Chapter 17: Night Assassin, Traitor of Douque

After the Royal Knight Victoria reorganized the guards, Willis set off on her journey back to the palace.

As for Hill Yu, since she was a teacher at the Academy and the Royal Academy of the Okam Empire had already started its term, she had to stay behind.

Or rather, today she had deliberately gone to summon Willis, which was technically her leaving her post without permission.

Also, because Willis had just passed her inauguration speech, she hadn’t yet been assigned a class or any duties, so for the time being, she had no teaching tasks.

“Your Highness, the Church of Judicature has already begun investigating the morning assassination attempt.”

Victoria sat upright in the carriage opposite her and spoke.

Willis toyed with the Invitation Letter she had just received from Elliot Laval, her gaze lingering on it as she looked it over, but she felt little interest.

“Oh? Is that so? Have they found anything?”

“Um, no reports yet… but there’s an elf named Winnie Kanasha.”

Victoria hesitated, her words catching because she was partly involved with this elf as well.

After all, a few nights ago when Willis received the news and wanted to try out the taste of an elf, Victoria was there.

“Enough, I know what you’re trying to say. I’ll keep an eye on Winnie Kanasha myself.”

Willis took a breath and suddenly smiled at Victoria.

“Your Highness, is something wrong?”

“You’re from the Meikle Family, and the Meikle Family is renowned across the Okam Empire for intelligence gathering…”

Willis picked up the nearby teacup and spun it between her fingers with a playful expression.

Hearing this, Victoria pursed her lips and asked, “Does Your Highness want the Meikle Family to do something?”

“To do… what must be done.”

Willis smiled.

On the bustling street, the Imperial Princess’s procession was eerily silent, with passersby trembling in fear and hastily avoiding the path.

No one even dared to breathe too loudly, afraid that any sound might draw the attention of the terrifyingly infamous Princess, who was rumored to exact brutal justice.

As the guards turned the carriage around the corner, Victoria stepped down and disappeared into the crowd.

Willis’s convoy continued to the Caoque Imperial Palace before coming to a halt.

The princess, whose stunning beauty was matched only by her notorious reputation, stepped out, while soldiers and noble families within the imperial city cowered at a distance, peeking anxiously.

When Willis entered the Caoque Imperial Palace, she found all the butlers and maids trembling and prostrating themselves on the ground.

“What are you all doing?”

Willis asked curiously.

“Your Highness was attacked; we are guilty!”

The head butler’s voice trembled.

Willis laughed angrily, “What guilt is there?”

For a moment, the butler was at a loss for words and lowered his head even further, and the maids behind him did even more so.

“Enough. Stand up. Do what you must. Has the door to my room been repaired?”

Willis waved her hand, feeling an increasing sense of dullness.

“It’s been repaired… Your Highness, are you really not going to punish us?”

The butler cautiously asked.

“Are you some kind of masochist?”

Willis rolled her eyes and ignored the group of bewildered, frightened butlers and maids, making her way to her room relying on her memory.

Sure enough, the door that Hill Yu had broken open that morning was now fixed.

She had planned to take a bath and rest, but for some reason, she had lost the interest.

That sleep lasted until midnight.

During that time, two maids had come in to ask twice if she wanted to eat, but Willis had sent them away both times.

It was the next visit that startled her awake.

She had already been awake, half-closed eyes feigning rest as she pondered her next moves.

The other’s movements were so light Willis’s perception could not detect his presence at all.

But…

Real Eye automatically activated upon detecting the thing.

[ The mist filling this room has hallucinogenic and hypnotic properties. It is favored by stealth operatives across this continent—Mist Fragrance, an essential for robbers and thieves. Holding your breath will be useful. ]

“Who are you?”

Willis half-sat up in bed, her voice making the figure freeze immediately.

Seeing Willis awake, the visitor knelt and then pulled back the black robe concealing his face.

“Your Highness!”

Memories flooded back from the depths of her mind. Willis was stunned for two seconds before recalling who this was.

“Nightfall?”

“Your Highness, Nightfall has uncovered the information. The one behind today’s attack on you was led by members of the Meikle Family, who leaked the information to hostile forces active within the Empire.”

His voice was hoarse and grating, seemingly deliberate.

Willis nodded, “I see. Meikle? The family of Royal Knight Victoria?”

“That’s right!”

Suddenly, a flash of a blade appeared!

The moment the man drew his dagger, the Flame Whip in Willis’s hand cracked against his head.

A violent explosion erupted, flames licking his robe until he was a human torch in an instant.

Even so, he crazily charged forward again, only to be thrown back once more by Willis’s Flame Whip.

The fire blazed, mixed with the smell of burning flesh and agonized screams.

“Ahhhh! Help! Save me, master! I was wrong, please, save me!”

The intense heat burned his skin and clothes, the acrid smell causing Willis to frown deeply.

Burning, pain, twisted screams.

“Who sent you?” Willis asked coldly.

“Speak, and I’ll spare your life.”

“I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you! It was Christie from the Macintosh Family. She made us… Ah! Your Highness, please save me!”

The next moment, a sharp air blade severed his head.

Willis’s gaze grew colder as she stared at the burning, headless corpse on the floor.

Maids and butlers rushed in at the cries, chaos erupting immediately.

“Assassin! Assassin! Protect Her Highness the Princess!”

“You lot, get over here and protect Her Highness!”

“Where is Lady Victoria? Where is the Royal Knight when we need her?”

“What are you shouting!?

Go protect Her Highness!”

For a moment, the trembling maids surrounded Willis, but it looked less like they were protecting her and more like she was protecting them.

The butler hurriedly took charge of the scene.

Willis said lightly, “Don’t bury the body. Throw it to the kennels for the dogs.”

It was so burnt that no useful information could be gleaned.

The butler shuddered at the order but quickly complied and left after handling the matter.

Looking at the frightened maids beside her, Willis said, “You all should leave too. Prepare yourselves. It’s no longer safe here. I’m going to stay with my elder sister, the First Princess, for a few days.”

“Yes, yes! We’ll prepare right away!”

The maids hurried out, and the Caoque Imperial Palace descended into turmoil.

Half an hour later, under the moonlight, the Second Princess’s carriage left the Caoque Imperial Palace once more.

After the maids saw her off, they let out long breaths.

“Her Highness didn’t punish us—that’s rare.”

“You little girl, still hoping to be punished, huh?”

“N-no… it’s just that Her Highness forbade the guards from entering the inner courtyard, which let the assassin succeed, right?”

“You know as well as I do, this princess… only likes women…”

“Shh! Are you two trying to get yourselves killed? Hurry back… The princess is gone; there shouldn’t be any more assassins tonight.”

Soon, the news spread. The Church of Judicature conducted a thorough investigation but found nothing useful before leaving.

Late at night, several figures quietly slipped out of the Caoque Imperial Palace.

“Let’s leave quickly. It’s no longer safe here. If we don’t kill her, we’ll have to leave the Okam Empire.”

“But where would we go if we leave the Okam Empire?”

Another figure asked.

“Anywhere, as long as it’s not here. Otherwise, when that demon returns, neither of us will be able to leave!”

After their discussion, they were about to depart.

“Is that so? I’m afraid you won’t be going anywhere tonight…”

At that moment, a voice as cold as eternal ice sounded from the shadows.

Willis slowly stepped out from the darkness, frost covering her delicate face deeper than fresh snow.

Her presence frightened the figures so much they nearly lost their souls.

“Y-Your Highness! W-Why… why are you here?”

“If I weren’t here, how could I know who let that assassin in tonight?”

Willis’s red hair stirred as if blown by wind, though the air was still.

Her fire magic roared violently with the murderous intent radiating from her.