So, a few days ago. It was the day when Butler Loid and Sir Rubel called me.
“What are you planning to do, Princess?”
“I’m going to switch these two ointments.”
I swapped the ointment collected from the servants with Rubel’s ointment.
“Surely, someone seeing this situation as an opportunity will look for the servants’ ointment. When they do, the butler will give them Sir Rubel’s ointment.”
“Ah, are you saying we’re going to pretend that the ointment used by Sir Rubel is the one used by the servants?”
I nodded at the butler’s question. “After all, it’s the same ointment. But the nobles will claim I gave them something different.”
They say that even a lie becomes the truth if three people say it. But if the vassals insisted, I had no way to prove otherwise. So, I had no choice but to show it directly.
“But if no one falls for it…”
“Don’t worry. Someone definitely will.”
Everything would go as I expected.
This regular council meeting was a gathering of high-ranking nobles from the main mansion and lower-ranking nobles from various regions. Surely, some idiot eager to impress the high nobles would gladly sacrifice his skin.
“As soon as someone takes the ointment, let me know, Butler. I’ll create a scene before the council meeting.”
That way, I could obliterate all the evidence they had painstakingly prepared. Whether they bribed physicians or brought in witnesses, it would be useless if the meeting didn’t happen.
“I will send the Norma to the west building, where the vassals are staying. Naturally, a class with the vassals will arise.”
In other words, I planned to strike them off guard.
“Besides, why not treat my children to special meals?”
“…”
“Remember that, Butler and Sir Rubel.”
“Yes, yes!”
Both Rubel and the butler nodded, seeming to be in high spirits.
“But Princess, how did you come up with such plans…”
“Why? Do I look like I’ve survived every possible scheme?”
I’ve been through this at least thirty times, forty-seven if I include the variations. At first, I cried and protested in vain. Nobody believed me. Even the nanny who raised me from birth framed me, and I was pushed into the fire by my own parents. That’s when I realized. As a villain, the world isn’t on my side. So, I have to look after myself.
“Ah, and Sir Rubel.”
“Yes, Princess.”
I recalled the memory from that day.
“On the day the festival was held, check to see if any ingredients disappeared from the pantry without a record.”
Namely, the burdock from Luna’s basket.
“And bring me the list of everyone who entered the pantry that day.”
“This is a herb called burdock. It’s useful for cleaning because of its antiseptic effect, but you shouldn’t eat it.”
“Why?”
“It causes rashes and leaves scars all over the body.”
I knew too well about burdock. When I was reincarnated as a noble’s adopted daughter, I spent days cleaning with the scent of burdock in my hair. Normally used as a natural disinfectant, it was commonly found in pantries. But its toxicity caused skin diseases, making it inedible.
So, I knew Luna was the culprit from the start. Yet, I let the situation unfold to this point…
Thanks to Luna setting the stage, expelling the rotten water will be easier.
Living a long life really shows you everything.
* * *
“C-conspiracy! I’ve only been in the capital for a day.” Startled by my question, Teindel jumped. “How could I have conspired against you, Princess, knowing nothing about this incident?”
“That’s right, Princess. Teindel just arrived yesterday in the capital and heard about it.”
Then, a nobleman, Matun, jumped in. Recognizing his face, he must be the man who previously complained about me being a disgrace to the family.
“Well, I believe you two are quite close,” I muttered nonchalantly, arms crossed. “I heard you split the prize money from an illegal horse race.”
“Th-that’s…!”
“What a great friendship.”
Their eyes flickered in shock as if they wondered how on earth I knew that.
“Moreover, Sir Matun, didn’t you suppress all the petitions from the citizens about the territory to come into the duchy?”
“No, i-it’s not like that!”
“How could Princess possibly know that…”
How could I know?
“I know that Sir Obelo has been monitoring the vassals for a long time.”
“…How did you know?’
“That’s why I kept Sir Obelo by my father’s side.”
Obelo’s secret ledger. That ledger was the starting point of an important episode. Betraying Felicite, Luna stole Obelo’s ledger and presented it to Redian. Through it, Redian overthrew Felicite, and Luna rose to be crown princess.
Ultimately… Obelo, following the former duke’s will, was secretly on our side, monitoring the vassals.
“In exchange for confronting the vassals, give me that secret ledger.”
With Obelo and me joining forces, the nobles were sitting ducks.
“Most of the petitions were about habitual molestation, fraud, theft, gambling, embezzlement, right?”
“P-Princess! That’s not true! You’re mistaken!”
Teindel clung to my feet with a pale face.
“I-I just followed Sir Matun’s words, saying it was for the dukedom’s sake!”
“T-this fool! How dare you spout such nonsense!”
Then Matun clung to my dress hem. “That’s not right! Princess! I told him I couldn’t cover up anymore because he used Felicite’s name for fraud recently!”
Whether they conspired or gambled together was their business.
“Crimes from fraud to gambling and even tainting Felicite’s name…” I snatched my dress hem from their grasp. “I’ll take it as a confession from both of you.”
“No! Princess!”
Too bad. Go away. I won’t change my decision.
“I have the power to punish the vassals, so I will punish them now. As of today, I hereby strip Sir Matun of all his noble rights and privileges.”
“Princess!”
I signaled the guards waiting around the mansion. “Take him away.”
“Princess! Please spare me!”
Watching Matun being dragged away pathetically, the nobles’ faces turned ashen.
“…”
Deive and the boy, who had been fussy earlier, were even more shocked. Seeing a high-ranking noble dragged away at my word was a huge shock to them.
“Kid, do you know how the owner of this Duchy Felicite is?”
“…”
The boy, who thought he owned the world, shrank back. Looking at Dave, who had no real crime, I felt a bit of pity.
“If you’re in the main mansion, follow its laws, Deive.”
“Yes, yes…”
His demeanor, so different from earlier, couldn’t even meet my eyes.
“Pick them up.”
“…Yes, yes?”
“I tell you to pick them up and clean them. By yourself.”
I pointed to the dishes scattered on the floor.
“Because now my children have to eat again.”
* * *
“Hmm, I should retire early. Since I’m in the main mansion, I need to meditate and sleep with a devout heart.”
“I must review the council documents. Hmm.”
“What are you doing, Thomas? Hurry and greet the Princess before leaving.”
“Goodbye, Princess.”
“Take care, Tomose.”
I waved at Tomose, a child who politely greeted me. One by one, they left as if escaping, leaving the dining hall almost empty.
“Oh, can’t you do it right!”
“You scrub here!”
But our table area remained noisy. It was because Deive and Teindel struggled on the floor, cleaning up the mess.
“Don’t be noisy while others are eating.”
“…Sorry.”
I turned to the Norma at my table. “Eat more. Doesn’t it suit your taste? It should be better than the underground.”
Inein was still eating well, but Francis and Vallentin looked uneasy.
“…Princess.”
Francis, looking worried, asked. “Aren’t the vassals upset because of us? They’re all important people.”
“It’s okay,” I added a handful of jelly to Francis’s plate. “Half of them will be gone by this year anyway.”
“Wow… Seriously.”
Vallentin then spoke to me with a bright smile. “If our king and Princess fought, I think you’d win, Princess.”
I just shrugged nonchalantly.
“Finish your dessert and get up. Train hard, there’s not much time left.”
I patted Francis’s head and stood up. “Goodbye.”
“Why don’t you pat my head?”
“Hmm, you should stop messing around and work harder.”
I could hear their voices following me. But… Where could Redian be?
Thank you SadAsian for the cakeヾ(´︶`♡)ﾉ.
This story is so good! I just finished binge reading this in the last few hours. Thank you so much for translating! <3