Chapter 825: Backfiring
Two black carriages pulled up before an orange, three-story villa in the southern district of Brussels.
Dressed in her military uniform, Perna stepped down from the carriage. Her polished leather boots clicked sharply against the gravel path with a rhythmic tap-tap-tap.
She toyed with the letter in her pocket, her brow furrowing slightly as she offered a silent prayer. 'Lord, please let the Prince be alright.'
However, when she noticed the Crown Prince's guards standing around with their usual composed demeanor, she felt an immediate wave of relief.
It seemed His Highness was safe; otherwise, the place would have been in a state of absolute chaos by now.
So, what exactly was going on?
She recalled the contents of the letter. It had claimed that a major event would unfold tonight at the Crown Prince's temporary residence, specifically in Room 203. The anonymous sender insisted she come, warning that she would regret it if she didn't.
The note had been delivered by a soldier that afternoon, though the identity of the author remained a mystery.
After reading it, Perna had rushed over without a moment's delay.
After taking a few steps, Perna paused and turned back to a junior officer. "Ensign Croix, is everything well with the Crown Prince today?"
"Yes, Miss Perna. His Highness should be bathing at the moment."
Perna looked surprised. "Are you certain nothing is wrong?"
"Quite certain, ma'am."
"Thank you." Perna continued upstairs, passing between the guards stationed on the south side of the second floor and entering a corridor filled with drifting steam.
At the corner of the opposite hallway, Véronique watched Perna's spirited silhouette, a triumphant smirk playing across her lips.
Soon, the real show would begin.
She laughed manically in her mind, imagining the brutal confrontation between the Crown Prince's chief mistress and his new flame!
It was bound to be a cataclysmic clash, perhaps even a bloody one.
'Scream at each other, claw at each other—the more violent, the better. Turn into loathsome hags!' she murmured like a woman in a trance. 'It would be best if you left scars on those pretty faces. Then, I would be the most beautiful woman by the Prince's side!'
Perna reached the door of Room 203. Just as she was about to push it open, she heard the Crown Prince's voice from inside. "You... why are you here?"
Then came Camelia's voice. "Ah... Your Highness, why did you... come in so suddenly?"
Perna froze instantly. A flash of surprise crossed her large eyes, but it was replaced a heartbeat later by a warm, knowing smile.
'Camelia, I wish you happiness...'
She offered the blessing silently in her heart, then stepped back quietly. Without the slightest hesitation, she turned and walked away.
As she reached the end of the corridor, a thought occurred to her. She turned to the guards and whispered, "Please do not tell His Highness that I was here tonight."
The guards exchanged glances and nodded in unison.
They had served the Crown Prince for a long time and were well aware of Perna's status; they were more than willing to grant her this small request.
On the other side of the hallway, the smile on Véronique's face had morphed into a mask of shock and disbelief.
"This... how is this possible? She's just leaving?"
Her hands began to tremble.
She had meticulously arranged this for so long, creating what she thought was a perfect trap, waiting for the volcanic eruption of jealousy.
Yet that woman had simply walked away in peace?
She had been so close; she must have heard what was happening inside. Why didn't she burst in and confront the maid?
At the very least, she should have waited outside to viciously humiliate her when the Prince emerged.
Why?
Why was this happening?!
Véronique hurried to the window. Seeing Perna's carriage vanish into the night, she finally lashed out in a fit of pique, kicking the wall hard. The impact sent a jolt of pain through her foot, making her jaw drop in a silent scream of agony.
She had no way of knowing that Perna and Camelia had already shared a long, heartfelt conversation at Notre-Dame de Paris, where they had given each other their blessings.
Though Perna felt a small twinge of envy, she would never complain so long as it was the Crown Prince's wish. In fact, she felt a sense of happiness for the love Camelia found...
Inside Room 203.
Joseph stood dazed for a moment before hurriedly turning around. "My apologies, I'll leave at once."
However, Camelia stepped out of the water, her cheeks flushed as she chased after him.
Joseph felt his head spinning. He reached the door in a few strides and turned the handle.
The door didn't budge.
He twisted it several more times, but there was no response.
It seemed the lock was jammed.
He was about to call for someone to open it from the outside when he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist, followed by a soft warmth pressing against his back.
Looking down, he saw two slender, fair arms, as flawless as a masterpiece that Michelangelo might have refined a hundred times over.
"Um..."
"Your Highness," Camelia whispered nervously, "Do you... do you not want me?"
Joseph's mind went blank. He wanted to say, 'I don't think I ever actually had you,' but then he heard the girl's gentle voice continue behind him.
"On the ship, after you kissed me, my heart belonged to you forever..."
Joseph replied instinctively, "That time... that was to save you."
Camelia gave a blissful smile and nodded. "Yes, a life-saving kiss."
As she spoke, she used a gentle strength to turn the Crown Prince around.
Joseph felt a wave of heat wash over him. His heart began to race, and his hand involuntarily let go of the doorknob—that cursed door, the door that had locked everything else out!
He allowed those perfect small hands to turn him.
Suddenly, the most beautiful vision in the world appeared before his eyes.
A beauty that would make even Venus feel plain.
A beauty that made the very candlelight in the room tremble.
As a young man on the cusp of adulthood, there was only one thing Joseph could do—reach out and pull that exquisite beauty into his embrace.
The young maid closed her pale violet eyes and leaned in closer, her voice like a nightingale's song. "Your Highness, I love you..."
As if emboldened, the candlelight suddenly flared bright, merging the shadows of the two figures in the room. The flame began to dance and flicker with frantic energy.
In the bathtub nearby, ripples appeared on the water's surface, like a joyous song, melting into the misty night...
The following morning, a pale-faced Véronique stood outside the Crown Prince's bedroom holding his clothes. She watched as the girl, looking as though she had been reborn, peeked out from under the covers and offered her a smile of genuine gratitude.
Joseph was also awakened by the sunlight streaming through the window. He leaned over and gave Camelia a lazy kiss on her tender cheek.
"Ahem. To be honest, I really intended to go into Room 202," he said, shaking his head with a wry smile. "But I suppose it was a beautiful accident."
South of Mechelen.
At the French army's rear camp.
Perna entered the field hospital tent, preparing to begin her first surgery of the day. Her thoughts drifted back to the letter.
She was a sharp woman; there was no way she had missed the malice behind those words.
'So, just who was it that sent that letter?'
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