The Regressed Tyrant Princess Rewrites Her Dark History - Chapter 2.10

Disguised and having slipped away from her lodgings, Ariadne moved stealthily toward her destination. Following closely behind her, also in disguise as a maid, was Ashley.

“Your Highness, Princess Ariadne, where are we headed?”

“The orphanage in this town. And from now on, call me Lindy.”

With a playful tone, she made her way to the orphanage. Once she arrived, she knocked on the door.

There was no response at first.

She knocked again. This time, a cautious voice came from beyond the door.

“It’s Lindy. I need to speak with the director.”

No answer.

“I’m not infected,” she added. “In fact, I’m here to save you.”

A short pause—then the door creaked open.

Standing there was the orphanage director.

He took a moment to inspect Ariadne, then shifted his gaze toward Ashley before finally stepping aside and allowing them inside.

In the orphanage’s reception room, Ariadne sat on the sofa, facing the director.

Unlike their previous meeting, his daughter was absent this time. Instead, Sonia, disguised in a similar fashion, had taken her place.

Ariadne smirked at the sight.

Sonia’s disguise bore an uncanny resemblance to Victoria.

Of course, if they stood side by side, the differences would be obvious. But in terms of key features, they looked almost identical—which was exactly the intention.

Satisfied, Ariadne turned her attention back to the director, who regarded her with cautious suspicion.

“What is your business here?” he asked warily.

“You seem quite tense,” Ariadne observed.

“Would you not be, given the circumstances?”

“Fair enough,” she conceded. “Then let’s get straight to the point. I assume you’re aware that this area has been quarantined?”

At her words, the director’s face twisted dramatically.

“Of course I am! Because of it, we’re trapped in this orphanage! We weren’t even infected, but we were sealed in just because we were deemed suspicious!”

“That’s terrible,” Ariadne sympathized.

Of course, she was the one who had given the order to include the orphanage in the quarantine.

But the director didn’t know that.

“And that wretched princess!” he continued angrily. “She doesn’t know anything about this town—she comes from outside, pretends to act in our interest, and shuts us away like criminals!”

At his words, both Sonia and Ashley stiffened, but Ariadne remained perfectly calm.

“Yes,” she agreed smoothly, “you’re absolutely right.”

Hearing her apparent support, the director’s anger began to subside. But soon, anxiety overtook his expression.

“What… what will become of us?” he asked, his voice tinged with fear.

“There’s no need to worry. Just earlier, Marquis Wilfried’s knights arrived in town.”

“Not that it matters,” the director scoffed. “The knights are all the same—useless and corrupt.”

“Oh? I wouldn’t appreciate being lumped in with them.”

Ariadne made a subtle show of displeasure, enough to make it seem like she was offended on Wilfried’s behalf.

The director hesitated, his mind racing to guess her true affiliation.

“Lindy, could it be that you…?”

Ariadne saw the wheels turning in his head but chose to redirect the conversation.

“Let’s stay on topic,” she said.

“My master is deeply troubled by this situation. That’s why I’ve been tasked with finding a solution. And I need your help.”

“Our help?” The director frowned. “What exactly do you want us to do?”

“Your daughter—she can use healing magic, can’t she?”

The director’s eyes flickered with unease.

He knew.

He knew that healing magic was effective against this plague.

And yet, he had been hiding Victoria’s ability.

“…That’s…”

“Victoria should assist in treating the infected,” Ariadne stated. “You’re already aware, aren’t you? Healing magic works against this plague.”

The director hesitated. Then, after a pause, he sighed.

“…Yes, I know that. But Victoria’s healing skills aren’t strong enough to cure an epidemic.”

(Of course. He doesn’t want to offer Victoria’s help and lose his insurance.)

(It’s not an incorrect way of thinking. But…)

That very hesitation was her opening.

Ariadne concealed her true thoughts and instead adopted a troubled expression. She subtly signaled Sonia, who promptly stepped forward.

“In that case, allow me to take on the role.”

Ariadne feigned surprise. “And who might you be?”

“I was recently hired as a teacher here,” Sonia replied in her disguised voice. “My name is Violina.”

“Violina, you say?” Ariadne tilted her head slightly. “And… do you have experience with healing magic?”

“A little,” Sonia replied humbly. “I didn’t know healing magic was effective against the plague, but… if I can help even a single suffering person, I would like to offer my assistance.”

A textbook-perfect answer.

Which, of course, it was—since they had rehearsed it beforehand.

Ariadne nodded in approval.

“Wonderful. Then assist with the treatment of the sick. And while we’re at it, we will be using this orphanage as the treatment center.”

“W-Wait, Lady Lindy! Using the orphanage is out of the question!”

“Don’t worry,” Ariadne assured him. “You’ll be compensated.”

Ashley pulled out a leather pouch and emptied it onto the table. A pile of gold coins clinked as they stacked neatly in front of the director.

His eyes gleamed.

For a moment, his breath hitched, but then, he shook his head.

“No matter how much money you offer, I cannot put myself—or rather, the children—at risk of infection! Please reconsider!”

His words reeked of self-preservation.

Sonia and Ashley exchanged looks of thinly veiled contempt.

But Ariadne merely smiled and snapped her fingers.

Ashley immediately responded—lining up several vials on the table.

“Take these.”

The director’s gaze flickered between them.

“And… these are?”

“Purification potions. If you use these, the plague will be cured immediately. We have plenty, so you needn’t worry about infection.”

“Huh? Then why are you…?”

His voice trailed off in confusion.

Ariadne simply smiled.

“Even though we have enough purification potions, there aren’t nearly enough to distribute to every resident of the town. That’s why we need to make it look like healing magic is curing the sick.”

(Will he believe me…?)

There was a fifty-fifty chance.

He might have already suspected something was off.

But he wouldn’t suspect the deeper layers of deception.

Ariadne had made sure he lacked the key pieces to see the full picture.

And besides, his greedy nature wouldn’t allow him to ignore the pile of gold coins stacked beside the purification potions.

His safety was secured. If he didn’t pry further, the gold would be his.

Someone like him—who had already tasted such forbidden fruit—couldn’t possibly refuse Ariadne’s offer.

“Understood. In that case, we will lend the orphanage to assist the sick.”

The director eagerly gathered the gold and potions, his hands moving swiftly.

Ariadne, watching his actions with amusement, turned to Sonia.

“And so—will you help?”

“Of course. If it means I can save even one suffering person, I would gladly do whatever it takes.”

“How noble. You’re just like a… Saint.”

Ariadne’s voice held a teasing lilt.

Thus, Sonia began accepting patients at the orphanage.

On the surface, she was healing them with magic.

In reality, the purification potions had been secretly mixed into their drinks.

One by one, severely ill patients were miraculously saved.

Soon, rumors began to spread—A young woman, living at the orphanage…

A blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman, selflessly risking her life to heal those suffering from the plague with her sacred magic.

And at the same time—Wilfried’s forces took action.

Using their stockpile of purification potions, they dramatically rescued the most critical patients.

They also allowed residents to reunite with their quarantined loved ones.

This only became possible because Ariadne’s knights had isolated the infected and contained the disease.

Yet—All gratitude was directed toward the orphanage girl and Wilfried’s forces.

Ariadne’s knights?

They were nothing but villains.

“The knights locked us away and made us suffer.”

“But thanks to the girl from the orphanage, we were saved!”

“And because Wilfried’s men made the right call, we were able to see our families again!”

This was the story people told.

No—This was the story Ariadne had deliberately spread.

The town of Rosewood praised the orphanage girl and Wilfried’s men.

While in contrast—Ariadne’s knights were left with nothing but resentment and hatred.

Such was the new public sentiment.

“Damn it… Do these people even understand what Her Highness went through to protect them?”

Thibault cursed under his breath as they prepared to withdraw from the town.

The other knights remained silent, but their expressions revealed their shared frustration.

Ariadne, however, simply smiled.

“If they were saved, then that’s all that matters,” she said—as though she were a saint herself.

But standing beside her, Ashley looked as if she was dying to say something.

Ariadne motioned for her to come closer, lowering her voice so no one else could hear.

“Spread rumors that a Saint has appeared in this town,” she instructed. “And make sure those rumors reach the temple.”

Then—She pulled something from her hidden stash.

Ashley’s eyes widened.

“This is…?”

“A purification potion—made by Lucia.”

Ashley’s breath hitched.

She knew.

She knew that if Lucia truly was a Saint, then any potion she created would carry the unique magical traces of a Saint’s blessing.

Ashley’s fingers trembled slightly as she stared at the vial.

“What… do you intend to do with this?”

“Send it to the temple,” Ariadne said. “Anonymously. And do not disclose where it came from.”

Ashley froze.

Then, realization hit her like a storm.

Her entire body trembled as she looked up at Ariadne—With pure, unfiltered terror.

“Don’t tell me… The reason you waited for Marquis Wilfried’s knights to arrive was for this?”

“To make him the mastermind behind everything…?”

Ariadne said nothing. She simply smiled.

Ashley’s emerald-green eyes wavered in shock.

“Y-You… How could you even think of something so terrifying…?”

Ariadne recognized that look.

It was the same gaze people had given her before her return to the past—when she ruled as the Crimson Rose.

“Ashley,” she asked softly, “do I frighten you?”

“That’s…”

Ashley’s eyes shook once more.

But then—

She clenched her fists, looked straight at Ariadne, and answered.

“…If I said I wasn’t afraid, I would be lying.”

“But,” she continued, “I am your ally now. If anything, I pity the Second Prince’s faction for making an enemy out of you.”

For a brief moment, Ariadne blinked in surprise.

Then, she let out a small, quiet laugh.

“You’re right. Those who stand against me must be taught a lesson.”

“But,” she added, her voice turning sharper, “this time, the enemy isn’t just the Second Prince’s faction.”

Ashley froze.

“…Not just the Second Prince’s faction?”

“There’s suspicious activity in the Holy Kingdom of Avelia.”

It was no exaggeration to say that an invasion was inevitable.

The real issue was that by containing the plague, the enemy’s attack timing had become unpredictable.

However—

Ariadne had rescued Oscar and shattered Garrett’s ambitions.

From Garrett’s perspective, it must have looked like the Granheim Kingdom had sided with Oscar.

A man who had been watching Granheim carefully, waiting for the right moment to strike—there was no doubt how he would react.

And so—

A messenger rushed into the room, his face pale.

“Reporting! Avelia’s knights are gathering near the border!”

“The king has ordered Your Highness, Princess Ariadne, to immediately return to the capital!”

A bolt from the blue.

Even the knights working nearby stopped what they were doing, their faces filled with shock.

Ashley let out a small gasp.

The sound of war was approaching.

But only one person in that room smiled.

Ariadne.