Veronica sat upright and blurted out in a sarcastic tone, “I thank you for the introduction.”

She took up a fork and knife. For some reason, that action triggered a memory. It was a different maid that fed Genevieve one time, and she would slap the utensils out of her hands and force her to eat like a dog. The food that was served then was much different now.

Genevieve was given slop or simply starved. She would beg for her maids to give her food. When they finally did, they would put out all the stops to make her miserable. Even resorting to calling her a pig and that she should eat like one.

Veronica took one look at the spread before her. In comparison, Genevieve was treated like livestock. Much less than a human and more of an annoying insect.

Her face scrunched up, “Really…”

The maid was patiently waiting beside her, “Pardon, your highness?”

“Nothing.”

She glided through the wagyu easily with the knife and picked up the small piece with a fork. The protein that seeped out looked succulent as she brought it closer to her face. She opened her mouth and placed the meat on her tongue.

Announcement!

Mana suppressant debuff detected!

Mana enhancement buff nullified!

The system appearing before her like that made her see red. She didn’t even chew on the piece of meat yet and her buff got canceled out.

Her eyes went to the cart. It was fully unloaded. Every slab of morsel was taken off and placed on her coffee table.

Everything except her suspicious bowl of medicine.

Veronica’s face darkened as she pulled her piece of wagyu out her mouth and gently set it back down on her plate. Her fork and knife placed neatly on the napkin she took them from.

The maid looked a little nervous, “I-is there something wrong, Princess Genevieve?”

She didn’t answer her just yet. Veronica’s mind raced with multiple ways of causing due harm. It wasn’t only the fact that the food served was poisoned with the mana suppressant. It also wasn’t just the fact that Genevieve’s memory nearly spoiled her appetite either. No, something even more serious occurred when the delicious-looking piece of wagyu steak breached past her lips and settled on her tongue.

It was cold.

It didn’t matter the steam rising from the delectable morsel in front of her. It didn’t matter with the mashed potatoes and gravy colliding next to it, causing it to be warmer than it already was. It didn’t matter how melted that cheese was. It was cold.

And if that dish was cold, the salad was fucking freezing.

She didn’t even want to look at the desserts. It just might give her brain freeze.

And all of this was because of that stupid passive skill, Trailblazer.

“Say sike right now…” Veronica seethed under her breath.

“P-Princess Genevieve?” The maid looked alarmed from her no longer eating the steak. “Your food is getting cold. M-Maybe you should eat-”

“I just realized something,” Veronica interrupted her. “I’m an imperial princess, correct?”

“What…?” It took a minute for the maid to process. “Y-Yes, your highness. You are.”

“Imperial princesses don’t eat their food until it’s tested for poison, yes?”

The maid was deadly silent before answering, “That’s true, but we’ve been serving you for years, your highness. Y-You would’ve been poisoned already.”

“Does his majesty, the emperor, have his own taste tester?”

“Yes, your highness.”

“Does her majesty, the empress, have her own taste tester?”

“Yes… What are y-?”

“Do their highnesses, the potential crown princes, have their own taste tester…?” Veronica placed a lot of emphasis on her chosen words.

“...” The maid can feel the intensity of Veronica’s words. “Yes, your highness.”

“So how come every bit of royalty gets to have that extra cushion of safety and not the very first born imperial princess?” Veronica’s words got sharper.

“...”

“You have three seconds to confess,” Veronica got up from her seat, inching towards the distraught maid.

She shivered, “P-Pardon? W-whatever do you mean, your highness?”

“One.”

She backed away when she got a bit closer, “What am I to confess about, your highness?!”

The scorned woman still approached her, “I’m not as merciful as you think. Two.”

The maid fell to her knees looking up at Veronica, “I didn’t do anything wrong!”

SMACK!

A bright red mark radiated an uncomfortable warmth on the maid’s cheek. She held onto that cheek in pain, tears forming in her eyes.

“Looks like I don’t even need to get to three,” Veronica got up in her face. “Let’s go to his majesty’s office and tell him what you put in my food.”

That slap must’ve stung like hell, because the maid kept holding onto it, “T-There’s nothing in your food, your highness! I swear it on my life!”

“Where’s the medicine, then?”

Her eyes dilated, “I-it’s ri-!”

“If you’re going to attempt to take someone’s life, don’t be so fucking obvious about it!”

If it wasn’t upsetting enough that Veronica can’t have food like a normal human being, it was more upsetting that she had to deal with maids who can’t even make her feel like she’s being bullied. All these memories from Genevieve silently crying herself to sleep every night due to these ingrates really rubbed her the wrong way.

She didn’t even know why she was so irate about it. What’s done is done, but for some reason, she can’t take it lying down. Not when these buffoons for bullies are running amok on Genevieve’s floor, flaunting borrowed power that can easily be taken away from them.

In a fit of rage, Veronica grabbed the girl by the hair and dragged her to the table, where she stabbed the piece of steak with her fork and pushed it in front of her face.

“If it’s not poisoned, how about you eat it then?” Veronica’s tone was getting darker in each passing sentence.

The maid screeched, moving her head away from the piece of meat, “H-Have mercy, your highness! P-Please don’t kill me!”

“If you’re screaming like a banshee for just having this in your face then clearly something is wrong, am I right?” She moved the piece from her face. “Didn’t I just say I’m not as merciful as you think?”

The maid’s face was a mess, “P-Please, your highness! I beg!”

“You should’ve thought about begging for forgiveness when I gave you a chance.”

Veronica dragged the girl, kicking and screaming out the door and into the hallway. Her banshee screams echoed with cries of pain and begging. She held onto her scalp, calling out for help for anyone to hear.

Veronica grew annoyed by the second, wondering how anyone this dimwitted could have the absolute audacity to cry for help when they’ve been bystanders and bullies to the one princess who needed help the most? How can they live with themselves, knowing that their actions and inactions alike have killed an innocent?

This maid and the one before were lucky that she didn’t resort to pure violence right then and there. Painting the floorboards with their brain matter sounds like a brilliant idea right at this moment.

But alas, a scream from a sinner simply brings about a crowd. As soon as Veronica stepped foot on the second floor and made her way to Emperor Isaac’s office, maids and servants alike stood in shock at the commotion. They all cowered in fear at the once shy princess who didn’t utter a single word, dragging a poor-excuse-of-a-maid by the new-growth on her scalp.

Her wails, her pleads of forgiveness, her regrets. They didn’t sit long in Veronica’s thoughts, if at all. They went in one ear and out the other. If this bullying was what Genevieve was being subjected to on a daily basis, then all Veronica has to do is correct it, right?

Since this girl was too scared to open her mouth, Veronica thought. Then I’ll just open it for her.

As soon as she stood in front of the Emperor’s door, she didn’t even bother to knock, “Your majesty, your most neglected daughter is here!”

—

Ephraim and Nate had made their way to the second floor where Emperor Isaac’s office was. On the way, they came across a maid who went upstairs to Princess Genevieve’s floor with a bowl.

Ephraim watched as the maid walked past them, “Is it already time for her highness to take her medicine?”

Nate looked at Ephraim, “The princess didn’t take her medicine yet…?

“Ah, you don’t know because you’re normally in your office tackling that mountain of backlog.” He mocked him.

Nate’s eyebrow twitched, “Stop teasing me and just answer the question.”

Ephraim lightly smiled, “Her highness’ medicine is a sedative. She takes it before taking a nap in the afternoons. It’s a good thing that we took her back in time.”

“That brown goop the girl was carrying is a sedative?”

“Huh?” Ephraim looked at Nate weirdly. “Her medicine is supposed to be red. Where are you getting brown from?”

“I saw it,” Nate answered, looking back. “Shouldn’t we investigate that?”

Ephraim raised an eyebrow at the blonde knight, “You’re going to investigate medication that his majesty, the emperor, approved?”