THE PERFECT VILLAIN: Another chance with a system
Chapter 31: Princess Elestar

Chapter 31: Princess Elestar

Three days later, a young lady in a rough robe slipped out of her room in the castle and into the night. She eased past a guard and was outside the castle before long, moving through the dark as if she had done it a hundred times before. This was not her first escape.

Princess Elestar, the first princess of Warstone, had long made a habit of sneaking out to wander the local streets. As the king’s first daughter and fourth heir, she had always possessed a curious nature, one that refused to stay still for long.

Because she was neither next in line for the crown nor gifted with any remarkable authority or skill, little was expected of her. And because little was expected, she did little to draw attention to herself.

She loved the night for that reason. It was the only time she could move as she pleased, without comparison, without pressure, and without anyone reminding her of what she was not. So she drifted toward the nearby streets not far from the castle.

She walked through the city at an easy pace, browsing the night market and the small shops that sold foodstuffs and other goods. At one point, she stopped to listen to an adventurer telling stories about the world beyond the kingdom walls.

Every tale made her eyes brighten with quiet excitement. She had never once been outside the kingdom.

Not as an adventurer. Not as a diplomat. Never in any way that truly mattered.

She was too far down the line to ever earn the crown, and too weak to become an adventurer.

So this was all she could do for now. Explore the city, at least.

Eventually, she decided it was time to return. She had stayed out long enough.

But as she entered a darker stretch of road, she became aware of someone behind her. A strange figure, shaped like a man, followed at a distance. The moment she noticed him, she broke into a run toward the kingdom.

He quickened his pace.

Then he came after her.

She had barely covered any distance before he closed in, far too quickly for her to outrun. Of course she had no real athletic ability, and no skill to fall back on.

He seized her with one hand, while the other came up toward her face. She struggled, but before she could break free again, he snapped her neck in a single brutal twist.

The man, wrapped in black cloth with his face covered in black linen, stood over her for a long moment before reaching down to check her pulse.

Only when her body turned cold did he leave.

Moments later, guards flooded the city, throwing the streets into chaos as they searched for the princess. They questioned everyone they could find, but because she had left the castle dressed in an ordinary robe, no one had recognized her at a glance. And since she was rarely presented to the public, there were few who could have identified her anyway.

The search dragged on for hours.

Only when the sun began to rise did they finally find her.

A lonely trail led to the far corner of the castle.

Namor, the head guard, walked toward the body on the ground with trembling hands. He was supposed to be responsible for the palace’s security, and yet a powerless princess had managed to slip through it.

Her escape route was hidden and known only to a few inside the palace, but that would not make his failure any easier to explain. The king would want answers, and Namor feared the price of giving them.

He came closer, moving slowly, and when he reached her he found the princess lying there as if she had merely fallen asleep on the road. He dropped to one knee and placed a hand against her neck.

His eyes widened in relief.

She was alive.

Without wasting another moment, he lifted her and carried her back to the castle. He then called for the best physicians and healers available to examine her, and by then neither the king nor any of the other royals knew what had happened. After learning of her tendency to sneak out, he had once been given a standing order to have a guard check on the princess every two hours.

That assignment had come directly from the king after she had been caught before. Apparently, she had not been punished at all.

Even without power, she was still the king’s favorite child, and he made that painfully clear.

The healers and physicians worked endlessly through the night, and by morning she finally opened her eyes.

I—I survived? I thought he killed me. Did he change his mind? I can’t believe Aurelian’s was reborn as a Demon. How could he do that to them? Velroth is gone

The thoughts felt scattered. She lifted her hands toward her face. They looked smaller than she remembered. Then she slowly looked around, unable to recognize where she was.

She pushed herself out of bed and walked toward the window. Her body felt unusually fragile as she moved, as though she were not fully used to it yet. When she reached the glass and looked out, her eyes widened in disbelief.

Wait. I know this place. It’s the castle. What am I doing at the castle of Warstone?

Then, all at once, a heavy force slammed into her. And then another followed immediately after.

She had felt something like this before, back when she received the Authority of Deception. But this time it came twice, and she could feel both of them clearly.

She now had two authorities.

Yet they were not the Authority of Deception.

She could sense them, and sense their nature.

The Authority of Will.

The Authority of Existence.

But how did I get them? And what happened to my other authority? What’s going on?

Just then, the door swung open, and a maid stood there with wide eyes.

"You’re awake, princess. I will inform Sir Namor!"

Without waiting for a reply, the maid hurried off.

The word struck her like a blow.

Princess?

What does she mean by that?

She moved toward the mirror in the room, and the reflection staring back at her left her speechless. The blonde hair wasn’t the same, and so was her taller frame, but the face looking back at her was much younger, no more than fourteen.

And yet she recognized those black hair and blue eyes anywhere.

She took a step back, trembling, before sinking to the floor.

"No, no way! I am—I am the first princess!!!"