Floria had never imagined things would escalate to this extent.
That was true—back then, she did take advantage of the villain system as an excuse to do many excessive things to Sophia.
But logically speaking… shouldn’t Sophia have despised her fiercely, hated her, and even wished she could give Floria a good beating to vent her frustration?
Yet now, with Sophia’s ambiguous and strange attitude… what exactly was going on?
No matter how Floria tried, she couldn’t connect Sophia’s outrageous words just now with the image of that pure, innocent, and adorable little girl from years ago.
How had she transformed from that pure-hearted, kind, beloved sunshine girl into such a dark, flirtatious rogue?
Who had caused her to change like this?
“Sophia… what exactly do you mean by this?”
Floria asked with a deliberately fierce tone, clutching the doorframe and her cane in panic as she tried to move away from Sophia.
“Me? Shouldn’t Your Highness be asking yourself what this all means?”
Sophia looked at Floria’s frail figure and her adorably fierce pose—like a little kitten baring its teeth—and let out a soft laugh.
“It’s clearly Your Highness’ fault, yet you’re here playing the innocent victim. You really are wicked.”
“What?”
Confusion flashed in Floria’s eyes.
How did this suddenly become her fault in just two sentences?
Wasn’t it Sophia who had taken over her bedroom without permission and uttered those lascivious words toward her bed?
“Your Highness went off to fight monsters alone back then and suddenly ‘died’ in front of everyone, throwing the entire Order of Knights into chaos and unrest because of your death…”
At this, Sophia’s smile faded, and she resumed the serious knightly demeanor Floria was familiar with: clear, bright eyes; a poised, graceful figure; an aura of reliability that put others at ease.
But Floria, having suffered two humiliating incidents before, knew this was just a façade.
“So, to honor Your Highness, I had no choice but to tidy up the remnants left in your room and keep them as mementos to express my sorrow.”
Sophia’s tone was tinged with grievance.
Yet, upon seeing Floria’s complex expression, that bitterness quickly faded into something more indescribable.
“But no one expected Your Highness was only in a state of suspended death… When we held your funeral, the real Your Highness had already slipped away to the border to live freely and even gave birth to a daughter…”
“If I hadn’t persistently sent people to keep an eye out for news about Your Highness, none of us would have known the truth—you would have kept us all in the dark, wouldn’t you?”
“I… I…”
Floria was at a loss for words.
To be fair, regarding her feigned death, she felt guilty with no room for excuse.
“But well, it’s good at least—I got the answer, that Your Highness is still alive.”
Sophia paused, then smiled brightly.
“So when I discovered Your Highness was only pretending to be dead, my joy far outweighed the anger I felt at being deceived.”
“…”
Seeing Floria lower her head into silence, Sophia moved closer and took her wrist, gently rubbing the smooth, tender palm with her thumb as she explained softly:
“As I said before, the main reason I brought Your Highness to the capital was to give you and Sylvie a better life.
“Putting everything else aside, I simply feel that someone as breathtakingly beautiful as Your Highness shouldn’t be buried in some remote place, suffering in silence.”
“…You’d better think so.”
Floria replied sullenly.
“So, while you’re staying here, if you have any needs or face difficulties, don’t hesitate to tell me.
“As soon as Your Highness asks for my help, I will never refuse.”
Sophia’s radiant smile lingered in front of Floria, making her dizzy.
Admittedly, after hearing such heartfelt words, Floria’s impression of Sophia had softened considerably, and she had momentarily let down her guard against her previous presumptuous acts and outrageous statements.
…But only momentarily.
Floria was certain Sophia was scheming something with her.
All this brief kindness and care on the surface was only a lure to tempt Floria into stepping into a trap of her own accord.
“Hmph… I don’t need your help. Who do you think I am?”
Floria turned her head away, raising her swan-like, proud neck and avoiding eye contact with Sophia.
Instead, she cast a disdainful, superior glance sideways.
“Sophia, don’t forget who it was that took you in when you failed and were left homeless on the streets; who painstakingly trained you to become a qualified Holy Knight and granted you official knighthood; who taught you your sword skills and Holy Arts so you could reach your current position.
“As your former Holy Knight Captain and life mentor, don’t think that just because my magic is weakened and my spine injured, I’ve become pitiful enough to have to seek your help.”
“Hehe…”
Hearing this, Sophia’s lips curved into a smile again—ever since meeting Floria, she had been smiling a lot.
“Yes, yes… I know. Your Highness has always been independent and proud, disdainful of asking for others’ help.
“But have you thought about little Sylvie?”
“…What about her?”
Floria’s expression turned cautious.
“Sylvie’s appearance and aura are almost identical to Your Highness back then. If she weren’t still so small and young in stature, people might believe she’s Your Highness’ very own doppelgänger.
“When she enrolls in the Knight Academy, she’ll surely meet many of Your Highness’ old acquaintances~”
“…”
Floria was speechless at Sophia’s words, but a vague realization dawned on her, and her expression soured.
“Keep in mind, Your Highness, there’s more than just me here in the capital still bitter over your ‘death’ all those years ago~”
Sophia smiled.
“Tell me, if they find out that the ‘deceased’ Your Highness is actually alive, standing right here, albeit weaker than before and with a young daughter to care for…
“What do you think would happen next? It’s hard to guess~”
In a calm yet teasing tone, Sophia laid bare the very thing Floria feared most.