Chapter 23: Princess True Face [1]
'Yes, this smile is perfect for today,' I thought as I looked at my reflection. I looked beautiful with a red gown and blonde hair, and golden eyes. My smile is even more wonderful. It's all because of the efforts that I put into mastering my expression.
<<WOW! Princess looks beautiful today.>>
I looked toward my trustworthy maid when I heard a voice inside my head. She was looking at me like I was some kind of doll. Well, I admit I looked like one. She is one of the people that I find who don't have any ill intentions toward me or want anything in return from me.
Since my childhood, I have been hearing voices inside my head. At first, I thought it was my inner voice, but after becoming 5 years old, I understood that this is not my inner voice but my ability. It's the most cursed ability someone can have. Yes, I can hear the thoughts of others.
This ability destroyed my life. Knowing that my mother didn't love me because I am the daughter of the person she was forced to marry, knowing that my brothers will kill me if I have a more powerful ability than them, knowing that my childhood friend just wants to use me, knowing that my father doesn't care if I live or die.
'Truth really hurts,' I thought as I looked at my face in reflection. My face still carried a brilliant smile. I cry from inside whenever I hear something like that, but my face never changes its brilliant smile. I never let anyone know my true ability. My ability is weak in combat, but if someone knows of my ability, they will definitely try to kill me or use me for their benefit. I know that even my father will not object to anything about it. As I am reading the minds of all the people I met, I know one thing: This world is corrupt from the inside. Almost everyone is running for greater power, but I don't want to live a life like this. I know I am powerless, but I will find someone. Someone who is powerful but stupid, someone who is good-hearted and righteous. I will manipulate him to live a happy life.
"Princess, it's time," said the maid who was standing beside me. I looked at her and nodded my head. It's time for me to enter. This rising ceremony is the only way for me to find that person. My father already instructed me to search for candidates to be my fiancé. I must find him. I rose from my seat and moved toward the exit of the room.
...
As I entered the hall, I noticed that everyone was not looking in my direction but at a particular spot. I was shocked to see that. I never expected that when I entered, no one would look at me. As I moved closer towards that direction, I saw a bluish beam. I was shocked to see that someone was fighting in the rising ceremony organized by the royal family.
This was a direct insult to the royal family. I didn't particularly like the royal family, but as their princess, I felt the need to stop this fight. I hurriedly moved towards the incident, but my steps halted as I got a clear view of what was happening.
I saw a beautiful girl with Olive hair and eyes. Her cold expression and confident demeanor made her look attractive. She was wearing a black maid outfit, indicating that she was a maid standing beside a boy. I knew that boy. He was Asher Blackthorn. He looked somewhat attractive with his black hair and jet-black eyes. He wore an all-black suit representing the Blackthorn family. I knew some details about the boys attending this ceremony as my father had already provided me with some information to assist in my selection.
I didn't know much about Asher's ability, but I knew he had a defense-type ability, which was considered weak. I didn't want to form any connection with someone weak. I looked towards the opposite side to see who was attacking Asher's maid.
I saw Aurora Firestone as the one attacking his maid. I had encountered Aurora Firestone before, and I was aware of her inferiority complex but attacking someone under the royal family was going too far. I knew she had a powerful ability, which was why she was doing this. She believed that her family's high rank would save her in the end.
'I will blame this whole incident on that powerless maid to form a good connection with Aurora,' I thought as I saw multiple bluish beams moving towards Asher's maid. Asher must have saved her with his defense ability, but this time it would be difficult to protect her but before the beams could touch Asher's maid, they suddenly stopped and vanished, shocking everyone.
I looked at Asher, trying to read his thoughts <<It's a good thing I already instructed Luna not to kill anyone, or that girl would be dead by now.>> I was shocked when I heard his thoughts. It was all done by his maid named Luna. She also had a defense-type ability, but that wasn't what shocked me. I was shocked to learn that his maid could kill Aurora.
When I was about to take a step forward to stop the fight, I saw Aurora's manservant moving towards Asher's maid with the intention to kill her. I knew that Aurora's manservant was a 9-level ability user, considered very strong. I anticipated that her maid would suffer a gruesome death, but before the manservant could touch her, he suddenly turned into particles of energy and vanished from existence.
I was so shocked that I couldn't say or do anything. The person who was considered strong had been killed in a matter of seconds, or rather, his entire existence had been erased. <<She did it. Killing a manservant might not be an issue, but if she were to kill that girl...>> I heard a voice inside my head. It was Asher's thought. So, his maid had truly killed him in an instant. I was even more shocked to learn that Asher had such a powerful ability user as his maid. According to the information from the Royal Agency, Asher Blackthorn had a defense-type ability and was not considered Important in the family. My curiosity about Asher Blackthorn grew, but I had to intervene before the fight escalated further.
I moved closer and said, "Stop it," in an authoritative tone. I looked at Asher, contemplating whom to blame for this situation. In the end, I decided to blame Aurora because she was the one who had started the fight, and more importantly, there was more to Asher Blackthorn than I knew.
After making my decision, I turned to Aurora and asked her, "Miss Firestone, can you explain why you did that?" She replied in a trembling voice, "I... I made a mistake." Losing a 9-ability user was not a small matter, even for the Firestone family, and it was all due to a trivial reason. She would undoubtedly be severely punished.
I then turned my attention to Asher, eager to hear his explanation. He replied arrogantly, "I just killed a bug." Though his reply was arrogant, it was true. His maid had eliminated a 9-ability user as easily as killing a bug.
I approached Asher, and he rose from his seat, introducing himself with a little bow, "Nice to meet you, Isabella Constantine. I am Asher Blackthorn." He seemed to want to change the topic.
I accepted his attempt to steer the conversation and replied, "The pleasure is mine." I glanced at his maid, trying to read her thoughts <<Asher looks so cool and handsome in this dress. I love him.>> I heard her thoughts, which once again shocked me. She was deeply in love with him, or perhaps she had been brainwashed. It was not uncommon for powerful families to brainwash individuals and turn them into slaves, but I had never encountered someone who had been brainwashed to such a degree. I became even more curious about her origins.
"Will you not introduce me to your maid?" I asked Asher in a soothing tone, accompanied by a charming smile. This approach usually worked on young individuals, but his reply caught me off guard. He responded, "She is just a maid, not worth introducing to someone of your level." How could he say that? He knew she was a level 10 ability user, a rarity in the entire human domain, and yet he claimed she wasn't worth introducing. Instead of conceding defeat, I maintained my stance and said, "The Blackthorn family must have significant resources to assign a level 10 ability user as a personal maid to the third lord of their family," hoping to glean even a small detail about her.
To my expectations, Asher replied, "She is my personal maid. She was not given to me by my family. She is loyal to me and me alone." I had anticipated this after reading his maid's thoughts, but I couldn't comprehend how he could have brainwashed her without the involvement of his family. I needed to know more about him, but for now, I had other guests to attend to. With a brilliant smile, I said, "Oh, let's talk another time. I have more guests to attend."
<<I want to see her expression when I rob the Royal treasury>> I heard a voice, causing my expression to momentarily freeze. It was the first time in a while that something had shaken me. After a second, I regained my composure, but his thought lingered in my mind. 'The Blackthorn family wants to rob the Royal treasury, an impossible feat even for demons and gods,' I pondered as I left.
This information is overwhelming. Does the Blackthorn family plan to incite a revolt? But why would they disclose such crucial details to someone like Asher, who lacks powerful abilities and experience? I contemplated while greeting everyone. For now, I decided to set it aside. I still needed to find my ideal type, a potential fiancé. I scanned the room to locate the person I was seeking and soon spotted a boy with golden hair and golden eyes. He appeared attractive, but I was curious about his ability. Even the Royal Agency hadn't been able to gather any information about it. I began to make my way towards him.
As I approached, he bowed and introduced himself, saying, "I am Lux Stromborn. Nice meeting you, Princess." His eloquent speech and kind-hearted demeanor matched the qualities I sought. To confirm my impression, I decided to read his thoughts. <<Princess looked even more beautiful up close. It's amazing to make her mine.>> His thoughts weren't vulgar or lustful, just the musings of a young man captivated by the beauty before him.
With a soothing tone, I replied, "The pleasure is mine." To assess his mindset, I asked, while gesturing towards Asher who was drinking, "So, what are your thoughts on this incident?"
"I believe Miss Firestone is wrong, but what Asher did is also wrong," he replied with a righteous expression. He proceeded to evaluate the wrongdoing of both Aurora and Asher, After a long explanation. He concluded, "We can't determine who is right or wrong. I only think that the maid did nothing wrong as she was just following orders."
He's righteous, spouting this kind of nonsense, only a righteous person would say. Though his words grated on my ears, I maintained an expression of awe to convey my admiration for his profound explanation.
Let's test if he's foolish enough to be manipulated, I thought. In a sad tone, I said, "That maid is really pitiful. She's stuck with that devil." I aimed to manipulate him into viewing Asher as his enemy. He nodded in agreement. <<I will talk to her after I outperform everyone to become my maid. I can't leave her with Asher.>> Satisfied with the outcome, I concluded he was an easily manipulable idiot.
Now, for the final and most crucial evaluation, I inquired, "You must be powerful," maintaining the same soothing tone and everlasting smile.
"You will know," he replied mysteriously, attempting to impress me with his enigmatic and cool demeanor. <<You will know when I create history by fighting 50 level-five monsters.>> His thoughts impressed me. He will be battling 50 level-five monsters. 'He must possess a formidable ability,' I thought, growing more excited as I had finally found the person I sought—powerful, foolish, and kind-hearted. With a farewell, I left him to find my backup plan in case he met his demise during the rising ceremony.
...
It was time for the dance, where I had to choose three individuals as my candidates. I contemplated whether I should select Asher or not. While I remained unaware of his abilities, this dance would provide an opportunity to gather more information about him and his maid. Perhaps I could uncover what plans the Blackthorn family had in store. With that in mind, I made my way toward Asher.
As I approached him, I attempted to read his thoughts. <<No, please don't choose me. I know you're selecting your fiancé candidate, but I don't want unnecessary trouble. I've had enough of my own.>> Once again, I was shocked. Today, this same person had managed to astonish me multiple times. How could he possess knowledge that only my father and I were privy to?
'What do you mean by trouble? Am I a trouble for you?' I wondered, continuing to move closer. "Will you dance with me?" I asked. His response was as expected. "No," he replied. Nonetheless, I maintained my composure, holding the same expression. <<It's not like she has a powerful ability or anything, and I know she won't mind my rejection.>> His thoughts once again invaded my mind.
This further shocked me. 'Now, how does he know something that only my father and I know? And how does he know that I don't mind his rejection?' I pondered. Nevertheless, I responded, "Okay." I struggled to maintain my expression, determined to unravel all of Asher Blackthorn's secrets if I had the chance. With a distorted mind, I departed. Nothing related to Asher Blackthorn made any sense at this point.
...
Maybe the Blackthorn family has planted some spies within the Royal Family. Seriously, the Blackthorns seem to have more than meets the eye. I need to conduct a thorough investigation on them I thought as I approached Asher, knowing that the event was coming to an end and it was time to bid farewell to everyone from the Great Family. While I saw Asher's back, I overheard his thoughts <<She still hasn't learned her lesson. Should I kill her?>>. He was contemplating killing the daughter of the Firestone family. Is he mad? Such an act would only create chaos among the great families, potentially leading to war.
I cleared my throat to get Asher's attention. He stood up and turned around, and I could hear his thoughts <<Finally, it's time for a goodbye>>. Yes, finally, we both disliked these types of events, I thought, catching a glimpse of his thoughts. It seemed he also had a distaste for these social gatherings.
"Mister Blackthorn, you are quite different from others," I remarked. Indeed, he was truly different. He never engaged in conversations or attempted to form connections, as if he knew he could only rely on himself. I admired that aspect of him, but since he possessed only a defense-type ability, he seemed rather useless. I wouldn't bother talking to him unless I wanted to gather information about the Blackthorn family's plans.
<<Yeah, I don't act like a kid who can't control his pants>>, I heard him while he said "Everyone has their own personality." I wholeheartedly agreed with him. These youngsters couldn't control their impulses, making them easily manipulated and exploited.
After bidding farewell to Asher and all the members of the Great Family, I left. It was crucial for me to conduct thorough research on Asher and the Blackthorn family, as they could potentially pose a threat to my plans. If they were to initiate a revolt before the start of the academy, it would undoubtedly shatter my carefully laid-out scheme.
Author's Note:
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