Reincarnated Princess Wishes To Avoid Death

Chapter 603

The Serpent’s Malice

Even on that day, the Serpent Priestess, Valentina was enjoying tea with Citrina as usual.

“Come to think of it, do you not have any interest in martial arts? I’ve heard that the daughter of Duke Redmoon from the Tearmoon Empire is quite skilled with a sword.”

“No. Rina can’t swing something that heavy.”

“Hehe, have you ever carried anything heavier than a vial of poison?”

In response to Valentina, whose face was adorned with a smile, Citrina gave a curt reply.

“Even with training, I doubt I could match the strength of the formidable guard you have here.”

Citrina cast a brief glance at the Wolf Master standing beside Valentina.

“Oh my, I wouldn’t say that’s necessarily true. You people of the Yellowmoon House, even if you lack physical strength, have mastered the use of poison as a means of killing, haven’t you? It’s the same principle as swordsmanship.”

Valentina smiled elegantly before taking a sip of her tea.

“In terms of raw strength, of course, I’m no match for him. Our powers are different. But I could still cut him to death, because…”

With deliberate grace, Valentina picked up the fork from the table and pricked her fingertip as if to make her point.

“Humans are weaker than steel. No matter how strong they are, a blade can easily pierce through the skin. You can kill anyone by cutting off their neck, arms, or another vital spot. Even Dion Alaia, whom Princess Mia is so proud of, would fall. Of course, a certain level of ingenuity is required. When it’s clear that you are no match for your opponent in terms of strength, you should employ subtle tactics. Avoid direct clashes, such as exchanging blades, and maintain a distance to make it difficult for your opponent to exert force. But that’s something you can achieve only through practice. Frankly, it’s absurd to debate whether someone is good at swordsmanship. In fact, you could simply shoot your opponent with a bow from afar and kill them.”

She sneered, as if swordsmanship were inherently worthless.

“Indeed. Valentina-sama must be very strong. Perhaps that’s why you sent all your guards away?”

Citrina glanced towards the deserted corridor. The women from the Fire Clan had arrived a little before noon. Most of the soldiers guarding the castle had answered their call and disappeared with them.

“Well, you could say that it’s a bad situation. It’s no concern of mine; it’s Princess Mia’s issue. The Fire Clan was lured in by some delicious bait, and their hearts were stolen. She’s quite skilled.”

Valentina then turned her attention to the Wolf Master, Ka Maku.

“Even if he had ordered it using his authority as clan leader or whatever, it probably wouldn’t have worked. Well, I don’t think he would have ordered it in the first place… but in any case, this situation is what you wanted, right, Maku?”

When questioned, Maku turned his attention to Valentina, his expression unchanged.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, though…”

“The love-struck Chief elopes with the Serpent Priestess and abandons his Clan. The Clan becomes resentful and angry at the Chief’s selfishness, loses all sense of obligation to him, and no longer hesitates to seek help from the Equestrian Kingdom. The only problem left is his sister, Aima-san, who has inherited the ability to control wolves. But well, she could be easily subjugated. Depending on the circumstances, you wouldn’t mind taking Aima-san with you, or something like that… Isn’t that what you were thinking?”

The Wolf Master did not respond to Valentina’s words, instead he simply stared at her in silence.

Valentina’s smirk softened into a wry grin. To Citrina, for some reason, that expression seemed full of affection—something reserved for a useless younger sibling.

“Maku, you’re a bit clumsy, you know?”

“Is that so?”

“That’s right. No one would believe someone like you could fall so passionately in love, so most of the clan warriors followed you. You should have at least whispered words of love or shown me some sign of interest. You’re so inept…”

“I see.”

The Wolf Master nodded slightly and then said,

“I rather expected you to refuse, Valentina. Isn’t maintaining a large fighting force against the Serpents’ tactics?”

“Yes, exactly. That perception is absolutely correct. Kunrou-san, who disappeared quickly, is following the Serpents’ ways. A Serpent can show its true power only when it hides among people. But you see, I’m a Serpent Priestess, so I’m a little different from the other Serpents.”

“The Serpent Priestess was a fabricated entity meant to bolster the authority of the Fire Clan Chief. I believe you mentioned something like that.”

The Serpent Priestess nodded in agreement at Citrina’s words.

“You remembered well. That’s admirable, Rina-chan.”

When she heard her name called in such a familiar manner, Citrina couldn’t stop her face from showing irritation.

After several tea parties, it seemed that Valentina had completely figured out all of Citrina’s weak points, and she felt unpleasant about it.

Valentina did not seem to be bothered by it at all and continued with a radiant smile.

“But that’s still a bit of a naive understanding. Authority is authority, even if it’s temporary. It may be a facade, but doesn’t it look impressive from the outside? A threat that must be eradicated at all costs, an enemy that must be defeated even at the cost of one’s life. An opponent one must meet face to face and listen to what they have to say. It’s all an illusion.”

“That’s right…”

Indeed, that was true. Mia and the others did regard Valentina as the core of the Serpents, a dire adversary.

“I’ve been thinking for a long time about how to use the authority of the Serpent Priestess. Honestly, this empty title is more of a hindrance than anything. It makes me want to lie low, but throwing it away would be a waste. So, what should I do? Right now, the biggest obstacle for us Serpents is Princess Mia of the Empire. That’s why I thought I could use it to lure her here.”

“So, you’re staying here even though you’ve lost most of your guards?”

“You seem to have misunderstood. I wasn’t particularly counting on the military strength of the Fire Clan warriors. What I meant by ‘bad’ is that if we let them go too easily, it might become obvious that we have a plan in place that doesn’t require them. That’s the level of bad I meant.”

Having finished her tea, Valentina stood up, brought a fresh teapot, and poured into both her own cup and Citrina’s.

“I wanted to get rid of the warriors to make it easier for Princess Mia to come here. There was no other way. I thought of putting on an act and pretending to oppose their departure, but if I did that, Maku would end up hating me.”

Valentina said, giggling.

“Why do you keep telling Rina these things?”

Citrina looked up and glared at Valentina, not understanding why she was making it a point to tell her about their upcoming plan.

“Well, I wonder why… I’ll tell you once you’ve finished your tea. Now, have one more cup before it gets cold. I’ve made it to just the right temperature. It’s delicious, you know?”

Valentina said, flashing a brilliant smile.

She was being toyed with. With this bitter realisation, Citrina took a sip of tea…

“Huh… what?”

The cup slipped from her hand.

Her vision blurred, and the world around her warped.

She had been careless. She hadn’t even expected it. She couldn’t believe they would poison her at that stage.

“Bel…chan…”

Citrina tumbled off her chair and collapsed onto the floor.

“As I thought, I’m better with swords than with poison. If the quantity is smaller, it takes too long to work.”

“Is that okay? I thought you said you would use her alive…”

“Of course, I intend to ensure she doesn’t die, but whether she survives depends on Princess Mia and whether she can make it in time. If I administer the antidote, she’ll wake up as if it were all a lie. But if I’m too late, she’ll fall into an eternal sleep and eventually die. I’ve already given the antidote, but only God knows if it will reach her in time.”

“Strange for the Serpent Priestess to take the name of God…”

“If they don’t make it in time, they will curse God. If they do make it in time, even then… they will curse God. Those who curse God and hate the world will eventually become Serpents.”

Valentina said, the corners of her mouth twitching into a faint smile.

“Hmm, let’s see. For now, I think I should get Rina-chan changed into something else. Yes, something more shabby and tattered. Oh, I know. I have some clothes that would be suitable for a sacrifice. I’ll dress her in those and tie her to the altar of that evil, heretic chapel. Staging is quite important, after all. Let’s make sure her appearance leaves one wondering what terrible things had been done to her.”

A malicious plot was being hatched right above her head, but Citrina could do nothing to resist.

“But you know, when she was first brought in, she looked somewhat gaunt and haggard. However, since she’s been eating well these past few days, her complexion has improved. She doesn’t look all that convincing, does she?”

“Hehe, it’s true. I had thought she was a more sensitive and delicate girl. But then again, that’s to be expected of someone from the Yellowmoon Duke House. Once she was convinced by my explanation and made up her mind, she ate without hesitation and slept soundly. She’s got quite the nerve.”

In response to the extremely rude conversation taking place over her head, Citrina, the noble daughter of the Duke household, wished to protest firmly, but she could not manage even that.

“Well, even with that level of poison, her complexion will turn pale, so it should be fine. I will set up a proper performance to make them feel the need to instinctively rush over and save her.”

As Citrina’s consciousness began to fade, Valentina’s voice echoed down on her.

“Of course, it’s all just for show. I won’t hurt you any more than this. Because… you are…”

While listening to Valentina’s voice, Citrina’s consciousness slowly sank into the depths of darkness.