My Yandere Empress

Chapter 19: Ch 19: A Maniac’s Daughter

Enzo felt his heart skip a beat as he glanced at the lady leaning against the rock across him, her side figure visible to him.

Her brown hairs were meticulously tucked behind her ears and arranged in a ponytail, her pointy nose and plump lips adding to her mesmerising appearance. Her skin glowed faintly, mainly from the sheen layer of battle sweat clinging to her. She was adorned in metallic armour, befitting of a high level knight of the Windsor Empire.

And her eyes...

Those bluish goblets darted sideways as she finally took notice of Enzo. She stopped scrubbing her katana, which still had blood stains on them, refusing to budge from their place.

Keeping aside the sharp weapon, she turned completely towards Enzo as she greeted him.

"Oh...you are finally awake."

Neither her eyes nor her face however, showed any trace of emotions as she said those words. To any other person, it might have looked like she was simply saying them out of formality.

Enzo however, knew better.

He briefly closed his eyes as he shook his head lightly, realising he had been making a fool out of himself by staring at her for too long.

"All thanks to you, Princess Valerie." He curtisied deeply as he greeted her in return.

For a moment, there was silence. Valerie stared at him without any change of expression, her eyes searching his for whatever she wanted to find.

She then turned her head and touched her shoulders. Feeling only metal under her touch, she turned back to Enzo and muttered, more to herself.

"I...am not wearing the royal cloak."

Enzo stared her in confusion, not understanding what she wanted to say. But a certain clarity retuned to his eyes as she further added, "How did you...recognise me?"

It was a natural question, born out of common sense and constant cautiousness. So considering his words carefully, he offered her a knowing smile mixed with gratitude.

"Who here haven’t heard about Princess Valerie of the Windsor Empire?"

"There’s a difference between knowing and... recognising." freewebnovёl.ƈom

Valerie’s eyes turned slightly cold as she countered with calculated words.

Feeling the pressure of the situation, Enzo struggled to maintain his composure. Earlier, it had been his foolish mistake on greeting her by her name. Surprised and probably, stupified by her unexpected appearance had briefly made him lose his logical self.

He realised his stupidity the moment those words had left his mouth but alas, when has the sun ever set in east?

"...Why are you not afraid?" freeweɓnovel.cøm

He never got the chance to answer the previous question and instead, was taken aback by the abrupt change in direction.

"Afraid of what though?"

Valerie’s eyes narrowed further as she pointed at herself, letting the words remain unsaid.

Enzo on the other hand, was working overtime inwardly trying to find the proper words to de-escalate the rising tension and her suspicions.

He was well aware that flattery here was not an option. That didn’t work on her, rather it only made her more and more wary - something that her court ministers had yet to understand.

And even her point was well put. Afterall, there was an ongoing war between the Windsors and the Hermanns, between dominace and survival.

So truly...

Why was he not afraid?

Enzo bowed yet again, as he said with a convincing force behind his words.

"Because you saved me. I might not know your intentions but I do know the rumours about you aren’t true."

A flicker of surprise passed through her eyes before the mask of composure slipped back into place. She stepped forward, coming in his range as she lifted her katana and placed it on his neck.

"Still no fear?"

"Not really, princess." He shook his head, feeling the sharp blade retreating slightly so as to not let him be injured. A smile almost threatened to dance on his lips as he saw the action.

His hunch had been absolutely right. The plot might have started changing but not the character. Atleast not yet.

He knew she wasn’t a ruthless maniac as the rumours seemed so eager to claim. However, her lifeless eyes did little to convince people otherwise. And thus, she lived with that stained reputation while in reality, it was her mother who was the real danger behind all this.

Frieza Windsor.

Empress to the Windsor Empire and Emperor Alex’s beloved Champion.

The novel only had a few references to her and yet, that was enough to display her personalities. A loving wife, a protective daughter and the stern pillar of the Windsor Empire.

But that was not the time for him to dissect someone’s character when that character’s very own daughter was holding a katana to his neck.

It was true he wasn’t fully afraid but that didn’t stop his heart from beating like a war drum.

"...Naive." Valerie observed even though her sword arm dropped to her sides.

Enzo smiled faintly as he questioned with respect.

"Princess Valerie, may I ask a question?"

Giving her no chance to say anything, he asked.

"Have we lost the battle?"

He was indeed quite curious about his clan’s fate. This question was rather important to ascertain his own fate as well.

He hadn’t been killed yet, so that must mean the Hermanns haven’t been slaughtered like they were in the original plot right?

If only he knew the reason...

Valerie glanced at him and asked a counter question. "Are you named?"

"No, my lady."

"Ohh?" She appeared surprised as she commented. "You look rather...fluent and level headed for just a random Hermann."

Enzo chuckled. "If calmness was what the named Hermanns had to adhere to, perhaps we would have had a tame Shogun, don’t you think?"

Valerie gave a faint nod.

"The battle...your people didn’t win. There was, however, a negotiation."

Her gaze suddenly turned complex as she looked up at him again. Seeing that, a frown appeared on his forehead.

When did the princess start expressing her emotions so properly?

Her voice was still the same monotone he had read about. But her eyes...they for the first time, displayed proper emotions.

"What...negotiation?"

A pause. Then she spoke again, the mood behind her words changing abruptly.

"That’s a rather informal way to speak to royalty. Seems you do lack the proper discipline of the nobility."

Enzo’s eyes widened when he saw a smile on her lips. It was almost imperceptible but it was there...

’What the hell is going on here?!’

She never smiled. Atleast that’s what he knew....Then why was she smiling?

To Enzo, it didn’t look like the malicious kind of smile either. Worse, it was rather a smile that expressed she had convinced herself of something and wouldn’t budge no matter what.

Her voice soon arrived in low whispers, meant for Enzo’s ears.

"Ah, but I have made a decision. Yes..." She looked deep in his eyes as she muttered, "...That’s how I can do my duty...and keep you safe. Yes..."

Enzo felt his heart clench involuntarily. He felt something bad about to happen...

"Oh, before that..." Valerie clicked her fingers as several butterflies glowing in deep pinkish shades appeared out of thin air, hovering around her.

She motioned them towards him as the butterflies dissolved into minute particles and entered his body through his countless pores.

[~Ding~]

[You have gained +1 fragments.]

[You have...]

[...]

Several system notifications voiced their content as his eyes squinted to pinpricks.

"Don’t worry. These are the spoils from the Shadow Wolves of the second floor. All yours now."

"Why...?" He rasped in confusion.

"My wish...Enzo..."

Enzo felt the world narrow, his eyes widening at her. His mind made a quick calculation as only one figure came to his mind, who should logically be knowing his name.

"Eighth aspirant..."

Princess Valerie’s smile deepened, seemingly happy at being recognised. And also amused at his deductive skills.

The next moment, she disappeared and appeared right behind him. And before he could even turn towards her, her hand came flying to his neck as she chopped there.

"All for your safety..."

Enzo heard her say as his vision blurred and he lost his consciousness.

Again.