Escape from the evil lady (GL)
Chapter 92 - 42. On the eve of the ceremony

Chapter 92: Chapter 42. On the eve of the ceremony

It was hard to believe that this day was supposed to come tomorrow.

Our engagement to the Crown Princess.

Although I postponed this moment until the last, but in the end, sooner or later it had to happen. And taking a deep breath, I mentally braced myself for the inevitable. As they say, what’s going to happen is bound to happen.

On the eve of the ceremony, which was to take place at the Heilos residence, preparations for the upcoming celebration were in full swing in the castle. The mansion, which had previously had a suffocating, ominous atmosphere, now seemed to be full of life. The fragrance of flowers, the bustle of servants and all kinds of decorations enlivened the atmosphere.

When I got out of my room and watched all this, I couldn’t help but be amazed.

«All the best to you, my lady!»

— Congratulations on the ceremony!

I had to nod awkwardly in response to the wishes that came to my address from time to time, and I felt even more awkward under the beaming smiles of all these people. To be honest, I just couldn’t understand why they were all so happy...

— Congratulations on the ceremony... My Lady.

In the end, I even received congratulations from Jacob Osman. The knight said this to me with his usual stony expression, and then hurriedly left. I just continued to stare after him, unable to believe what I had just heard.

«.....»

It seemed like I was really the only one in this mansion who wasn’t thrilled with what was happening. But in any case, I shouldn’t have been happy. After all, that wasn’t my goal at all.

When evening came, all the festive preparations that had been going on for the whole day finally subsided. It was at this moment that I found the time to go into the office of the Crown Princess. I had a tray of jasmine tea in my hands, which I made myself. As I stared at the flower petals floating in the cup, my soul continued to be tormented by various doubts.

Although I had no doubt that I was doing the right thing now, but still...

Enough. In the end, I decided to put an end to any doubts and resolutely took hold of the door handle.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled the handle towards me and cautiously peered inside.

«Your Highness,» I said softly, entering the office, «I have brought you tea.»

Kaena de Ronan, sitting at a massive wooden desk, looked up from her papers. Her face lit up with a smile, and she stood up to meet me.

— Camille! I’m so glad to see you,» she said, coming closer and taking the tray from my hands. «You’re always so thoughtful.»

At that moment, I felt my heart involuntarily contract at her warm tone, and trying to hide my true feelings, I replied:

— I just wanted you to relax a little before tomorrow’s ceremony. After all, you’ve probably been very busy.

We sat down in front of a coffee table, and I started pouring fragrant tea from a porcelain teapot. Although this was my first attempt to make tea on my own, to my own surprise, it turned out not as bad as I expected. When the main villain tasted my tea and praised it, I, not hurrying to touch my own cup, offered with a forced smile:

— Your Highness, since this will be our last meeting before the ceremony, I would like to discuss our future with you, even if it is nothing more than a formality.

— Yes, you’re right, — the woman nodded, supporting my idea, — we definitely need to talk about our future.

As a result, our conversation flowed smoothly from discussing the upcoming engagement day to dreaming about a future life together. Or rather, to the dreams of the main villain. I tried to talk about what I thought was important to keep the conversation going, but deep down I knew it was all just a game.

— ...I’m sure our future will be wonderful, — the princess said, and her voice was full of hope. — I will do everything to make you happy.

«...»

I nodded stiffly, even though there was no room for joy in my heart. At that moment, when the Crown Princess looked straight into my eyes, my heart involuntarily skipped a beat. Then her expression suddenly changed.

— That’s strange... For some reason, I really want to sleep...

— Well, that’s not surprising, — I said a little nervously, — you’ve been working hard the last few days. You should rest before tomorrow’s ceremony.

— Am I tired? Not happening...

With every passing moment, it became more and more difficult for her to control her speech, and in the end, the woman even put the cup on the table so as not to accidentally drop it. Her gaze became more and more unfocused, like a person who is on the verge of falling asleep. I just watched in silence.

— Your Highness... You really need to rest, — I whispered.

«...»

Kaena de Ronan looked at me strangely, but before she could say a word, the struggle with her own drowsiness ended against her.

The woman fell asleep with her head on the back of the sofa, and silence reigned in the office.

***

«I can’t believe I actually did that...»

After the main villain lost consciousness, I immediately jumped up from my seat.

My heart was racing from everything that had happened, and especially from the risk that my actions might entail. Even though the Crown Princess had told her people not to disturb us when we were alone, I couldn’t guarantee that this wouldn’t happen. Besides, I didn’t know how long this sleeping pill would last.

In other words, I needed to get out of here as soon as possible!

For a minute, I just stood and stared at the sleeping Crown Princess, unable to move, realizing that now I finally had a chance to escape from this engagement and from this haven of evil. It was hard for me to believe that this long-awaited moment had finally arrived.

At the same time, looking at the woman who had fainted, I felt a strange feeling of heaviness that gripped my heart. Although I couldn’t figure out what exactly it was related to, I still didn’t have time to hesitate right now. I had to take this opportunity while the villain was still unconscious.

According to our agreement with the second Princess, I had to get out of the Heilos residence through a secret passage, and then signal her people. This way, I can inform the Imperial Army squad that the main villain has been «neutralized» and they can join the battle. At the same time, Jerica de Ronan will be nearby to pick me up and take me to a safe place. In other words, it was a small matter now.

After taking another fleeting glance at the Crown Princess, I took a deep breath and headed for the secret passage. Remembering how Kaena de Ronan activated it last time, I pressed the same button on her chair as she did. And, as expected, the next moment, the chair was safely pushed aside. I saw a stone staircase leading to a dark basement, and into which I now had to descend...

Although it all looked a little creepy, I suppressed my fear of the dark and just gathered my willpower. However, at the moment when I was about to start going down those stairs...

«Ugh!»

Someone suddenly grabbed me and covered my mouth.

I definitely felt someone else’s presence behind me when someone unknown suddenly attacked me.

Shock and fear instantly overwhelmed me. I couldn’t believe what was happening. My thoughts were confused, and the only thing I could do was try to break free from his grip. A feeling of panic was growing stronger inside me— my plan to escape had been ruined in an instant, and now I was in the hands of some scoundrel.

«What the hell...!»

I couldn’t figure out who would suddenly want to attack me. And moreover, how did this person even end up in the Crown Princess’s office, where only the two of us were before? Maybe... Is this one of the Knights of the Dark Host? Did they really manage to uncover my plan after all?!

But wait a minute... I didn’t even hear the door open. If that’s really the case, then it looks like this person is capable of walking through walls.

My breathing became ragged, and my heart continued to race. I twisted my body to try to break free from the arms that wrapped around me, but the attacker held me too tightly. Our brief struggle in the office of the main villain lasted for several seconds.

And at that moment, when I was almost completely exhausted, a low voice reached my ears:

— Don’t even think you can escape.

«.....»

Even though it had been a long time, I recognized the owner of that voice almost immediately. I couldn’t believe my own ears. And, as expected, I was not mistaken. In the next instant, the dark hood that had previously covered the man’s face finally fell off.

For a moment, I was speechless.

— Girl, — he said coldly, — you’re going to go where I tell you to go. Is that clear?

So, this mysterious attacker turned out to be none other than my surviving older brother.