Chapter 50: Villainess Princess × Slave (13)

Julian leaned closer, his warm breath fanning across her forehead.

"Rest well, my dear," Julian murmured softly. "Once I take the imperial throne, no one will ever cause a single scratch on your soft skin again."

He finally pulled his hand back, straightened his golden dragon robes, and turned around, walking out of the suite with quiet strides.

"Take good care of Her Highness," Julian commanded the maids standing at the door, his tone instantly shifting into a cold order. "If she wakes up with even a hint of a fever, I will have the physician’s hands cut off."

"Y-Yes, Your Imperial Highness!" the maids stammered in absolute terror, bowing until their foreheads touched the floorboards.

Julian stepped out into the long corridor, the doors closing softly behind him.

The very instant the doors clicked shut, Lyra snapped her eyes open, threw off the blanket, and scrambled to the edge of the bed, rubbing her jaw frantically as if trying to wipe away his lingering touch!

"EWW! EWW! EWW!" Lyra gagged silently, her face contorted in horror and disgust. "System! That guy is completely unhinged! ’A golden glass display’?! Is he out of his mind?! I am a human being, not a dusty museum statue!"

Ding!

[ That is Crown Prince Julian’s core character trait, Host! ] the System explained, floating near her mirror. [ In the original draft, he is a primary antagonist who constantly tries to lock you away in a private tower! He views you as his ultimate artistic masterpiece! ]

"I don’t care about his artistic taste!" Lyra whimpered, burying her face in her hands. "Between a vengeful fallen prince who wants to skin me alive, a tyrant father who freezes me in stone halls, and a step-brother who wants to stuff me in a glass box, my life expectation in this world is three days!"

Meanwhile, outside in the grand courtyard garden, the night air was freezing.

Cassian stood near the high stone archway, hidden deep within the dark shadows of the tall marble pillars. He had watched Crown Prince Julian leave the Princess’s estate under a guard escort.

Cassian’s pitch-black eyes narrowed into deadly slits as he watched Julian’s retreating back. His mind analyzed the strange, possessive aura the Crown Prince had displayed while entering Lyra’s private quarters.

Crown Prince Julian... Cassian thought, his fists tightening until his knuckles turned ghostly white.

A sudden surge of cold irritation rose in Cassian’s chest. It was a dark feeling he couldn’t quite explain. He despised Princess Lyra. He hated her for putting him in chains, for her spoiled arrogance, and for her wicked games.

Yet, the thought of that fake Crown Prince laying a single finger on her made a dangerous urge flare up in his soul.

She is MY target, Cassian reminded himself harshly, his jaw locking tight as he stared up at the high windows of Lyra’s bedchamber. Her life, her fate, and her tears belong to me. No one else gets to touch her.

Ding!

High above in the Princess’s room, a subtle blue notification screen flickered silently in the air.

[ CASSIAN DRAVEN’S STATUS UPDATED! ]

Current Mindset: Highly Possessive / Territorial Hatred.

Hatred Metric: 85% (Unchanged, but deep emotional volatility detected!)

Lyra, who was currently busy drinking a warm cup of sweet tea served by her maids, had no idea that her world had just gotten ten times more complicated.

She set her cup down, letting out a long, exhausted sigh as she looked out at the dark night sky.

"Tomorrow..." Lyra whispered softly to herself, pulling her blanket back over her knees. "Tomorrow, I am staying in bed all day. No etiquette, no city trips, and definitely no crazy brothers!"

Little did she know, the true storm of the imperial court was only just beginning.

----------------

The soft morning light filtered through the grand windows of the Princess’s private room.

Lyra woke up with a heavy sigh, stretching her arms above her head.

Sitting at her lavish vanity table while two maids brushed her long, silky hair, she stared at the glowing interface floating before her eyes.

Ding!

[ MANDATORY DAILY VILLAINESS MISSION ]

[ OBJECTIVE: Publicly humiliate the Male Lead, Cassian Draven, in front of the estate guards during morning training. Force him to endure three strikes from the discipline whip while he kneels, and deliver a harsh speech declaring his weakness. ]

[ MISSION REWARD: 15 Soul Fragments. ]

[ FAILURE PENALTY: Severe internal fever for 24 hours! ]

Three whip strikes?! Lyra screamed in her head, her soul practically fainting on the spot. System, are you crazy?! I just got his hatred down to 85%! If I whip him again, he’s going to carve my name on a tombstone!

[ Host, you must maintain your reputation! ] the System urged. [ But remember, as long as you perform the physical action of the whip landing, the Headquarters algorithm will register the hit! ]

Lyra bit her lip nervously. She needed those 15 Soul Fragments to rebuild her empty wallet, but she had to execute this mission without pushing Cassian into immediate murder mode.

A few minutes later, the heavy doors opened, and a servant brought in a massive breakfast tray. Freshly baked bread, thick cuts of roasted ham, creamy butter, rich berry jams, and hot spiced tea covered the table.

Lyra sat down, taking a small bite of a strawberry tart. Her dark eyes casually flicked toward the doorway where Cassian stood silently on guard.

Now that he was cleaned up and dressed in a fitted guard tunic, his broad shoulders and tall frame were striking, but Lyra couldn’t help but notice how thin he actually was beneath the dark fabric. His cheekbones were slightly visible, and his pale wrists still showed faint bruises from his time in the dark dungeon. He had been starved and overworked for months.

A sudden, brilliant idea popped into Lyra’s head.

"Hey, slave!" Lyra called out, making her voice sound as spoiled as possible. She slammed her silver fork against the plate. "Come over here!"

Cassian walked over with slow steps, stopping beside her lavish table. His pitch-black eyes were cool and expressionless as he bowed his head slightly. "What is Your Highness’s command?"

Lyra puffed out her chest, pointing a finger at the mountain of food in front of her.

"I am deeply suspicious of the palace kitchen today!" Lyra scoffed loudly, crossing her arms. "The imperial court is full of snakes, and someone might have slipped poison into my breakfast! As my personal servant, it is your duty to test every single dish before I touch a single bite!"

Cassian’s dark eyes narrowed into slits. His broad chest tightened.

Poison test? Cassian thought, a cold, bitter sneer rising in his mind. He instantly remembered the agonizing, gut-burning pain of the paralyzing stew she had served him in the dungeon just days ago. She is using the exact same trick again. She wants to force me to eat poisoned food right in front of her, watching me writhe in pain for her morning entertainment.

"Well? What are you waiting for?!" Lyra barked, pushing a plate heaped with thick slices of roasted ham, warm bread, and millet congee right into his hands. "Eat it! Eat all of it! You must eat a heavy portion of everything on this table to ensure there is no slow-acting poison! Clear the whole tray if you must!"

Cassian stared at the pile of warm, fragrant food in his hands. His jaw tightened into a rigid line. He knew that if he refused, she would simply order the guards to beat him.

Without a word, driven by pure, icy defiance, Cassian picked up a piece of ham and chewed. Then he took a large piece of warm bread. He ate large bites, bracing his stomach for the familiar burn of paralyzing venom.

He ate until the entire silver plate was completely clean. He waited for the sharp cramps, the cold sweat, and the suffocating feeling in his lungs.

Five seconds passed. Ten seconds. A minute.

Nothing happened.

The food hit his empty, starving stomach with nothing but pure, rich nourishment and soothing warmth. There was no metallic taste, no burning pain, and no paralyzing numbness. It was simply a delicious royal meal.

Cassian stood frozen, his eyes flicking toward Lyra in genuine, deep confusion.

Lyra sat back in her chair, a tiny, satisfied smile slipping onto her face before she quickly covered it up with a haughty cough. She took a tiny sip of her tea, looking away.

Eat well, supermodel lead, Lyra thought with a secret sigh of relief. You need energy if you’re going to survive this novel!

Cassian stared down at his empty hands, his mind reeling. She didn’t poison it...? She forced me to eat a massive royal meal under the excuse of a ’poison test’? Why is she giving me full plates of food when she could easily let me starve? What kind of scheme is this?!

Before Cassian could process his chaotic thoughts, the head maid stepped into the room, holding a long discipline whip in her hands.

"Princess," the head maid said firmly, bowing low. "It is time for the morning security inspection in the courtyard. The estate guards are assembled, and as per royal protocol, your personal servant must undergo his daily discipline review."

Lyra’s heart sank. The main event had arrived.

"Right... of course," Lyra muttered, standing up gracefully and smoothing down her sweeping red dress. "Let us go."

Five minutes later, they stepped out onto the grand stone courtyard. The morning air was crisp and chilly. Two rows of fully armed estate guards stood in strict formation, watching with curiosity as the Princess arrived.

In the center of the yard, the head maid pointed her rod at the hard stone floor. "Slave! Kneel and prepare for Her Highness’s discipline!"

Cassian’s face turned into an icy mask. He walked into the center of the courtyard, slowly lowering himself onto one knee on the cold cobblestones. He kept his spine straight, his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides.

Lyra walked up, taking the heavy whip from the maid’s hands. The whip felt cold and heavy in her delicate fingers.

Ding!

[ EXECUTE DAILY MISSION NOW! ]