The Regressed Tyrant Princess Rewrites Her Dark History - Chapter 2.1
“I appreciate your concern, but that will not be necessary.”
“But even within the castle, we cannot be certain of our safety. That is why—”
“—Your Highness.”
Ariadne cut him off with a firm voice.
She met his gaze with an expression of quiet determination.
Arnold’s elegant features clouded with concern, but after a moment, he closed his eyes briefly and relented.
“You do not require an escort, then?”
“No, I do not.”
“Very well. Then, please be careful. However… we need to talk later.”
His serious gaze bore into her.
For a brief moment, Ariadne stiffened, expecting a lecture.
But then she realized the true meaning behind his words and allowed a small smile to form.
“Yes, of course. We shall speak later.”
With a graceful turn, she flipped the hem of her dress and strode off.
As she moved away from the grand hall and toward her destination, her mind was occupied with thoughts of what was to come.
Ariadne sought revenge against Siegbert and atonement for those she had wronged.
So far, she had successfully used her memories from her past life to achieve these goals.
However—
(My engagement to Arnold has already rewritten history.)
There was no guarantee that events would unfold at the same time or in the same manner as before.
That said, the causes behind these events had not disappeared.
For example, just because Ariadne had aligned herself with Arnold, that did not mean Siegbert would give up his claim to the throne.
He would surely use every means at his disposal to achieve his goal.
Even if history itself had changed, people’s ambitions and objectives remained the same.
As long as she considered that, she could still predict the near future.
Furthermore, some occurrences were far less susceptible to change—
Natural disasters, for instance.
Like the fluttering of a butterfly’s wings causing a distant storm, perhaps, one day, Ariadne’s actions would impact even nature itself.
But that was a concern for the distant future.
For now, she could assume that the disasters of her past life would still occur.
And soon, the kingdom would face an invasion of monsters.
This attack would bring about not only immediate destruction but also an outbreak of disease caused by the creatures’ corpses.
A devastating disaster that would ravage the royal capital and its surroundings.
And amid that chaos, the Holy Kingdom of Avelia would launch an invasion.
In her previous life, Siegbert had led the Grandheim army, with Ariadne serving as his aide.
However, at that time, both she and Siegbert had been inexperienced.
The army was already weakened from the plague, leading to catastrophic losses.
In the end, they achieved victory, and Siegbert’s faction grew stronger as a result.
But the war left Grandheim crippled.
It had been a brutal conflict, leaving scars on both nations.
(And then—)
Ariadne recalled those she had once wronged.
Among them was a saint who had prayed for mercy—whom Ariadne had mercilessly cut down with her own blade.
That was a future she could never allow to repeat.
But stopping the war would be nearly impossible.
The reason was the neighboring kingdom’s internal crisis.
Its king had fallen ill, leaving power in the hands of the first prince.
That prince had no intention of allowing Grandheim, which had already expanded by absorbing the Restoule Empire, to grow any stronger.
But his true goal was to use the war to secure his own authority within his country.
Ariadne was no god.
She could not cure the neighboring king’s illness or suppress the prince’s ambition.
(Which means the only thing I can do is minimize the damage from both the plague and the war. But even that is easier said than done.)
The plague and the war were causally linked.
If she reduced the impact of the disease, Avelia’s invasion timeline would shift.
But Ariadne could not afford to let Avelia strike at an inopportune moment.
She needed to control when the invasion occurred.
(I must limit the plague’s spread, manipulate the ambitions of the neighboring prince, and ensure the war ends swiftly.)
She knew the future.
That was her greatest advantage.
To fight against Siegbert’s faction, she could not afford to waste it.
But she also could not let anyone know that she possessed knowledge of future events.
She would have to maneuver everything carefully while continuing the faction war.
(I must contain the plague, save the saint, and bring the war to an early end. I have some strategies… but I’m still missing a key piece.)
As she pondered her next steps, she walked through the halls.
At that moment, her handmaid Ashley approached her.
“I shall accompany you.”
Ashley was the daughter of Count Granis.
She had been sent by Olivia as both a contact for the First Prince’s faction and a spy to monitor Ariadne.
Now, she faithfully served as Ariadne’s maid and even saw her as a magic mentor.
But should Ariadne ever turn against the faction, she would undoubtedly become an enemy.
“Princess Ariadne, where are we headed?”
“There’s a small event in the courtyard. But you don’t need to come along.”
“Oh my, but I am your maid, am I not?”
Her clear green eyes twinkled with resolve.
Perhaps it was partly due to her duty, but mostly, it seemed to stem from genuine goodwill.
Ariadne sighed, smiling mischievously.
“Very well, then. Let’s dance together.”
“Dance…?”
Ashley tilted her head in confusion, but Ariadne merely stepped forward, heading into the courtyard.
Before them lay a beautifully arranged garden, filled with vibrant, blooming flowers.
Tonight, however, it had been left outside the designated party area and was unlit.
The only illumination came from the moonlight and the distant glow of the palace lights, casting an ethereal, dreamlike atmosphere over the scene.
As they walked through the garden, weaving between the flower beds, Ashley suddenly let out an excited murmur.
“The engagement ceremony was truly beautiful earlier.”
“…Are you saying that after witnessing that entrance?”
Ariadne frowned as she recalled the mortifying memory of being carried in Arnold’s arms.
“Oh my, but you looked quite happy,” Ashley teased.
“Did I…?”
Ariadne’s expression clouded slightly in uncertainty.
She had been deprived of familial love, offering herself entirely for the sake of her brother. Love was an unfamiliar emotion, something she had never truly understood.
Ashley must have realized this, for she quickly changed the subject.
“At least now, you can be at ease.”
“At ease?”
“Yes. You are now officially Prince Arnold’s fiancée. With such powerful protection, your life is no longer in danger.”
“You’re such an innocent and charming girl.”
Ariadne chuckled, looking at her with the warm affection one might show a younger sister.
She was the illegitimate child of the current king and a fallen nation’s princess.
She had never been acknowledged as a proper member of the Grandheim royal family.
For the longest time, she had been treated as an outcast.
That was Ariadne Restour.
Had she been assassinated just a month ago, the world would have easily forgotten her.
But now, things were different.
As Arnold’s betrothed, she had become someone no one could touch without consequence.
If she were to be killed now, it would cause an uproar.
However, precisely because of this, her engagement carried immense weight.
The Second Prince’s faction would not ignore the fact that a royal child bearing the king’s bl00d had aligned herself with Arnold.
More than anything, Ariadne’s jewel-like eyes were proof of the true royal lineage that Grandheim had long lost.
The child she bore would be recognized as a true heir of the royal bloodline.
With that thought, Ariadne suddenly reached out and pulled Ashley closer.
“Princess Ariadne?”
“I did say we should dance together, didn’t I?”
Ariadne smiled playfully, and in the same instant, she activated a magic barrier around them.
The next moment—
A dull, metallic gleam streaked through the air, clashing against the invisible shield.
Ariadne’s barrier deflected the incoming blade.
From behind the flower beds, dark-clad figures emerged—faces obscured, weapons drawn.
“How unsophisticated,” Ariadne mused.
“To attempt an attack on such a beautiful moonlit night.”
Tonight, Ariadne had become someone who could not be so easily touched.
But at the same time—
She had become a target that must be eliminated at any cost by the Second Prince’s faction.