Chapter 2
Siéta simply wanted to live the life of a princess who could loaf around without lifting a finger, just like this.
To do that, no matter how she looked at it.
There was no reason to suck up to Rosiate, who was destined to be executed by the story’s heroine and male lead anyway.
‘No matter how impressive Rosiate is, she still gets executed by the male lead, Rashita.’
And besides, collective punishment still existed in this world.
In the first place.
Rosiate, the conqueror queen, had shed an absurd amount of blood conquering other nations…
That’s how the story <I Shall Punish That Villainess> began.
They barely managed to kill the final boss.
And they’re just going to let the final boss’s daughter live?
‘Even I think that doesn’t make sense.’
Which is why, before that happened… Siéta had to get out of the empire, no matter what.
At the very least, there was no place in the Shikan Empire where she could safely prepare for retirement.
‘Ugh.’
Seriously, why does everything feel like a minefield.
Having concluded once again that her situation was even worse than expected, Siéta helplessly tugged at her hair.
‘Of course, I’ll need guards, money, a way to hide my identity… Ugh, what a pain.’
Sure, a lot of things would be necessary. But it was still better than sticking around the empire just to see her favorite character’s face, only to end up dead.
Sighing heavily, Siéta muttered.
“I! Ngh. I’m going out for a short walk to clear my head~”
She informed the maid, who had been watching her study with pride, that she was stepping out for a breath of fresh air.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The maid quietly rose and followed behind her.
The maids followed silently, making no sound. But Siéta didn’t pay them much attention and walked confidently beyond her palace grounds.
Risk of running into Rosiate?
‘Please, do you know how far it is from here to Rosiate’s palace?’
However.
That moment of carelessness came back to bite her.
Because right then.
“…Hmm?”
Right in front of her stood a striking beauty with unmistakably long, jet-black hair.
And Siéta froze.
She had only come out to cool her head for a moment.
So then why.
“What brings my daughter out of the palace today?”
Had she run into Rosiate, the final boss of the original story and her biological mother, for the first time in six years.
“I’m sure.”
Rosiate’s icy voice continued.
“I gave explicit orders for you not to leave.”
…This was not what Siéta had intended.
Rosiate’s cutting words made her stammer instinctively.
“Y-yes?”
Even she knew how foolish she sounded.
And sure enough.
“Hmm.”
Rosiate’s snake-like eyes narrowed sharply at her pitiful response.
But Siéta felt wronged.
Yes, Rosiate had once told her not to leave without permission.
But that was.
‘Wait, wasn’t that when I was a literal newborn?’
Was she seriously expected to stay locked in the palace for six years straight?
That was ridiculous.
Now staring at her former favorite and current sociopa—no, her mother—for the second time ever, Siéta’s mind began to spiral.
Perhaps sensing her tangled thoughts, Rosiate smiled with her eyes and began speaking smoothly, unaffected by Siéta’s confused reaction.
“My beloved daughter.”
Siéta forced herself to straighten her crumpling expression upon hearing the word ‘beloved.’
‘Beloved, my foot.’
So beloved, in fact, that she tried to kill her at birth.
And now, she was scolding her for stepping outside for a short walk.
Siéta shut her eyes tightly as her mind flashed with racing thoughts.
‘Do you know how hard I’ve tried to avoid this exact situation.’
Of course.
Even if she tried to avoid Rosiate, if the woman wanted to see her, she would be dragged before her anyway.
Still, things had been fine until now.
Why?
Because Rosiate hadn’t paid her the slightest bit of attention and had focused on her own affairs!
‘So why now?’
All Siéta wanted was to go for a simple, meaningless walk, as usual.
The only difference was Rosiate now stood before her.
Had something changed in the past six years.
If not, none of this made sense.
She’d taken the same route she always did, still near her own palace.
‘No matter how I look at it, she approached me on purpose, didn’t she?’
Concluding that Rosiate, the final boss and her mother, had deliberately approached her.
Siéta tensed up, staring nervously at the snake-like golden eyes boring into her.
She tried to say something, anything, but.
“So tell me, my daughter.”
Rosiate spoke first.
“What reason do you have for being outside the palace, despite my orders?”
As if asking whether she needed to repeat herself because her daughter was that slow.
Siéta’s face turned pale.
This was bad.
Really, really bad.
Feeling an unbearable pressure from Rosiate’s smiling face, Siéta forced a childlike smile.
‘This is too much.’
Cold sweat ran down her back.
As Siéta struggled to find her words under the sudden ambush.
“I suppose someone must be held accountable for this negligence.”
Rosiate came to a conclusion.
Siéta caved beneath her mother’s chilling gaze.
She mumbled awkwardly.
“I-I think… so!”
She managed to spit out a single sentence.
Her childish lisp only adding to the humiliation.
Mortified by her own foolish response, her face turned even paler.
Rosiate smiled faintly.
“Good girl.”
As if glad she had at least that much sense, she smiled gently.
And patted Siéta’s hair.
And that day.
Every living being in Siéta’s palace, except for Siéta herself…
Was executed.
Listening to the screams ringing through the halls, Siéta shut her eyes tightly.
And when she forced them open again.
“You must watch, my daughter.”
Came a slow, calm voice.
“They are not dying because of anything else—”
Rosiate said.
“But because of your mistake.”
Their crime had been declared.
‘Neglect in caring for the princess.’
Siéta could not understand Rosiate’s intentions.
‘Why?’
Truly, why.
Why was she doing this to Siéta?
The people of her palace had done nothing wrong.
Though she hadn’t been especially attached to them, and they had only treated her out of duty.
Still, they were blameless.
‘She hadn’t cared all this time, so why now?’
Rosiate’s intentions were more unclear than ever, and Siéta’s eyes sharpened with fear and suspicion.
Facing the girl who dared to meet her gaze even after losing everyone around her.
Rosiate’s eyes gleamed with interest.
“Hoo.”
An interest.
That Siéta knew could only spell trouble.
***
Without a moment to recover from the wounds of Rosiate’s masterful gaslighting—
Siéta was dragged to observe a royal hunting competition led by none other than Rosiate herself.
‘Why would you bring a child to a hunt?’
Rosiate, who hadn’t visited her once in six years, suddenly wiped out everyone in her palace and now brought her to a hunt?
It reeked of foul intent from every angle, and Siéta’s violet eyes narrowed.
‘No way.’
Perhaps she couldn’t bring herself to execute her daughter directly.
And planned to dispose of her subtly during the hunt?
‘I haven’t even done anything!’
The flood of dark assumptions rushing through her mind stiffened her face.
“How is it, my daughter? Isn’t it nice to come outside?”
Rosiate asked sweetly at that exact moment, as if mocking her for going on an unauthorized walk.
Siéta couldn’t muster a proper reply.
“…Yes!”
Only a reflexive, childish answer slipped out.