Princess, Please Fall in Love with Me

Chapter 2: The Villainess’s Weakness, Lingering in Her Heart

“Shameless wretch, filthy bastard! You dared to lay hands on my child!”

I, Loka, clutched my stomach and slowly got up from the ground, wiping the blood from the corner of my mouth.

I looked at the furious Beautiful Woman before me with a half-smile.

The Duke’s primary wife, the chief culprit who harmed me the most, from poisoning my birth mother, to secretly drugging me, instigating servants and subordinates to abuse me openly and covertly…

But after Balesha’s unexpected death, she lost her usual proud demeanor, turning into the existence she despised most, with no voice in the mansion.

“You should’ve been dealt with long ago, you brat, and you still dared to hurt my son!”

As the beautiful woman spoke, she grabbed my collar and slapped me hard across the face.

Seeing my unangered, mocking smile, her rage intensified, and she choked me tightly, but soon, with the sound of approaching commotion, she reluctantly threw me to the ground, then assumed a caring mother’s expression, looking at Balesha with concern, until the source of the noise arrived with a crowd.

“Miranda, what happened here?”

Heh, that emotionless, lofty tone, treating even his own wife like a servant—this man was truly disgusting in both lifetimes.

Dressed in an elegant black suit, every gesture perfectly courteous, exuding refined noble manners, a handsome face with distinctive chestnut-brown short hair—I, Loka, would never forget that cold, indifferent face.

The head of the Alva family, Duke of the Austin Empire, Victor Alva!

“Miranda, tell me, what’s going on?”

Leading a group of noble guests into the garden, the Duke looked displeased at the chaotic scene, glancing at the respectful beautiful woman beside him.

“Lord Duke, it’s this filthy bastard! She dared to harm your son in your presence!”

How clever, turning the crime of harming another into a slap to the Duke’s face.

This woman was truly skilled at sinister schemes.

As expected, Duke Victor’s expression grew darker, his gaze toward me tinged with anger and murderous intent.

Her words clearly displeased him.

“Father, I was merely upholding the dignity of the Duke’s household.”

I ignored his scrutinizing gaze and looked at him calmly, speaking composedly.

Hearing this peculiar response, a trace of doubt appeared on the Duke’s face, and he began to curiously size up this illegitimate child he had never paid attention to before.

“If that’s the case, then explain what happened.”

“Yes, Father.”

I suddenly smiled at Balesha nearby, scaring him into retreating behind his mother, trembling as he looked at this unfamiliar “monster” before him.

“I am an illegitimate daughter, an unacknowledged existence, but I still inherited your blood, which represents the Alva family’s lineage.”

“And he, as one bearing the Alva family’s blood, dared to insult this great lineage as lowly blood, bastard blood, so I punished him.”

The Duke froze for a moment, hearing the whispers and curious glances from the nobles behind him.

Suddenly, he let out a soft chuckle, walked over, and gently patted my shoulder.

“Well done, as expected of my child.”

“Lord Duke, but she…”

The Beautiful Woman tried to protest, but the Duke’s icy glare silenced her.

She stood obediently, not daring to make a sound, while Balesha timidly looked at his father.

“Are you questioning my judgment? Balesha, go receive the family discipline.”

The Duke smiled and apologized to the guests behind him.

After the servants led the guests out of the garden, he looked me up and down with interest, my tattered clothes and all.

“You’re called Loka, right?”

“Loka Alva, dear Father.”

“You’re quite something. Have the servants take you to change into clean clothes.”

Heh, as expected of an old fox.

He saw through my ploy to use him against them but didn’t expose my intentions.

Was his face and honor truly more important than anything else?

Given his attitude, it seemed he was starting to acknowledge my existence, or perhaps he just found this illegitimate daughter more useful than that cowardly, incompetent eldest son.

Of course, if those nobles from earlier learned how the Duke treated a child, even an illegitimate one, it would significantly damage his reputation.

In truth, my words were half-true, half-false.

I was indeed defending my bloodline, but it was my mother’s bloodline, the lifeblood given to me by those who treated me kindly.

As for the Alva name and the blood flowing through me, that was the truly low blood that deserved to be eradicated, including this impure hybrid like me, who shouldn’t exist in this world.

Looking at the Duke’s slowly retreating figure, I returned to the pond in the garden, gazing at my youthful reflection in the water, and couldn’t help but laugh.

The once boyish figure had become a lovely girl.

This female body made the beauty bestowed by my mother even more striking and captivating.

A girl’s innocent, pure smile could lower anyone’s guard, but beneath these beautiful petals hid thorns.

The heavens gave me a chance to live again, so this time, I would thoroughly uproot all the people and things that obstructed me in my past life.

As for the Sixth Princess, Yiwen Kelake, who killed me, we had plenty of time ahead…

“Um, Miss Loka, is it? I was sent by the master to help you change…”

A gentle, timid female voice pulled me from my thoughts.

Hearing that familiar yet distant sweet voice, I froze in disbelief, staring blankly.

A young maid, holding a stack of thick clothes, approached me nervously.

Her youthful face still carried a hint of girlish shyness, her hands clumsily holding the clothes, swaying unsteadily.

“Lina…”

“Huh, you know me?”

The young maid looked curiously at this disheveled young miss, someone she was sure she had never met, but the other’s gaze toward her was filled with intense emotion.

Seeing her still so pure, I couldn’t help but smile.

It was just like when she found me, battered and broken, in my previous life.

That time, it seemed to be this same place, except in my past life, I didn’t fight back and was whipped by Balesha until I was covered in wounds.

It was Lina, passing by, who took me to the servants’ quarters and cared for me meticulously.

But my situation was still discovered by the Beautiful Woman, and Lina mysteriously disappeared from the Duke’s mansion.

When I tried to plead with my nominal father, relying on this half-bloodline, his cold gaze and words made me realize the Duke knew everything but simply didn’t care.

Even Lina, such a young and beautiful life…

Perhaps it was this very moment that set me on a path paved with blood-soaked flowers, the last shred of my humanity falling into the abyss with Lina’s departure.

“Miss? Are you alright?”

“No, I’m just happy to see you, Lina.”