Chapter 273 - This princess is in the right castle
“Regina…?” The young princess’ voice sounded out, soft and confused, as she blinked sleepily in the dim light. Her face was still slack with drowsiness, the fog of sleep slow to clear, but gradually, she seemed to register that the figure before her wasn’t who she had expected.
A stretched silence fell over the room, and Scarlett found herself rooted to the spot, caught between conflicting instincts. One part of her urged to bow, to show the reverence expected when facing a member of the imperial family. Another part screamed to activate the spell that had brought her here and vanish before it was too late. She knew neither option was particularly wise at this point, though. Fleeing now would only ensure a witness to her actions without resolving the situation, and supplicating herself wasn’t much better.
What was the second princess even doing here, of all places? And buried beneath a mountain of quilts and pillows, no less. Had she been hiding on purpose?
Scarlett’s eyes flicked around the room, half-expecting a Royal Guard to step out from the shadows. That felt unlikely, though. Holdger ‘The Mammoth’ was the one who typically guarded the princess, and he was a man whose imposing stature lived up to his moniker. She would definitely have noticed him earlier when scouting the area through the armillary sphere.
“Who are you?” the princess eventually spoke, her confusion growing. She adjusted her position on the bed, pulling a pillow embroidered with delicate gold thread into her lap like a shield. Though her movements were slow, they betrayed her effort to make sense of the unexpected situation.
Scarlett studied the girl briefly, weighing her options. Was it safe to bet that the princess wouldn’t recognise her if she vanished now? No, even if that was the case, the princess would tell others, and a vague description of Scarlett would be enough to raise suspicions.
…After several seconds, she finally let out a quiet sigh. She extended her hand towards the flame she had been using as a reading light, causing it to bloom into a warm, steady glow that illuminated more of the room.
“Greetings, Your Imperial Highness, the second star of the Empire,” she said, dipping into a graceful curtsy. “I am Baroness Scarlett Hartford.”
The princess stared at her, silent and unblinking. “…You’re that lady,” she replied after a while, almost matter-of-factly.
Scarlett paused, momentarily taken aback. “‘That lady’?”
“You were in the garden that time,” the girl continued.
Scarlett eyed her for a couple more seconds, recalling the event. The princess was referring to their brief encounter during the Proclamation Ceremony nearly half a year ago, when Scarlett had stumbled upon the girl and Allyssa in one of Hamet Garden’s hidden nooks.