Chapter 53: Villainess Princess × Slave (16)

Cassian carefully wrapped the soft cotton towel around her small feet, gently drying every drop of water from her pale skin. His long fingers pressed lightly against her calves, holding her delicate legs securely against his warm tunic.

The contrast between his rugged, muscular frame and her tiny, silk-clad figure was striking.

Cassian slowly looked up, his lips curving into a low, breathtaking smirk that sent another massive shiver straight down Lyra’s spine.

"Your feet are completely clean now..." Cassian murmured, his raspy voice dripping with a dangerous sweetness. "...Princess."

Lyra sat frozen on her plush chair, staring down at her legs resting comfortably on his lap, her mind entirely blank.

System... Lyra squeaked pathetically in her head, her soul practically floating out of her mouth. I think... I think my future executioner has officially gone insane...

Before Lyra could kick her legs off Cassian’s thigh and escape the suffocating intensity of his gaze, the quiet rustle of robes echoed down the stone pathway.

"My, my... what a delightful little scene I have stumbled upon," a smooth voice drawled out.

Lyra’s body instantly went rigid.

Walking into the rose garden under the bright afternoon sun was Crown Prince Julian. He was draped in opulent gold-and-red robes, his long silver-tinged hair swaying gently with every step. His amber eyes swept over the scene with a predatory gaze, lingering on the way Cassian’s large, hand still loosely encircled Lyra’s small, bare ankle.

"I-Imperial Brother..." Lyra stammered out, her voice faltering slightly as an intense tension washed over her.

She hastily yanked her feet back, sliding them into her slippers and pulling her skirts down to cover her legs. Her heart was pounding but this time, it wasn’t because of Cassian- it was the pure terror triggered by Julian’s presence.

Cassian slowly stood up from his kneeling position. His pitch-black eyes narrowed, observing Lyra’s expressions. He noticed how her shoulders hitched upward, how her small fingers tightly clenched the fabric of her dress until her knuckles turned ghostly white, and how the lively pink color completely drained from her face.

She isn’t just uncomfortable... Cassian noted silently, his gaze shifting back and forth between the siblings. She is genuinely terrified of him.

"Look at you, my delicate little sister," Julian chuckled, stepping closer until he stood right beside her lounge chair. He leaned down, his slender hand reaching out to stroke the top of her head. "I came to check on your health after your faint last night, yet here you are, playing with your dirty slave in the garden."

Lyra forced a stiff, strained smile onto her lips, holding her breath as his fingers brushed her dark hair. "I... I am feeling much better, Imperial Brother. Thank you for your concern."

"Is that so?" Julian’s amber eyes glinted with a dark, possessive light. His gaze flicked over to Cassian, his lip curling into a cold smirk. "You should be careful, Lyra. Father mentioned your reckless behavior during this morning’s imperial court session."

At the mention of "Father," Lyra’s entire frame gave a subtle flinch.

Cassian caught the exact moment her breathing hitched. His dark eyes darkened further. The Princess was a spoiled tyrant, yet the mere mention of the Emperor and the presence of the Crown Prince turned her into a helpless, shivering bird.

"Father was quite furious that you skipped your royal duties," Julian continued, his voice dripping with sweetness. "He mentioned that if you step out of line one more time, he won’t settle for a simple night in the cold ancestral hall. He promised to break your delicate legs himself so you can never run out of the palace again."

Lyra swallowed hard, a cold sweat breaking out across her forehead. "I... I understand. I will obey Imperial Father."

"Good girl," Julian purred softly, patting her cheek with two light, chilling taps. "You are far too beautiful to be broken, Lyra. Keep that in mind. Now, rest up. I shall visit your bedchamber again tonight to make sure you eat your dinner properly."

With a final, lingering look at her pale face, Julian turned on his heel, his golden dragon robes swishing arrogantly as he strode away from the garden, accompanied by his personal guard escort.

The heavy aura in the garden slowly dissipated, but the damage was already done.

Lyra sat completely motionless, staring blankly at the glass table. Her appetite was entirely gone. The sweet strawberry shortcake and iced tea looked utterly repulsive to her now.

"Take... take everything away," Lyra whispered weakly to her maids. Her clear voice was trembling so badly it was barely audible. "I am returning to my bedchamber."

"Y-Yes, Your Highness!" the maids bowed hastily, quickly clearing the silver trays.

Lyra pushed herself off the lounge chair, her legs wobbling slightly beneath her silk gown. She didn’t look at Cassian. She didn’t utter a single arrogant word or demand another humiliation. Without glancing left or right, she walked past him like a hollow shell, heading straight toward her private estate.

Cassian stood silently in the garden, watching her retreating, small back. His jaw tightened into straight line.

Break her legs...? Cassian thought, his fists clenching hard, his short nails bit into his palms. A strange mix of fury and intense curiosity swirled in his soul. The imperial family of this empire was a pit of vipers- that much he already knew. But to see the arrogant Princess reduced to a trembling wreck by her own family... it twisted something deep inside him.

Ten minutes later, Lyra entered her opulent bedchamber.

She turned around, facing her maids with a shadow of her former harshness, though her voice lacked any real bite. "All of you... get out. Do not enter unless I call for you. I want to be left completely alone."

"Yes, Her Highness’s command!" the maids bowed and quickly exited, pulling the grand doors shut behind them.

The moment the lock clicked shut, the silence in the room became deafening.

High up in the wooden rafters of the bedchamber ceiling, hidden deep within the shadowy crossbeams, a figure dressed entirely in black watched with unblinking eyes.

It was Cassian’s shadow guard. Following his master’s strict orders, he had slipped into the Princess’s room unnoticed to monitor her every move and discover what was truly going on inside her mind.

The shadow guard braced himself, expecting to see the Princess throw a spoiled temper tantrum, smash delicate porcelain vases, or scheme new ways to torture her servants.

Instead, what he witnessed made his eyes widen in pure shock behind his black mask.

The moment she was alone, Lyra’s arrogant facade completely shattered.

Her knees buckled beneath her, and she collapsed onto the plush rug right beside her golden bed. She didn’t even make it to the mattress. She curled into a tiny, tight ball on the floor, pulling her legs up to her chest and wrapping her delicate arms around herself.

Huu... huu...

Her chest heaved as her breathing devolved into rapid, gasps. Her small, jade-like body began to shiver , a cold violent tremor taking over her entire frame.

Up in the rafters, the shadow guard held his breath.

He could see the utter panic in her eyes. It wasn’t an act. Her dark eyes were wide. Drops of cold sweat poured down her pale cheeks, mixing with the silent tears that spilled over her lashes.

"N-No... no..." Lyra whimpered pathetically, her voice tiny and broken as she buried her face into her knees. "Don’t... don’t lock me in the dark... don’t break my legs... please..."

The physical body of the original Princess Lyra carried deep, severe psychological trauma from the tyrant Emperor’s brutal "discipline," and the combination of Julian’s sinister threats, the Emperor’s authority, and the-stress environment of this deadly world was completely overwhelming her modern soul. Her nervous system had completely short-circuited.

Ding!

A soft, distressed digital beep resonated in her mind.

[ Host! Host! ] the System panicked, its glowing light flickering erratically near her trembling form. [ Your heart rate is dangerously high! Your mental stability index is dropping fast! Please calm down, Host! I can play soothing music for you! ]

"S-System..." Lyra sobbed silently, her body shaking so hard her teeth chattered. "I... I can’t breathe... I’m so scared... they’re all insane... her brother, her father... they’re all monsters..."

She clutched her head with both hands, curling tighter into herself on the cold floor, completely helpless against the tidal wave of panic that consumed her.

What... what is this?! the shadow guard thought frantically, his mind in utter confusion.

All that remained on the carpet was a terrified, fragile young girl, sobbing in the dark and trembling in absolute terror from the mere memory of her own family’s words.

She... she isn’t acting... the shadow guard realized. She is genuinely terrified of the Emperor and the Crown Prince! Her arrogance... it’s all just a fake, desperate shield she puts up so no one sees how broken she actually is.

Realizing the immense importance of this discovery, the shadow guard didn’t dare stay a second longer. He carefully shifted his weight, melting into the deep shadows of the ceiling rafters, and silently vanished through the high stone window to report everything to his master.

Down on the floor, wrapped in her lightweight pink silk dress, Lyra remained curled in a ball under the dim afternoon light, weeping silently into the quiet, empty room.