Marked by the Ruthless Princess

Victoria Ashwood had never seen Lina Riley like this before. It was the same familiar face, yet the cautious meekness that once dwelled in those eyes had utterly vanished.

The other woman's previous humility had made Victoria forget that Lina was a fearsome female general who could set her enemies on edge.

She instinctively called out in a soft voice, "Lina…"

In her past life, she expected Lina to approach clumsily yet tenderly to comfort her. But to her disappointment, Lina's eyes now held only disgust.

Lina withdrew her weapon and said coldly, "Princess, please mind your manners."

That cool, detached tone jolted Victoria back to the present reality. A sudden bitterness rose within her at having to start all over again.

Sensing the tension, Autumn Clarke—mindful of the princess's status—hurried forward to smooth things over. "Your Highness, you've had a fright."

Victoria shook her head. "I'm fine. But what exactly is going on here?"

Autumn Clarke glanced back at the corpses scattered nearby. "They were a group of wanted bandits. Their gathering in this place is unusual and likely instigated by someone behind the scenes. Rest assured, Your Highness, I will report this matter to the authorities and have it investigated."

Cold sweat trickled down Victoria's back. She certainly knew Autumn Clarke's capabilities. Autumn was adept at stratagems, often using terrain to trap and annihilate enemy forces. Once, she had led just a hundred soldiers to wipe out four thousand foes without losing a single one of her own.

If Autumn truly investigated, it would spell trouble for Victoria.

Victoria's mind raced. Feigning anger, she snapped, "These bandits dare act so brazenly right under the crown's nose! I'll look into this matter myself—you needn't trouble yourself."

Seeing her firm attitude, Autumn decided not to pursue the matter further.

On the other side, Lina Riley carefully examined Sophia Riley, ensuring her elder sister was uninjured, which improved Lina's mood considerably. Adjusting Sophia's cloak to keep it snug, Lina began to scold softly, "Sister, why didn't you listen to me?"

Sophia, caught off guard, noticed a smear of blood on Lina's right cheek. She pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and gently wiped the spot clean.

Afterward, she smiled and asked, "You came here just for me?"

Lina did not deny it. She shot Victoria a cold, disgusted glance before turning back to Sophia with a gentle expression. "Sister, will you return home with me?"

Sophia's grip on the handkerchief tightened, the countless words in her heart condensed into a single one: "Yes."

Witnessing this touching sisterly bond, Ewan Carter—watching from the sidelines—felt a twinge of envy. He sighed, "I wish I had a younger sister. If I did, I'd be so good to her."

Then he nudged Autumn with his elbow. "Do you have siblings?"

Autumn, puzzled by his sudden change in attitude, did not feel offended. Somewhat exasperated, she replied, "I have a younger sister."

Now Ewan felt even less balanced—why did everyone but him have siblings?

As Ewan stewed in silent envy, he noticed the bloodstains on Autumn's waist and sleeves, as well as a tear on her back and shoulder where flesh could almost be seen. Yet the wounds seemed to have stopped bleeding, and it was mostly her clothing that had suffered damage.

Once everything was settled, Lina led her elder sister down the mountain. Lina and Sophia walked at the forefront, followed by Ewan and Autumn, with Victoria trailing behind. Although they descended together, no one paid Victoria any mind. Frustration flared within her heart, but all she could do was watch Lina's back as they moved along.

They soon left Mount Wulfham behind, having traversed a rugged mountain path. Since they had left in a hurry, they had not arranged for a carriage, and the city gates were still some distance away. Walking would be hard on Sophia's health.

As Lina pondered the predicament, Sophia gently took her hand and smiled. "Don't think I'm so frail."

Then Sophia called out, "Quinnley White."

"At your service," Quinnley replied.

"Help me ride a horse."

Quinnley hesitated, but seeing Sophia's insistence, she nodded. "Understood."

With Quinnley's help, Sophia mounted a horse. It was her first time doing so, and she gripped the reins nervously. Concerned for her safety, Quinnley climbed up behind her to ensure she wouldn't fall.

They had planned to rest in the hills for a few days, and the carriage they had hired earlier had been returned by their household's servants, leaving them no mounts. The horse Sophia now rode belonged to Autumn Clarke. Lina's and Ewan's horses were both rather spirited and difficult to handle, while Autumn's mare was more docile.

Lina was about to ask Ewan to dismount and ride with her, but he acted first, urging his horse alongside Autumn's. With a confident grin, he reached out a hand to her. "Let's go, Autumn."

Autumn's skin crawled at this sudden intimacy. She raised a hand to refuse, but before she could speak, Ewan had already pulled her up onto his horse.

Autumn's expression darkened; she was just about to make a sarcastic remark when Ewan draped a garment over her shoulders.

Surprised, Autumn turned around. "You…?"

Ewan smiled. "Your clothes are torn. This should cover you."

He glanced ahead. "Hold on tight. We're off."

"Hyah!"

As they rode past Lina, Ewan turned back in a mischievous challenge, brandishing his riding crop, "Let's see who reaches the city gates first!"

Sophia, witnessing their easy rapport, asked curiously, "Are they a couple?"

In Sophia's memories of her past life, they used to play these silly games—racing on horseback to some predetermined spot. Ewan would often cheat during these friendly contests, while Lina was sometimes slow to react, allowing them to ride far ahead before she caught on. By the time Lina caught up, she'd often find the two already sharing the same mount, making winning or losing beside the point. Lina would never dare disturb their sweet moments, only following quietly behind.

But in that former life, Ewan would later die in battle, and a year afterward, Autumn would follow him in death. On the plains beneath a setting sun, there would be no more trace of that loving couple.

Lina had once believed she would meet her own end on the battlefield as well. In reality, she had failed her friends' expectations. But this time, it would be different.

Lina glanced back, spotting Victoria Ashwood still standing there. When Victoria noticed Lina looking her way, she smiled shyly, thinking Lina might come to fetch her. She was mistaken.

On the way here, Lina had seen Victoria's carriage. Since that was the case, let the princess return on her own.

"Your Highness, your carriage is just ahead. I have pressing matters to attend to and won't accompany you further."

Victoria's smile froze. She refused to debase herself further by clinging to someone who showed no warmth. Controlling her anger, she forced out a gracious response: "Then by all means, Miss Riley, go on your way."

She practically spat those final words through clenched teeth.

Lina paid her no heed and signaled Quinnley with her eyes. Without hesitation, the group left Victoria behind.

With the commotion over, Victoria could finally abandon her mask. She stomped at the ground in fury, trembling with rage. After venting her frustration, she walked forward on her own.

Lina escorted Sophia back home. It was supposed to be a day of rest, yet Reginald Riley was nowhere to be found, though he had been home that very morning.

Lina grabbed a passing servant. "Where is my father?"

The frightened servant replied timidly, "Her Majesty, Emilia Everard, has summoned the general to the royal palace."

Lina released him. Comparing this moment with her past life's memories, nothing significant should be happening around this time. So what had changed?

"Lina, are you ready yet? It's a rare chance for us to all gather—I'm treating everyone to a meal!" Ewan's booming voice reasserted his presence.

Though Lina remained quite poor, she had been living well these last few days, dining with the Crown Princess. Thus, she could resist Ewan's temptation. Still, refusing outright would dampen the mood. She called back loudly, "Give me a moment!"

Meanwhile, in the royal palace, Lucille Everard—the Crown Princess—placed a letter covered in writing into a candle's flame. The fire devoured it, leaving only fragile black ash behind.

Beatrice Byrd, noticing Lucille's silence, couldn't hold back any longer: "You plan to lead the troops personally?"

Lucille did not answer. Instead, she returned to her desk, piled high with royal directives and petitions. She focused on a particular one set apart from the rest.

Lucille remained calm throughout, which eased some of Beatrice's anxiety. Beatrice sat down opposite Lucille and pleaded earnestly, "Your body cannot endure too much strain. Reading documents is fine, but heading into battle is absolutely not."

Lucille still did not look up. Beatrice tried again: "Others in the court can handle this. Besides, the southern kingdom's current provocations are minor. It's not worth the risk."

"I'm your physician," Beatrice persisted. "Please, listen to me."

"Bang!" Lucille slammed the petition shut, the sharp sound cutting off Beatrice's chatter.

She tossed the parchment onto the table and looked up. "Have you finished speaking?"

Startled, Beatrice gritted her teeth and mustered her courage: "No, I haven't!"

Lucille appreciated her boldness and understood she meant well. With a gentle laugh, Lucille said, "Your courage has grown. You're forgiven this time."

Beatrice sighed in relief. "Thank you for sparing me, Your Highness. Wait, that's not what I meant! I'm saying you can't go!"

Lucille seemed utterly unruffled by Beatrice's anger. She picked up another document, reading as she spoke, "I know you're concerned for me, but you must understand that Ravenwell has long been coveted by the northern and southern kingdoms. Now the south begins to stir, testing our resolve."

Her tone was steady, yet her eyes gleamed with barely contained excitement. Lucille Everard had always been bold and fearless. A mocking smile curled her lips: "These fools dare grow bold because I've been ill and lying low for too long. This time, I'll lead the army myself and remind them who I am."

Beatrice knew what she meant. Ravenwell's longstanding peace was won through Lucille's conquests. As long as Lucille lived, the enemy kingdoms dared not make a move. Illness had forced her to be reclusive these past years, and enemies likely suspected her weakness. Lucille intended to shatter their doubts, reaffirming her fearsome reputation. For the kingdom, her personal command brought nothing but advantage.

Resigned, Beatrice sighed. Lucille's mind was made up, and no one could change it. The only option was to modify the plan.

After pacing the chamber several times, Beatrice stopped before Lucille. "If you must go, you need to bring two people with you."

Lucille raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "And who might they be?"

"Me and Lina Riley."

Back at a local tavern, Lina suddenly felt uneasy, her mood momentarily souring. She shook her head to clear it.

Ewan loved playing drinking games. They would wager on simple things: whoever lost had to answer one question truthfully, no matter how awkward. Afterward, whether there was a fight depended on how broad-minded the loser was.

Lina had poor luck this evening, losing several rounds in a row. Fortunately, Autumn had been the winner before, and she'd been polite. But now it was Ewan who won, and no one knew what he'd ask.

Already slightly drunk, Ewan grinned maliciously and fixed Lina with a gaze that made her scalp tingle.

Suddenly he bellowed, "Lina, who is the most beautiful person you've ever seen?"

Lina relaxed. This question wasn't so hard. A familiar image rose in her mind: Lucille Everard. Just as Lina closed her eyes to answer, Ewan's head thumped against the table with a dull sound. He shifted a bit, smacked his lips, and promptly fell asleep.

Lina and Autumn exchanged amused glances and laughed softly.

Autumn had to escort Ewan home, so the two of them departed. Lina had some dishes packed for Daisy Harper and left the tavern. Outside, her chestnut mare stood waiting in the cold wind that cleared her head.

Patting the horse's back, Lina softly spoke the words she hadn't managed to say aloud earlier:

"Crown Princess Lucille Everard."