Willis’s gaze followed the opening of the great door and landed entirely on Annie.
With her light makeup and simple yet elegant noble attire, Annie at this moment shone like a goddess descended from the heavens.
Backlit by the library’s soft glow, the girl seemed as if she had stepped straight out of the light itself.
Annie’s movements were graceful, her demeanor serene—even the simplest act of descending the stairs was filled with an indescribable allure.
It was as if, at that moment, everything in the world existed solely to highlight her presence.
Yet, a faint sense of familiarity stirred in Willis’s heart, though she couldn’t place where it came from.
The newcomer held a book in her hands and appeared not to notice Willis at all. She moved forward with steps as light as lotus petals, turned around, and approached a nearby bookshelf.
The girl gently extended her pale fingers, running them along the shelves until she found the right spot and returned the book to its place.
“Your Highness!”
A voice from behind—Victoria’s reminder—brought Willis back to reality, though her eyes involuntarily drifted once more toward Annie Donald.
“Victoria, do you know who that is?”
Willis asked without hesitation.
Victoria, the Royal Knight, had long noticed Willis’s gaze but only shook her head at this moment.
“No, I don’t.”
Aside from accompanying Willis here, Victoria rarely came to the Royal Library herself—how could she possibly know anyone here?
“Not familiar, huh…”
Willis mused aloud, then asked, “Do you think she’s some noble’s daughter, or maybe the child of some big shot who stays here?”
Victoria sighed, watching Willis fixate on the young woman as if unable to look away.
“Why don’t you just go ask her, Your Highness?”
Still, Victoria felt compelled to remind her gently.
“But please be careful, Your Highness. Someone so beautiful appearing here—don’t use your usual methods to force a meeting this time.”
Willis’s situation was precarious now. If she caused trouble here, others might refrain from saying anything out of respect for an Imperial Princess, but that was only surface-level.
Privately, things could become complicated.
However, Willis was no longer who she used to be. She held back her impulses well and smiled.
“You’re right. Let’s go find the teacher.”
Victoria was caught off guard by this decision. She hadn’t expected Willis to give up on the beauty so close at hand.
In her eyes, even if Willis didn’t intend to do anything more than a simple greeting—asking her name and background—it would have been perfectly natural.
Anyone seeing such a magnificent girl would instinctively want to know her.
But Willis…
Had recent events changed Her Highness?
Victoria thought as she followed Willis up the Wooden Spiral Staircase inside the Tower, her mind lost in thought while watching the princess’s back.
The vast Imperial Library was a space almost completely isolated from the world.
Except for books and shelves, the entire place was an ocean of knowledge.
Under the bright magical lighting, countless books—some beautifully bound, others ancient and worn—lined the shelves.
Each book, every page, told a story.
In this silent library were gathered the stories of the entire empire and even the whole continent, from ancient times to the present.
They did not speak, but anyone walking here would involuntarily hear whispers—an auditory illusion of countless voices from countless times and spaces telling their tales.
Silent, yet noisy.
Compared to Victoria’s scattered thoughts, Willis’s considerations were much simpler.
Judging from the recent assassination attempts and her current situation, the rumors about the “Evil Princess” and the “Master of Intrigue” were most likely not created by Willis herself.
The Willis of old did have a violent streak and often resorted to killing to solve problems, but not enough to earn the title “Evil Princess.”
As for political scheming—
Willis now subtly realized that her former self was probably just a pawn manipulated by some person or faction.
Killing the prince, seizing power, taking Ushi City, forming Nightfall’s forces…
With all these fragments returning to her mind, Willis began to form a clearer picture of her past self.
Though it seemed those deeds were done by Willis herself, she now sensed an invisible hand secretly orchestrating everything.
Otherwise, someone as careless as her former self—openly flaunting her preference for women without concern for rumors—would hardly have survived this long.
But with this realization came an uneasy terror.
Those capable of plotting against an Imperial Princess were no ordinary foes.
If one entertained the idea of a rebellion, the list of potential masterminds was endless. Willis had no way to guess who was truly behind it all.
Ultimately, she lacked any reliable forces she could call upon.
Yet Willis had already begun planning quietly in her heart.
***
Passing the staircase, the second-floor corridor was lined with bookshelves and volumes occupying every available space.
It was a place seemingly cut off from the world. For a moment, Willis even entertained the thought of abandoning all troubles and staying here forever, lost in endless knowledge…
But in the end—
She was an Imperial Princess.
Outside the managers’ room on the second floor, the door was open, light spilling out.
A breeze from the Tower’s windows stirred the pages of labeled books, making a soft rustling sound. Shadows on the wall remained still.
Suddenly, faint footsteps approached from behind.
Victoria glanced at her sword, then subtly turned to look back.
It was the girl!
Without seeing her, Willis already sensed a refreshing fragrance at her nose, carried by the faint breeze that infiltrated every corner of her senses.
Startled, she turned to find the goddess-like girl with chestnut-gray hair standing beside her.
A flash of melancholy crossed the girl’s face but quickly vanished. With brows raised brightly, she fought to suppress her emotions, though a hint of excitement betrayed her.
“Excuse me… Are you here to see my grandfather?”
Her crimson lips parted gently, a subtle fragrance wafted forth, delicate and distant.
Willis was stunned for two seconds, then asked, “Your grandfather? Who?”
“Bri Donald. I’m his granddaughter, Annie Donald!”
The girl gracefully lifted her skirt in a bow, exuding noble elegance.
In her lowered eyes was a confidence and hope Willis couldn’t see through, along with a hidden bitterness.
She had not come to greet me!?
Annie Donald suddenly felt like a fool for showing off in front of Willis earlier.
Luckily, Willis had no idea.
At that moment, not only did Willis’s expression falter, but Victoria beside her also stared at Annie in surprise.
“Huh?”
Willis finally made a sound after a long pause.
Bri Donald’s granddaughter?
From memory, that man had always said he had no family, completely alone—where did this granddaughter come from…
Um…
At that instant, Willis understood—this woman was guarding against her like a thief!
With such a beautiful granddaughter, even if Bri Donald was Willis’s teacher, Willis would have tried to claim the girl for herself.
Even now, a voice inside Willis shouted urgently: Possess her! Possess her! Let me become her everything, inside and out!
“Grandfather is inside. Please, come in, guests.”
The girl smiled like sunshine, her ladylike manner revealing perfect grace. From appearance to figure, from education to temperament, she was the perfect goddess.
For some reason, Willis ignored Annie’s polite invitation and instead asked, “Have we met somewhere before?”
Annie paused, a flicker of disappointment crossing her face.
Whether it was just Willis’s imagination or not, she felt the girl’s attitude toward her suddenly turn cold.
“You must be mistaken, guest. We have never met.”
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