1 – 1. Possession
Should I have set more delicate conditions for my request? Or was the amount of support insufficient? I thought there was sincerity.
“Allan, keep hitting this guy until I tell you to stop.”
“Your Highness, what…!”
“Just shut up and do it. It doesn’t matter if you die, so start right away.”
“Please give me a chance to explain!”
With possession, I received an order to beat someone I had never seen before.
As if it was the creator’s consideration, the memories of the original body’s owner rushed in rapidly, but there was not enough time to regain my composure.
‘Refusal… is not the answer.’
I hesitated to follow the order to beat a perfectly fine person to death. But I couldn’t just carry it out as instructed.
In my hand was a Morning Star with a solid grip.
At the end of the handle, made of what seemed to be iron, there was a vicious-looking star candy attached. It would definitely cause an accident if swung at someone.
Perhaps my hesitation was annoying. The person who gave the order approached slowly.
“You’re acting strange today, Allan. You swore that if I told you to bark, you would bark, and if I told you to bite, you would bite, no matter who the opponent was. Was that a lie?”
The first thing that caught my eye was the abundant silver hair and crimson eyes.”
The shape of her eyes was a bit intense, giving an overall cute impression with a round face. However, her behavior was anything but cute. Despite expressing discomfort with her mouth, her expression was filled with mischief.
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Contemplating how to deal with the subordinate who dared to defy her orders, her face was not just pretending; she was actually licking her lower lip.
I sighed inwardly while looking at her.
‘Siena.’
Siena Callaile. One of the characters in the novel, the Second Princess of the Empire.
In a generally peaceful fantasy world, she was a villainess who indulged in dark deeds alone. She wasn’t the cute villainess who torments the protagonist, gets hit a few times, and then comes to her senses. Instead, she was a true villain, burdened by the baseless favor of the emperor, causing turmoil in the country.
From distributing op*ium in the academy to causing a stock market frenzy that plunged the country into chaos, and ultimately orchestrating a war due to the crisis it caused. While there was a main villain known as the Shadow Sect, Siena’s presence was so scarce due to her.
“Alan? Aren’t you going to answer?”
“No, Your Highness.”
The character I possessed was Alan Meidof, Siena’s right-hand knight.
Resembling the lord, he was a man who had abandoned morality. Without much depth, he simply crushed the joints of anyone Siena ordered, laughing when she commanded. Although skilled, he didn’t quite reach the level of the world’s strongest.
‘Alan was also in charge of punishing the palace officials.’
Siena frequently punished the personnel working at her main base, Temsgung.
It wasn’t just punishment; there was always justification. Whether it was a petty theft or interactions with the factions of step-sisters competing for the position of the imperial princess. If there was even a tiny tail, she would mercilessly punish. Sometimes, she even used cunning methods.
The person begging for mercy probably turned the crime around for some trivial reason. Even if they claimed to have committed a real crime, it wouldn’t be to the extent of being beaten to death in the palace.
“Sir Knight! Please, speak up for me! It seems that Her Highness has a big misunderstanding…! What crime have I committed…! Well, it’s true that I received money from Viscount Baldin, who follows the First Princess, but it’s only an 800-dollar piece…!”
It was pitiful to see someone pleading for help from me, who had no power to decide.
Unfortunately, I was not in a position to save anyone.
“What are you doing? Our poor friend is begging like that, Allan.”
“Your Highness.”
“Don’t worry. Actually, I’m someone who enjoys straightforward criticism. If you want to prevent punishing an innocent person based on mere guesswork, you can do that.”
…Because I was also being criticized in real time.
Judging from her reaction, it seemed that Siena was more interested in me than in the howling sirens.
It was inevitable, considering that someone who had been silently following her orders suddenly started to rebel. Maybe she didn’t even know that I had already submitted an estimate.
“Answer, Allan.”
Siena’s voice suddenly dropped low.
The guards around us started to watch me with tense faces.
How I handled this situation would determine my fate. I was an advisor in name, so I wouldn’t kill her, but something bad was bound to happen.
“I can’t let myself be in a dangerous situation as soon as I possess this body.”
Surviving was my priority for now. I was sorry for the sirens who desperately begged for help, but I had no choice.
But how could I avoid her anger? I needed a way to satisfy Siena’s vanity while also avoiding a funeral.
After a quick calculation, I opened my mouth.
“I apologize, Your Highness. I was deeply lost in thought.”
“Lost in thought? I didn’t think you were such a weak person, Allan.”
“It’s not that, but I thought it was inefficient.”
“…What?”
“I have, until now, punished unfaithful humans on multiple occasions at the behest of the gods. It was a method of reform, chasing them out of the palace after suitable punishment. Sometimes, I even sent them out as corpses. …Yet, such a situation has happened again.”
“So?”
“Now, you must show leniency.”
At these words, a sense of despair washed over Siena’s face. Before she could part her small lips again, she added a specific explanation.
“Continue to use him as an example.”
“Why should I?”
“So that we can have a precedent.”
Saying this, she approached the example step by step. Morningside naturally lay down.
A relatively small stature for a man, a face so distorted it was hard to tell if he was laughing or crying, and hands clinging tightly to my clothes. As I approached, struggling to bring up a smile, ready to say something…
She ignored me and just brushed him aside. The target was the outer side of the knee.
“Ugh…!”
Despite adjusting the force to some extent, the man’s leg bent inward powerlessly.
He tried to collapse while chuckling, but I didn’t allow it. Siena wouldn’t be satisfied with just one leg.
“The price of betrayal must be paid.”
Clutching the struggling example’s neck, I swung my fist.
“Wait…!”
In a short span, two rooms, no, three rooms. It felt eerie, breaking someone else’s corn, but somehow I managed to control my expression. Thinking of Siena watching from behind.
“How about this level?”
The result of my violent actions was dismal.
At a glance, at least a torn ligament and multiple fractured teeth. At least a few months would be spent in crutches. It could be worse than that.
“Looks good. So, what do you want me to do?”
Sienna asked, looking down at the struggling servant.
“…How about we have this friend accompany us whenever we meet the first princess’s staff? It would showcase your leniency. Just give the servant a light reprimand for their wrongdoing and keep them by your side.”
“What if we continue to collaborate with them?”
“You can use that to your advantage as well. Your astuteness, Your Highness, will surely understand what I mean.”
Now, the only thing left is Sienna’s decision.
She looked at the groaning servant and then at me, alternating her gaze between the two. The palace guards and maids, who were watching this scene with unease, also briefly caught her attention.
She should be satisfied by now. It wouldn’t be bad to have a limping servant wandering around the palace. Or perhaps take them to socialize with other princesses and create a sense of discomfort. It would suit your taste.
Fortunately, it seemed like my suggestion wasn’t in vain.
Sienna lightly chuckled and nodded her head. Judging by her relaxed expression, she seemed quite satisfied.
“Not a bad idea. Shall we do as you suggested, Alan?”
“I am merely following Your Highness’s orders. If you wish, I will proceed as usual.”
With a faint smile in mind, I kicked the servant’s head lightly with my foot as they lay sprawled on the floor. It was to prevent Sienna’s capriciousness. There was no evidence, but I felt that if I let out a sigh of relief at this timing, it would arouse her suspicion.
“Alright. Then let them stay on duty.”
“A wise decision, Your Highness.”
Fortunately, the situation ended here.
Sienna turned around with a bright expression, and I followed her, leaving the servant in a disheveled state. Although my heart grew cold at the thought of having crossed this hurdle, I still had to fulfill my duty as a bodyguard.
“By the way, Alan. I didn’t know you had such cunning.”
“I thought someone else would offer advice, even if it wasn’t me.”
“Right. I know everyone is capable of doing what they’re told.”
“The princess emphasizes the importance of communication, but it seems that not everyone understands that.”
The other attendants had a disgusted reaction to our conversation. If I hadn’t done this, a corpse would have been taken out of the palace today.
“Of all people, why did I have to possess this human?”
Alan Maydoff was a notorious figure, serving as Siena’s right-hand man.
Unfortunately, he was also someone whose fate had already been determined.
Although the novel itself is unfinished, Alan Maydoff was a character who was humiliated and expelled by the protagonist in the early stages. Following Siena’s orders, he engaged in dru*g trafficking among the students of the academy, resulting in a fatal accident.
My task now is to avoid that ending.
It’s not about deluding myself into reviving Siena. Just from the behavior I’ve seen, it’s clear that she’s not someone who can be fixed.
“In the original, she didn’t even attempt to reform.”
Working under this woman won’t be easy. Alan Maydoff has committed not just one or two heinous acts, but far too many.
However… this situation didn’t feel as absurdly difficult to endure as it should have.
Rather than accepting the consequences of my own actions, it actually feels slightly better here. Compared to living with those trash-like people who are nothing like family. Unlike them, Siena at least has some potential.
Yes. Let’s give it a try.
“I’ll continue to rely on you, Alan.”
“It’s an honor, Your Highness.”
I replied curtly, looking at the back of Siena’s head.
Despite her cruel nature, she had a small and pretty face.