Chapter 89 - Chapter 89
"Why..."
Katrina-sama looked more haggard than when I had last seen her at the academy. Her once-lustrous blonde hair was disheveled and dull, and deep dark circles shadowed her eyes. The spark in her gaze had been replaced by a murky, hollow darkness. Was this truly the same Katrina Higgins? It was hard to believe this was the proud girl who always held her fan with such grace and poise. Katrina-sama offered a smile, but it was a twisted, hollow thing.
"Oh, I've been so looking forward to seeing you."
"Katrina-sama..."
"I think you owe me an apology, don't you? After all, my brother threw me into that monastery, and I've been forced to do laundry and cleaning every single day, like a common servant. It's ridiculous. I'm supposed to be His Highness's fiancée. I'm the future queen. And yet, His Highness hasn't even come to see me. It's all your fault, isn't it? You're the reason he won't see me. You're the reason I'm being treated so disgracefully."
She spoke with a terrifying, manic speed. There was no trace of the noble lady she once was. Her mind seemed broken. She kept repeating "future queen" and "His Highness's fiancée" as if they were her only reality. She had truly loved him, in her own way. I didn't agree with her methods, but I understood the feeling. I loved him too. But while she saw him as a prize to be won and a void to be filled, I saw him as someone to respect and cherish. Love, to me, meant protecting what he cared for and wishing for his happiness. I could never accept a love that ignored his heart.
"It's your fault. You won't do as I say!"
"I am not your doll, Katrina-sama. And His Highness is not a tool to fill the hole in your heart."
"You! How dare you say that to me!"
A flash of pure hatred ignited in her eyes. I took a deep breath, my mind suddenly clearing. I had to be strong. If I couldn't handle this malice, I had no right to be queen.
"Get a hold of yourself, Katrina Higgins! Do you even realize who you're pointing that blade at?"
She froze, looking stunned that I would talk back.
"I am Rachel Marcel, the fiancée of the Crown Prince. Do you understand that the royal family stands behind the person you're threatening? Do you understand what your actions will do to House Higgins?"
Katrina-sama flinched at the mention of her family. She began to mumble something under her breath, her eyes darting around in fear. I spoke with a coldness that surprised even me. I couldn't just let her walk over me anymore. I still felt a lingering trace of our old friendship, but for her own sake, she needed to face reality. If she didn't, she would be trapped in darkness forever. Her actions today would only make things worse for her and her family.
"Look at me! Is this really what you want to do? Open your eyes and look at your situation!"
I wanted her to find the strength to live, even if she hated me for it. But my words only seemed to drain the last of the emotion from her face, leaving only a cold, burning rage.
"What did you say?" she whispered. Her grip on the dagger tightened. "If only you weren't here... if only you would just disappear!"
She lunged.
"Rachel-sama, stay behind me!" Leonie-sama commanded.
Before Katrina-sama could take a second step, Roger moved like a blur. He kicked the dagger from her hand, the blade clattering onto the pavement. He then used his heel to flick the weapon back toward us, where Leonie-sama stopped it with her foot. Before Katrina-sama could even blink, Roger was behind her, pinning her wrists and forcing her to her knees.
It happened so fast I could only stare in shock. "Seventy points," Leonie-sama muttered. Roger nodded sheepishly. Leonie-sama picked up the dagger and pointed it toward them.
"Move faster next time. Minimize the time Rachel-sama has to be afraid. Now, young lady, tell us how you escaped the monastery."
Leonie-sama's voice was calm, but Katrina-sama was thrashing in Roger's grip, screaming that she would never forgive me. The sheer weight of her malice was suffocating. I wanted to look away from her ruined state, but I forced myself to watch. This was the result of my regression. This was the path she had taken. Her words felt like physical blows. I thought I was used to noble jealousy, but this was different. This was a woman who had come here specifically to kill me. The terror I hadn't felt when she held the blade now washed over me as the reality sank in. The world began to distort.
The red sunset. Katrina-sama. Roger. Leonie-sama's back. And then, the silver glint of the dagger in Leonie-sama's hand. The light reflecting off the blade triggered a flash of memory. The torches of the bandits. The dull silver of the sword that had pierced my chest. The light that killed me.
Thump.
My heart hammered against my ribs, and a white-hot pain exploded in my head. I clutched my skull, my legs giving out. Leonie-sama turned, her face full of alarm.
"Rachel-sama!"
That was the last thing I saw before the pain swallowed me and I sank into the dark.
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