The Grand Duchess of the North Was Secretly a Villainess

He felt a vague sense of consciousness returning. Caien later realized that he had fainted.

'I've got a fever from an injury...'

He felt a faint pain as he touched the soft bedding in his palm.

"Anna."

He closed his eyes, but he could tell that voice was the voice of the Grand Duchess.

"I'm on my way with Your Highness to dispose of the assassin's corpse. I didn't see anything."

"I believe."

Caien overheard their conversation. A woman called Anna had a loyal voice, and the Grand Duchess felt power even in a few words.

"Haa."

A sigh was heard as someone walked out the door. Caien involuntarily frowned at the pain he felt in his lower back.

'Why did you heal me?'

He came to the north to get Eloise's help, but he didn't know she would heal him without any cost.

'I can't trust the Grand Duchess just because she healed me without payment.'

Cayenne didn't trust people. He was born and raised in the Imperial Palace. There have been a series of assassination attempts since childhood, among them his nanny. There was nothing more foolish to the Crown Prince than to believe in people.

'I don't think it's a bad idea to take this opportunity to think about it. I'll have to check who the Grand Duchess loyalty is directed at.'

Eloise was no exception. Even though it was the sincerity of the Northern Lord, the one who gave allegiance to him was her own father, the Grand Duke, but now her loyal father has already dead.

Caien could not tell whether her loyalty would be directed at him or at someone who would ascend the throne. He wasn't naive enough to believe a girl he'd only encountered once in his childhood.

"Ugh....."

Caien tossed and turned his body. He opened his eyes slowly, as if he had just woken up, and saw Eloise kneeling.

"Your Royal Highness. Are you awake?"

"Who are you....?"

Caien acted innocent and clenched his lips.

'Will you be loyal to the Crown Prince who lost his memory?'

He would pretend to have lost his memory and to test the Grand Duchess.
 

*****

Caien was lost in thought as he relaxed in the bathtub.

'The response was unexpected.'

She may have been embarrassed, but Eloise used the title of 'Your Royal Highness' until the end. She even gave him a bathroom.

'I'll listen to you, Eloise.'


It was said with a nice smile on purpose. Humans are naturally weak against cute and pretty things. Regardless of the type, the cute appearance of the baby animals was also to increase the probability of survival.

"I have to be nice."

Caien mumbled as he leaned his head in the bathtub. He couldn't feel at ease with her yet, so he pretended to have lost his memory for now, and he thought of the Duchess.

'If you're going to betray me, it's too late now. Nothing is easier than dealing with the Crown Prince who lost his memory.'

First of all, he was going to pretend to have lost his memory and act like a good child.

The northern part is the territory of the Grand Duchess. When he wins her favor, he wins the favor of the northerners. It was necessary for him to build his power and regain the throne.
 

*****

Caien, who came out of the bathroom, opened the door while hiding his presence.

"Eloise."

Eloise immediately recognized his presence, even though he hid it as much as possible.

'It won't be easy to deceive.'

"Are your wounds okay? I'll prepare the medicine after you eat."

"It's okay. Thank you."

"Please sit here."

At Eloise's words, Caien sat obediently on the sofa.

"Do you remember anything? Even Your Royal Highness's name?"

"I don't know. I've been thinking about it, but it's all blurry."

Eloise knelt in front of him.

"Your Royal Highness name is Caienian Helisis."

Hearing his name from Eloise's lips gave him a strange feeling.

"Caienian.... That's my name. Call me Caien."

Even in the imperial palace, very few people called him by his name. It was because most of them called him His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

"Don't forget. This is the name of Your Royal Highness, the Little Sun of the Empire."

Looking at the confident red eyes, Caien involuntarily twitched his fingers. He could hear a little of breaking alert.

With those eyes full of conviction that he would become emperor.
 

*****

Three weeks after coming to the North, Caien skimmed through the book with a bored gaze. It was a book that Eloise threw to him to study political history because he lied that he had lost his memory.

Caien glanced at the Duschess face as she read the letter. Thanks to the medicine she made for him, he was able to deceive his blond hair into black hair. Although it was not the same as the Wayana family's unique black hair.

'You can't lie about your bloodline.'

Eloine, Eloise's brother, had gone to the capital and left. Thanks to this, Caien was able to secure time alone with Eloise.

'Good.'

Eloine was wary of Caien from the day he arrived in the North. Therefore, it was better to get closer to Eloise even a little while he was away.

'From then on.'

It was the day Eloine knelt on his knees and said his name.

Caien habitually gave a cold look to the person kneeling in front of him. It was only later that he remembered the existence of Eloise and smiled happily, but he must have noticed at that time.

'Well, it doesn't matter.'

He had no intention of pretending to be docile and nice to other people. Of course, everyone knows that he has lost his memory, so he can't act like he used to, but that doesn't mean he has to try to pretend to be pretty like he did to Eloise.

'Because all I need is Eloise.'

Caien has come to have half faith in Eloise.


'It means she will push out the soon-to-be Emperor, Duke Ilysian, and put the Crown Prince on the throne. In the near future.'


He drank the suspicious blood-colored tea because he believed in her to some extent.

'I can't let my guard down until I get the throne back.'

Although he was pretending to be naive to be liked by Eloise, but he had no intention of giving his heart to her. As it has been for others so far.
 

*****

The smell of blood wafted through the cold wind. Caien stared at Eloise with clear eyes.

There was not a single hesitation in her movement as she aimed her sword at her subordinate. Following the clean and fluid movement, the traitor's body collapsed to the floor in an instant.

Cayenne stopped breathing for a moment. It wasn't because of fear. People are dying, because it was common in the Imperial Palace. Above all, he had been dealing with assassins with his own hands since he was ten years old.

"......."

Black hair and pale skin. Eloise stood in a noble manner, wiping off the red blood that had splattered on it.

A strong castle in the north, a sharp wind, White snow.

Caien was distracted by the sight that went too well with all that. He had never thought of this while looking at a person, but Eloise, who wielded a sword with an indifferent face, looked so beautiful.

“If there is someone who betrays Your Royal Highness, so deal with it like this."

Eloise's calm voice fell in his ears. At the same time, Caien raised his hand and covered his mouth. His heart was pounding and his fingertips were numb.

'What's wrong with me?'

It felt like heat rising to his face.
 

*****

Blood splashed on my cheek. It was common, so I wasn't particularly impressed.

'Though it's different that it's human blood, not monster blood.'

I've become too familiar with this life to feel guilty.

'I sometimes wonder if it's okay to be this insensitive...... It's not bad if you want to survive.'

I turned to Caien, leaving behind the knights to collect the corpse.

“If there is someone who betrays Your Royal Highness, so deal with it like this."

I didn't forget to smile affectionately. I said that I spoke kindly, but Caien covered his mouth.

'What's wrong with him?'

I realized a beat later that I had just killed a man and was soaked in blood. Also, that Caien has lost his memory.

'I laughed while covered in blood. I made a mistake.'

In Caien's eyes, I may have looked like a lunatic killer.

'Did I show the kid something terrible? It doesn't matter if it's the Crown Prince, but he lost his memory, right?'

I was confused whether I should talk to Caien or leave him alone. As I hesitated, Caien face subtly turned red.

'Ugh. Are you too shocked? Isn't that why you're getting hot?'

I touched Caien forehead without realizing it, and he stepped back in surprise. It seemed that there was a sense of rejection because I was stained with blood.

As soon as I was about to withdraw my hand, Caien grabbed my hand.

"Are you all right?"

"It's all right, Eloise."

Caien held my hand tightly with his eyelashes hanging down.

“I will remember the advice you gave me.”

"Uh.. Yes."

Yeah, just don't do that to me.

"Your Highness. How should I dispose of the body?"

Joahim came up to me and asked. His gaze slipped into Caien hand, who held my hand.

"Treat it to look like it was torn by the monsters and return it to the family."

While looking at the bodies being collected, I turned my head to Johaim. At the same time, Joahim was startled as if he had seen something terrifying. Didn't Caien and Joahim's eyes meet just now.

"Johaim, did you hear me?"

"Y..Yes, Your Highness."

It was not done once or twice, so he'd do well on his own, but Joahim's attitude was suspicious.

I squinted at the Knight Commander. I meant to tell him what's going on. However, Johaim turned away from my gaze and disappeared toward Hans' body.

'What's wrong with him?'

Joahim was suspicious, I stared at his back, but Caien pulled my hand.

"Let's go in, Eloise. You don't have to deal with the bodies."

Caien had a calm and clear face, as if nothing had happened to the corpse.

'I don't think he's as shocked as I thought.'

It was better this way than trembling because it was a sight that he will often see in the future. When I looked closely at Caien face again, his red cheeks had subsided a little.

"Yes, let's go. We should talk about the letter."

Caien grabbed me at my words. It didn't seem like he had to go holding my hand, but I might have surprised him by what had just happened, so I decided to hold it. It's not that hard to hold hands.
 

*****

"Are you all right?"

I asked Caien, pouring him tea. Of course, there was wine in front of me instead of tea.

"What?"

To my question, Caien asked back with an innocent face as if he really didn't know. I was a little embarrassed because I had thought that he would not have been shocked to see the head rolling.

"I just killed someone."

"But didn't Eloise say he was a rat?"

I didn't have anything to say because I said it myself.

'Well, I'm in trouble. What should I say?'

Caien glanced at me and continued his words.

"Because Eloise did her duty. You did it to protect me."

“To be honest, I thought you might be shocked because you lost your memory.”

Caien, who was drinking tea, hesitated for a moment.

"Really?"

He looked like he heard something unexpected.