utterly defeated by a third-year student from the academy, overwhelmed in a manner that left no room for excuses.
No matter how exceptional an academy student might be, he couldn’t compare to the Imperial Guard. Yet, they were defeated in just one or two exchanges of blows, despite their joint attack.
It was a situation so shameful that they could hardly hold their head up.
Furthermore, the honour of the subordinates was directly linked to the prestige of the Master they served.
They were carefully selected talents, yet after just one defeat, public opinion about Cien dramatically worsened.
Criticism about her lack of an eye for people was rampant, along with whispers her insufficient influence failed to attract truly skilled individuals.
Cien had always strived to build a positive reputation. As such, it wouldn’t have been surprising if she had lost her mind or burst out in frustration at this point.
Her eye for people was not inaccurate.
Her influence was certainly not lacking.
Putting aside her innermost thoughts, at least outwardly, Cien was the epitome of an ideal princess. If she desired, there would be many ready to bow their heads to her.
Nevertheless, the only reason why all the knights who received her trust were defeated was because their opponent was an existence out of the norm.
Ian Percus, a man who suddenly rose to prominence.
Cien, who was adept at understanding human psychology and sensitive to desires, thought she could easily sway him to her side.
She was confident in her ability to discern what people wanted and how people were like.
Yet, that confidence crumbled disastrously.
His indifferent eyes showed no desire for money, power, or even honor.
Could such a being truly be called human?
Perhaps he was more of a monster in human guise.
No, not a monster, but a devil.
No, no. He was a bad person. Also, he was trash, a disloyal subject who had no respect for the Imperial family, and a despicable man who lacked consideration for women.
How dare he, a low ranking noble, just a low ranking noble…
Cien gnashed her teeth in anger as she inwardly cursed Ian. In her frustration, she stamped her feet involuntarily.
“Ian Percus…!”
Just thinking about that day made Cien seethe with anger.
She could understand the defeat. Honestly, it was a disgrace like no other, but she could even accept that pouring water on her could be due to a momentary loss of temper.
But what was utterly intolerable for her was the emotion etched into Cien’s heart that day.
Fear? Really?
Such a feeling was not befitting a member of the imperial family that ruled over the continent. Yet, Cien had undoubtedly felt fear that day.
She couldn’t even dare to meet Ian’s eyes.
That feeling was etched into her mind like an indelible scar. She felt she wouldn’t be at peace unless she repaid that humiliation.
No one was allowed to look down on her.
Cien waited for a while, biding her time. If Ian came to her, begging for forgiveness and kissing her feet, she would have been willing to overlook his outrageous rudeness on that day.
But now, too much time had passed.
There was a price to pay for irreversible choices and Cien ultimately chose the most cruel method.
She already knew too well the moments when a human felt the most intense pain and loneliness. As such, Cien immediately began to target the people around Ian.
It was a consequence of daring to insult the Imperial Family.
When she was young, Cien had resolved never to be looked down upon and disregarded again. Since that day, her world had changed, and it was meant to stay that way.
Though her life spanned just over 20 years, this was the first time she had encountered such a foe.
She intended to crush him completely, to set an example.
By attacking his family and people around him and dragging his reputation through the mud, she planned to make him feel the hostility of the world against him.
Of course, there was still hesitation. Cien did not take pleasure in unilaterally destroying someone.
But if the opponent wouldn’t bend, breaking them was the best option.
Once such a decision was made, all that was left was to act.
Cien mobilized the academy branch of the Imperial Intelligence Agency, disguised as the Press Club.
Rumors quickly spread, creating an atmosphere aimed at tormenting Ian and his associates. The involvement of one of the Empire’s Five Great Noble Families meant that a crisis was looming over the Percus territory.
It was perfect.
By now, she thought Ian would come crawling back to her, begging and crying.
That was until the Academy’s Press Club suddenly changed its stance, unexpectedly.
“…What is this shitty headline?”
That was Cien’s candid reaction upon seeing the front page headline that day.
Such a headline wouldn’t even be found in the cheapest newspapers sold in the streets. Cien was momentarily lost in thought.
Should she suggest to her father to improve the quality of the Imperial Intelligence Agency?
But what was even more surprising was the reactions of those around her.
A woman who sneakily glanced at the newspaper Cien was holding chuckled bitterly. She was a dignified maid with elegant black hair, fitting her status.
This was the head maid, who had taken care of Cien since her childhood.
She was considered one of Cien’s closest confidantes, alongside Irene, and had been serving Cien temporarily, replacing a disheartened Irene after her recent defeat.
The head maid was also known for her exceptional martial skills.
Of course, she was not on par with Irene. Still, she was capable enough to buy Cien time to escape in an emergency.
She had once been part of the Imperial Intelligence Agency. That was why Cien internally considered her assessments trustworthy.
That was, until she heard what followed.
“In a way, that’s the best headline they could have come up with, I must say.”
“…This?”
Cien gazed at her with eyes full of disbelief.
Her beautiful appearance only made her actions seem more endearing. After all, the head maid had been serving her since she was a child.
The head maid chuckled, as if finding the princess cute. Cien, feeling the warmth in her demeanor, appeared somewhat embarrassed.
As sensitive to hostility as she was, the princess was also vulnerable to kindness.
She was inevitably weak towards someone like the head maid who consistently showed her kindness.
“Yes, indeed. It reflects the current trend well. Sensational headlines like this attract more readers. And regardless of the quality of the content, just reading it is enough for the information to exert its influence.”
“…The Press Club has turned in favor of that low-ranking noble?”
Ha, Cien scoffed in disbelief.
But the more she listened to the head maid’s explanation, the more evident it became.
The Press Club had been cajoled. This meant that the low-ranking noble had effectively taken control of the academy branch of the Imperial Intelligence Agency.
But how?
Unable to discern the reason, Cien attempted to contact the Press Club, only to be met with cold responses.
The Press Club always claimed to respect the ‘right of reply’ of those they reported on.
It was a laughable claim. They were masters of inciting groups and manipulating information.
Despite dozens witnessing Ian’s slaughter of Cien’s knights, weren’t they the one who had cunningly distorted their testimonies and memories?
The irony of those who made a business of turning lies into truths talking about the ‘right of reply’ was absurd.
But what was more unbelievable was that things turned out exactly as the Head Maid predicted.
As the Press Club began its aggressive public opinion manipulation, the perception of Ian rapidly deteriorated.
The problem was that this deteriorated perception painted him as a lunatic who’d sever limbs if provoked, unconcerned about expulsion or anything else, for that matter.
Students who had previously sought to exploit his ‘expulsion’ as a vulnerability, using the princess as their backing, now hesitated.
No matter who they were, nobody wanted to provoke a rabid dog that would bite anyone. This was a conclusion any person with rational judgment could reach.
Although gaining the princess’s favor was important, life was undoubtedly far more precious.
It was a moment when all harassment aimed at Ian and people around him abruptly ceased.
Around this time, Cien was seen loitering sadly in front of a certain door.
Finally, as if having made up her mind, she gently knocked.
There was no response from inside.
Cien sighed and felt compelled to add.
“It’s me, Cien.”
Then, she sensed a startled reaction inside.
After a while, the door that had been tightly shut opened slightly.
It was a woman with mysterious blue hair. She had been a knight renowned for her beauty like a blooming flower, but now she appeared somewhat drained of strength.
It was inevitable, having been confined to her room all day. Not engaging in outdoor activities for a long time seemed to have softened even her once sturdy muscles.
Cien’s eyes darkened as she observed the decline of her favored knight.
“…Your Highness.”
The woman bowed her head as if ashamed. Worry filled Cien’s expression.
“Irene, come out now… okay? What happened that day wasn’t your fault.”
Cien’s tone was earnest. She was someone who treasured her own people dearly. It was impossible for her to feel at ease seeing Irene become cooped up in her room.
After all, Irene had only tried to protect Cien.
Yet, despite her Master’s pleas, Irene could only muster a bitter smile.
“I apologize, please just give me a bit more tim…….”
“But, but you said the same thing two days ago, right? Why not go outside for a walk, meet some people… S-Should I give you a vacation? I’ll give you as long as you need, just please go out! B-Bonus! Yeah, I’ll also give you a bonus! Zeros, who had his arm cut off last time, is now getting treatment back in his hometown…….”
With a thud, the door closed again today, as always.
A faint voice barely audible made its way through the door.
“…I apologize.”
Irene, the prestigious Lupermion family’s daughter and a loyal knight, was broken by a single defeat.
It was no wonder that was the case, considering wherever she went, there were mocking voices laughing at Irene and other escort knights. It must have been the same within the Lupermion family and the Imperial Guards.
Knowing all too well what it felt like to be ridiculed and scorned by everyone, Cien couldn’t bring herself to speak any further.
She simply walked away dejectedly.
Trudging down the stairs to the lobby, she found two elegantly sealed envelopes.
A dragon-shaped emblem was visible on the seals. It was the Imperial emblem.
With a puzzled look, Cien carefully opened each envelope.
Reading these brief words, Cien’s grip on the letters tightened.
Her shoulders shook as she crumpled the letters. There was no need to check who sent it.
It was obvious that the letters were from First Prince Vilteon and Second Princess Iris. Her disgusting siblings who were power hungry enough to even kill their own kin.
Just the thought of them scoffing at her in the Imperial Palace made Cien feel like she was losing her mind even further.
No. Perhaps she had already lost it.
Huff, Huff, Cien breathed heavily, placing a hand on her forehead.
And as she pushed her bangs back, unable to contain herself, she began to frantically tousle her hair.
Her hands moved faster and faster, and before long, her beautiful dark hairs were completely disheveled.
Yet, unable to contain her fury, Cien let out a scream akin to a howl.
“Ian… Percusssss!”
She couldn’t take it anymore. No, it was worse than that. She couldn’t continue living like this.
Cien’s grey eyes, filled with anger, turned cold. However, the faint spark in them proved that she wasn’t completely sane.
Cien had lost control over the Press Club, her cherished knight had turned into a shut-in, and the reputation of those around her and the imperial family had plummeted, leading to ridicule.
This was the first time since her childhood that things had gone so awry. Her eyes were now filled with a hostility akin to madness.
Yes, all of this was Ian Percus’ fault.
So all she had to do was get rid of such faults. She felt she wouldn’t be at peace until she confronted him and received an apology.
As such, uncharacteristically driven by fury, Cien shouted.
“…Head maid! Bring out Irene!”
The head maid’s eyes widened at the furious command.
It had been a long time since she had seen Cien this agitated. But considering everything that had happened, it made sense.
She had been feeling extreme mental exhaustion for over a week.
The reputation she had painstakingly built was crumbling, and her favored knights were either a mess or had retreated to their hometowns.
Amidst all this, the very person she had vowed to crush had instead taken control of her own organization, leaving him effectively unscathed.
Moreover, she was even mocked by her siblings, with whom she already had a strained relationship, thus only adding to her distress. At this point, it would have been stranger if she hadn’t lost her temper.
Nevertheless, the head maid tried to dissuade Cien with sincerity.
“Your Highness, even so, Dame Irene needs some more time to gather herself…”
“Enough! Just tell her to come down now! I’ve heard that excuse dozens of times! I’ll go ahead, just tell Dame Irene to follow!”
The head maid tilted her head in confusion at Cien’s words.
“Go ahead? To where?”
Cien gave a cold smile, as if she had been waiting for that question.
“…If a piece is missing from my board, I just need to bring a new one, don’t I?”
This was just a while before Cien would once again do something she would regret.
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