Chapter 73: The Canary (17/19)

Recalling that day now with Winnie Kanasha, Willis could clearly feel that someone had been manipulating things behind the scenes.

The purpose might have been to make her provoke the Elven Race, inviting retaliation from the Rebels allied with the Elves.

And indeed, that was exactly what happened.

If she hadn’t transmigrated that day, awakened the System, and gained the Real Eye…

She would probably have been pierced through the heart by Winnie’s Magic Arrow.

As for the mastermind behind it all…

It could have been information deliberately leaked by the Rebel Army, or it might have come from someone within the Empire.

But without exception, they were all people who held a grudge against her.

There were too many targets…

But by now, Willis was sure of one thing—

The Nightfall Organization that was once in her hands had already betrayed her.

Or rather, from the very beginning, it was a bomb that someone else had placed in her hands.

But who could it be?

Pushing aside these thoughts, the coachman outside suddenly called out, “Your Highnesses, we’ve passed Yufeng Valley.”

“Understood.”

Hilliu replied.

“I’m going out for some air.”

With that, unable to stand the atmosphere inside the carriage any longer, Hilliu slipped out.

At the same time, Annie Donald looked at Willis with a resentful snort.

“Hmph! I’m going too!”

Seeing the girl’s beautiful figure leave, Willis felt inexplicably baffled.

You argued with the Imperial Princess, so why are you giving me that look?

Be careful or I’ll deal with you!

She really couldn’t figure out what was going on in Annie’s head.

When Ophelia also said she wanted to go out for some air, Willis’s expression turned cold.

“Sit down! If you move even a little, I’ll smack your butt in half, believe it or not?”

“You!”

Shouted at for no reason, Ophelia felt wronged.

But there was nothing she could do.

She could only sulk as she sat down, giving a cold snort and leaning her head against the window to look at the scenery outside.

Then, Willis turned to Winnie Kanasha beside her.

“Winnie, tell me, how should this Imperial Princess deal with you?”

“It’d be best to just kill me!”

Winnie repeated.

“Otherwise, if I get the chance, I’ll definitely cut you down!”

“Really?”

Willis was indifferent.

“Is this how your Elven Race treats their saviors?”

“You’re not my benefactor, you’re my enemy!”

Winnie corrected.

“But if I hadn’t arrived last night, you would’ve become a prostitute. Do you like that?”

Winnie’s answer was simple.

“Get lost!”

But Willis was already certain of victory.

“The threat I whispered to you earlier still stands, Winnie. If you don’t submit to this Imperial Princess, the remaining 25 Elves…”

Willis didn’t finish her sentence, but Winnie didn’t believe it.

“I don’t believe you’d dare do anything to them. If we die, the Elven Race will definitely go to war with the Okam Empire!”

Winnie was very sure of this, because her mother would definitely avenge her!

“Oh, so you mean the Elves wouldn’t let the Storm Revolutionary Army and Glorious Restoration Church off the hook either?”

“Of course!”

Seeing Winnie’s expression of ‘I dare you to do anything to us,’ Willis gave a cruel smile.

“Ophelia, go to the back and bring in a female Elf!”

The golden-haired girl who was called looked at Willis, then walked out without a word.

“What are you doing!?”

Winnie was a bit flustered at this moment.

If it were an ordinary person, they would consider the consequences of offending the Elves…

But this madwoman in front of her, this female demon!

She might be just like the Revolutionary Army!

She might not care about any of that!

When Ophelia dragged a female Elf in, Winnie’s panic reached its peak.

“Let her go! Willis!”

Ignoring Winnie’s furious shouting, Willis told Ophelia to leave.

She sat down, grabbed the female Elf’s clothes, and tore them open.

The fabric strips were shredded, and the female Elf screamed in terror.

“What are you doing!? No! No!”

“Heh, what am I doing? You’ll know soon enough.”

Willis’s lips curled into a wicked smile, but her hands didn’t stop.

This Elf, bound and dragged along with the army after yesterday’s battle and a long forced march, was already exhausted.

Her clothes were torn to shreds one by one, and she had no strength left to resist.

Listening to her kin’s screams, Winnie collapsed in the carriage, tears streaming down her face.

Her voice was hoarse.

“S…stop, I agree, I’ll do as you say!”

Upon hearing this, Willis smiled.

“Get it straight, Winnie Kanasha! You, and the rest of your kin, were all saved by me.”

“I don’t ask you to thank me, but you must pay the price for it!”

“If you refuse, these Elves won’t just be laborers for me!”

“I’ll sell them on the slave market. You know what that means…”

“Don’t think this is an empty threat. I always keep my word!”

At this point, Winnie could only nod in resignation, tears flowing down her face.

“I understand. Let her go. Whatever you want, I’ll comply.”

“That’s better.”

Willis said with a smile.

“Ophelia, come in and take her out.”

Willis casually grabbed a piece of clothing from a small cabinet and threw it over the Elf.

Ophelia entered with a complicated expression and led the terrified female Elf out.

Now, only Winnie and Willis were left in the carriage.

“Since you’ve figured things out, come over and serve this Imperial Princess.”

Willis urged.

“What are you doing!?”

Winnie’s face was filled with fear.

“It’s daytime! We’re in the carriage! Outside…”

“There are so many people outside…”

“So what?”

Willis pulled down the curtain and locked the carriage door.

The light inside dimmed.

Willis sneered.

“If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for not agreeing earlier and making me rip that Elf’s clothes… Now this Imperial Princess is all fired up!”

“You…”

Winnie looked at Willis in disbelief.

After a while, Winnie resigned herself.

“At least set up a soundproof formation…”

***

The next day, the army led by Willis had already traveled half the distance.

At dawn, the army was camped in a mountain hollow.

Winnie Kanasha washed her face and changed into Willis’s clothes.

Her expression was complicated, emotions swirling within her.

She glanced at Willis eating nearby, then turned to leave.

“Where are you going?”

Willis asked.

“To see my kin.”

Winnie explained.

“Oh, go ahead.”

Willis didn’t stop her, so Winnie walked away.

The Elves were housed in the central camp, under constant guard.

It was mealtime, but the surrounding soldiers watched them warily, weapons in hand.

Willis had ordered that at the slightest sign of magic, kill them on the spot.

If even one Elf escaped, the guards would pay with their lives.

So the soldiers kept their eyes wide open, watching the Elves.

Though the Elves were still exhausted and couldn’t muster much strength, escape was impossible.

“Winnie!”

Someone called out from the crowd.

“Karo Mama! Jenfenny!”

Winnie rushed over and hugged the two.

For a moment, the three of them wept silently.

“Good child, you’re safe, that’s all that matters…”

Karo Mama wept with relief.

After a while, the three of them cried and talked.

Then Karo Mama asked,

“Winnie, now…are you with that Imperial Princess…?”

Winnie wiped her tears and nodded.

“Mm.”

“Sigh~ Anyway, she saved us… By the way, how will she handle us?”

This was what all the remaining Elves wanted to know.

“Willis said we’d be assigned as maids. She promised not to make things hard for us.”

This was Willis’s bottom line.

No matter how Winnie refused, as long as Willis threatened to sell or even kill them…

Winnie had no choice but to give in.

And this was the price she paid—according to Willis, it was a mercy.

“Serve her for two years, and the debt of saving our lives will be repaid!”

“During that time, she won’t overly restrict our freedom, just like regular maids.”

Karo Mama understood how difficult it was to get the Evil Princess to make such a decision.

She could only hold Winnie gently.

“You’ve suffered, child.”

“It’s fine, things are already like this, so she got a bargain.”

Winnie smiled bitterly, then said goodbye to everyone.

“I’m heading back. She won’t let me leave for more than ten minutes.”