Between Annihilation and Pleasure - Episode 3

Episode 3

Adolf Taylor was the closest aide to Duke Williams.

They were on the second floor, so there was no way he could hear them from the first floor. But that alone was enough to silence them.

“Ahem, that was a close call. I should get going too.”

“I should also go down to the first floor…”

Even though they might have badmouthed him when he wasn’t there, they had no intention of ever, even slightly, getting on Duke Williams’ bad side.

Duke Williams left the ballroom and leaned against a column where he couldn’t be easily seen.

At the end of his gaze was the back of Princess Catherine, who was returning to her palace.

It had gotten quite dark outside. Her long, silver hair shimmered in the light spilling out from the building’s windows.

“Cruel, huh…”

He muttered to himself, lost in thought, and tapped the floor with his shoe. Then he let out a small laugh and shook his head.

“She looked soft to me.”

The Catherine he had observed today was far from cruel.

She was close enough to hit the woman directly on the head with the champagne bottle, but Princess Catherine had deliberately thrown it to the side.

If she had hit her squarely, no one would have dared to be so presumptuous, thinking the Princess had finally gone mad.

Whether Evelyn died or not was a later problem.

She had also slapped her with her left hand, not her right. Since Catherine was right-handed, the difference in strength between her two hands would be significant.

Furthermore, a large ruby ring was on Catherine’s right hand. If she had used that hand, Evelyn’s cheek would have been deeply scarred.

It didn’t matter whether she had considered that or not.

Of course, she would have received some punishment for doing so, but from what he had seen of her, she didn’t seem like the type to be afraid of punishment.

If someone had dared to act like that toward Lucas himself, he would have drawn his sword without a second thought.

Therefore, Princess Catherine’s actions seemed very lenient by Lucas’s standards.

Lucas only started to move after he had watched Princess Catherine completely disappear.

Just then, a delicate voice called out to him.

“Lucas… Duke Williams.”

When he turned around, he saw Princess Olivia.

She had the noble blond hair that the imperial family was so proud of. She calmly blinked her eyes, which were the same blue as the Emperor’s.

Unlike Catherine, Princess Olivia was known for being gentle and graceful.

Of course, she, too, was the child of the Empress.

“You’ve finally arrived, Your Highness Princess Olivia.”

“The party has just begun. Where are you going?”

Olivia asked Lucas with wide, innocent blue eyes. Lucas just skillfully curved his lips and bowed slightly to her.

“I have an urgent matter to attend to. I hope you have a pleasant time.”

He was impeccably polite, and then he strode past her.

Olivia’s eyes, as she turned to watch him, trembled with a look of malice.

“Your Highness, welcome! Everyone was waiting for you.”

But as people started looking at her, she quickly put on a soft smile.

“I’m coming now.”

The chaotic atmosphere after Catherine’s departure became friendly again as soon as Olivia arrived.

“Princess Catherine just broke and threw a bottle, you know?”

“Oh my, that happened?”

“And she walked away with her head held high. It was so shameless and spiteful…”

“I always say this, but she’s just so different from Princess Olivia. It must be the difference in their birthright…”

The people who gathered around her chattered about what had just happened.

Princess Olivia listened quietly and then bowed her head respectfully.

“Oh dear, it seems my sister Catherine ruined the party atmosphere again. I apologize on her behalf.”

The nobles around her continued to praise her by comparing her to Catherine, and Olivia just smiled serenely.

…

It was around the time that Catherine, who had left the party, arrived at her palace.

“Catherine.”

A voice called out to her from a dark side path. The moment she heard that voice, Catherine flinched, a mix of annoyance and fear washing over her.

“I heard you caused trouble again, unable to hold back.”

“What’s it to you?”

It was the Second Prince, Maron Eden Linzward, her half-brother.

If the First Prince, Neron, treated Catherine like a bug and completely ignored her, the Second Prince, Maron, would diligently come to torment her from time to time.

As Catherine frowned and tried to walk past him, he grabbed her wrist. It was the same spot Neron had grabbed earlier.

A force stronger than Neron’s grip ensnared her wrist, turning her around. She would likely have a dark bruise on her wrist by tomorrow.

“Look, Sister Catherine. I’m just here to deliver a command from His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Ah, ugh. Then hurry up and say it, and get lost.”

Catherine growled, looking ready to spit. But Maron, used to her behavior, didn’t pay her any mind and instead fumbled with her waist.

“My, my, Sister Catherine. Why are you in such a rush?”

“…You insane bastard!”

The moment Catherine was about to slap Maron, he snatched her wrist first.

SMACK—!

Maron’s large hand came down on one side of Catherine’s cheek. Her pale, delicate skin quickly turned red.

“Who are you to raise a hand? Do you want to die?”

Catherine, holding her cheek in pain, still glared at Maron without backing down.

“Those eyes, those annoying red eyes. Is it true that we have the same father? How can you be so different all by yourself?”

At Catherine’s fierce glare, Maron gritted his teeth and raised his hand again.

“You still haven’t learned your lesson.”

“Your Highness! Princess Catherine!”

Just then, someone came running toward Catherine from a distance, calling her name. Seeing the fluttering hem of her dress and her flustered appearance, Catherine knew who it was immediately.

It was Catherine’s lady-in-waiting, Lady Amy Campbell.

Maron made a motion as if to hit her again, then let out a small laugh and lowered his hand. He released Catherine as if throwing her away.

“Your Highness…!”

Amy quickly rushed over to support the staggering princess.

“His Majesty has ordered you to be under house arrest for a week, so behave yourself, Sister Catherine.”

Amy gritted her teeth but didn’t dare to look at the Second Prince. Since he seemed to be leaving, it was better to just let it go than to protest and ignite his anger again.

Catherine seemed to be of the same mind, as she didn’t say anything and just bowed her head.

“Tch…! What a disgrace to the imperial family.”

Maron spat on the ground near Catherine’s feet and then turned to leave.

Only then did Catherine sigh and lift her head.

“Your Highness, what should we do? Your cheek is so swollen…”

“It’s not the first time, so don’t make a big deal out of it. Let’s just go to the Ivy Palace.”

Gently pushing away Amy’s worried hands, Catherine headed to her palace.

The smallest and most distant palace in the Inner Palace, a palace without a garden, was where Princess Catherine resided.

The entire building was covered in green ivy vines, so the palace staff called it the Ivy Palace.

As soon as Catherine entered her room, she sat down on the sofa and neatly took off her high heels.

Aside from the essentials, the room was simply furnished. The budget allocated to the Ivy Palace was not generous to begin with, so even if she wanted to, she couldn’t make it luxurious.

“Why did you leave alone instead of waiting for me to find you?”

“Amy, it’s been a long time since you’ve been to a party too. I saw you were enjoying yourself, so I came back first.”

“That’s how you end up getting harassed like today, by going around alone.”

Amy went behind Catherine and took out her hair ornaments, continuing to nag. Despite Amy’s nagging, Catherine only smiled, not saying a word in response.

She was completely different from the fierce image she showed at the ballroom.

“I wish Your Highness could just live according to your true nature.”

Even with Amy’s sorrowful voice, Catherine only replied with a faint smile, not saying anything in particular.

Catherine’s hair, which had been pinned up high, fell onto her shoulders, creating beautiful silver waves. Amy was once again in awe as she ran her fingers through her hair.

“It’s always so beautiful.”

“…Beautiful? I’ve suffered so much because of my silver hair.”

Catherine muttered in a bitter tone and ran her fingers through the ends of her hair. When she was young, she had even dyed her hair, wanting to have blonde hair.

But there was a child in the imperial palace with blonde hair who wasn’t even recognized as a member of the imperial family. That was her only younger sibling, Siren.

She never dyed her hair after learning about that, but the regret for not having blonde hair remained.

Catherine, who had seemed a little depressed, suddenly clapped her hands as if she had thought of something, and smiled brightly.

“Oh, that’s right. I’m under house arrest for a week, aren’t I?”

“Your Highness… you’re probably the only person in the world who likes being under house arrest.”

“Why wouldn’t I? No one comes during the house arrest period.”

Catherine, who had taken off her dress, hummed to herself and plopped down on the bed.

“Ah, you have to take off your makeup!”

“It’s a hassle… And there’s no one here to see me. I’ll just go to sleep tonight.”

“No, you can’t. Your beautiful skin will get ruined.”

Amy put some makeup remover on a smooth cloth and carefully wiped Catherine’s face as she lay there.

After wiping off the eye makeup, her sharp eyes looked gentle. When she wiped her cheeks, her skin looked even whiter and more delicate than when she had makeup on. But the spot where she had been hit looked much redder.

It was clear that the Second Prince Maron had hit her as hard as he could, without any restraint.

Amy clicked her tongue and stroked Catherine’s swollen cheek.

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