--Waking up was like crawling out of the mud, desperately trying to regain the freedom that was not available to you.

(Here, here, is ......?)

　A poor bed, barely covered with tickling straw. A person who has lived as a lady for a long time might have woken up immediately with a sense of discomfort, but fortunately or unfortunately, Shayla had lived a life without a soft bed until just a short time ago. She knew they had them in the same mansion, but she had never been allowed to use them.
　In her reverie, Shayla thought.

(Ah, .......) I'm so tired I fell asleep in the barn again. I wonder what time it is. If I don't get up soon, those people are going to be mad at me again. ......)

You son of a b*tc*! "You're a breadwinner!" "You should be grateful we let you live in our house! But I bit my lip in frustration, thinking that I had the right to inherit this house. --At the end of the day, I was kicked out of the house like a peddler.
　--I thought about it for a while and then I came to my senses.

(Hold on ....... I'm not in a house that's been taken over by those people.

　A bed to stretch out and rest in, though not too soft. A bed where I can stretch out and rest, even if it's not soft, and food that I won't starve for.
　Friends who will stand by you even though your position is precarious. A maid to help you.
　Most of all, I have a best friend I can trust with my heart.

(Dee!

　Shayla used her willpower to shake her head and body, both of which were paralyzed by the drugs. (Dee!) Shayla shook her drug-induced head and body with her willpower.

(Yes, I know. I'm pretty sure I'm ......)

　A stargazing party for the king and all his consorts in the courtyard of the palace. There Shayla's table was poisoned.
　She followed her best friend's advice and tried to leave the food untouched, but in the end there was a commotion.
　In the end, her best friend took all the blame in order to save Shayla and make things right.

　When Shayla was in pain and in desperate need of help. Her best friend, Dee, the first Red Rose in her side, Deanna Crestor, who was never seen but only heard, always supported Shayla, sometimes gave her encouragement, and pushed her back when she was about to falter.

　In order to save Shayla's life and avoid any trouble. She, of all people, ate Shayla's poisoned food. Just when I was starting to get worried, she whispered to me that she could make a move to save her best friend. Shayla is lured into a trap.

That cloth against my nose smelled really weird. I'm sure that's what put her to sleep. ...... brought me here?

　It's kidnapping. A long time ago, when my father was still alive and Shayla was a little girl, I was told to watch out for suspicious people. I never thought I'd have to go through this experience in time.

(What should I do? ...... What should I do?)

　I opened my eyes and looked at the situation. I thought there was still hope that I was somewhere in the palace, but with the wooden floors in a good state of decay and the view from outside the window, it seemed certain that I had been taken out of the palace.
　There was no way that Shayla, who had lost consciousness and had become an immobile object, could have moved on her own and escaped from the palace to come to an abandoned hut (that's what it looked like). There was definitely someone who had brought Shayla here. I've heard that an unconscious person, even if it's just a woman, is surprisingly heavy, so there's probably more than one perpetrator.

They kidnapped me. What the hell do they want?

　I don't know where we are, I don't know how long we've been here, I don't know what they're after. Shayla doesn't know any of this. It's dangerous to move blindly when you don't know what's going on. I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it. ...... I can't help but wonder about Dee, who took the poison, but more importantly, to her, Shayla promised.

"I'm going to take care of myself. No matter what happens next, I want you to be prepared to protect your life.

　--Dee... She wondered what her smart and kind friend was thinking about.
　What Shayla should do now is not to rush and move in the dark and shorten her life. What Shayla needs to do now is not to rush into action and shorten her life, but to assess the situation and find the best way to survive. And to actually survive and return to the palace.

　Relaxing her body, Shayla closed her eyes again. Fortunately, she didn't see anyone else in the hut, but she wouldn't leave the kidnapper there forever. If the kidnapper comes back and finds out that he has regained consciousness, he knows that he will be watched. It would be better to pretend to be unconscious for now in order to gather as much information as possible.
　It's a good thing you're not a woman who excels at everything, like Dee's ...... Diana. I'm as athletic, as smart, and as helpless as anyone else, and the killer probably doesn't think much of me. It seems that I was only drugged, not even roped, and not even had my belongings searched. In the embankment of her ...... dress, there is a gift that she had brought with her before leaving the room, a gift that she had given to Dee, and which was returned to Shayla by chance.

　As I closed my eyes for a moment, I heard a buzzing outside. From the sound of footsteps and voices, it was more than one man.
　Shayla made an effort to relax her body, which was about to stiffen on its own due to tension, and for the first time in her life, she tried to "pretend to be unconscious".
　It was not a convenient turn of events that the presence outside was just a traveler who happened to be passing by, and the buzz outside remained noisy.　I opened the door.
　In the corner of the hut, I can clearly hear the conversation of the men who seem to have seen Shayla unconscious (or pretending to be).

......, I rushed back here because the medicine was about to wear off. You're still sleeping soundly.
I'm not sure what to do. It's probably better that you woke up before I did.
Yeah. If she wakes up and runs away, it'll be troublesome.
A noblewoman living in a palace has the guts to do that?


Have you forgotten... This woman lived in the palace, but she was used as a servant in her parents' house. The more lowborn you are, the more you regret your life.
"Haha, I bet!

　We're just like that," said the sneering voice from here and there. All of the people who spoke up sounded different, which meant that there were at least six of them in the room right now, Shayla thought, trying to remain calm.

It's annoying, though, isn't it? In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site.
Unlike men, women can live a good life as long as they have s*x, so they have it easy.
But what's so s*xy about this woman?
She must be amazing when she's naked.
Like, she's really good at it!

　It's not that I don't want to be a queen, but I don't want to get ahead in life, and I don't remember using s*x appeal in the first place. There were many things she wanted to say, such as, "I'm sorry I'm not s*xy enough for you," but she held her ground. The atmosphere of the men she could sense in her voice was that of a bunch of useless men drinking cheap liquor at a bar in the middle of nowhere, and it was common knowledge that dealing with such men was a waste of time.

(......, by the way)

　The kidnappers knew Shayla's identity, though it was distorted to a great extent. From that point of view, it is almost certain that this kidnapping was planned for Shayla from the beginning. They don't like a little girl who has come from almost the bottom of the pyramid to be favored by the king. That's the motive of the men.
　--But...

If that's the case, why didn't they just kill her instead of going through the trouble of kidnapping her?

　I know because Shayla was almost killed in a very real way. Murder is one of the easiest ways to get rid of someone you don't like. Kidnapping an unconscious person out of the palace is much more time-consuming.
　One of the men who had been giggling exhaled loudly when he thought that he had been saved by kidnapping because he didn't want to be killed.

I thought, "Hey, let's just kill him. It'll be easier to kill him now that he's unconscious.
I understand the logic of ...... finding a dead body in a royal palace, but...
What's the point of keeping him alive like this?

　The simple way of saying this makes it clear that the men think Shayla's life is nothing more than a piece of trash. Shayla's body almost trembled with fear, but she held it back with all her might. Even if you feel that you should have killed her, there is no way you would actually want to be killed. Even more so now that she was conscious.

The monk who gathered us and the woman who guided us said that after we were taken away from the palace, they could boil or roast us as they wished.
I know.
I'm tired of lurking in this dank place forever.
All right, let's kill him!
Wait a minute, guys. What's the harm in having a temper?
Why?
There's a time for killing, you know. What are we gonna do if we kill him in broad daylight?　If someone sees you burying a body, that's the end of it.
Oh, ......, that's true.
I'm bored anyway. If you want to kill him, it's not too late to do it at night.

　One of them suggested a theory that Shayla didn't quite understand, but it seemed to be a convincing one, and the men agreed to start killing at night. The crisis was over for the time being, but in the long run, Shayla's situation is getting worse, not better. He said it was midday now, so it would only be a few more hours before night fell. If we wait for midnight, it will be about half a day.

We have to do something before then.

　I can't just let him kill me. There's someone waiting for me now. --Someone who wants to make sure I'm okay.
　It's not that I want to go home. There's a reason I have to go home.

　It's not that I don't want to go home.

(If you were going to kill it in the dark, you could have killed it and buried the body right after you took it out, no problem, right?

　It was the middle of the night when Shayla was knocked unconscious. It was midnight when Shayla was knocked unconscious. The trees outside the window assured her that she was not in King's Landing, but no matter how big King's Landing is, there was no way she could have escaped before it got light. Kidnap Shayla, leave King's Landing, kill her and bury her in a deserted forest. It's winter now, the sun rises late, and if you have that much time on your hands, .......

But you're careful, aren't you?

　The men's conversation continues above Shayla's pondering head.

I'm not sure what to make of this. I thought it was going to be a simple job of sneaking into the royal palace and taking a proud, high-handed woman away to kill her in the woods, but you said it might be easy to find her near King's Landing, so I ended up having to run all the way here.
Thanks to you, no one found us, right?
Well, we're in a remote area, far off the beaten path. I can assure you that no well-born nobleman will ever find us here.
"Oh. I've been careful this far. There's nothing we can do if we miss the key kill.
That's true, but ......
If we kill some b*tc* who's forgotten what it's like to live at the bottom of the world and we get our hands behind our backs, we're screwed. It's just a bit of patience so we can use the money we've got to indulge ourselves.

　Shayla suddenly realized that the man who had said, "I prefer to kill at night," was the only prudent one in the group. There were probably six men in the room, judging by the sound of their voices and footsteps, but there was something different about the short-tempered five and the remaining one.
　Was it just a difference in personality?　--No, it's not.

(Is this guy guiding ...... opinion?)



　Looking back, I can see why the men who had tried to assume Shayla was helpless from the start .
　I can't help but wonder if it was the men who were so eager to assume Shayla was helpless that put up their guard.
　Why the decision to kill her now was changed to the night.
　And the reason we brought Shayla here in the first place.
　--It's all because of this man's opinion.

　Subconsciously, the men are aware of this. They made a clear distinction between "us" and "you" in the conversation.
　From what I've heard so far, the men were kidnappers who were gathered by the monk and guided by the woman to break into the royal palace. I don't know the identity of the monk, but I'm pretty sure the woman who helped him is Belle. The two of them looked as if they didn't care about the rest as long as they got Shayla out of the palace. This attitude is similar to that of Sophia and her friends, who wanted to kill Shayla because she was in their way.
　...... but.

"We'll kill her at night. I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out.

　This is how they planned it. It's not like Sophia to take Shayla away from the palace, kill her when and where, and even think about what happens afterwards. Sofia's actions were straightforward, for better or worse, and she didn't care about saving herself afterwards.

(...... That's right. ( That's right. Sophia didn't think about self-preservation or her own position in the first place.

　She was only thinking about the happiness of the Red Rose. ...... If Sophia really did have the antidote to help Diana. I'm not sure what to make of that.

I'm not sure if it's because I'm not a fan of her or because I don't like her.

　I don't know if it was Sophia's orders or Belle's outburst. I don't know.
　--But at the very least, it's clear that there's a third party involved in this kidnapping. Sofia, who doesn't care what happens to Shayla as long as she's eliminated, and the man who is among the perpetrators, who repeatedly talks about protecting himself, are definitely not the same.

　After that, the men talked for a while in the hut, but they seemed to be bored until night came, and one by one, they went out. In the end, the only one left was .......

"d*mn. It's hard to deal with people who have no brains.

　The atmosphere changed in an instant. The man said with a look of obvious exhaustion.

If I kill them without the Marquis' orders, I'll be chastised later. For now, you can kill them when the sun goes down, but ...... just to be sure, let's check.

　Muttering, the man also leaves the hut. In the empty hut, Shayla unconsciously let out a deep breath. Consciously relaxing was more difficult than she had thought. It was also difficult to close her eyes when she was awake.
　When she saw that it was quiet outside the hut, Shayla opened her eyes. She thought back to the words she had muttered before the suspicious man had left.

(...... Marquis?)

　Apparently, he is working under the direction of the Marquis. If we exclude Deanna of course, Sophia's family is also a countess. So it's not Sophia's father who's running him.
　...... to begin with.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot more information on this subject in the coming weeks. I'm not sure what to make of that.

　Somehow, I thought that much. Shayla suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. All the things that had happened since the establishment of the palace ran through her mind like a flashlight.

　The conservative noblewomen who had treated and harmed the lower class, newly minted noblewomen's side chambers.
　In the summer, Diana arrived and stopped the conservatives from getting out of control by uniting the "Red Rose Faction".
　At the same time, Juke and Shayla met and grew closer. At the opening night of the season, there was a moment when their friendship could have become known.
　Shayla is favored by the king, and Diana declares that she will protect her as the Red Rose. Sheila's position in the palace was solidified through the party and the subsequent fiasco over the dismissal of the former Master-in-Chief Maris.
　In addition, she changed her relationship with Juke as she went to the service as the acting queen.
　In the absence of the King and the Red Rose, Shayla is confronted by the Peony Faction, a conservative faction, and is even harmed.
　The one who saved Shayla was once again Diana. She and Liliane, the head of the Peony Faction, fought without backing down at the New Year's Eve party.
　It was some time after the party. It was not long after the party that Shayla was told to stand down by the ladies of the Red Rose Faction. On one occasion, Juke witnessed them harming Shayla.
　It seems that Sophia and her friends were the ones who poisoned the banquet table in order to kill Shayla.
　It was Sofia's personal maid, Belle, who helped her kidnap Shayla.

　For example. What if Juke had seen Sophia beat Shayla and punished her in a spur of the moment?
　For example. What if Sophia had succeeded in poisoning Shayla at the feast?
　For example. What if the men who sneaked into the palace with Belle's help killed Shayla?

　--Who would be in a tight spot?　...... Who will have the advantage?

(No way. ...... No way!)

　I didn't know. I didn't notice.
　I'm sure you're not the only one. She was thinking of Deanna from the bottom of her heart and was working for her, even if it was in the wrong direction.
　All of their desperate actions for Deanna and for the Red Rose Faction ended up jeopardizing the faction ...... and the Red Rose. If Sophia, who is desperate for Deanna, harms Shayla, it is Deanna, the head of the faction, who will ultimately bear the brunt of it. If Sophia's poison had killed Shayla, the crime of murder would have been committed against Diana as well. ...... No matter how light the punishment, it would have been impossible for her to remain on the throne of the Red Rose. --This is the reason why the Red Roses are so popular.



(Are you telling me that this ...... all this is factional warfare?

　I knew it. The inner palace is part of the royal palace. It can't be independent of the government.

　Liliane took control of the palace as soon as it was established. The daughter of the Marquess of Landrose, a conservative with radical ideas. That is to say, the conservative faction took control of the palace.
　The Red Roses, who came at different times, gradually broke down this situation. The fact that she protected the side chambers that had been treated coldly by the Red Rose Faction, and the fact that she and Liliane had repeatedly flared up and overcame each other, must have been extremely annoying to the conservatives. To top it all off, with the departure of the former Master-in-Chief Maris from the court, and her successor Madame Magnum's respect for Diana as the Red Rose, the court was completely out of Liliane's - and the conservatives' - hands. Deanna became not only a concubine, but also a queen consort and a confidante to the king.

　--She should have been a distraction. Deanna was a hindrance to the conservatives.

Oh, no. ......!

　I'm not sure what to make of that. I don't know if this was a trap set by the conservatives in the palace to get rid of Deanna. Was Sofia's love, even her pure feelings, manipulated by the conservatives?
　Of course, Shayla would be a hindrance to Liliane. But on a factional scale, Deanna is more of a hindrance.
　We need to make sure Deanna's gone. I'd be happy if Shayla was killed by Sophia, who nurtured the will to kill. I'm not sure if that's what the whole ...... thing has been about since the beginning of the year. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I think it's a good idea.

(If that's the case, I can see why ...... would tell her to wait to kill me. If it's Dee they're after, my life could be a bargaining chip.

　My heart trembled. --It's not fear.

(...... cannot be forgiven)

　I'll never forgive you for using Sofia's good heart for evil.
　It's not that I don't forgive you for using Sophia's straightforward heart for evil, or for seeing Deanna as nothing more than an obstacle to your faction, when she would use her own life as a shield to save many and bring peace to the kingdom.

　Above all.

I'll never forgive you for using my life as a pawn to torment Dee. I'll never forgive you!

　It's winter. It's winter, and I'm in an abandoned cabin with a draft coming in relentlessly. ...... My whole body is burning hot.
　Fear of death is no longer a factor. I have no fear of the impossible.

I won't let you do what you want. Get out of here alive. I will expose what you're up to!

　My best friend is more important than anyone. I won't let my best friend, the one I love more than anything, be sacrificed to a faction war.
　As she lay on the floor, Shayla's heart burned hotter than ever.