🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 9
After meeting Rashan, Ariana watched a few more gladiator matches that failed to hold her interest before returning to the royal palace.
There had been a simple reason for attending the slave gladiators’ matches.
“I needed to waste some time.”
If the princess, who had only just been allowed to leave the palace, had departed the arena too quickly, the king might have suspected she had another purpose for going there.
Some might have called it needless worry, but the king Ariana knew was more than capable of thinking that way.
As a result, she returned to the palace quite late. The following morning, she barely managed to wake up after the sun had already climbed high overhead.
“Princess Ariana, are you still tired?”
Rosa looked at her with feigned concern. Ariana waved her off absentmindedly, climbed out of bed, and, still wearing her nightgown, walked onto the balcony where the midday sunlight poured in.
Not long ago, even enjoying the warmth of the sun so freely had been a luxury.
“Princess Ariana, you should get dressed first.”
If not for Rosa’s irritated voice behind her, the moment would have been even more pleasant.
Frowning slightly, Ariana turned to look at her.
She had already spoken with Maia. Before long, Maia would discover exactly what the Second Prince had given Rosa in exchange for acting as his spy.
Once that happened, Ariana intended to punish Rosa lightly for her betrayal before putting her to work as a convenient decoy to mislead the Second Prince’s watchful eyes.
The thought eased her irritation somewhat.
“Where’s Maia?”
“She said she had somewhere she needed to go…”
Within the royal palace, there was only one place Maia would voluntarily spend her time visiting.
“She went to see Mother.”
Since Maia had heard everything Ariana had said to Rashan, she naturally would have gone to report it to her true mistress.
How would her mother react to her declaration that she intended to become queen?
Recalling the last image of her mother before her regression, Ariana sat down before the table where a light meal had been prepared and took a sip of lukewarm water.
“I wonder when I should ask to see her.”
“Princess Ariana?”
“It’s nothing.”
Her gaze lingered on the meal before her. Then she reached out and picked up her utensils.
First, she had to visit the king.
She needed to report on yesterday’s outing and spend some time “praising” him for granting her permission to leave the palace.
It was necessary if she hoped to receive permission for future outings as well.
Still, just thinking about facing the king made her stomach churn.
Ignoring the revulsion as best she could, Ariana quietly finished her meal.
From experience in her previous life, she knew all too well that hunger would prevent her from carrying out her plans.
