Chapter 143 After the hunt, the hunting dog…(3)

(Aristine)“Great work, Rosalyn. You’re as reliable as I expected.”

(Rosalyn)“Then, I…”

Rosalyn’s eyes lit up like a dog waiting for meat to fall.

(Aristine)“Right, since you have hunted the maids for me, naturally, you should be rewarded.”

Aristine made a gesture and the court ladies nodded to her before stepping outside.

‘I wonder what they are going to bring!’

Last time, it was a diamond necklace weighing tens of carats. Then what about this time?

Since she didn’t get anything in the end because Tarkan took her necklace, she figured they were going to add that to today’s share.

However, the box that the servants brought was much smaller than expected.

She felt a little disappointed, but size wasn’t everything. They were small items that were more expensive than anything else.

‘Maybe it’s Argen-Aqua?’

With even higher expectations now, Rosalyn’s heart pounded restlessly.

She stared at the silver box without so much as a blink.

“By the way, Rosalyn.”

Aristine slowly began, while stroking the corner of the box.

(Aristine)“I heard something very interesting.”

Rosalyn’s dark-green eyes glared daggers at Aristine.

‘Is that nonsense important right now? Hurry up and open it.’

As if something read her mind, the box opened with a soft click.

Rosalyn’s eyes shook once she saw the item in the box.

(Aristine)“Apparently, Tarkan hates sweet things.”

Her clear, purple eyes gazed at Rosalyn.

“T-That…”

Rosalyn unconsciously shrunk back.

The item that Aristine took out of the box reflected the light of the room, while giving off a vivid silvery hue.

The two silver circles looked like bangle bracelets and were chained together.

They were handcuffs.

(Rosalyn)“I had to pretend to be on the same side as the maids so I had no choice but to say that.”

Rosalyn hurriedly said.

(Aristine)“Then why didn’t you let me know? At the time, it was only both of us here.”

(Rosalyn)“I was afraid the maids might notice.”

Aristine did not reply.

Rosalyn licked her dry lips and made more excuses.

“When have I ever made plans after telling you, Princess? I always did it by myself.”

Rosalyn deliberately emphasized the words, ‘by myself.’

Your problem was solved without even lifting a finger but isn’t that all thanks to me?

But you want to throw me away now?

Aristine leaned on the table without saying a word.

Her delicate and slender fingers leisurely traced along the silver lines of the handcuffs.

Rosalyn grabbed the newspaper desperately and held it out.

“Look, the maids paid for their crimes because of me! They can’t even show their face anywhere after this!”

Aristine went ‘hoh’ and smiled.

Rosalyn realized something was wrong.

Like a bug that struggles, not knowing that it was caught in a spider web until the web wraps around it.

“So she says?”

Aristine said but her words weren’t directed to Rosalyn.

Her gaze was pointed behind Rosalyn.

Standing there, were the handmaids who had grown extremely haggard after just one night.

“L-Lady Caelian, Lady Melodia…”

The moment Rosalyn looked back, she sucked in a breath and called out to them.

Upon seeing Rosalyn’s reaction, the maids rushed towards her.

Even when the Princess came to prison and told them this was all Rosalyn’s scheme, they were skeptical and yet…!

“This was all your plan?”

“No wonder I thought it was strange. You sent us to the bedroom and got away alone!”

“Did you tell people? Is that why they gathered there so quickly?”

Rosalyn was right.

Even if they returned to Silvanus, they couldn’t show their face anywhere. Furthermore, reporters had been digging up all their family’s corruption, so they had also been abandoned by their families.

“Ack! Let go of me!”

Rosalyn screamed as her hair was grabbed.

However, the maids had already gone blind with rage, so they didn’t hold back.

After hurling Rosalyn to the floor, they knelt before Aristine.

“Princess, you need to know how Rosalyn went around talking about you.”

“And what she has been scheming too.”

At those words, Rosalyn hurriedly crawled up to Aristine.

“They’re framing me!”

She shrieked, pushing the handmaids away.

(Rosalyn)“Princess, don’t you know? I have been so loyal to you all this time.”

A subservient and anxious smile was plastered over her face.

(Rosalyn)“They’re angry that they’re suffering alone and they don’t want me to follow Your Highness so they’re trying to drag me down…!”

(Aristine)“Rosalyn, Rosalyn.”

Aristine smiled and tilted her head slightly. Her silver hair flowed gently with her movement.

(Aristine)“Let’s not waste each other’s time.”

Rosalyn looked at Aristine with bafflement in her eyes.

‘What is she saying…? Does that mean—.’

It couldn’t be.

As Rosalyn began to panic, the maids pushed her and stepped forward.

“Now that I’ve confirmed it, I will do whatever Your Highness wishes.”

“As long as I can get revenge on this traitor.”

Aristine leisurely looked down at them.

‘Well, I expect this.’

Truly, they could only be the same type of people.

‘It’s more comfortable for me though.’

Rosalyn looked up at Aristine with a distorted expression.

‘Did you doubt me from the beginning?’

She barked like a dog, got on her knees, and crawled on the floor. She threw aside all her pride to cater to the princess and pathetically acted like a doormat.

All for the sake of her future.

‘But that was all for nothing.’

While she was chastising the Princess for being a fool and laughing at the thought of betraying the Princess, she became the biggest idiot of the century.

As if reading her mind, Aristine flashed Rosalyn a smile.

(Aristine)“Did you have a nice dream these last few days?”

(Rosalyn)“…Princess!”

Fire blazed in Rosalyn’s dark-green eyes. She rushed towards Aristine.

No, she tried to.

“Argh!”

The court ladies who were on standby grabbed her arm and bent it.

“How dare you.”

“Let go of me! You brainlessly huge barbarians!”

“Well, I wonder which one of us is more uncivilized and barbaric.”

“At least we understand loyalty.”

The court ladies chuckled and pressed Rosalyn down.

Aristine jingled the silver bracelet then she handed it over to a court lady.

With a click, the cold touch of the handcuffs tightened around Rosalyn’s hands.

Seeing Rosalyn gazing at her with trembling eyes, Aristine spoke in a sing-song voice.

“Don’t look at me like that. This is how it’s always been, hasn’t it?”

The moment Rosalyn looked into those purple eyes, she realized.

‘She planned this from the beginning.’

After a successful hunt, the hunting dog goes into the pot.

It was a famous saying but she didn’t notice it soon enough. She just danced in the palm of Aristine’s hand.

“That silver bracelet suits you well. Do you like my present?”

“Aaah! Aristine!”

Rosalyn screamed in a frenzy.

The court ladies blocked her mouth and dragged her away.

Aristine lazily leaned into the sofa.

Realistically speaking, if it was a puppy that had gone through difficulty, she would comfort it and pet it.

‘But it’s best for this one to go into the pot.’

Aristine didn’t even need to prepare a pot.

Because her father, the Emperor, would do well to prepare a boiling hot pot.