The Abandoned Princess, Yet She Is Loved - Chapter 70
The palace garden was breathtakingly beautiful. Grace walked slowly, taking in the scenery. It was even more enjoyable since she was on her way back from training, feeling refreshed and uplifted.
“I should bring my art supplies.”
She thought about going to her room to get her painting tools so she could capture this scenery. Just imagining it made her smile. But in the next moment, the smile vanished from her face when she saw some women passing by.
“Huh…?”
They were familiar faces she didn’t want to see. Diana and Sarah. The path they were on was narrow, flanked by bushes, so it was impossible to avoid eye contact.
“……”
Just meeting their eyes made her stomach churn. Grace quickly looked away. She didn’t want to see them—she’d just walk right past.
“Hi, Grace!”
But it wasn’t that easy. Diana and Sarah came right up to her and started talking.
“Diana… Sarah…”
“You’ve gotten really pretty, Grace,” Diana said with a smirk.
“Your posture’s really straight, too. Didn’t you used to walk all hunched over?”
“What do you want?”
Grace looked at them calmly and spoke. She couldn’t understand why they’d come over just to talk to her.
“Wow, you speak so well now. Hearing you up close—it’s kind of amazing.”
“We’re on our way to have tea with Her Highness, the princess.”
“Is there something you need to say?”
Grace asked directly. She didn’t want to waste time with small talk or meaningless chatter.
“Wow, you’re really blunt now.”
“So you’re finally walking around with your head held high, huh? No need to be cautious anymore, right?”
“Not even recognizing your sisters…”
Grace couldn’t believe what she was hearing. As far as she was concerned, since getting married, they had no relationship at all.
“If you don’t have anything to say, I’m going.”
She figured it was best not to engage. Just as she turned to leave—
“We heard an interesting rumor about you.”
“That you’re an Armento, right?”
Two pairs of eyes full of curiosity and jealousy locked onto her.
There was no need to confirm anything.
Grace didn’t respond and avoided their gaze, slowly stepping away.
“What, are you ignoring us now?”
“You… you!”
“You ignored me first.”
At Grace’s calm response, Diana and Sarah’s faces turned red with anger.
“You… You ignored us? Is that something you say to your sisters?”
“Should I call you my sister, then?”
Grace truly couldn’t understand. They shared the same father’s blood, but they never treated her like a sibling. Why were they acting like this now?
“Of course! We’re sisters!”
“You never acted like it.”
“……”
“I don’t know what it is you’re trying to get from me, but I’ve got nothing to say. Don’t talk to me unless it’s important.”
At Grace’s firm words, Diana and Sarah were left speechless. “Don’t talk to me”—they’d never heard such a direct expression from her before.
“I’m going.”
Taking advantage of their stunned silence, Grace walked away without a second glance. Diana and Sarah ground their teeth in frustration.
“She’s become so rude!”
“Since when did that little brat start looking people in the eye like that?”
She used to be weak and insignificant, and now she dared to talk back.
They’d expected Grace to be at least a little intimidated when she saw them. But aside from a mildly uncomfortable expression, she didn’t flinch at all. In fact, she seemed annoyed by them.
“Maybe if she saw Benjamin, it’d be different…”
“I want to crush that confidence. What should we do?”
But with the Duke of Winstaine backing her, it wouldn’t be easy.
“Then how about this?”
“What is it? Tell me…”
Diana and Sarah began scheming, determined to put Grace in her place. Diana clenched her teeth—she couldn’t stand the idea of that girl living better than them.
Grace gathered her painting supplies and wandered through the palace garden, looking for a good spot to settle down.
Seeing her half-sisters had soured her mood a little, but the excitement of painting again after so long lifted her spirits.
“Where should I go…?”
Despite winter approaching, the capital’s weather was still warm. The garden was full of evergreens, blanketing the place in green.
There were so many beautiful spots that choosing just one felt like a happy dilemma.
“This place looks perfect.”
After some deliberation, Grace picked a spot.
It was secluded, with few people around—ideal for painting in peace. She walked over confidently and set her supplies near some bushes. Just as she was about to sit down, something wrapped around her ankle.
“…String?”
It looked like green thread had tangled around her ankle. As Grace reached down to pull it off, something felt off.
“What is this…?”
The texture was strangely familiar—rough, yet elastic. Grace looked ahead. The thread led into the bushes. She carefully pushed them aside.
“A… a… a person…”
Grace clamped her hands over her mouth.
A pale woman lay there, limp and lifeless. Her arms and legs sprawled out. The “thread” wrapped around Grace’s ankle—it was the woman’s hair.
“Wh-what the…”
This wasn’t the time to stand around.
Someone was dead—she had to tell someone. But who? Where should she go?
Panicked, she grabbed her painting supplies and ran through the palace.
“I need to tell someone I know. The only one I can trust is Panbion.”
She headed straight for Panbion. When she got to the training grounds, Count Filtners greeted her.
“Oh, Lady Winstaine. I thought you’d already—”
“Th-th-there…”
Grace felt short of breath. It felt like she’d gone back to the days when she stuttered.
“What’s wrong? Why can’t you speak clearly—”
“A-a… a person, over there.”
“A person? Where?”
Grace pointed in the direction she had come from.
“What about the person?”
“J-just come. With me. Please.”
“All right.”
Though Count Filtners didn’t know what was going on, he followed Grace. Soon, he understood.
“Oh my god… Lady Mina Felix!”
“Do you know her?”
“She’s an Armento. Works in Panbion. But how…? For Lady Felix to just die like this…”
Count Filtners was shocked at the sight of the woman’s body.
“A murder… in the middle of the royal palace? How did you find her?”
“I was just… looking for a place to paint.”
“We have to move her. And report this.”
He lifted the woman’s body, and Grace grabbed her abandoned supplies and followed him.
The discovery of the corpse threw the entire palace into chaos.
A murder inside the palace—and the victim was the daughter of a noble family.
Count and Countess Felix fainted upon hearing the news of their daughter’s death, and the mood in Panbion turned grim. The royal family assembled a special investigation team to find the killer.
But it wasn’t easy.
Mina Felix was friendly and well-liked. No one seemed to have a grudge against her. They even investigated her past relationships, thinking maybe an ex-lover was responsible, but found nothing.
“Maybe someone just hated the Armento and killed her?”
“It’s possible.”
“Then maybe it was the mages?”
Rumors flew within Panbion. The mages were outraged.
“What a ridiculous accusation. There’s a limit to baseless speculation.”
“Please. All they can do is play with a few elements.”
The state of the body raised many questions.
There were no bruises, stab wounds, signs of strangling, or poisoning. After an autopsy by royal physicians, a shocking truth was revealed.
“There are signs her blood was drained.”
They found a small puncture on Mina’s arm, and much of her blood was missing.
“What were they trying to do with her blood?”
“Are we dealing with a vampire?”
People panicked. The theory that a vampire—until now only a legend—had appeared became the most widely accepted explanation. There was no other clue to go on.
“What do you think it was?” Grace asked.
“A vampire, or some pervert who’s into blood,” Frederick replied casually.
“Frederick… I think differently.”
Grace spoke carefully.
“The reason I gained the power of the divine beast was through blood—when it was spilled on me. And that power is the source of elemental magic.”
“That’s true.”
“What if the person behind this murder is connected to the ones who attacked me?”
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