Princess received the tea from Ancil and smelt its fragrance. She closed her eyes and listened to the nervous breathing of Consimia who sat opposite of her.

She swirled the cup and drank it. The sweetness washed the metallic taste in her mouth, warming her chest. She opened her eyes but found not Angelica who was always by her side or Medoria whose tea was the best she ever had.

"The tea is good."

Consimia gripped her chest and took a deep breath. She reached out to Ancil who was trembling with sweats drenching her forehead. In panic Ancil took a handkerchief from her pocket. Her trembling hand slipped and sent it to Princess's feet.

Princess glanced at the handkerchief then back to Ancil, faintly smiling. Her fingers tapped on the tea table as she waited for something to happen.

"Your highness, I'm sorry." Ancil knelt. "Please punish me. Her highness hasn't done anything."

"Stand up."

Ancil sprung up like a startled rabbit. The next instant, dizziness assaulted her. She tumbled against Consimia who caught her. Ancil grabbed Consimia's chair and held herself up, her face pale beyond fright.

"I'm sorry!" Ancil didn't know what to do but repeating her previous line, her hand holding Consimia's.

Princess raised her hand. Consimia and Ancil froze, their eyes locking on the beautifully terrifying lips.

"Your loyalty is commendable. I don't intend to punish you." Princess gestured for her. "Come here."

Ancil looked at Consimia and smiled, her hand slipping out of the grasp. Consimia reached out but couldn't catch her. With her determination and loyalty, she treaded toward Princess.

The claw-like hand caressed Ancil's face as the pair of dull azure eyes observed her feature. Before them, Ancil was stripped naked, exposed in front of an ancient being so wise in the way of the world yet so lifeless.

"You look like her, but you aren't her."

Princess examined Ancil whose silhouette overlapped with another blurry yet familiar figure. Their height was about the same, their manner even more so. Nevertheless, the aura and the soul weren't her, the scent wasn't her.

Ancil couldn't become Angelica, no matter how similar their physical appearance may be. Angelica's existence was a quale. No amount of fake could become real.

"You can go back."

Princess gently pushed Ancil back. Her face blank, Ancil backpedalled to Consimia. She checked herself to find any abnormality but found nothing, which confused her.

"Your highness, what did you do to her?" Consimia said, her eyes filled with worry.

"I didn't do anything."

"Your highness, what is my punishment?" Ancil said. "Please don't do anything to her."

"If you want punishment, consider my previous action as your punishment." Princess giggled. "Allow me to have a little talk with the Elven Princess here, will you?"

Ancil shivered, her body quickly moving to hide behind Consimia. Her face was still cold from the touch of the claw. Though nothing happened, the fear and trauma loomed over her.

In her mind, the ruler of the Arachna was bloodthirsty, savage, brutal, and evil beyond all imagination. The being before her, so refined in her manner, so humane in her action, was too disconnected from the mental image.

"Tell me, Consimia, how is life?"

Princess glanced at Consimia and thought about herself. She was once an innocent, stubborn, and childish princess. If she hadn't gone through a series of unfortunate events, she would still be like Consimia.

"Are you really the Fallen Princess?"

"Are you surprised I was once a human?"

Consimia leant closer with interested, though wariness remained in her eyes. "How did you become an Arachna?"

"It doesn't matter. I am and will forever be myself."

"What is it like?"

"You'll have to experience it yourself. Do you want to?"

Princess glanced at Ancil who stared at Consimia with uncertainty in her eyes. Consimia shook her head and smiled.

"Sorry, but living as a monster doesn't sit well with me."

"Sometimes, you don't have a choice." Princess smiled. "You'll have to stay with this monster for a while unless your father forsakes you."

"His majesty will never do that!" Ancil said before hiding behind Consimia deeper than before.

"I wouldn't be so sure, but it'll be great if he doesn't."

"May I ask what you're going to do to me?"

"I'll turn you into an Arachna, that maid too. What do you think?"

Consimia hung her head low and sighed, her eyes unfocused. Her hands holding her teacup shook and spilt the tea. She glanced at Ancil behind her and looked for an answer that never came.

"Will I remain myself?" she said.

"Do you think I'm still myself?"

"If you're yourself, you wouldn't betray your humanity."

"My choice is made with my will. I didn't betray them. They betray me."

"You kill in cold blood."

"I kill to survive and to revenge. I won't deny I'm evil."

"Are you always like this?"

Princess stood up, her the four spider legs extending from her back. Her shadow cast over Consimia and Ancil, spreading like a wicked web.

"I wasn't like this, not this mindset and not this appearance. Nevertheless, I understand more and change my perspective. What if I told you I was once naive like you?"

Consimia compared herself with Princess. "Will I become like you?"

"You won't be like me. You'll be yourself with the truth you come to understand."

Consimia surveyed the room around her. The Elves, male and female, old and young, knelt before the golden Arachna. They peeked at Princess while trying their best to soften their breathing. As Consimia scrutinized them, she found despair in their eyes.

Her sight moved to Ancil, though her face wasn't as hopeless, she remained trembling with dread.

She looked into Princess's eyes. "I'll become an Arachna, but you must free them."

"Your highness!" despite her fear, Ancil said. "Your well-being is a priority."

Consimia shook her head and maintained eye contact. "Please consider my request."

Princess chuckled. "I am not a devil nor a god. No one is becoming an Arachna today."

"Are you going to control me?"

"If I want you to work under me, you won't be able to refuse."

"What is your intention?"

"You mature fast."

"I only do what I think is the right choice."

"So do I." Princess clicked the empty teacup and eyed Ancil. "Pour me another cup."

Ancil slowly moved to Princess. With a smile, she regained her composure and filled Princess's cup with attention and detail. Her elegance seeped into the tea, making its fragrance livelier.

After Princess took a sip, she savoured the soft flavour. Aside from the taste of blood, she had forgotten almost everything else.

"Do you know Medoria?"

"Your highness, your maid has become a legend of her own."

"Tell me about her achievement. I only know so little."

"Rumour has it that she disappeared for a week after your highness was declared dead and reappeared in front of your residence severely injured. In the darkest hour of her life, she broke through the limitation of talent and became an Arbiter through sheer willpower."

Ancil's voice trembled as if she was there in the moment of history. Her body moved like she was an actor in a wordless stage, conveying her emotions through her gesture.

"How has she been?"

"There hasn't been much news about her, though your highness's influence still remains strong."

"My Ferrum Virgo Manus? Who is the leader now?"

"That information is classified. We lack the authority to know," Consimia said. Despite being a princess, she had little to no actual influence.

"Do you have a dream?" Princess said, taking another sip of her tea.

"What kind of dream?"

"One that you found it yourself, one that you realized alone. Most importantly, one that you, and not others, need."

Princess sank into her chair and closed her eyes, knowing that Consimia needed times to introspect. Like her sister-in-law, Princess helped another person in the same scenario as her past self. Whether Consimia would come out better or worse, that would be for herself to decide.

"Mistress, you're tired," Medoria said, her hand messaging the Second Princess. "You've already passed your bedtime, please rest."

"I don't feel like sleeping. They bring me bad memories."

"You need to rest to properly organize your thoughts. When you're tired, you should take care of your body." Despite her unwillingness, Medoria could only sigh and help Princess with extra light for her eyecare.

"I'm not tired. My mind is always active, so I must study," the Second Princess said, her eyes staring at the book, her hands flipping the pages.

The night crawled as drowsiness began to envelop her. She glanced at the sky and found the pale moon hanging at the top, expressing its tranquillity through the soft radiance.

"Mistress, you yawn." Medoria stared at the Second Princess as she leant closer, her face almost touching the Second Princess. "Please rest."

The pair of charcoal-black eyes revealed their determination as they obstructed the Second Princess from reading. Through Medoria cut her black hair short and combed it neatly, her movement caused them to fall and flutter.

The Second Princess saw the dark circles under a thin layer of makeup. Though Medoria looked young, if this continued, her face and body would be ruined.

"I'll go rest now. You should too."

"Mistress, I'll sleep after I finish cleaning."

The Second Princess grabbed Medoria's hand and shook her head. "You'll sleep and dream a good night's rest."

Medoria averted her gaze and glanced at the mirror, observing a faint dark hue beneath her eyes. She reached for her face but resisted it by taking a deep breath. "Yes, mistress."

"From tomorrow onward, I'll make sure you get enough sleep. If you collapse when you serve me, I won't let you study with me again."

Medoria rapidly nodded her head as she turned nervous. Though the Second Princess would only tease, she couldn't bear the thought of disappointing her.

"Let me guide you to your bedroom, mistress." As if she was late for work, Medoria urged the Second Princess to leave the room and led her to the bedroom.

The Second Princess pushed the gate and stared into the interior of the room. In the middle of the chamber was a cylinder filled with semi-transparent liquid. Angelica's lifeless body hung inside it, blankly staring at Princess.

Princess swiftly turned to Medoria, only to find darkness stretching to infinity behind her. At the horizon of her vision, a feminine figure chained by countless strands of hair rose from the ground, her wearied eyes gazed at the sky.

Escaping the lonely darkness, Princess ran to the chamber, leaving the ever so familiar figure behind. Tears manifested from her eyes, tainting her smooth face with the melancholy warmth.

Princess touched her face, her hand moist with a speck of tears.

"What happened?" Consimia took out a handkerchief and handed it to Princess, her expression perplexed.

"Just a bad dream. It's been a while since I last dreamed."

The moment of serenity was rare for Princess. As a being hated by all, she had been running and escaping for too long. With Angelica's life at risk, she couldn't bring herself to rest. The creeping sensation of despair was ever-present in her mind.

"I've decided: I'll cooperate with you, as long as you don't mistreat them," Consimia said and pointed at the other Elves.

Princess walked to Consimia and stroked her hair, glancing at Ancil then the remaining Elves. "Stick with me if you want to live. The game is starting."

Through the corridors, the shadowy silhouettes walked out from their corners and closed off the room. Fons radiated from their bodies and merged into a gigantic formation, showcasing its intricate design.

At the centre of all attention, a figure stood opposite of Princess, glaring at her with an endless vengeance. Pulling down her hood, Cyania revealed her pupils, their colour gradually shifting from blue to green and green to blue, forming a perfect cycle.

Without any hesitation, Cyania conjured her spells without any formation and bombarded Princess with countless thorns and ice shards.

GDLiZy

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