Queen in the Shadows

Chapter 8

“P-princess? Did you say a princess?”

Riaveric nodded. Elena might’ve been ignorant of this, but if the daughter of the family was called “Princess,” it could be assumed that the father was at least a duke.

“I’m...really going to be a princess...?”

Elena recalled how foolish she had been for feeling happy at the thought of living as a high-ranking noble. Being adopted by nobility was one thing, but living as a biological daughter simply because she had similar looks to the deceased...

There was no comparison between the two. When Elena had first heard this plan in her past life, she’d been so excited and overwhelmed by the thought that she could become a member of a noble lineage.

But this was all fake.

Elena swallowed her anger at their heinousness. Instead, she thought about the birthday that she had spent last year with her family. As she recalled the happiness of that day, joy spread across Elena’s face. This show was, of course, meant to deceive Riaveric—Elena was constantly acting, constantly controlling her emotions.

“That’s not all. Princess Veronica is talked about in social circles every year as the companion of His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince.”

“T-the Crown Prince?”

Elena could not hide her burning desire, and Riaveric fanned those flames.

“It’s commonly said that dreams are meant to just be dreamed. But if you put your mind to it, Miss Elena, your dreams will soon become a reality. That is Princess Veronica’s position and status within the empire.”

“Ah...ah.”

Elena beamed wholeheartedly, as if she couldn’t hide her joy. She had to act even more snobby. She had to look so superficial that Riaveric would look down on her and find her truly pathetic.

Riaveric laughed softly. She could see Elena’s thirsty desire through a smile so bright that her gums were visible. She had just given her a little taste, and yet, Elena seemed to have lost her mind.

Riaveric knew better than anyone else how to deal with people like this. But of course, she didn’t know what a fatal misjudgment she was making.

“Ack, I’m sorry. I’m being rude.”

Elena belatedly pretended to feel embarrassed and put her hand over her mouth to cover her smile. She didn’t forget to exaggerate the pretense of attempting to hide her shame.

“But I’m also worried. What if my ignorance causes the other noble daughters to suspect that I am not the real daughter?”

Riaveric waved her hand as if telling Elena not to worry. “You have to make it so that they won’t suspect anything.”

“How do I do that?”

“I will teach you. I will help you become a queen who can stand alone in the social world with dignity, elegance, and authority that cannot be surpassed.”

Elena acted as if she was overwhelmed by these words. She placed her hand over her heart and answered, promised.

“I’ll try my best to make that happen.”

She looked terribly excited, like she had already become the Crown Prince’s wife. Riaveric left her to wallow in a swamp of delusion.

Once the conversation was over, Elena could stop acting like a fool. She gazed out of the carriage window and was able to relax a little.

She suddenly thought of her parents.

Did Mama and Papa escape safely?

If they had taken the ferry and sailed through the rapids as planned, they would’ve passed through the northern part of the principality and reached the border of the Royer Kingdom by now. It was highly likely that they were moving east, taking advantage of the passage inspections that rarely happened due to the rough terrain of the northern mountainous region.

I hope you’ll get to the empire safely...

People often couldn’t see the things right under their noses. Her parents would go through the Royer Kingdom and then proceed to the Vesilia Empire. It wasn’t an easy journey, but it was the surest way to escape Riaveric’s pursuit.

There, they would start again with new identities, names, and a new family. And while Elena couldn’t promise them anything, she planned to meet them in five years’ time.

You must live. If you break your promise about us meeting again...I will never forgive you two.

Elena prayed and hoped that nothing would happen that might cause her to resent her parents.

Please.

* * *

The independent city of Silence was a port settlement located at the southwestern tip of the continent. It was an autonomous city that was not affiliated with a country. Ruled by a governor, it was the most beautiful port on the continent and had not experienced war for hundreds of years.

When they arrived at their lodging, Elena unpacked her belongings and then stared at the sea outside their window.

“Isn’t it extraordinary?” asked Riaveric. “I feel reverent whenever I look at the sea.”

When Elena didn’t respond, Riaveric turned around in confusion and saw that the girl was quietly sobbing.

“I’m sorry. I suddenly...starting thinking about mama and papa.”

“Miss Elena.”

“I couldn’t do anything for them. Until now, I’ve only taken things from them—I even took their generosity for granted. I regret it so much. I should’ve given them a proper final goodbye...”

Riaveric gently placed her hand on Elena’s shoulder to comfort her.

“Please take good care of them,” Elena continued. “Now, I only have you to trust, sis.”

Riaveric narrowed her eyes at Elena calling her “sis.” While she may have said to Elena that they were like sisters now, she didn’t recall giving the girl permission to call her that. However, she knew that Elena had called her that out of desperation—her weakened heart wanted someone to lean on.

“Call me Riv. It’s my nickname.”

Elena stared at her. Judging by her shimmering eyes, Riaveric could tell how much the young woman depended on her now.

“Just trust me. While it’s impossible right now, I’ll make arrangements after some time has passed so that you can check to see how your parents are doing.”

“I don’t know how to thank you, Riv.”

Riaveric quietly pulled her into a hug. Elena didn’t resist the comfort she was offering in her arms. They looked so affectionate that one could mistake them for real sisters. But the two women, who couldn’t make eye contact at the moment because they were cheek to cheek, felt conflicting emotions toward one another.

Riaveric was internally scoffing at the pathetic Elena. She even wickedly considered the best way to take advantage of Elena’s filial piety. And Elena was unerringly rational—there was no room for her emotions to creep in.

You’ll start doubting me as soon as today or tomorrow at the latest.

Riaveric would soon find out about her parents’ escape and would, of course, become suspicious of Elena. Today’s tears and the show of calling her “sis” would serve to cause confusion later on. Riaveric would wonder what was sincere and what was a lie—she would wonder if Elena was really relying on her or only pretending to.

Elena had calculated up to even that point. She’d thoroughly planned out which words and actions would make Riaveric look foolish. Nothing had been done rashly.

It starts now. The fight between you and me.

From the moment they’d met until now, Elena had held the upper hand over Riaveric.

* * *

It was dusk in Silence.

The sun setting over the horizon colored the sky red and then disappeared. The space that it had left empty was thrown into pitch-black darkness.

“They disappeared?”

Riaveric couldn’t believe what she was hearing—she wondered if she had heard incorrectly.

Lorenz responded in a mournful tone. “When I went in, the house was already empty. It felt suspicious, so I followed the trail, but the footprints stopped halfway up the mountain and further tracking was impossible.”

The knight’s body was hugging the wall—he was hiding in the shadows where even the moonlight couldn’t reach. Unless someone was looking closely, it would be difficult to realize there was someone there.

“Tell me in detail,” Riaveric urged. “What do you mean the footprints stopped?”

“I think they reached the halfway point of the mountain and then walked along the creek.”

Riaveric’s eyebrows twitched. “Went along the creek?”

“I assume they were trying to obscure their flight and leave no traces behind.”

“Huh.”

Riaveric was shocked. It was hard enough to believe that the couple had run away...but on top of that, they had also erased their tracks. It was like they had expected to be followed.

“I later found wet sand and tracked them, but their trail stopped completely at the canyon ferry.”

“They escaped on a ferry?”

“That had to be the only way. I tried to track them, but it was impossible, as the current was too fast. I apologize.”

Throughout his report, Lorenz couldn’t raise his head. He had failed to fulfill his duties as a knight.

“It’s not your fault,” said Riaveric. “This was due to my negligence.”

She looked back on this ridiculous situation.

They ran away? Without leaving a single trace?

The fact that they had run away wasn’t the strange part. Parents didn’t want to become burdens to their children, and many would be willing to jump into a fire pit to avoid that outcome. But their escape method was too elaborate. They even took the most optimal route so that it was impossible for even a skilled knight to track them.

Could this really be dismissed as a coincidence? Riaveric couldn’t shake the feeling that they had anticipated danger and fled.

But that doesn’t add up.

Indeed, she had sensed that something was off. But since nothing was clear, she hadn’t been able to draw any definitive conclusion.

It was a bit strange. They had to part with their daughter without notice, but they didn’t even come out to see her off?

They obviously cherished their daughter. Yet, even though they had no guarantee of ever seeing Elena again, they hadn’t come out to say goodbye. Why would they act like that?

I can make two assumptions.

The first was that her parents had stayed back on purpose—they would’ve used the commotion of Elena’s departure to buy time and escape. In this scenario, they were the principal agents of their own escape.

The other assumption is that Elena knew her parents had run away, but she pretended not to know in front of me.

Riaveric thought about how Elena had shed tears upon arriving at Silence, and about how she had called her “sis” and begged her to take good care of her parents. If Elena had been an accomplice, there was no reason for her to have done that.

But what if... that was all an act to deceive me?

Riaveric shook her head vigorously to rid herself of such thoughts. There was no way. Elena wasn’t shrewd or intelligent enough to fool Riaveric. And because she had spent her life as a half-noble, she was a woman who had a strong sense of inferiority—her inner thoughts were always clearly visible.

“Give up on tracking them.”

“Please do not revoke your order. Even if it means searching the entire continent, I will find them. I will then finish what I originally had to do.”

Lorenz objected in order to restore his lost honor, but Riaveric wouldn’t allow it.

“While I’m reluctant to leave unfinished business,” she said, “this isn’t something that will become an immediate problem. Please step away.”

“Understood.”

“Hide for a few days and then board the ship. It will be troublesome if you run into Miss Elena for no reason.”

Lorenz reluctantly nodded and slipped away into the darkness. His retreating footsteps soon faded into the distance, and he was gone.

Riaveric lifted her chin and looked up at the night sky.

“I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

She was frustrated because there was definitely something going on, but she didn’t know what it was. This was an annoyance that she hadn’t felt in years.

“I need to know whether you really deceived me...or if I’m overreacting.”