The Poisonous Princess Who Successfully Infiltrated the Enemy as an Employee - Chapter 14

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 14.

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The carriage passed through the Spatial Displacement Gate and settled smoothly onto flat ground.
From the Northern Grand Duchy to the Imperial Capital—it was a distance that would normally require a carriage to run without stopping for a full fifteen days.
But thanks to using the Imperial Family’s private gate, which consumed costly Mana Stones, we had arrived swiftly.
The sun had already set completely. Through the jostling carriage window, the vast spires of the Imperial Palace glittered in the moonlight.
‘So that’s the Imperial Palace…….’
I pressed my face against the cold glass, watching the landscape roll past.
Then the knights of the Grand Ducal House escorting the carriage came into view.
Though we were entering the Imperial Palace, called the heart of the empire, the faces of the Grand Ducal knights bore no hint of the excitement of those invited to a grand celebration.
Black cloaks, silver armor, hoofbeats that rang out as steadily as a heartbeat, and knights whose jaws remained clenched as they stared forward without the slightest waver.
At a glance, there hung about them an air of grim determination—as if they were riding toward a blood-soaked battlefield rather than a banquet hall.
‘Well, for the people of the Grand Ducal House, the Imperial Palace might as well be a battlefield.’
My gaze turned to Balkan, seated across from me.
Each time the light from outside swept past the carriage, deep shadows pooled across the Grand Duke’s sharp jawline, only to fade away again.
Whether the carriage raced down rough mountain paths or skidded across icy roads, he read documents from beginning to end, undisturbed.
He looked at me as though my very existence had been erased from his sight—as though he didn’t realize he had been thrown into the flow of a tragic original story.
Watching that cold, distant face, I felt something settle heavily in my chest.
‘He has no idea.’
That this very Imperial Palace would be the place where he drew his last breath.
I swallowed a sigh and turned my gaze back to the window.
Soon enough, the carriage arrived at the Imperial Palace.

***

We arrived at the Imperial Palace close to midnight.
The carriage glided to a halt before the ornate Separate Palace.
Because the hour was so late, our audience with the Emperor was postponed until dawn.
We were shown to the Separate Palace, which stood a little distance from the main Imperial Palace.
“Wow.”
The moment I stepped into my assigned chamber, I let out an exclamation of wonder.
From the ceiling hung an enormous crystal chandelier that blazed with light, as if the night sky itself had been studded with stars, and the floor was covered in the finest carpet.
Gleaming gold leaf patterns adorned the walls, and rare works of art decorated the mantelpiece.
This was not even the main palace where the Imperial Family resided, yet the luxury was beyond imagination.
Celin covered her mouth in quiet amazement.
“My goodness.”
It seemed that even for young Celin, this lavish chamber was impressive.
I ran my fingertips over the delicate gold-leafed patterns carved into the bedpost, murmuring softly to myself.
“They’ve spared no expense showing off their wealth.”
Surrounded by all this extravagance, I found myself acutely aware that the Grand Ducal Residence was not nearly as prosperous as I had thought.
‘Back then, with nothing to compare it to, I thought my chamber at the Grand Ducal Residence was splendid.’
The Residence itself, viewed simply as a building, had its own refined, classical charm.
It was well-maintained by skilled servants, and the weight of its long history lent it an air of dignity.
Yet aside from a few potted plants, stone sculptures, and paintings scattered through the corridors, decorative pieces were sparse. The furniture that did exist was old, and the curtains and dishware prioritized practicality over luxury.
Compared to the Imperial Palace, it was worn and rustic.
Now that I thought about it, the clothes Balkan wore showed little hint of extravagance either.
I settled onto the plush mattress and tilted my head in puzzlement.
‘A Grand Ducal House in name, yet struggling more than I’d expected?’
The original work had contained no detailed account of the Grand Ducal House’s finances.
Of course, I might simply have forgotten, but at least in my memory, there was nothing.
But if I thought about it even briefly, something seemed distinctly amiss.
The knights of the Escar Grand Ducal House went to the Northern Border without a single day’s rest, slaying Demonic Beasts.
The hides, Demonic Beast Cores, horns, claws, and countless other byproducts harvested from these beasts were rare crafting materials that sold for exorbitant prices anywhere on the continent.
Yet for all the relentless hunting, why was the North’s treasury so barren?
‘And given that they serve as the empire’s shield, the funding from the Imperial Family should be substantial…….’
Could wealth be leaking away somewhere?
That was when it happened.
“Your Highness!”
Celin approached, holding the nightclothes she’d prepared.
“You must sleep early tonight. You’ll need to wake up early tomorrow morning.”
She laid out tomorrow’s schedule in detail—how I’d need to rise early and prepare to arrive on time for the meal with the Imperial Family.
“Absolutely no wide yawning! And you mustn’t pick things up off the floor like you did at the Grand Ducal Residence! Especially—don’t you dare pluck leaves from the potted plants in the Imperial Palace! Do you understand?!”
Celin’s fussing, tinged with worry, continued for some time.
I chuckled softly and changed into my nightclothes.
“All right, all right. Our Celin—who does she take after to be so sharp-tongued?”
“I take after Mother.”
“Ah, that explains it. So every time Celin fusses at me, it’s like hearing Mother scold me all over again.”
As I reached out and stroked Celin’s round head, she broke into a bright, gleeful laugh.
Once fully dressed in my nightclothes, I burrowed into bed. Celin pulled the quilt up to my chin as she spoke.
“Sleep well, Your Highness!”
“You too, Celin. Sleep well.”
I pressed one cheek into the soft pillow and quietly closed my eyes.
My first night in the Imperial Palace.

***

The next morning.
Click.
The moment I woke, driven by a hunch, I opened the nightstand drawer beside my bed.
A potion bottle lay inside.
That potion—the one used to put Helbain to sleep.
Hmm. I rolled my eyes.
‘So there’s a spy planted among the servants and knights who came with us from the Grand Ducal Residence. Someone from the Guild, by the looks of it.’
Or perhaps someone the Imperial Palace had stationed here to keep watch.
‘Their reach is impressive, isn’t it.’
I fiddled with the potion bottle, then quickly swallowed the contents before Helbain could wake.
‘I’ll track down whether the spy is at the Grand Ducal Residence or elsewhere once I return.’
For the next week, I would be living in the Imperial Palace.
I could only hope everything would go smoothly without incident.
A short while later, Celin appeared in my bedroom.
Despite her young age, Celin began dressing me with practiced, skillful hands.
“Goodness, Your Highness! I told you not to touch your hair ornaments!”
After seating me at the vanity, Celin rose onto her tiptoes and rearranged my hair ornaments.
“It’s heavy, Celin.”
“You’ll have to bear with it for a while. Of course, you’re beautiful enough without all this finery, but I want to show the people of the Imperial Palace just how lovely you truly are!”
“…….”
Fine. Have it your way.
I surrendered myself to Celin, who was blazing with determination for some reason.
While Celin worked on my hair, one of the servants who had come with the Grand Ducal House to the Imperial Palace entered carrying a dress.
‘Hmm? Who is that? I feel like I’ve seen her before.’
Then a voice came to mind.
“A princess? The kingdom abandoned her, and the Grand Duke finds her repulsive, so she doesn’t even live at the Grand Ducal Residence.”
Ah. That maidservant from back then.
She’d been one of the maids muttering about fetching rags when Balkan had assigned me tasks—the one whose attitude seemed oddly nervous around me for some reason.
‘Her name was Ena, wasn’t it.’
I smiled at the maidservant Ena.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Ena?”
“Ah, yes……, Your Highness.”
Whether she’d been disciplined after that incident, I couldn’t say, but it was clear my greeting was unwelcome.
The fact that she’d been brought all the way to the Imperial Palace and stationed at my side despite what had happened suggested it was a form of punishment in itself.
Even as Ena set down the dress, she couldn’t quite meet my eyes.
Watching how cautiously her hands moved, I began to understand how the head maidservant Leina must have trained her.
‘Our head maidservant is terrifying, isn’t she.’
I nodded to myself, thinking of the head maidservant, and changed into the dress.
It was a full, elegant gown with a soft blue shimmer. Silver embroidery adorned the chest and cuffs, emphasizing its refined sophistication.
As I dressed and put on my ornaments, Celin’s voice continued without pause.
“You mustn’t speak before His Imperial Majesty does.”
“Right.”
“And you must show proper respect to the Crown Prince and the other members of the Imperial Family.”
“Right.”
“And absolutely no climbing on the window frames!”
“Right.”
“Also, you must not steal the mops from the servants who work in the palace corridors.”
“Celin, what do you take me for? Why would I steal a mop from the palace servants?”
“Well, because you are a princess, Your Highness.”
…….
I wanted to protest, but my past record left me with no easy defense.
Celin fitted me with long gloves that reached my elbows, then added carefully, “Still, please don’t worry too much. You’ve come as a Symbol of Peace, after all. His Majesty is a merciful emperor—he’ll surely overlook a small mistake or two.”
At Celin’s words, I tilted my head to one side.
A merciful emperor.
I let out an inward laugh.
Fortunately, that merciful emperor received Balkan alone for the morning audience.
Thanks to that, I had a brief moment of rest before lunch. While Celin and Ena tidied up the scattered room, I made my way to the Separate Palace Garden attached directly beside my assigned bedroom.
Since it was a private garden within the Separate Palace, knights from the Grand Ducal House stood at each entrance in formal sentry. I gestured vaguely that I would only walk within their line of sight, then moved deeper into the garden.
The Separate Palace Garden felt entirely different from the gardens of the North from the very first breath of air.
Unlike the Grand Ducal Residence’s garden, which remained frozen year-round, an abundance of rare flowers in vibrant hues bloomed in profusion here.
It felt as though the entire season of spring had been lifted whole and transplanted to this place.
Red and blue petals glimmered like jewels in the morning light, and a pleasant sweet floral fragrance tickled gently at the tip of my nose.
Yet in truth, I preferred the sharp, rough scent of unnamed medicinal herbs and poisonous grasses trampled beneath my feet to this deliberately cultivated, sweet and cozy aroma.
Then, all at once, I spotted a certain flowering tree and my eyes widened.
“What? What is this? How is this here……?!”
A plum tree.
Plum trees were rare on the Western Continent—no, impossible to find here. They belonged to the Eastern Continent.
Only then did I understand what was causing the sense of displacement I’d felt in the Separate Palace Garden.
‘The atmosphere here really is different from the Western Continent-style gardens I usually know.’
Mixed among the other plantings were not just plum trees but various plants that didn’t grow on the Western Continent, creating an exotic atmosphere.
I’d need to examine them more closely to be certain, but the odds were high that these other flowers and trees had also come from the Eastern Continent.
That was when it happened.
“A plum blossom—a flowering tree brought at great difficulty from the Eastern Continent.”
An unfamiliar voice came from behind me. I turned slowly, seized by an ominous premonition.
Before me were eyes like carefully polished rubies, gazing directly at me.
‘Damn it.’
I recognized the man at once and muttered a quiet curse under my breath.
Golden hair suffused with sunlight, fine and magnificent features, and an air of grace and gentle kindness that seemed born into his very being.
Cain—the Crown Prince of the Castillo Empire and the male protagonist of this novel.
The protagonist of this world had just appeared before my eyes.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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