Don’t Ask For Mercy From The Villainess - Chapter 19. Meeting Disguised As Coincidence

Jessica, who was getting ready to go out, spotted Daisy rushing toward her, but indiscreetly ignored her and got into the carriage. She didn’t want to know why the girl was looking for her. She already knew the reason.

‘If it’s that urgent, of course she has been threatened.’

Daisy wasn’t important right now. The daughter of Baron Russel was just the tip of the iceberg. The problem was the fact that two dukes were creditors of the Baron. Isanna’s help was necessary in order to find out the dukes’ information.

‘Ha, what do I do?’

Before returning to the past, she was once in a position where she could do anything on her own. But now that she has returned, she could barely do anything on her own.

At this moment, she was not the duchess who held the information business in her hands. She was not someone who had the right to command other nobles as she was not the close aide of the Third Prince anymore. She was simply a daughter of the Marquis.

“How frustrating.”

“Pardon me?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Jessica dodged the question by moving the fan in her hand gently. She was so frustrated because she couldn’t do anything on her own, so she opened and folded the fan frustratingly. It was then. Jessica’s carriage bumped against something which produced a thumping sound.

“Please remain inside, my lady.”

She could hear Alter’s voice just outside the carriage.

“What happened, Sir Alter?”

When Jessica asked, there was no answer. Even she wondered why Anna stopped her when she got up and tried to get out of the carriage.

“Alter told us to stay inside the carriage, so I think it would be better for us to just wait inside, my lady.”

The Marquis’ carriage was a carriage that cast some kind of magic for her safety, as well as the Marchioness’. It couldn’t be opened carelessly unless it was opened from the inside, moreover, it was a costly item that cast spells magically when someone attacked the carriage. Marquis Viterne saved money for almost three years to buy this carriage.

“The spell wasn’t cast, so I don’t think someone is attacking us.”

“But, still.”

“Who would attack me in the middle of the day like this? Moreover, we are in the capital.”

It was widely rumored that the knights, led by Marquis Viterne, were able to return to the capital. Due to this situation, it was impossible for anybody to attack Jessica. Jessica, who understood this fact really well, used her fan to open the window slightly.

She couldn’t help but open her eyes widely at the sight before her. The First Prince, Salipe Ert, was standing right beside her carriage, and Alter was pointing his sword toward his aide, Vivace.

“What is happening…….”

“Your face is more difficult to see than I thought.”

“Your Highness, may I know what you are doing to my escort driver?”

“I just wanted to talk with you, but your knight escort didn’t allow it, so I had no other choice but to use force.”

“You’re not supposed to get permission from an escort knight.”

“How are you able to recognize me so well?”

“Obviously, I heard a lot of talk about the first jewel of this country.”

Jessica answered briefly as she opened the fan and covered her mouth with it to hide her expression. She knew she shouldn’t face Salipe while relying on the memories from her previous life, but things didn’t happen as she wanted.

“This never happened before, but why are you now……..”

In her previous life, Salipe had never shown any interest in her. That’s why she thought she couldn’t be related in any way to him, but now she couldn’t believe this was even happening.

She was supposed to approach Salipe in some way in order to get the funds from selling Planaton that was buried beneath the Marquisate’s wasteland. She didn’t want him to appear in front of her this way.

“Perhaps, did Your Highness attack my carriage?”

“Me?”

“You didn’t?”

“Not me, but my aide.”

Jessica felt odd as she looked at Salipe, who nonchalantly passed the blame to others. So this person turned out to be like this.

Although she felt like he wasn’t the person she knew in her past life, she decided to continue her journey.

“I have to visit some places.”

After saying so, she tried to close the window of the carriage, but Salipe’s sword stopped her from closing the window.

“Your Highness, your behavior is against proper etiquette.”

As if talking with her little brother, Jessica’s voice was soft. However, contrary to her voice, her eyes gleamed coldly. She’s had enough with just Darten who absolutely had no manners.

‘Why are all the members of the royal family acting like this?’

None of the imperial families she knew would let her do whatever she wanted on her own.

“You should be understanding. I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

“What are you talking about…….”

“Can I just say that I have a lot of eyes everywhere? For example, the witch of the Monzarto General Store and you met-”

“Come on in.”

Before Salipe even managed to finish his sentence, Jessica glanced at Anna. After acknowledging her glance, Anna opened the carriage door in a haste. Only then did the sword get retrieved, no longer aimed at Alter’s neck. Jessica’s eyes became sharper.

“I apologize for the disrespect caused by my aide. He’s someone who takes action every time.”

“I know well that the aide does not take action unless it’s Your Highness’ command.”

Jessica’s piercing words were aimed at Salipe as he got into the carriage. However, Salipe Ert didn’t look at her. Salipe glanced at Anna, who was sitting in the carriage.

Anna seemed to move sluggishly and didn’t notice his glance at first. He then decided to speak.

“How long are you going to sit there?”

“Me?”

“Yeah, you.”

Anna finally noticed the calm atmosphere of Salipe’s firm words. When the girl hurriedly got out of the carriage, Jessica spoke up.

“Did you cause this carriage accident on purpose?”

“Of course.”

“I’m curious as to why you are doing this.”

Jessica squinted her eyes, hiding her irritated look underneath the fan. Salipe noticed the insincere bend in her eyes. However, he didn’t feel the need to point that out. A smile was like a weapon for young ladies who stirred up high society.

‘Just like the sword of a knight.’

However, he didn’t want to see her smile which was hiding so many things. It was said that everyone lived while hiding something in their mind, but Jessica had more things to hide than others.

‘I know the location of the white spinel.’

How did a daughter of a marquis come to know the location of a person? Salipe’s white spinel was not a gem. It was a person.

The princes of the Ert Empire were commonly referred to as gems, similar to the prince from another empire who was also called a gem. The empire, Saphene, was located at the border of the Ert Empire.

The only heir, although he wasn’t yet the Crown Prince of the Empire, was missing. ‘White spinel’ was a term for someone who would become the Emperor of the Empire.

“Your Highness, please get off if you don’t have anything to say.”

Jessica said those words to him as if she was reprimanding him. Salipe, who didn’t say anything, only looked at her.

“I have something to say, but I didn’t say anything in order to maintain your secret.”

“My secret? What do you mean?”

Salipe spat out those words at her, who stubbornly pretended to be clueless until the end.

“White spinel.”

“…….”

“How did you know about it?”

Salipe whispered softly into her ears, but she knew his words shouldn’t be taken lightly.

‘How did he figure out the fact that I know about such a thing?’

The only time she brought up the white spinel was at the Monzarto General Store. Isanna wouldn’t just hand out any information regarding her.

“You must be wondering how I figured it out.”

“Yes, I’m curious about that.”

Jessica stated frankly since she already knew hiding something from Salipe wouldn’t bring her any good. He was someone who would find out the truth by any means, even if she told lies. This man, Salipe Ert.

“There is no place in this Empire that can’t be reached by me.”

“You’re lying.”

It seemed like she knew something was amiss after spitting those words out. Jessica wanted to bite her tongue whenever she made a mistake. If there was no place in the Empire that couldn’t be reached by Salipe, then how did Jessica manage to kill him in her previous life? So, she thought something was wrong at this point.

To her, Salipe Ert’s over-confidence seemed like ill-advised bravery. Salipe Ert, the ill-fated First Prince who believed in himself too much and was killed by her hands.

Jessica was consumed with two different kinds of emotions whenever she looked at him. Regret and pity. She was the one who killed him, even though he was supposed to be the one who got to wear the shining crown of the Empire on his head.

‘My head hurts.’

She felt uneasy, so she naturally had a headache. As to how Jessica’s words were interpreted… Salipe didn’t give any particular response regardless of how he comprehended her words.

“It seems like you know me better than I thought, don’t you?”

“……That can’t be true.”

“I will assume it that way.”

Salipe took it lightly, before looking at Jessica’s face. She looked worse than she did a moment ago. If someone saw them talking to each other, they would have thought he was persecuting a noble young lady with how pale Jessica’s face had turned.

Salipe’s eyebrows twitched slightly when he witnessed her right hand shaking slightly.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

Jessica folded her fan and pressed her trembling hand while speaking in a small voice. He felt bad for her, seeing her pale face. Moreover, when blood began to escape from her lips, Salipe was taken aback and reached out towards her.

“There’s blood…….”

“Don’t touch me!”

Jessica’s sharp voice echoed inside the carriage. Her palm turned red after she hit Salipe’s hand, causing a loud smacking sound.

Even though it was Salipe who got hit, Jessica’s slender hands seemed to turn more red than his hands. When Salipe was still in a state of shock and couldn’t do anything, she spoke in a hushed voice.

“Don’t come any closer to me, Your Highness.”