The Villainess is a Marionette

“It is an allergy symptom caused by eating nuts.”

The doctor thought that bad news sure happened often these days.

It all started from the day Cayena was poisoned. If he couldn’t save her, his neck would be cut off. Fortunately, it wasn’t a fatal poison, and she didn’t take a fatal dose, so she recovered well after taking medicine.

Then, suddenly, she was burned because of a court lady. The princess, who he thought would lash out wildly, had been rather quiet, while Rezef became violent. But now, she collapsed in the room, alone without a single lady-in-waiting by her side after she had eaten a nut cookie.

Allergies were serious, and they could even lead to death.

‘A cookie with nuts. What were the court ladies doing, letting this pass?’

The doctor sighed as he looked at the serving plate next to him.

‘But it shouldn’t have been bad enough to make her collapse like this… And there’s no rash, either…Is it because of her recent weakness?’

Other than being unconscious, Princess Cayena was pretty healthy and showed no other signs of an anaphylactic reaction.

But saying that it was strange would be inappropriate in this somber atmosphere.

The doctor checked for bite marks on the cookie. Perhaps she had broken off a piece before eating it, as there were no teeth marks. But the amount broken off was very small. Well, he was just glad nothing big happened.

He didn’t think much of this incident.

“She only had a little, so she will feel better soon.”

The doctor picked up the medical equipment while looking at the strangely quiet Rezef’s eyes.

At his side, all of Cayena’s court ladies were lying prostrate on the floor.

Rezef was sitting on the sofa next to the bed, expressionless. It was a tense, explosive situation.

“Leave.”

With Rezef’s permission granted, the doctor immediately went out with his medical bag.

A chilling silence fell in the bedroom.

“You.”

He pointed at Vera.

“Stand up and explain the situation.”

Vera carefully got up from her place and informed him.

“While I was delivering snacks to Your Highness, a nut cookie was mixed in among the refreshments for Her Highness. Please, kill this wicked one who was away from her place.”

“So the princess’s refreshments were not checked properly… ”

Truthfully, this was the most basic of the court ladies’ tasks.

Their discipline had become lax recently. The ladies-in-waiting stopped being careful about everything and overlooked many tasks.

That’s why they didn’t know that Donna, the maid who followed them, served nut cookies together with the refreshments.

“All right. Let’s say that nut cookies were mixed in by accident. But just why was my sister lying alone in the bedroom?”

No one answered Rezef’s composed question. How could they say that everyone was away to investigate the princess?

“Why are you all silent?”

“…We apologize, Your Highness.”

Rezef threw the glass vase beside him.

Crash—!

“Kyaa!”

He annoyedly swept his hair back and repeated, “I’ll ask again. Why was my sister lying alone in the bedroom? If no one found her, it could have been fatal.”

Everyone shut their mouths at that.

“Something like this happened in the imperial household before. A case when a nut allergy was used to kill a member of the Imperial family.”

Rezef angrily told the ladies-in-waiting, “And that person was the empress!”

The court ladies were terrified at the words. At this rate, their families could be wiped out for the crime of treason. They appealed to Rezef desperately in order to live.

“Please have mercy, Your Highness! We never meant for this to happen!”

Lydia pointed to Donna.

“That maid must have done it. She’s trying to frame us!”

Then, Donna knelt right away.

“I only took the tray and brought it here. The kitchen servants will vouch for my innocence.”

Donna raised her head with a face like she had been wronged.

“I watched with my own eyes when those cookies were pulled out of the box sent by Archduke Heinrich!”

“…Archduke Heinrich?”

“Impossible!” the court ladies shouted.

Then, someone pointed to Lydia, tears in her eyes.

“Lydia Benzeman said that Her Highness’s behavior was suspicious. She asked us to help her investigate! She intimidated us, saying that if we didn’t obey, she wouldn’t leave us alone, Your Highness!”

Lydia’s face was completely pale at the betrayal of her fellow lady-in-waiting.

She couldn’t take the blame like this.

In any case, she was a Benzeman, so her voice would be more important than theirs.

She started shouting right away.

“I’m being framed! Your Highness, do not listen to those foolish things. This is a ruse to undermine Your Highness’s power. There must be a spy among them!”

Rezef burst into anger when he saw the ladies-in-waiting accuse each other without honor. It was pathetic and disgusting.

“It’s clear that there is a spy among you, seeing as you have not told me the truth even once.”

Rezef got up from the sofa and strode toward the ladies-in-waiting.

He grabbed and pulled one of the trembling ladies.

“Ahh!”

“Is it you? Are you a spy from Heinrich?”

“Your Highness! This child could never be a spy!”

“Then, who? Is it you?”

“Kyaak!”

Rezef roughly pulled the court lady’s hair decoration.

“I see you all dare to mock me!”

“Please, spare us!”

“We regret our actions, Your Highness!”

It was when Rezef took an iron poker from the fireplace and tried to swing it at them.

“Announcing His Majesty, the Emperor!”

Through the chaotic atmosphere, they heard the voice of the doorkeeper.

Soon, the bedroom door opened wide and the pale-faced emperor walked in, supported by Grand Chamberlain Luden.

“We greet His Majesty the Emperor!”

Rezef put down the iron rod in his hand and went down on one knee.

“I greet Your Majesty.”

The emperor’s eyes glanced at Cayena, lying in bed, the mess of court ladies prostrate on the floor, and Rezef.

Then he uttered one word.

“Pathetic.”

“……”

The emperor did not grant Rezef, who was kneeling, permission to stand. He called Luden, who was helping him walk.

“Luden.”

“At your command, Your Majesty.”

“Flog all the ladies-in-waiting here, cast them out of the Imperial palace, and issue an instruction to prohibit them from coming back to the capital.”

The ladies-in-waiting began to weep. While the knights were dragging them out, the emperor pointed to Vera.

“Release that lady,” the emperor said.

Vera immediately bowed her head.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“I heard that you acted wisely. Give this lady a reward.”

“I will heed your order.”

Finally, the emperor looked at Rezef, who was still on his knee.

“Did you think that I was ignorant about your actions just because I did not react?”

He knew that Rezef was the culprit who poisoned Cayena.

He only overlooked it because Cayena used the crisis as an opportunity to become well-behaved.

Rezef gritted his teeth.

“Restrict Prince Rezef to his palace until he repents his actions.”

Rezef slowly lowered his head.

“…I will heed your order.”

“I will select the princess’s lady-in-waiting. Know that, and leave immediately.”

Rezef again bowed and left the bedroom. Everyone gulped at his disloyal attitude.

The emperor said to Vera without worry, “I’m going to send more maids, so in the meantime, try to manage the princess’s palace on your own. If necessary, I will bestow you an appropriate rank.”

“It will be the honor of my family, Your Majesty.”

The emperor nodded and took his attendants with him as they left the bedroom.

Only Cayena and Vera were left in the bedroom.

Vera stood up and said, “Everyone has left, Your Highness.”

Cayena, her eyes still closed, grinned.

~~~