The Villainess is a Marionette

The woman’s face could not be seen as she was wearing a hat with a mesh around her face.

While Olivia was wary, the woman took an envelope out of her handbag and carefully held it out. In that short time, Olivia looked at the inside of her handbag. Unexpectedly, there was a pattern that looked like a family emblem inside it.

‘A crown? So the bag’s lining is embroidered with a crown… Not many families have such a symbol.’

The envelope, similarly, had no seal except for the red candle wax. It was a letter that hid the sender’s identity.

“My master asked me to deliver this to you.”

“…Is there any reason I should read this when I don’t even know who sent it?”

“My master said that if Miss Grace asks that, I should tell you this.”

The veiled woman opened her mouth.

“An intelligent and curious woman such as yourself, you would have questioned the recent happenings. If you see this, it might help a little.”

“……”

Olivia closed her lips tightly.

‘They addressed me with informal speech.’

That meant that the person must have a higher title and rank than her. Who was this master that the woman is talking about? It was as if they knew her well.

An anonymous letter. The crown in the handbag’s lining. There were many hints there.

‘It’s Princess Cayena.’

Olivia received the letter politely.

“My master said you would definitely be able to infer her identity. It appears that she was right.”

Soon, a carriage arrived. It was a hired carriage rather than a personal one.

“You don’t have to reply.”

Saying that, the woman entered the carriage and closed the door.

Olivia’s own carriage had been delayed because of that woman’s carriage. She realized that the woman had done it on purpose to keep her feet tied.

‘I wonder why the princess secretly sent me a letter.’

Olivia was confused.

“Milady?”

Her maid opened the carriage door and called out to Olivia. Olivia hid the letter and climbed aboard. The maid was riding next to the horseman, so she was the only one inside the carriage.

Olivia immediately opened the letter.

「It would be better for your family to wait until the next request arrives. I’d prefer that you wait as quietly as you can without revealing your presence. I look forward to seeing you soon.」

“Wait for the next request…..?”

And saying that she looks forward to seeing her, hmm.

‘It seems to mean that I shouldn’t respond to the prince’s request and just wait.’

But what was this about the next request? Furthermore, she implied that they were bound to meet soon.

‘Is she trying to issue an imperial order?’

That made even less sense. The emperor did not care about these things. Also, it was well known that he had a bad relationship with the princess.

Olivia looked at the letter and frowned.

“What are you thinking…?”

She had a hunch that she had been caught up in a storm.

***

Vera spoke to Cayena, who was comfortably reading as a maid combed her hair.

“Your Highness. Lord Raphael requested an audience with you again today.”

Cayena was silent for a while, then responded lukewarmly.

“…Tell him I do not feel well, and that he needs to come back some other time.”

“I’ll let him know.”

It was her fifth time refusing him since we had our chat about marriage partners. In the meantime, rumors of Raphael’s marriage have spread in society, and numerous visitors have been in and out of the capital.

“What is Rezef doing now?”

“His Highness is meeting with Count Dominin.”

“The one with the sapphire mine? It’s been a while since his wife died, hasn’t it?”

“Yes.”

The aristocrats who wanted to marry into the imperial family constantly visited the imperial city, and so Rezef had been busy.

The emperor was not able to receive visitors because the emperor was unwell, and Cayena was still feigning weakness from the poison.

This was an opportunity that Cayena made for Rezef.

Meanwhile, Rezef built relationships with the powerful, deep-rooted aristocrats. When people in power talk, political interests are bound to come up.

Cayena’s marriage provided a very good opportunity for Rezef.

Rezef, who had recently been very upset by Archduke Heinrich, was greatly pleased with the flow of people that Cayena brought in.

He also openly said that she was the only one who truly cares for him.

In addition to praising her, he even increased the budget for Cayena’s palace. With that money, Cayena bought luxury items for her ladies-in-waiting.

Needless to say, their attitudes became more careless.

“I should make a snack for Rezef.”

Vera naturally understood the remark as an order to prepare some refreshments and asked, “What should I prepare?”

“I’ll make it myself,” Cayena said.

“……Your Highness will?”

None of the ladies-in-waiting here had ever seen her enter the kitchen.

They heard that back when her nanny was in the capital, they would make refreshments together, but surely that was only a story?

Even if it wasn’t that was nothing more than childhood playing. They headed for the kitchen with Cayena, puzzled.

***

“Greetings, Your Imperial Highness!”

The kitchen servants were startled by her surprise visit.

What occasion had brought the princess to visit? They traded glances with each other.

Vera said to the kitchen servants, “Her Highness will be preparing a snack for the prince.”

The explanation further confused them.

‘Did we do something wrong…?’

“Continue doing what you were doing,” Cayena said. She rolled up her sleeves and checked the groceries she had personally ordered.

“Please tell me what you need, Your Highness. I will bring you whatever you need right away!”

“I’m really fine.”

The man was instantly embarrassed when he saw her acting so maturely.

Cayena took out flour, butter, sugar, and cinnamon. She looked like she was used to working in the kitchen, not even asking for a recipe.

‘No way.’

The head chef rubbed his eyes.

Now, he saw Cayena holding a knife, cutting up an apple and peeling it.

“I’ll do this, Your Highness!”

“If you wish.”

Cayena quickly handed over an apple and a knife to the chef.

The head chef was about to finish peeling the apple when he hesitated. Cayena was someone who never had reason to hold a knife, but she had peeled it very thinly.

‘This much can just be a coincidence.’

While peeling an apple, he took a look at what had already been prepared. He asked carefully, “Are you trying to bake an apple pie?”

Cayena praised the chef as if she admired him very much.

“You knew just from looking at this. As expected of the head chef.”

Cayena began to make the dough while the chef boiled the apples. As the chef continued to help her by her side, he couldn’t help but be in awe. He couldn’t say that the princess was an expert, but she was certainly talented.

“I didn’t know you were this skilled, Your Highness.”

The ladies-in-waiting were curious because Cayena seemed to be adept at the task. But it was even more strange that the head chef praised her.

“You’re very skilled at handling the ingredients. Your speed is quick, as well.”

At these words, Cayena had a shy look on her face. The charm of the haughty-looking beauty doubled with such a look.

“You’re praising me too much,” she said.

‘After all, I’ve been living alone for years in my previous life.’

She grew up in a single-mother household and lived alone after her mother died of illness, so she had to get used to kitchen work. Her mother was even a baker.

“Your tongue is as smooth as oil.”

She told off the chef with a coquettish air. The chef became flustered and waved his arms in denial.

“Th-that’s not it, Your Highness! I really mean it!”

It was obviously a flattering statement, so the ladies-in-waiting doubted it.

“I’ll give you some even if you don’t flatter me like that,” Cayena said scoldingly, placing two stuffed pies in a preheated oven.

The head chef looked very moved at Cayena’s words. To receive food made by a member of the Imperial family was an honor, something to boast about for his children and his children’s children.

The chef’s ecstatic response further convinced the ladies-in-waiting that he was only flattering Cayena. It was clear that the chef was just fascinated by Cayena’s beauty.

‘I don’t need to look like a talented person.’

She had to act in a way that was acceptable to others. If she needlessly showed off her skills in everything, it would only raise their expectations.

“I’ve baked two pies so that everyone can taste it.”

Looking at the respectable-looking pies, they started to get excited.

“How do you intend to bring some to the prince?”

Lydia asked this with an ulterior motive, thinking it was a chance to see Rezef’s face.

Cayena originally intended to send Vera to deliver the snack. But listening to Lydia, she realized that many of her court ladies wanted that honor.

‘If I send Vera to this situation, it’ll be easier to isolate her from the group, but…”

She wouldn’t be able to win Vera’s loyalty using such ill-intentioned tactics. She judged that it was better for her ladies-in-waiting to compete for it.

“Any one of you can go.”

At Cayena’s words, the ladies began to look at each other, fighting with their eyes.

Once the pie was done, Cayena moved it onto a different plate in order to cool it down.

A hand unexpectedly interrupted her as she was doing so.

“I’ll bring this to His Highness!”

Lydia grabbed the pie that Cayena had been moving.

“Oh, that’s…!”

Lydia screamed before the surprised chef could stop her.

“Ah! Hot!”

She burned her hand and threw the plate.

The pie flew straight to Cayena’s arm, which was right in front of Lydia.

“Your Highness!”

The hot pie touched Cayena’s bare skin as she had her sleeves rolled up while cooking.

~~~