Crazy Like a Fox

Chapter 3

Of course, she had no intention of living like this for the rest of her life. Lisbelle’s plan was simple. First, she would wait for one of her two remaining older brothers to die. Then, when the winner was determined, all the watchful eyes would shift to the new heir. The child of the prophecy will have saved Valdimar and Lisbelle could escape.

Once the winner is decided, no one will pay any attention to the mad princess. To prepare for that day, she meticulously mapped out all the openings and hidden passages of the royal castle. All she had to do was wait until the succession ceremony concluded.

“Let’s just hang on until then...”

Lisbelle encouraged herself and lifted her feet from the bathtub. She roughly dried off the water and tightly bandaged her wounds to stop the bleeding. Just as she was about to leave the bathroom, she paused. She sensed movement outside the door. No one dared step into the chamber of the fifth princess, for no one wished to risk being slapped by a madwoman.

Who could it be? Before even opening the door, anxiety gripped her heart, and cold sweat trickled down her spine. It couldn’t be Father. Lisbelle had clearly seen the disdainful expression on his face earlier in the banquet hall, observing her antics.

Then, could it be the first prince? Or the second prince? Rodges was the older brother who showed absolutely no interest in Lisbelle, not even the slightest bit. He had been like that throughout her past life and continued to be so in the current one. That would mean...

Lisbelle trembled with a foreboding sense of dread. Could it be Jekyll?

Jekyll Valdimar—the eldest brother who had poisoned her to death in her past life. Lisbelle’s eldest brother. Jekyll tended to seek out Lisbelle more frequently compared to her other siblings. His encounters with her were certainly more frequent than those she had with Rodges or their father. Most of the time, he would just look at her with disgust while uttering harsh words.

Is it really Jekyll? As soon as that thought crossed Lisbelle’s mind, she bit her lips hard at the sudden flash of realization. I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have washed my feet. I shouldn’t have tried to take care of myself... Jekyll is too smart. She had to give up every bit of dignity she should have been afforded as a person and act completely crazy whenever she stood before her brother.

As soon as she made up her mind, Lisbelle immediately unwrapped the bandage tightly wound around her foot. After discarding the blood-stained white bandage in the corner of the bathroom, she walked barefoot across the floor.

Please, don’t let it be Jekyll. Please, let it be Rodges instead. Lisbelle prayed desperately as she gripped the door handle.

She took a deep breath.... and plastered the most confident smile on her face.

Bang!

Then, she swung the bathroom door open so hard she thought it might break.

She had hoped it wouldn’t be like this. She had rather hoped that the previously indifferent Rodges would suddenly turn his attention toward her. However, Lisbelle’s ominous premonition proved to be correct.

“Lisbelle.”

The man had dark honey-blond hair, sharp eyes, and an impeccable warrior’s physique. Jekyll Valdimar, the first prince and the most likely candidate to be the next king of Valdimar, sat haughtily at the table. His blue eyes, a symbol of the royal bloodline, glared at Lisbelle.

“Brother?”

Lisbelle strolled through the bedroom with confidence, smiling as she did so. Her steps were no longer hesitant. Her voice rose and fell excitedly, like that of a ten-year-old throwing a tantrum.

“Brother, what brings you here?”

As her eyes narrowed, her blue pupils swiftly scanned the table. There were no teapots or tea cups in sight. At least today isn’t the day I die from poisoned tea. In that case, I can relax for now.

With his arms crossed, Jekyll gestured lightly toward her. Lisbelle quickly approached and stood by his side.

“Lisbelle.”

“Yes?”

“You visited Valierre Hall today, didn’t you?”

Her pale face grinned foolishly through her tousled blond hair.

“Yep, yep. I wanted to dance for Father.”

Lisbelle grasped the hem of her skirt and circled the table where Jekyll sat. The marble floor, immaculately clean without a speck of dust, soon became stained with blood.

“You came because you wanted to see it, too? But I guess you were also there in that sparkling hall.” As she spoke, her body moving this way and that on whim alone, Lisbelle lightly tapped her feet and suddenly pushed her face toward Jekyll. “You didn’t answer me. Shall I sing a song for you, brother?”

“A song, you say? Is it that children’s song you always sing?”

“Yes, that one.”

Jekyll watched Lisbelle with sharp eyes, his gaze seeming glued to every inch of her body. Lisbelle turned around naturally, her face betraying no hint of her feelings, and approached the bed one step at a time, humming a tune.

“Oh, oh, evening primrose…”

The distance widened.

“The flower that blooms only under the full moon in the darkest night.”

Her slender body sank into the white sheets like fallen petals. Lisbelle pulled the blood-stained sheet over and sat, looking back at his piercing blue eyes.

“I wish you, Rodges, and Father... you could all hold hands and go to that hill together. It’s such a beautiful place. It would definitely be joyful—”

“A delegation is coming from the empire,” Jekyll said, interrupting her.

Lisbelle hugged her knees and tilted her head.

A delegation is coming from the empire? Ah, is he talking about the surveillance delegation sent once every ten years from Western Rattaeh? The treaty between Valdimar, the powder keg of the continent, and the Great Empire of Rattaeh, was renewed every decade.

“A delegation, I see.”

“Yes.”

Jekyll rose from his seat. With each step he took, Lisbelle felt her heart sink a little deeper.

Thump...

Thump...

In just two strides, Jekyll reached across the bed.

“My beautiful sister.”

He bent down. Despite the distance she had tried to keep, he came so close that she could feel his warm breath. It felt like her heart was dropping out of her body straight to hell. It wouldn’t have been out of character for him to draw the sword at his waist and cut her throat right then and there.

As Lisbelle often did when she felt fear, she smiled calmly. Showing fear in front of a stronger opponent was no different from revealing all her weaknesses. The more intimidating the opponent, the more beautifully and brightly she had to smile.

“Yes, brother?”

Jekyll softened his expression. At first glance, it seemed rather affectionate, but Lisbelle knew there were hidden blades behind that smile. “This time, many important people from the empire will be coming here as a delegation.”

Jekyll reached out his hand to Lisbelle. She made a great effort not to tightly close her eyes.

“I see.”

With experience from countless past encounters, Lisbelle navigated the crisis splendidly. Without blinking once, she looked directly at Jekyll with a smiling face, maintaining her composure flawlessly. A large, strong hand covered her field of vision as it approached. It was the same hand that had once taken her life. The tension tightened as his fingertips brushed the edge of Lisbelle’s pale cheekbone. She tried her best not to flinch away from his touch. He plucked a bright red petal tangled in her unkempt blonde hair.

Jekyll whispered affectionately, “You’d better not embarrass us this time.”

Lisbelle remained silent.

“Father seems quite amused by your antics, but...” His fingers, which were holding the red petal, slowly fell away. “It was different for me. In truth, I wanted to kill you today.”

Jekyll’s expression, voice, and even his touch… They were all gentle, but his words were anything but. The tension that had seemed to ease for a moment grew taut once more.

Lisbelle struggled to suppress her quickening breaths. He wanted to kill me? But last time, after I fell from the castle wall, he even said himself that he wouldn’t harm me right away.

Jekyll dropped the flower petals onto the bed, swept away the golden strands of hair partially covering her face, and as he gazed down at her fully exposed face, a subtle grin finally spread across his face.

“I’m sure you know nothing, Lisbelle. But when I see you, it reminds me of someone.”

I know. He probably was thinking of the lowborn dancer-turned-concubine who gave birth to her. Lisbelle had heard that she bore a striking resemblance to her mother. However, when had Jekyll ever cared about such things? What’s the reason for specifically mentioning her mother like that? But the reason isn’t important right now.

“So you’re going to kill me?” Lisbelle asked calmly, as if genuinely curious. “What about the moonlit hill? Won’t you go there with me?”

Jekyll straightened up, instantly putting noticeable distance between their eye levels. He coldly replied, “I guess there’s no reason for me to soil my hands with that shameful blood of yours. I just want to see you crawling into the grave on your own accord.”

“Hmm.”

“Anyway, it looks like you get to live another day. You should be thankful that you’re insane, my beloved sister.”

Love. There was no word that seemed more incompatible with Jekyll Valdimar. But then again, who cares?

She hadn’t been caught. Lisbelle barely managed to conceal her growing sense of relief and responded with sparkling eyes, “I love you, too, my dear brother.”

Faking love through words is so damn easy.