CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

The scenario was just as what she dreamt.

Hushed voices, eyes of every noble tailing after the passing figure of the second queen and her minions as she make towards the empty thrones at the far end of the banquet hall.

The parted crowd hid their surprise when Queen Roselia sat on the king's throne instead of hers, and her son, 3rd Prince Nicholas, stood smirking beside her.

It was public display of ridicule towards the Crown Prince, whom the second queen obviously despises. She would've made her own son the legal heir to the throne if it had not been for the king's royal decree, and everyone knows a royal decree requires the acknowledgement of majority of the noble families before it is rendered effective or useless.

'So, that's the infamous concubine and 3rd prince.' Senpai sent down the bond.

Leila scoffed, 'You mean the famous homewrecker.' She nudged at him, 'Don't admire the 3rd Prince too much, you'll catch his cooties.'

'Who said anything about admiring? I'm just naming every acne and blackhead on his face.'

'Dear, the bastard's immortal. He shouldn't have any…' Leila's voice trailed off as she caught a glimpse of the Prince's shiny face. 'Oh. That's a great idea.'

'What are you scheming this time?'

Leila hummed. She heard how that son of a bitch persistently approached Lieselotte like irritable leech. The third prince may be a royal; however, his blood is not entirely pure. Not in a pureblood perspective, but royalty speaking.

Legends foretold that the Candor Imperial family was blessed with impressive regenerative abilities because the first king helped a badly wounded great spirit of light. It is said to require a powerful noble blood to conceive a child with same regenerative abilities.

The second queen Roselia was born in wedlock, between a noble and a commoner. Moreover, Baron Foxglove, the queen's birthfather, was also a concubine's child. It was a scandal when the baron assumed the position as the next head of the Foxglove family. However, it couldn't be helped since the legitimate wife was said to have miscarriage that resulted her inability to conceive another.

In accordance to reports, it was only because of the imperial blood that the third prince was able to possess his own inherent power. It is fortunate though, that the King's infamous ability to foresee the future was not passed down to any of his sons.

Both the princes' powers are still in question, but to know that none other than the current king, who remains ill and unconscious, have the power to see the future was a breath of relief for Leila. Who knows what'll happen? He'll just mess with her plans.

'The 3rd Prince is someone bearing noble powers and long lives, but his body is no different from a human.' She sent down the bond. "It's easy to frame someone or kill them in secrecy, but death's an easy way out. Besides, it was never my style to kill someone without them suffering. Even in my past life, I make sure my targets aren't able to scream, hold, or run away first, then take my time breaking their bones, pull out their teeth and nails, skin them alive...'

'In other words, the immense pain would be the one who would kill them. But aren't you too barbaric with your methods?'

"It's nothing compared to the crimes they've done." Leila whispered in a way only Senpai would hear. "Besides, even if it is, I'm always ready for what retribution has in store for me. I already know I was never a good person to begin with."

Senpai stared at his master's unwavering form, the slight trembling in her voice, and sighed. "You think too low of yourself."

Queen Roselia raised a hand and the banquet hall silenced completely, "I would like to thank you all for coming to this ball to celebrate our most awaited signing of the peace treaty with the Kratos Empire of the East."

She gestured at the great doors of the hall, which opened in her signal. The nobles watched as a group of foreign dressed people, led by a man and a woman in luxurious clothing.

"What a fascinating design!" Senpai exclaimed in low voice. "Is it traditional Roman style? Greek? Persian? Can be Indian…" he muttered.

"It's a little bit of everything," Leila said. "Look at the women he brought, they we're dressed like those Persian dancers you often see in movies and art. With the ringing small bells or coins and apparel like belly-dancers.

The man leading immediately caught everyone's eye. For someone living in the hot weathers of Kratos as it is a desert kingdom, his skin was fair and seemed as if it was sculpted.

He had both face and body of a seemingly perfect male lead, with those black hair, gray eyes, and amused smile. However, as someone who had seen the future, Leila knew this man was far to be considered as the ML. She knew the guy was too dangerous and ruthless for that role.

At the sight, the ladies immediately settled their eyes to such delicious prey. They hid their wicked smiles behind their adorned fans, took the man's dangerous aura as aphrodisiac as the women in the hall fluttered their lashes with greed."

At some point, the intimidation simmered slightly and few giggles and words caught her ear.

"It's the Crown prince of Kratos! Isn't his face more alluring than the rumors?"

"I heard he immediately caught his father's eye after he kept bringing in great achievements!"

"The richest prince of Kratos!"

Leila clicked her tongue, mouth opening slightly, "That is no prince, that's a snake."

Senpai, who heard her low murmurs, nodded slightly. "If your seemingly prophetic dreams are spot-on, then that means the 'prince' standing in front of us know is no more than the Emperor himself."

Indeed, he was. According to her dreams, this prince had poisoned his father, the previous emperor, during the celebratory banquet of his first great achievement. An event so long ago it was history.

It was a poison so mysterious that it slowly killed the previous emperor and a poison unable to be detected even by the famous healers of their empire.

However, that's not all.

Leila also knew the truth that this prince…this emperor that stood confidently as if he's looking down on everyone.

The fact that he was not the emperor's legitimate son.

That's right.

This man was in fact the son of the previous emperor's younger brother who had perished during the war for the throne.

What the previous emperor didn't know was that he had brought a woman, who was already secretly carrying the child of his brother after a hidden affair, in his harem as concubine after he slept with her one time and thought he got her pregnant.

'Ugh, this is the problem with ancient people.' Leila's face contorted with a look of disgust. 'Polyamory is the weed that keeps on multiplying and never dies.'

She sighed. Then again, even in the 21st century, it is almost considered normal for couples, married or not, to cheat once or twice while in a relationship. Much more if that person is royalty.

As the signing ceremony commence, Leila's attention travelled from noble to noble. Their actions, the way venom drip from their 'sweet' exchanges, the way they hang around only those with power---

She thought it would be quite different or possibly more extreme considering she transmigrated to a world of historical-like customs, traditions, and magic. But nothing's changed; it was still the same cold and selfish world. A fantasy carbon copy of the Earth she knew.

The only difference was that in this body, as Leila Ravenna Amaryllis, she held power and that she had an active role in this place, even if it just meant ensuring her sister's survival.

The Emperor of Kratos, Kailen.

Apart from the treaty, which was a ploy to get Candor to lower their guard, he had three objectives for coming here.

First, to find the previous emperor's legitimate son and kill him.

Next, to steal Candor's most valuable sacred treasure.

And lastly, to marry the one prophesized as the Holy Saintess by the Kratorian head priest.

Forget the first two missions, what irked Leila was the fact that this bastard, illegitimate son of a bitch, is going to come after Liese the moment everyone finds out she's the prophesized one.

She was in the middle of assembling her schemes in her head when she got pulled back to the present by a loud noise of clapping hands. Leila raised her gaze and watched the scene of the queen and the 'prince' clasping hands in front of the audience.

The smiling queen raised her arms, "In the light of this joyous occasion, let the banquet commence!"

The musicians immediately picked their instruments and played a happy music as the crowd dissipates to mingle in their chosen groups.

As her gaze wandered, Leila saw Lieselotte laughing as she converse with Lady Celes and another noble lady she's unfamiliar of. 'Aah, my Liese is as cute as ever. Well, I guess it didn't matter if she spoke to one or two ladies as long as it's not a guy.'

Senpai, who only had the right to hear and enter Leila's mind, sighed heavily at his master's thoughts and walked away to mingle with the other nobles to discuss business and advertise.

Just as she was about to enjoy the company of wine, Leila saw the annoying figure of Prince Nicholas approaching Liese's group in arrogant strides. The sight immediately soured her mood.

"Ahh, Lady Liese, how is it that you're getting more beautiful each time I see you." Prince Nicholas exclaimed, his eyes glistening.

Leila clenched the fan she held. Those eyes—it still delivered the same sick feeling in her stomach. It wasn't a look of admiration or a predator that targets his prey to kill. It was obsessiveness.

Yes. Apart from the others, Leila knew the weakness and secret of every character in her dreams—in this hall. And one of them was the fact that Prince Nicholas had the sick personality similar to a hardcore yandere.

She saw a glimpse of annoyance in Liese's eyes but was quickly masked. Leila watched as her sister and the noble ladies in her group bowed at him. "Greetings, Prince Nicholas. How do you do?"

"Pleased, especially now I see you." He held up a hand. "Would you honor me with a dance?"

'Yes, come to me you angelic slut.' He thought, ignorant of how Leila could enter his mind and read him like an open book. 'You've been ignoring me—using petty excuses not to see me when I even went my way to invite you for tea. Ahh, wait till I get my hands on you, my lovely canary. You'll never see the light again, and you'll die remembering only my smell, moaning as you roll on my sheets.'

Leila watched as a perverse grin formed in his lips. Irked, Leila positioned the sharp part of her heel in his direction and sent her power silently through shadows.

From afar, people would say she was simply enjoying her wine as she entertained herself with the happenings on the hall. But underneath the skirt of her gown, crimson smoke-like power danced on her skin as it make its way towards the prince.

Craaack—!

"Aaahh!!!"

The prince screamed, collapsing on the ground as he clenched his legs. "Aaah! My leg…! My leg is breaking!"

The nobles gasped, stepping away from the scene unfolding before their eyes. Even the queen paused her conversation with the Kratorian 'prince' at the commotion. "Nicholas!" she called, hurrying over to his screaming son. "What's wrong?! What happened?"

Leila smiled internally as she turned her heel to the side swiftly, imagining crushing his bones in her mind. Of course her powers were more than happy to carry out her will.

Crack—!

"Aaarrgh!!"

"My son! My son!" the queen cried as she held onto her son's thrashing body. She turned her head to the crowd, "Where's the doctor?! Somebody get him!"

The douche prince kept screaming as she kept moving her heel left and right like how people squash cockroaches with their foot. Because that's what the prince is to Leila.

Like most ladies, Leila held her fan over her mouth as if she was shocked at what was happening. But since only the upper part of her face was exposed, she only had to widened her eyes and her brows upward to play the act, while her lips formed a wicked smile.

But then she felt a searing gaze looking her way and immediately schooled her features into indifference as she turned and met amused pair of gray eyes.

The gaze belonged to 'Prince' Kailen, looking her way wearing a faint smile on his lips. Leila's eyes wandered over his majestic looks and captivating appeal. Like an otome game, she could almost hear popping sounds of flowers blooming in the background accompanied by shimmering filter.

'I must admit, he really is an impressive eye candy. Too bad he has snakes for a soul and his greediness knows no limits' Leila thought smirking. 'Well, not that it matters to me. In fact, the greedier the better, it's easier to manipulate them that way.'

However it was never her style to give herself out immediately. It's no fun to finish a battle with one move.

So, instead of provoking him, Leila bowed her head slightly as greeting to the royal and turned away.

When the doctors came, his attendants immediately moved the thrashing prince, whose legs now bent in horrible angles, unto the stretcher and hurried him out the hall with the queen rushing in their trail.

It was nauseating watching the crowd and flurry of movements. And it would be bothersome if people started talking to her. Leila kept out of attention and moved to a more secluded place, to another balcony in the upstairs part of the hall that still has a good view of what was happening below.

Through shadows, Leila could still hear Prince Nicholas' screams as the queen yelled at the doctors. Since he wanted to take advantage of the dance to get his hands and molest Liese, its only right to return the thought right?

'Asshole.' Leila smiled wickedly as she turned to her heel and walked towards the curtained balcony, 'Let's see how you dance with broken legs.'