The Regressed Tyrant Princess Rewrites Her Dark History - Chapter 1.5

Siegbert’s attempt to take control of the royal maids had been thwarted, but Ariadne couldn’t ignore the fact that spies had already infiltrated the palace.

The afternoon following the soirée, she put her next move into action.

“Sybilla, prepare a hooded robe for me.”

“…A hooded robe? What do you need that for?”

Ariadne grinned mischievously, adopting the mannerisms of a playful fifteen-year-old.

“Hehe, I’m going to dress up in disguise and give Haino a scare!”

Acting like an innocent girl eager for a harmless prank, she disarmed Sybilla’s concerns. The young maid sighed, clearly resigned, and retrieved the requested robe.

“Thank you! I’ll be back after my little prank!”

With the robe tucked under her arm, Ariadne dashed out of the room.

Once she reached a deserted part of the palace, she slipped into the robe. Pulling the hood low over her face, she concealed her platinum blonde hair and jewel-like eyes, ensuring no one would recognize her.

Then, without hesitation, she leaped out of an open second-story window.

Using magic to slow her descent, she landed lightly on the ground below.

After confirming that no one was around, she swiftly slipped past the palace walls, disappearing into the shadows of the city.

Her destination—the slums at the city’s edge.

The slums harbored two major underground organizations.

One was Black Moon, a ruthless criminal syndicate willing to do anything for the right price.

Murder, human trafficking, smuggling—no crime was beneath them.

In her previous life, Ariadne had frequently used their services.

But this time—she wasn’t heading for them.

The past was riddled with mistakes she was determined not to repeat.

Instead, she sought Black Sun, the rival faction that had once opposed Black Moon.

Though both organizations operated outside the law, Black Sun had a code.

Unlike Black Moon, they refused to engage in certain crimes.

If Black Moon was a pack of rabid wolves, then Black Sun was a well-trained hunting hound—just as dangerous, but with discipline.

In her past life, Black Sun had been an obstacle to her ambitions.

And so—she had crushed them.

By manipulating Black Moon, she had systematically dismantled their network.

Now, however, she planned to turn them into allies.

Ariadne moved through the slums, slipping into a run-down tavern.

Inside, the dimly lit interior reeked of alcohol and sweat. Even in the middle of the day, drunken men occupied the tables, their voices rough and unfiltered.

Ignoring them, Ariadne walked deeper into the tavern, stopping when a burly bartender blocked her path.

“This ain’t a place for kids. Get lost.”

“I need to see the master.”

“What? The hell you talkin’ about—”

He squinted, eyeing her robed figure.

“Wait… Are you a girl?”

Ariadne lifted her hood slightly, revealing a glimpse of her face.

Then, she spoke the words she had carefully prepared.

“The Jewel Princess has come to end the war between the Sun and the Moon.”

Shortly after, she was led into a secret chamber deep within Black Sun’s base.

Inside, seated on a worn-out sofa, was a one-eyed man.

A young woman sat beside him, her sharp gaze assessing Ariadne.

Behind them stood a line of armed guards, all watching her warily.

The one-eyed man leaned forward.

“So, you’re the so-called ‘Jewel Princess’?”

“My name is Ariadne.”

Her gaze swept over the room, taking in each individual.

Then, with a fluid motion, she removed her hooded robe, letting it fall away.

The dim lantern light caught her amethyst-colored eyes, making them glow eerily.

At the sight, the one-eyed man and the woman beside him both tensed.

“…So it’s true. You’re the Restour Princess.”

“I told you—I came to end the war between the Sun and the Moon.”

The one-eyed man, Keith—the leader of Black Sun, scoffed.

“Hah. What, you plan to hand over Black Moon’s secrets to us?”

His amusement was short-lived.

“Not just theirs,” Ariadne said smoothly.

“I’ll give you the weaknesses of Marquis Wilfried as well.”

Silence.

Keith’s smirk vanished.

His hand twitched toward his hidden weapon.

“…How the hell do you know about that?”

Ariadne rested one foot atop the low table, her heel striking against the surface with a sharp sound.

“I’ll overlook your rudeness once,” she said, her voice low and commanding.

“But if you continue speaking like a common thug in my presence, you’ll regret it.”

Keith blinked.

His hand froze mid-reach, then hesitantly withdrew.

“…Tch. Fine. No more foul language.”

Ariadne studied him for a moment, then gracefully lowered her foot and took a seat.

She spread out her discarded robe over the cushion beneath her, creating a barrier between herself and the worn-down sofa.

Keith let out a huff of laughter.

“You’re an odd one, Princess.”

Beside him, the young woman—Anise—smiled playfully.

“I find her rather charming, actually. Oh, but will you be angry if I say that?”

“As long as you remain polite, you may speak freely.”

“Then I shall.”

There was an amused glint in Anise’s eyes, but it was clearly calculated.

Ariadne already knew—this woman wasn’t Keith’s mistress, as she pretended to be.

She was his sister.

And this meeting was about to get much more interesting.

“…Alright. How much do you actually know?”

Keith’s tone hardened.

Ariadne smiled slightly.

“Everything? No. But enough.”

Her gaze flicked to Anise, then back to Keith.

“Your full name is Keith Cant. You were once the heir to the now-ruined Baron Cant family. Your house was destroyed by Marquis Wilfried, who coveted your sister, Anise, as his concubine.”

Keith’s body went rigid.

Anise, however, remained still, watching Ariadne with cold calculation.

“…Where did you learn that?”

Keith’s fingers twitched toward a hidden weapon, but before he could react—

Ariadne snapped her fingers.

The top half of a wine bottle—sitting right in front of Keith—slid cleanly off.

A moment of stunned silence.

The cut was impossibly precise—a controlled burst of wind magic.

Keith’s hand froze mid-motion.

A bead of sweat rolled down his temple.

“If I meant you harm,” Ariadne said smoothly,

“You would already be dead.”

For the first time, Keith looked uncertain.

Ariadne smiled.

“Let’s talk about our deal, shall we?”

Ariadne would make full use of the knowledge from her past life.

To the Black Moon, it must have felt like their former leader had betrayed them. It was understandable that they would resent her. However, she felt no guilt.

After all, the assassin who had attacked her mother was a member of Black Moon.

They had betrayed her first—or rather, she had been their pawn from the very beginning.

(You’ll regret ever laying a hand on my mother… I’ll make sure of it.)

“Fine. The first piece of information we want is that.”

“Then we have a deal.” Ariadne’s lips curled into a smirk. “Six months ago, you took in a man who was found collapsed under a bridge, didn’t you?”

“Him? Wait… Are you saying he’s the informant?”

“He regularly delivers reports to a certain house. The evidence should be there.”

“I see. And what do you want in return?”

Ariadne pulled out a stack of documents from her cloak and tossed them onto the table.

“These are the names of the traitors—maids who serve in the royal princess’s palace but have secretly pledged loyalty elsewhere.”

“…You’re already certain of them?”

“I have no concrete proof yet.”

Strictly speaking, in her past life, these three were the ones left behind when Siegbelt orchestrated a reshuffling of palace staff.

That meant they had been deemed trustworthy at the time.

But that wasn’t possible.

The true spies had been there all along—before the reshuffling even took place.

“So, you want us to find the evidence?”

“No, I’ll confirm it myself. If there’s no proof… we’ll simply create some.”

“…You’re a terrifying little princess, aren’t you?”

“Oh? I only bring ruin to those who deserve it.”

“Justice and evil are a matter of perspective, don’t you think?”

“Naturally. And I’ll be the one to decide what is just.”

Ariadne smiled serenely as she spoke.

Keith, watching her from across the table, let out an exaggerated sigh.

After Ariadne left, Keith collapsed onto the sofa and exhaled loudly.

“…What the hell is she? She’s supposed to be fifteen, right? But that bloodlust… I seriously thought she was going to kill me.”

In their world, showing weakness was the same as signing a death warrant. Keith had tried to intimidate her multiple times during their conversation.

But the moment she locked eyes with him, his body refused to move.

“She definitely has bl00d on her hands.” Anise leaned back, crossing her arms. “And she said it so casually too—‘If there’s no proof, we’ll make some.’ I think she’s worse than us.”

She was joking, but there was a sheen of sweat on her forehead.

“…Well, as long as she doesn’t see us as enemies, I don’t really care.”

“You actually trust her?”

“She has enough dirt on us to ruin us completely. If she wanted us dead, she wouldn’t bother with this whole charade.”

The information she had on them was too precise. She could’ve handed it to Marquis Wilfried at any time and destroyed them effortlessly. Instead, she had chosen negotiation.

It was as if she were holding a blade to their throats while smiling and saying, “See? I haven’t killed you yet. That means I can be trusted.”

“Then, we should assume what she said is true and act accordingly. I’ll handle the investigation at the royal palace. If she’s on our side, getting a position there shouldn’t be too difficult.”

Anise stood up and reached for her hair, untying it. She then buttoned up the top of her blouse, concealing the provocative allure she had been exuding.

Her transformation was almost magical—gone was the sultry mistress, replaced by a refined young woman who could easily pass as a noble’s daughter.

“I don’t like you getting involved with aristocrats.”

“I appreciate the concern, but we can’t run forever. Isn’t that why you accepted her deal?”

“…Yeah. It’s a gamble, but one worth taking.”

They had once lived a peaceful life as the children of a poor noble family. They had loyal servants, a loving home—everything they needed.

Until a high-ranking noble had decided he wanted Anise as his concubine.

When they refused, their family was ruined.

There was no forgiving that.

And so, they had entered the underworld, waiting for their moment of revenge.

That moment had finally arrived.

“Our revenge begins now.”

“Yes. Let’s end this.”

Deep in the slums, in the shadows of the city, two siblings moved toward war.