“Princess Eva, take care on your way back.”
“Everyone, have a good night.”
The banquet was filled with young noble ladies and gentlemen.
Among them, Princess Eva was smiling brightly, appearing as an elegant and gentle beauty.
Her perfect appearance and kind demeanor made her likable to everyone, leaving no room for anyone to dislike her.
The king and queen often refrained from attending official events due to health issues.
As a result, whenever a banquet was held at the palace, Princess Eva, being the highest-ranking individual present, received all the attention. Everyone strived to make a good impression on her.
Furthermore, Princess Eva had created numerous inventions, which earned her genuine respect from many, not just because of her power.
Today, as Princess Eva left the banquet hall, she was bid farewell by the young noble ladies she had been conversing with.
Once she returned to her room and was alone, her expression quickly turned cold and indifferent, almost as if she were not a living human.
Silence filled the room, broken only by the mechanical sounds of an automaton moving with its gears whirring.
“Hmm….”
Princess Eva sat upright and began to ponder, thinking about Seraphina.
She had tried to capture Seraphina, but with her out of the capital, it wasn’t easy. Since Princess Eva herself couldn’t leave the capital, it was a difficult situation.
“Of course, she will be caught eventually….”
Nonetheless, a day without Seraphina felt dull. The girl who used to follow her around with sparkling eyes was gone, making Princess Eva’s day feel more lifeless.
“My dear Sera, how far will you run?”
Singing softly, Princess Eva’s gaze shifted to the newspaper on the table, which had arrived that morning and had yet to be read.
As she flipped through the pages, she stopped at the fourth page.
“Sera….”
[Five nobles (Marquess Monteverdi, Young Duke Ascary, Young Marquess Raffaelo, Lady Viviana, and Young Count Phyro) have eradicated the bandit group that had been causing chaos in the Berlena region….]
Berlena was not far from the capital.
Reading further, she found a specific passage:
[Lady Seraphina Viviana recently revealed that she had awakened as a spatial mage, which helped in eradicating the bandit group.]
“I see.”
A soft smile formed on Princess Eva’s lips.
“My Sera has become a spatial mage.”
No wonder things seemed strange lately. It made sense if she had started using magic.
Although Princess Eva could not forgive Seraphina for betraying and running away.
The important thing was that Seraphina was in the Berlena region. No matter how fast she moved, she couldn’t have left the country yet. Perhaps she could be captured soon.
“My dear Sera, wait for me there.”
A peculiar, unsettling smile spread across Princess Eva’s face.
“You will come back to me again.”
***
I had just gotten off the train when I found a newspaper at the station. Picking it up absentmindedly, my face turned pale as I read it.
“Ah….…!”
[Princess Eva announces plan to implant chips in prisoners for control…
Princess Eva Vivaldi announced today her new invention. The ‘chip’ she developed can control human behavior and can be implanted on a very small scale within the body. She declared that the chips would be implanted in the country’s prisoners to control their violence and prevent future crimes.]
Just when I had finally forgotten about Princess Eva! Reading about her again made me feel uneasy!
As I was trembling while reading it, Simone interrupted.
“Are you scared of the invention?”
“Pardon?”
“Seems there has a problem with that.”
“Ah.”
It seemed that Ghieuspe and Raffaelo thought I was shocked because the invention was unethical. Well, reading it again, it did seem problematic.
“Yes, something like that, haha….”
“Lady Seraphina seems very interested in Princess Eva.”
“Haha, it must be your imagination.”
Answering Simone awkwardly, I thought I needed to find Aurora quickly. I had to get my money from her and escape far away from Princess Eva.
At that moment, I overheard the conversation of people nearby.
“Did you hear about it?”
“What is it?”
“They say a control order has been issued in the capital!”
“A control order?”
“Yes, people inside the capital can no longer go out, and those outside can’t come in. No one knows the reason, though.”
“Why would they do that?”
“I don’t know, but it’s troublesome since I need to deliver some goods.”
Watching the merchant click his tongue, I felt a sense of unease and joined the conversation.
“Excuse me, who made that decision?”
“Huh? Ah, only His Majesty the King can make such a significant decision. But since His Majesty is currently ill, Princess Eva is acting on his behalf.”
“Gyaahhh!”
“Lady Seraphina? Why are you suddenly…?”
“That crazy… She must be up to something suspicious!”
What could she be planning by controlling the capital? Who knows what that mad scientist might do next in the capital?
‘Could she be doing this to catching me?’
No, it’s just a coincidence. That’s what I should believe for my own sanity.
Still, I’m a bit worried that she might be turning the capital into her own utopia, or rather, a dystopia.
“Seraphina, are you okay?”
“Y-yes! Let’s leave quickly!”
It would be better to run far away from Princess Eva. Even so, I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
What kind of invention could she have made that scared Seraphina so much?
Did she create something as dangerous as a nuclear bomb? That’s the most threatening invention I could think of.
As I thought about Princess Eva and my face darkened, Simone whispered in my ear.
“Lady Seraphina, about that…”
“Yes?”
“I know you’re not the original Seraphina, but what is your relationship with Princess Eva?”
“Wh-what?”
In a calm voice, Simone spoke unsettling words.
“Does Princess Eva know that you are someone else?”
“……….”
“Ah, you’re running away from her because you’re afraid she might find out. So she doesn’t know yet?”
“That’s…!”
“Looks like I was right. Well, that’s all I wanted to know. I was just curious.”
“Can’t you just tell me what you want?”
“I told you, I was just curious.”
Simone fell silent, gazing out the window, while I was filled with genuine despair.
Why is this person so perceptive?
‘This… this crazy…’
I really wanted to escape from this world.
But unfortunately, I don’t know how to escape from this world, and the original Seraphina had already abandoned me here and escaped.
With Princess Eva, an unknown entity, chasing me from behind and a perceptive companion beside me, I felt completely trapped.
One day, I found myself in a web novel! And there are two masterminds.
I felt an impulse to say this in the voice of an actor from a movie, but I just closed my eyes tightly.
I wish someone would take me out of this crazy world, please.
🍓 : dystopia, is a term used to describe an imagined society or community that is often characterized by dehumanizing, oppressive, and undesirable conditions. Dystopian societies are typically depicted as having pervasive control over the populace, with themes of totalitarianism, environmental disaster, technological control, and loss of individual freedoms being common.
Dystopian literature, films, and other forms of media explore these societies to critique current social, political, and economic systems, often serving as a warning of what could happen if such negative trends continue. Famous examples of dystopian works include George Orwell’s “1984,” Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World,” and Suzanne Collins’ “The Hunger Games.”
