The Regressed Tyrant Princess Rewrites Her Dark History - Chapter 2.6

Near the capital, in the town of Rosewood, stood an orphanage funded by government subsidies.

It was a sanctuary for children without families—at least, in theory.

In reality, it was nothing more than a small kingdom ruled by its director and his daughter.

There were no overt acts of embezzlement or horrific cases of abuse.

Even so, one truth remained undeniable—

The orphanage existed solely for the benefit of its director and his daughter.

“Ow! Hey, Lucia! Can’t you even brush hair properly!?”

A young woman shouted in frustration, turning sharply to shove the girl behind her.

Stumbling and falling to the floor, the girl lowered her blue eyes.

Her name was Lucia—a fourteen-year-old girl who had been taken in by the orphanage as a child.

Towering over her with a look of disdain was Victoria, the eighteen-year-old daughter of the director.

“Lucia, don’t you have something to say?”

“…I apologize, Lady Victoria.”

Lucia clutched her skirt tightly and lowered her head in submission.

Since the day she was taken in, this had been her daily reality.

The other orphans were well aware of her suffering, but none dared to intervene.

If someone had to be Victoria’s target, they preferred it not to be themselves.

And so—

They had sacrificed Lucia to keep their own lives bearable.

“Hmph. Completely useless.”

Victoria huffed, brushing her blonde hair aside.

“Just go back to your room. We have an important guest today, so don’t even think about stepping into the parlor!”

With that, she strode out of the room, leaving Lucia behind.

Lucia, exhausted, dragged herself back to her assigned space in the orphanage’s shared dormitory and collapsed onto the bed.

She didn’t notice—but her face was flushed.

She had been running a fever, the result of accumulated exhaustion.

But she was so used to ignoring her own suffering, she didn’t even realize she was ill.

Lucia had been kidnapped as a child and sold into an illegal slave trade.

She was eventually rescued when the operation was raided, and the enslaved children were freed.

Normally, she would have been returned to her parents—

But when they failed to locate her family, she was placed in this orphanage instead.

She had lived like this ever since.

“…Father, Mother…”

Lucia still had memories from before her abduction.

Though their names had grown faint, the loving faces of her parents remained etched in her heart.

She longed for them to find her.

But the other orphans resented her for it.

“It’s unfair that you remember your family when we don’t.”

Their jealousy was understandable.

But if any of them could see into Lucia’s heart, they might have pitied her instead.

For sometimes—

It is far more painful to remember happiness than to have never known it at all.

“Father, Mother… I’m here. Please, please…”

Clutching her thin blanket, she held onto hope—

That one day, they would come for her.

But as fatigue overtook her, her vision dimmed.

“No… I have to finish the laundry, or I’ll be punished again…”

She fought to stay conscious, but her body refused to obey.

As her mind faded into darkness, Lucia had a dream.

A dream of—

A recorded future.

Or perhaps—

A lost page of history.

She saw herself saving people from a plague and being recognized as a Saintess in the temple.

And then—

She was betrayed.

Lured by a man’s deceptive promises, she agreed to a marriage with the kingdom’s prince, believing it would help her find her family.

But that man had never searched for them at all.

And then—

Even greater tragedy struck.

One day, while traveling in a carriage, Lucia and her retinue were ambushed by bandits.

There were many guards, but the enemy outnumbered them overwhelmingly.

She believed—

That this would be the end.

That her dignity, her future, and everything else would be stripped away.

But—

“So, you’re Lucia.”

The sound of battle suddenly ceased.

The carriage door swung open.

Beyond it stood—

A woman with violet eyes like precious gemstones.

Her beauty was striking, her every movement refined.

“Who are you!?”

Lucia’s attendant, a female knight assigned to keep her from escaping, shouted in alarm.

She drew a concealed dagger, lunging to attack—

But in an instant, the violet-eyed woman sliced her down.

Her thin blade gleamed as it dripped with fresh bl00d.

Lucia squeezed her eyes shut, expecting the same fate.

But—

Pain never came.

When she hesitantly peeked, the woman was standing over her, looking down.

And then—

She spoke.

“Lucia. Do you have any last words?”

“Last”

That one word—

Made it clear.

She would not be leaving this place alive.

Her eyes welled with tears, but even so—

She whispered her one and only wish.

“Just once… I want to see my parents again.”

That was all she wanted.

She had no other desires.

For the first time, the amethyst eyes before her wavered with emotion.

A flicker of sorrow.

The woman’s expression—

It was cold, yet tragically melancholic.

It was the kind of look—

That belonged to an orphan who had long since given up hope.

(Why… why do you look like that?)

Lucia never received an answer.

Because by the time she realized—

The woman’s blade had already pierced her heart.

And her consciousness sank into darkness.

Ariadne’s Residence – The Imperial Villa

In a room of the Restour Imperial Villa, Ariadne sat before a vanity mirror.

Her platinum-blonde hair, tinged with silver-blue hues, cascaded smoothly as her maid Sybil combed through it.

Watching Sybil’s reflection, Ariadne spoke.

“How is Viola’s condition?”

Viola was Sybil’s younger sister, who had been bedridden with illness.

To save her, Sybil had once betrayed Ariadne.

But in the end—

Ariadne had forgiven her.

She had rescued Viola.

And in return—

Sybil had sworn her eternal loyalty.

“Thanks to you, she’s recovering well. She even insists that she’ll become your personal maid one day.”

Sybil’s words carried exasperation, but her fondness for her sister was evident.

Ariadne chuckled.

“That sounds lovely. You could train her yourse—ah!”

Her hair snagged on the comb.

“My apologies, Your Highness!”

Sybil immediately bowed in remorse.

But Ariadne only blinked in surprise.

“Oh… I must have slept with my hair down last night. That’s probably why it’s tangled.”

“You fell asleep… just like that?”

“Yes. Not very ladylike, is it? Let’s keep it between us, alright?”

Ariadne grinned playfully, and Sybil—

Who had never seen her mistress lower her guard like this—

Fell silent for a moment.

Ariadne had let her see a rare glimpse of vulnerability.

And that—

Was proof of her trust.

Blond hair and blue eyes. At a glance, she might seem like the daughter of a wealthy family. But in reality, she was just another selfish young lady who treated the orphanage children as if they were her personal servants.

“So… um, you are?”

“You may call me Lindy.”

“Lindy… sama, is it?”

Richard cast a probing look in her direction. He had sensed that she was hiding something about her identity. However, Ariadne had already prepared for this situation in advance, so she remained unfazed. Instead, she gave a slight nod toward Sonia.

Sonia retrieved a leather pouch from her coat and emptied its contents onto the low table. The gold coins, catching the light, sparkled brilliantly. Seeing the sheer amount, the director and his daughter both gasped in astonishment.

“I wish to take in one of the orphans.”

“One of the orphans…?”

“Yes. Is there… some sort of problem?”

The unspoken pressure behind Ariadne’s words was clear—if there was an issue, the deal would be off. The director hurriedly responded, “No, no problem at all!”

“S-So, Lady Lindy, what kind of child are you looking for?”

Ariadne took a moment to consider her answer. She had to ensure that the director naturally recommended Lucia without realizing she was the actual target.

“Let’s see… A teenage girl who’s quick-witted would be ideal. I’d like her to be a companion for my husband’s daughter.”

“A companion…? If it’s for a noble young lady, surely there’s no need to look for one among orphans? There are plenty of suitable candidates elsewhere, aren’t there?”

The director’s expression was skeptical.

And rightly so. If someone were genuinely searching for a companion for a noble child, it would be common sense to choose from the children of trustworthy retainers. Looking among commoners—especially orphans—was simply unheard of.

That was precisely why Ariadne let out a quiet chuckle beneath her hood.

“You understand, don’t you? There’s a reason for it.”

It was a clear warning not to pry further. The director swallowed hard before turning to give instructions to one of the other staff members waiting outside.

Before long, a procession of girls was brought in one by one.

However, the one Ariadne was looking for—Lucia—was not among them. It was obvious that they were deliberately holding her back. She was a well-behaved girl, after all; they were likely reluctant to part with her.

“That was the last of them,” the director declared brazenly.

But Ariadne already knew from her prior investigation that Lucia was indeed in this orphanage. Letting out a sigh, she decided to take the next step.

“Clean it up.”

“Understood.”

Sonia began gathering up the scattered gold coins. Seeing this, the director panicked and jumped to his feet, nearly kicking over the sofa.

“W-Wait, please!”

“…Is there something else?”

“I-I mean, weren’t you planning to take in an orphan?”

His eyes pleaded with her to choose from the children he had just presented. But Ariadne let out an exaggerated sigh, making it clear she was unimpressed.

“None of them caught my interest. I suppose I’ll have to try another orphanage.”

With that, she rose to her feet and turned on her heel.

“W-Wait! There is… actually one more child!” the director blurted out.

(Got you.)

Ariadne smirked inwardly but turned back with an air of disinterest.

“I thought you said that was the last of them?”

“W-Well, that is… um…”

The director hesitated.

Victoria, his daughter, immediately protested, “Father!? That girl is my maid!”

“Silence!” the director snapped, cutting her off in a panic.

“So? Do you have another child to introduce or not?”

“I-I will bring her at once!”

With that, the director hurriedly rushed out of the room. Watching him go, Victoria scowled and turned her gaze toward Ariadne, her eyes filled with defiance.

“You. You must be some kind of servant for a noble, right?”

Ariadne had disguised her identity, but her demeanor was not that of a mere servant—it was that of a retainer. At the very least, she was not someone to be looked down upon by the likes of Victoria. Yet, the girl was oblivious to this fact.

Sonia shot Victoria a cold, disapproving look, but Ariadne simply gestured for her to let it go. Then, she responded smoothly, “And if I am?”

“I can use healing magic. Wouldn’t it be better for you to take me instead of that girl?”

Ariadne’s eyebrow twitched slightly.

As someone who retained memories from her previous life, she knew that Victoria was ambitious. She also knew that, while still inexperienced, Victoria possessed healing magic.

In the past, Victoria had shamelessly claimed to be the true saint, pushing Lucia aside. The orphanage had gone along with it, leading Ariadne’s subordinates to mistakenly identify her as Lucia.

As a result, Lucia—the true saint—ended up being taken by Wilfried.

Victoria had her own role to play. That was why Ariadne could not take her away now. She had intentionally made a vague statement to make Victoria uneasy about the fate of the chosen orphan, but it seemed that subtlety was lost on her.

After a brief moment of thought, Ariadne decided to lay a trap.

“I see… Unfortunately, that won’t be possible.”

“Why not!?”

“Because the amount of gold here isn’t enough to match your worth.”

She declared it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Victoria’s blue eyes widened in shock.

“What are you saying?”

“Didn’t you say you could use healing magic? People like that are highly valued by the kingdom. So, unfortunately, I can’t afford to purchase you with just the money I have on hand.”

Of course, she was exaggerating.

But Victoria believed her. If that was the case, then there was nothing she could do about it.

I don’t belong in a place like this…

That thought, once planted in her heart, would spread like black ink seeping into paper.

As Ariadne observed her reaction with satisfaction, the director soon returned—dragging Lucia along with him.

No, dragging wasn’t quite accurate.

The director had tucked Lucia under his arm like a sack of potatoes and unceremoniously tossed her onto the sofa.

“I apologize. It seems she has caught a cold… Look, Lucia, wake up and greet her. This might be your new mistress.”

As he moved to shake Lucia awake with unnecessary roughness, Ariadne sent a glance to Sonia, who immediately intervened to stop him.

Ariadne knelt in front of Lucia, peering into her delicate, fever-flushed face.

Lucia’s hazy gaze slowly locked onto hers.

She was clearly feverish—her face was burning, and her eyes were unfocused. But even through the haze, there was a quiet yet unyielding determination in them.

Ariadne’s mind flashed back to a page of history that had once been lost.

“Just once… I want to meet my father and mother.”

In her past life, Ariadne had answered that wish—by driving a sword through Lucia’s chest.

(Lucia was a kind soul whom my past self had oppressed. I must atone for that.)

“Lucia, what do you want to do?”

“I…”

Lucia looked up at Ariadne, her expression tinged with curiosity. Ariadne didn’t know what was going through her mind, but she waited patiently.

At last, Lucia lifted her head and murmured the same words as before.

“I… want to meet my father and mother.”

“Very well. I will grant that wish.”

Ariadne whispered those words in her heart, then gave the order for Lucia to be handled carefully. Sonia nodded and gently lifted the frail girl into her arms.

Watching this, Ariadne turned her gaze toward the director with an unreadable expression.

At that moment, he visibly flinched.

Given the way their conversation had gone, he had clearly misunderstood her words—thinking that she meant to send Lucia to meet her parents in heaven.

To solidify that misunderstanding, Ariadne pulled out another leather pouch filled with gold coins and tossed it to the director. As he peeked inside, his breath caught.

“Th-This is… hush money…?”

The words slipped out before he could stop himself, and he hastily clamped a hand over his mouth.

“Oh my, do you really think I have any reason to pay you hush money?”

“N-No! Not at all!”

Feigning innocence, the director frantically shook his head.

“You said it yourself, didn’t you? That Lucia had been working as a maid. Consider this an apology. Use that money to hire a proper servant.”

“I-If that’s the case…”

Greed flickered in the director’s eyes.

He was likely already plotting to turn another orphan into a maid and pocket the extra money for himself.

And just as that thought crossed his mind, Ariadne added, as if reading him like an open book—

“You do realize that exploiting orphans is a crime, don’t you?”

She smiled darkly.

Internally, the director must have been screaming, “You’re one to talk!” But outwardly, he said nothing—only nodding fervently in agreement.

Satisfied, Ariadne gave him a final warning.

“I’ll be back. Next time, have a proper servant greet me.”

With that, she turned and left the room.

As they departed from the orphanage, Ariadne boarded the carriage with Sonia, who was holding Lucia in her arms.

Once the carriage started moving, Ariadne removed her hood and glanced at Sonia.

“How is Lucia?”

“She appears to be asleep.”

Hearing that, Ariadne smiled faintly.

But it was only for a moment. Her expression quickly hardened again.

“Sonia, you remember the face of the director’s daughter, correct?”

“Yes. With the right disguise, I should be able to mimic her appearance.”

“Good. Once they start hiring for a new maid, infiltrate the orphanage. But understand this—if you fail, I cannot guarantee your life. Are you prepared for that?”

This was no exaggeration.

Sonia’s mission was the keystone of Ariadne’s plan. If she failed, both the plan and her life would be lost.

Hearing the warning, Sonia’s lips curled into a dark grin.

“If it means taking revenge on Marquis Wilfried, I’ll gladly do it.”