BALDINA... HAS A PRINCESS?
YEAH, THE CURRENT KING'S ONLY SISTER. THEY SAY SHE'S CURSED AND THAT HER PARENTS DIED BECAUSE OF HER.
CURSED?
IT'S A HEARTBREAKING STORY. I THINK IT HAPPENED ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO.
THE LATE KING AND QUEEN WENT TO WAR TOGETHER.
AT THE TIME, BALDINA WAS CLOSE TO WINNING THE WAR.
THEN ONE DAY, THEIR YOUNG DAUGHTER, WHO HAD BEEN LEFT BEHIND, SENT THEM A LETTER SAYING SHE MISSED THEM.
THEIR HEARTS SOFTENING, THE KING AND QUEEN IMMEDIATELY SET OUT TO SEE HER.
BUT ON THEIR WAY BACK TO BALDINA, THEY WERE AMBUSHED BY ASSASSINS AND KILLED.
AFTER THAT, BALDINA LOST THE WAR,
AND THE ENTIRE KINGDOM WAS THROWN INTO SHOCK.
THE QUEEN DOWAGER TOOK HER GRIEF OUT ON HER 7-YEAR-OLD GRANDDAUGHTER,
AND FOR A WHILE, THE PEOPLE WERE IN AN UPROAR, BLAMING EVERYTHING ON THE SO-CALLED CURSED PRINCESS.
GROWN ADULTS BLAMING A MERE CHILD? HOW PATHETIC.
AS IF ANY OF THEM KNEW WHAT A REAL CURSE LOOKED LIKE.
YOUR HIGHNESS... I MEAN, BOSS. I DIDN'T MEAN TO--
I SHOULD BE ABLE TO HOLD OUT A LITTLE LONGER... RIGHT?
IT'S ALREADY BEEN THREE YEARS.
THREE YEARS OF SUFFERING FROM THIS DAMNED PETRIFICATION CURSE.
A CURSE NOTHING SHORT OF HORRIFIC, JUST AS ONE WOULD EXPECT FROM THOSE WHO SERVE A DEVIL.
CESARE, YOU WICKED FIEND! HAVE YOU NO FEAR?!
THE GREAT PRIMORDIAL DARKNESS WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!
MAY THE BLOOD IN YOUR VEINS RUN AS COLD AS YOUR EYES,
AND MAY YOUR HEART GROW AS DARK AND HARD AS YOUR WRETCHED SOUL!
EVEN IF YOUR BRILLIANCE AND AMBITION CUT DOWN EVERY ENEMY BEFORE YOU...
!!!!!
YOUR HIGHNESS...!!
NOTHING SHALL SAVE YOU WHEN YOUR FLESH BEGINS TO DECAY AND ROT!!
THAT'S RATHER PATHETIC FOR A KINGDOM KNOWN FOR ITS SMALL BUT FORMIDABLE ARMY.
RIGHT?
EVEN WITH SUCH AN OUTSTANDING CAVALRY, THERE'S A REASON THAT NATION IS IN SHAMBLES.
ANYWAY, IT SEEMS THE MUCH-HATED PRINCESS HAS CHANGED RECENTLY. I WONDER HOW LONG THIS'LL LAST.
SHOULD I PLANT SPIES IN HER PALACE? IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE ANYTHING THIS INTERESTING HAS HAPPENED.
YOU MUST HAVE A LOT OF TIME ON YOUR HANDS.
HAVE YOU EVEN LOCATED THE SHADEAH SHAMAN WHO CAN LIFT MY CURSE?
N-NOT YET...
BUT SHE WAS DEFINITELY LAST SEEN IN BALDINA!
HER TRAIL WENT COLD AT THE BORDER,
AND WITH HER TRIBE WIPED OUT LONG AGO, TRACKING HER HASN'T EXACTLY BEEN EASY.
I MEAN, EVEN THE POPE AND THE FORMER EMPEROR NEVER MANAGED TO FIND HER--
YOU TALK TOO MUCH.
I SWEAR WE'RE SCOURING EVERY INCH OF BALDINA!!
I KNOW SHE'S THERE, SOMEWHERE! I'D BET MY LIFE ON IT!
SHE'D BETTER BE,
OR ELSE...
A-ALL RIGHT! I'LL GO LOOK AGAIN!
OH, BY THE WAY, YOU KNOW YOU'RE SCHEDULED TO GO TO THE PALACE THIS WEEK, RIGHT?
DON'T FORGET TO WEAR YOUR MASK WHEN YOU HEAD OUT.
I KNOW YOU HATE COVERING YOUR FACE,
BUT WE CAN'T RISK ANYONE RECOGNIZING YOU,
EVEN IF YOU'D RATHER SHOW OFF YOUR GREATEST ASSET.
HONESTLY, IF I LOOKED LIKE YOU, I WOULDN'T WANT TO HIDE MY FACE EITHER.
STILL TALKING?
EEK! B-BACK TO WORK IT IS!
I'LL BE OFF THEN!
Episode 4
AAH!!
SHE'S FAST ASLEEP... SHE'LL NEED THE REST IF SHE'S TO RECOVER QUICKLY.
IT'S A RELIEF SHE DIDN'T SUFFER ANY SERIOUS INJURIES...
AT LEAST SHE CAN STILL WIELD THE SWORD SHE LOVES.
SHE'S THE FIRST AND ONLY PERSON IN THIS ENTIRE PALACE...
...TO BE ON MY SIDE.
AND TO PROTECT HER...
I'LL ELIMINATE EVERY THREAT IN THIS PALACE.
NOISY FOOTSTEPS... THAT MUST BE...
YOUR HIGHNESS!
WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS?!
ALL I DID WAS DELIVER YOUR MESSAGE!
MARIEU, MY SENIOR MAID, WILL BE THE FIRST TO GO.
LOWER YOUR VOICE.
WHY DID YOU SEND ME TO MADAM QUEZIN...
...TO TELL HER I SAW NERIL SAVE YOU AT THE TEA PARTY AND THAT YOU VALUE FAIRNESS?!
JUST LOOK AT WHAT SHE DID TO ME BECAUSE OF THAT!!
AND ON TOP OF THAT, WHEN I CAME BACK, MY ROOM HAD BEEN SWITCHED WITH NERIL'S!
THAT MUST'VE HURT.
APPLY SOME OINTMENT TO IT.
PARDON...?
WHAT IS IT? WERE YOU EXPECTING ME TO APPLY IT FOR YOU?
N-NO, I WAS JUST...
SHE MUST BE VERY CONFUSED BY ALL OF THIS.
AFTER ALL, I FAVORED HER THIS WHOLE TIME SIMPLY BECAUSE SHE WAS MY NANNY'S DAUGHTER.
EVEN THOUGH SHE DRESSED IMPROPERLY FOR A MAID AND ACTED ARROGANTLY,
I OVERLOOKED IT ALL BECAUSE I BELIEVED SHE WAS MY ONLY LOYAL CONFIDANTE.
THAT IS, UNTIL SHE TURNED ME OVER TO THE REBELS.
A-ANYWAY... THIS IS MY ROOM!
WHY WOULD YOU SWITCH IT WITH NERIL'S WITHOUT TELLING ME?!
YOU TRADED MY LIFE FOR THE CHANCE TO MARRY INTO MY UNCLE'S FAMILY,
YET HERE YOU ARE, ENRAGED OVER SOMETHING AS TRIVIAL AS SWITCHING ROOMS.
MUST I ASK YOUR PERMISSION TO TEND TO ONE OF MY OWN PEOPLE?
N-NO... THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT...!
IT SEEMS YOUR INSOLENCE KNOWS NO BOUNDS.
YOUR PAIN IS CLOUDING YOUR JUDGMENT. GO AND REST.
DON'T CONCERN YOURSELF WITH YOUR DUTIES EITHER.
TH-THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING...
AFTER ALL THE TIMES YOU'VE LEANED ON ME!
HOW DARE A MERE HALF-COMMONER PRINCESS TREAT ME THIS WAY?!
YOUR HIGHNESS, WAIT...!
I SAID WAIT!!
!!!
AAAH!! YOU CRAZY--
STEP AWAY FROM HER HIGHNESS,
OR IT'LL BE YOUR HEAD NEXT.
To be continued
This chapter tells the story of Baldina's cursed princess: the girl who summoned her parents from the front with a small letter is blamed for causing the king and queen's deaths in an assassination and for the kingdom losing the war. It then shows the person who has suffered the petrification curse for three years cursing Cesare. While the Shadeah shaman is being sought in Baldina, the wounded, sleeping Neril is protected in the palace, and the princess scolds her betraying maid Marieu and switches her room with Neril's.
