My Will Did Not Mean This

“Yes.”

 

Vivian cupped his cheek carefully. As expected, she felt the gaze of those around her. It seemed surprising that the person who had recently created a stir in the capital was giving and receiving support like everyone else. If so, shouldn’t heye satisfy expectations even more? Vivian’s soft lips touched Aslan’s hard cheek. The moment their breaths mixed, his shoulder bounced.

 

‘Even if you don’t like it, endure it.’

 

Vivian lifted her arm and gently wrapped it around the nape of his neck. It was to prevent him from running away. Fortunately, Aslan also seemed to understand what she meant and strengthened his hand around her waist. Anyone could see that he looked like an ordinary fiancé. She seemed no different from the people around her she had just observed.

 

Vivian, satisfied, finally parted her lips with his.

 

“Come back safely.”

 

And it was the moment when she was about to turn around. Her hand was held.

 

“Originally, I was planning to do it in moderation and step down.”

 

“…”

 

“I will repay your support by catching the best game.”

 

Aslan’s lips touched the back of her bare, ungloved hand. He was the type of showmanship until the very end.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

For some reason, Vivian sent away Aslan, who was wandering. Then, they entered a large barracks where people who were not participating in the hunt were gathered.

 

‘Wow, this can be considered just a hall, no matter the name.’

 

This time, it seemed like the Forest of Deity was opened and the existing building was expanded. It was spacious and splendid enough to host a small banquet. Vivian leisurely looked around. The Empress and her party had not yet arrived, but Countess Amelia was sitting leisurely, flapping her fan. She didn’t seem like someone who plans to kill people. Indeed, to become the emperor’s mistress, that level of boldness seemed necessary.

 

‘Still, laxity is unavoidable. Did you leave it like that and blame it on Aslan?’

 

Vivian pretended to look outside and checked the countess’s appearance. Her maid approaches her. He pretends to put down the champagne, blocking his view of his surroundings, and receives a small note from the countess. It would contain poison that would kill the Empress.

 

‘I don’t know how to use weapons, and I don’t have a strong following, so it can’t be helped.’

 

So she must have caught the Empress off-guard. It was as if the sloppiness turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

 

“Her Majesty the Empress and Her Highness the Crown Prince are eating it!”

 

At that time, a high-pitched shout rang out in the room. The Empress and her crown prince entered, complete with ceremonial attire. Vivian stood up like everyone else and bowed her head. The two dignitaries walked across the red carpet and sat at the head of the table. Now she had to aim for the right timing to approach the empress. But fortunately or not, her eyes met the Empress’s own.

 

“The princess also attended.”

 

If she were to explain it in detail, it meant she should come here.

 

“I offer my greetings to Her Majesty the Empress.”

 

She didn’t know why the Empress was calling her, but she decided not to think about it. She had a lot of work to do today.

 

“I heard she wasn’t feeling well, but I’m glad she came.”

 

“I am devastated.”

 

“Is she planning to go hunting again this time?”

 

The Empress gazed at Vivian’s hunting clothes. As long as he was equipped with self-defense gear, he could easily go out on horseback.

 

“It’s a pity, but I plan to stay here today instead of going out.”

 

“Good.”

 

What…? Vivian slowly raised her head. However, the Empress, who received her gaze, only calmly and weakly tipped the champagne. At this point, she couldn’t help but recall the contents of the original story. She was the female protagonist who was severely harassed at the hunting festival because she was Aslan’s fiancée. The miserable situation in which she was hunted like an animal by her empress’s maids.

 

“…”

 

Vivian made eye contact with her Prince Charming, who was behind her Empress. He raised the corner of her mouth with a grin.

 

“It just so happens that Mama Mama’s maids are planning to go hunting today. I will feel at ease if the princess stays with me.”

 

“Even though it’s not enough, I will serve it with all my heart today.”

 

Now it seemed that the empress had no maid and needed someone to help her. As expected, things worked out so well. As the Empress sat down comfortably, her nobles who had risen to greet her returned to their respective tasks. She turned her gaze towards Vivian.

 

“Princess, how is your body feeling after that?”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“When we met her at the imperial palace. The princess didn’t look good that day.”

 

‘Because when I met you, I felt like I had met the Grim Reaper.’

 

“The royal doctor will arrive soon. Let her be examined.”

 

“Will the doctor examine me?”

 

It had already been four months since she was diagnosed with lung disease. The time of her death was approaching, but she showed no signs of dying, so the Empress must have been impatient.

 

‘As long as I, from Eleonora, am Aslan’s fiancée, his political position will be strong.’

 

It was clear that he had an intention to call a medical doctor and check for himself whether it was indeed lung disease or whether he was certain to die soon.

 

‘I will watch over you from now on.’

 

Come to think of it, the Empress said this when she met her in the palace garden. She said that with a very meaningful(?) smile! Vivian’s eyes became dizzy. But she had no time to escape. Just then, a medical doctor came in carrying a visitation bag. And as people began to come and go around the Empress, her maid, at the instigation of the Countess, also began to move.

 

“This is Pablo, who is in charge of examining the princess. First, I want to listen to the sound of the lungs, so get close…”

 

A royal doctor approached from the left, and a maid who would kill the empress approached to the right. Her original plan was to end it quietly by pretending to bump into her maid and swapping her poisoned goblet. However, since the doctor blocked the road, there was no such thing as this. A desperate moment when two people must be stopped at once.

 

‘Everyone, look here. The evil woman is causing trouble!’

 

Vivian pulled out the sharp tweezers that were stuck in the doctor’s upper pocket. He blinked in surprise at her sudden action.

 

“Princess, why are you doing this?”

 

“You sure you’re not going to put this up my nose, are you?”

 

“This is necessary for respiratory care. It will be a little difficult, but it won’t hurt.”

 

“No.”

 

Vivian grabbed the maid holding the champagne glass. The maid who was caught right before she committed the crime shook her hands as if she didn’t know what was happening.

 

“You, hold these tweezers.”

 

“What…?”

 

“And Pablo, this is an artifact that your brother ordered for me. I have the ability to discern what is harmful to me.I need to check your device with this.”

 

As expected, from the moment the doctor’s tweezers were snatched away loudly, all surrounding attention was focused in this direction. Now that everyone could clearly see that she had not touched her maid’s champagne glass, it was time to get to the point.

 

“Please let go! Well, I’m making champagne for Her Majesty…!”

 

At the same time that the maid, sensing her ominous premonition, shouted, Vivian activated her artifact.

 

“…!”

 

The artifact has turned black. The people who had been clicking their tongues, saying that the evil woman who would soon die was crying, were all astonished.

 

“Is there really poison in the device?”

 

“But that doctor was recommended by Her Majesty the Empress…”

 

“Hey, this can’t be happening! What reason would I have to harm the princess?!”

 

Pablo, who was looked at with suspicion, jumped up. It may be unfair to say that the neck is hanging off. From then on, Vivian didn’t have to do anything and he found out the real cause of the artifact’s discoloration to black. What was in her hand on the other side of the maid.

 

“It’s poison.”

 

“It’s poison! Her Majesty’s champagne has been poisoned!”

 

The Empress, who had been watching Vivian’s atrocities indifferently, and the Crown Prince Johannes, who had been enjoying them, also immediately became entrenched. While everyone was shocked or frightened and confused, Johannes stood up and gave an order.

 

“Arrest that maid immediately.”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

 

“No. This is a frame! I don’t know anything!”

 

“You tried to harm Mom, so I will interrogate you myself.”

 

He was someone who always behaved in a sloppy manner. But right now, his expression was as fierce as that of the Grim Reaper.

 

‘Luckily no one is paying attention to me. It’s as expected.’

 

People’s attention was only focused on Pablo and the maid. Thanks to the two people pointing and shouting at each other, Vivian, who had sparked the incident, was not on anyone’s mind.

 

‘Let’s fall into this gap.’

 

Now she had to go save Aslan. Before he turned into a demonic beast in front of people, he had to be prevented from entering the First Emperor’s tomb. But contrary to Vivian’s thoughts, Johannes was staring at her the whole time. His eyes widened beautifully as he stood up from the head of the table.

 

“Princess, just a moment.”

 

Their eyes met. Vivian suppressed her trembling and calmly raised her head.

 

The crown prince approached. He had a bad feeling.

 

“Is it my imagination? I’ve been thinking about this since a while ago. Her duchess discovered her maid’s attempted poisoning by pretending it was a coincidence, but that was not the case.”

 

“…I apologize.”

 

In the original, Johannes was a strong man and the main villain who even defeated Aslan. He had failed to deceive his eyes, so all that was left was to lie down as flat as possible.

 

“Actually, I noticed it from the beginning.”

 

“Don’t be so nervous. I know that the princess was not the culprit. If that were the case, there would have been no reason to stop that woman’s crime.”

 

The bound maid was forced to her floor. She didn’t say the countess’s name in the end, as if she had discovered a weakness, but the hidden truth was visible in her gaze as she searched for someone, as if asking for her help.

 

“The princess always makes me curious. She could have been the hero who stopped the EMpress from being poisoned, but she passed the credit to Pablo.”

 

“…”

 

“She is too much of a fiancée for Aslan. The more I think about it, the more I feel like it was a shame that she lost you.”

 

Vivian couldn’t understand Johannes’ last murmur. But before she could ask, he backed away from Vivian. He stiffened his expression and looked back at her, as if asking when he had last had a private conversation with her.

 

“Countess Amelia. You must follow my instructions.”

 

“Uh, Your Highness.”

 

“I don’t want to be harsh with you since you are the Empress’ daughter-in-law, but I am very angry right now.”

 

With a single gesture from Johannes, the Countess fell to her knees. This time everyone’s gaze turned to the real culprit of the poisoning. Only then was Vivian able to quietly leave the room for her next plan.

 

—————————————————————

Translator Note: