Chapter 48: Villainess Princess × Slave (11)

Meanwhile, in the grand servant quarters near the west wing, Cassian sat silently on a simple wooden bench, nursing his bruised wrists.

When the news of the Princess being summoned to the imperial throne room reached the guards’ quarters, Cassian hadn’t felt an ounce of concern.

She took the blame herself? Cassian thought with a bitter, sarcastic smirk, resting his elbows on his knees as he stared at the floorboards. She only did it to protect her own pride. A spoiled, beloved princess like her won’t face any real punishment from her doting father. At most, she will be given a light scolding, sent back to her luxurious bedchamber, and served hot tea and sweet cakes.

He scoffed softly, closing his eyes against the wall. He believed her dramatic performance in the Emperor’s hall was just another privileged royal game.

Hours passed. Night fell over the imperial capital. A cold, bitter wind howled outside the palace windows, bringing a freezing chill through the stone corridors.

Around midnight, a frantic commotion broke out in the main hallway outside the servant quarters!

"Fast! Fetch the head royal physician immediately!" a maid’s panicked voice shrieked, her frantic footsteps echoing wildly down the stone corridor. "Her Highness has collapsed! Bring warm blankets and hot medicine to the ancestral hall right now!"

"What happened?!" another servant called out in alarm.

"The Emperor made Her Highness kneel on the freezing stone floor for five full hours without a cloak or heater!" the maid cried out in a trembling, tearful voice. "Her health was already fragile from her fever yesterday! She couldn’t take the freezing cold of the ancestral hall and fainted on the marble floor! Her skin is as cold as ice!"

Sitting inside the quiet room, Cassian’s eyes snapped wide open!

"What...?" Cassian muttered under his breath, his raspy voice laced with utter disbelief.

His mind raced in confusing circles. The Princess was punished?! She was made to kneel on bare stone in the freezing cold for five hours... just because she covered for me in the garden?!

Without a second thought, driven by an uncontrollable impulse, Cassian strode out of the room and headed straight toward the eastern ancestral hall.

The grand ancestral hall was dimly lit by flickering candles. The air inside was icy, and drafty.

When Cassian arrived at the entrance, the guards were frantically clearing the way for the royal physicians. Sitting on the cold stone floor near the altar, wrapped in a heavy fur blanket that the panicked maids had just draped over her, was Lyra.

Her face was completely drained of color, pale as snow, and her lips were a faint blue. Her long dark hair was damp with cold sweat, and her small, delicate body was shivering even in her unconscious state.

She looked so small, fragile, and utterly broken- a stark contrast to the loud, haughty, arrogant princess who had pointed her finger at his face just hours ago.

Cassian stood frozen at the doorway, his tall frame locked in place as he stared down at her unconscious figure.

His heart jolted a sudden pang of guilt and confusion tearing through his soul.

She knew... Cassian realized. She knew her father would punish her severely if she took the blame... Yet she still stepped in front of those drawn steel swords to save a simple slave from fifty lashes.

He remembered how she had spitefully called him her "property" and her "toy" earlier, trying so hard to sound cruel and vicious.

Was it all just a lie? Cassian thought, his pitch-black eyes trembling as he looked at her pale, shivering face. Why would a pempered princess suffer five hours of freezing torture just to keep a fallen prince from getting whipped? Who are you really, Princess Lyra...?

Ding!

A soft, glowing blue notification screen flickered silently above Lyra’s unconscious head, visible only to the universe.

[ CASSIAN DRAVEN’S HATRED METRIC UPDATED! ]

Hatred toward Host: 96% ➔ 85%

CURRENT STATUS: Deeply Conflicted / Growing Obsessive Curiosity.

Cassian slowly took a step forward into the dim hall, his broad hand tightening into a fist as his gaze remained completely glued to her face, unable to look away. He stood motionless.

Honestly, wasn’t this exactly what he had wanted? He was supposed to relish her agony. He was supposed to smile at the sight of the tyrant’s spoiled daughter suffering on the ice-cold stone floor. Yet, a strange knot tightened deep within his chest, making him feel bizarrely unmoored.

He had been involved in every step of her foolish escapade. He could have easily stopped her from sneaking out of the palace; he could have alerted the guards or simply refused to move. Yet, he had followed her into the bustling city like a silent ghost. And when the guards cornered them in the garden, she could have blamed the entire escape on him- a slave, a fallen prince- and watched him bleed under fifty harsh lashes. But she hadn’t. She had thrown herself in front of drawn steel blades, barking arrogant commands just to keep him safe.

What caused her to have such a sudden change of heart? Cassian thought, his mind trapped in a chaotic loop of unanswered questions. Why play the cruel monster one second, and suffer seven hours of freezing torture for a slave the next?

While Cassian was lost deep in his swirling thoughts, the "unconscious" princess subtly twitched her dark eyelashes.

Under the thick blanket, Lyra carefully peeked one eye open. She darted her gaze around the dim ancestral hall, noticing the panicked maids wringing their hands and the physicians rushing about in the distance.

Hehe... A tiny, mischievous smirk flashed across her lips for a fraction of a second before her face returned to its pale, helpless expression.

[ Host, your acting skills are damn good! ] the System cheered frantically inside her mind, its digital voice overflowing with awe. [ You had the entire imperial palace, the head physician, and even the Male Lead completely fooled! ]

See? I told you so! Lyra bragged proudly in her mind, her soul puffing out its chest. Never underestimate a girl who has binge-read a hundred transmigration novels!

With a satisfied grin hidden beneath her blanket, Lyra quickly snapped her eyes closed again, settling back into her "fainted" state.

Truth be told, Lyra was nowhere near death’s door.

A few hours ago, when the Emperor had cold-heartedly banished her to the ancestral hall, two guards had escorted her into the drafty stone room and slammed the doors shut behind her. The moment the echo of their footsteps faded down the quiet corridor, Lyra had flopped onto her knees against the bare floorboards.

"SYSTEM!!" Lyra had shrieked hysterically in her mind, rubbing her shivering arms as the icy drafts bit into her skin. "I am going to freeze to death! My knees are going to turn into ice cubes! Can’t you do anything to save me?!"

[ Sorry, Host! ] the System had replied with an apologetic little beep. [ I must follow the Headquarters’ strict safety guidelines! I cannot directly alter your physical punishment or disobey the Emperor’s imperial decree! ]

"Are you serious?!" Lyra whimpered, her teeth already chattering from the bitter chill. "I am a fragile modern girl! How am I supposed to kneel on bare stone for seven hours straight in the middle of winter?!"

[ Well... there is one workaround, Host! ] the System piped up thoughtfully. [ You can purchase a temporary Pain-Blocking Potion from the Headquarters System Store! It completely numbs your physical body, so you won’t feel the freezing temperature or the sharp pain in your knees! ]

Lyra’s dark eyes had lit up with intense hope. "How much is it?!"

[ It costs 20 Soul Fragments! ]

Lyra’s hope instantly deflated like a popped balloon. "TWENTY SOUL FRAGMENTS?! Are you trying to rob me blind?! I only have 50 Soul Fragments total from completing my last world mission! If I spend twenty now, I’ll be practically broke!"

[ Quality comes at a price, Host! ] the System explained smoothly. [ However, if you want to save your points, I can offer you the discounted, short-duration version! It only costs 10 Soul Fragments, but the numb effect will only last for 3 hours. After that, you’ll have to endure the remaining 4 hours on your own! ]

Lyra had given it a quick thought as a freezing wind blew through the windows, making her entire body shiver violently.

"Deal! I’ll take the 3-hour potion!" Lyra had agreed hastily. "Ten soul fragments it is!"

[ Transaction complete! Pain-Blocking Potion applied! ]

The moment the system notification dinged, a soothing, warm numbness had washed over Lyra’s body. The freezing stone felt like soft silk beneath her knees, and the bitter cold completely vanished from her skin. For three glorious hours, Lyra had simply sat there in complete comfort, playing word games with the System in her head.

However, as the three-hour timer neared its end, Lyra knew she couldn’t stay awake for the remaining four hours of freezing cold.

"System," Lyra had instructed slyly as the numbness began to fade. "The moment the potion wears off, I am going to fake a dramatic collapse! The maids always check on the hall around midnight. When they see me passed out on the floor, they’ll panic and call for help!"

And her plan had worked to absolute perfection. She had collapsed dramatically onto the cold floor right on cue, prompting the terrified maids to scream, wrap her in blankets, and summon the royal physicians.

Back in the current situation, Cassian stood beside her, staring down at her pale, peaceful face.

As the royal physician stepped forward with a warm bowl of herbal medicine, Cassian subtly shifted his broad frame, blocking the old man’s path with an imposing authority.

"I will take Her Highness back to her bedchamber," Cassian stated raspy and low, his deep voice carrying a tone that left no room for argument.

The old physician blinked in surprise, but looking at the tall, formidable guard whose pitch-black eyes gave off a deadly pressure, he quickly bowed his head. "Y-Yes, of course. Please be careful with Her Highness."

Cassian leaned down, sliding one broad, warm arm beneath Lyra’s knees and the other behind her shoulders. With effortless strength, he lifted her small, light body off the cold floorboards and held her securely against his broad chest.

In her fake sleep, Lyra felt herself being lifted into the air. Her small hand instinctively reached out, grabbing tightly onto the front lapel of his black guard tunic. She buried her face slightly into the crook of his warm neck, seeking shelter from the lingering chill of the hall.

Cassian’s entire body went rigid for a split second. The soft, delicate warmth of her breath tickled the sensitive skin of his neck, sending an electric jolt straight down his spine. His heart thumped-once, twice, three times in a fast rhythm.

He tightened his grip on her, turning around and striding out of the ancestral hall with silent steps.