The blade sliced through the lady's side, although it was just a graze and not a fatal blow just yet because of the small knife. Aefia's arm stayed extended outwards to the left, the same hand she used to catch the blade while the other hand stayed tucked inside her pocket to keep it warm.
"Since I fought your sister before... I figured... You would use the same technique." Aefia spoke quietly towards the woman. "Lady Elanor told me that your father was ever the only one who taught you three sisters how to use blades when faced with danger... And I happened to learn how you play with it while practicing for fun at your estate." She retracted her hand to allow the woman behind her a break for the injury.
"I knew it for short... That Elanor was in a secret alliance with you..."
"And she still is... But do you know why she is a good friend of mine right now?" She turned to face the woman who held her injury. "Because she saw through your schemes and she saw through the ones planned on me... So it is quiet understandable why we bought have suddenly caught your attention... Where we could keep it a secret."
"It was way too obvious that you both would have a solid conversation for a long time, then suddenly get into a fight... But that doesn't change... That you both plotted against Stephany's death. And then went off to kill my father!" The woman shouted while trying to lunge towards the girl, who blocked the sword with the knife, and then shoved it away with a single hand.
"The Count tried to poison the Empress... Right in front of me... And he even tried to take down the entire Imperial family... With no one knowing why to be exact..." She trailed off while stepping back as another stroke grazed against her forehead. "Besides... I loved to believe that the Count was a stupid person indeed... For not calculating enough that there was a more savage member of the family."
"Well you were adopted..."
"And I still am... But does it change the fact? Because your father tried to assassinate the middle brother, place an execution against the eldest and kill the mother... Where I still haven't found out why he would do that. Why would he attempt such a dangerous move to begin with if he didn't think that the risk was worth it if he won?" Aefia smiled while crouching under the next strike and then appearing behind the woman the next time.
"But what if to hide his own crimes and then to hide yours? His medical records said he had stage four lung cancer... And that the next Countess would be searched..." She whispered to the woman's ears. "He thought... That with the rest of the family gone, he would be able to convince Henry into thinking he really doesn't need to be searched... He is in fact still a kid."
A hand grasped onto Aefia's neck and held her up in the air, with her still flashing a sinister smile of having won a huge bet. "You are way too smart to be part of the Imperial family... I can see why that violet-haired psycho would have you to rule the next generation of the empire..." The woman spoke while tightening her grasp against her throat.
"Go on... What is next?" Aefia asked while hanging on for dear life as she watched Helio struggle to move with fear and paranoia. He had a shocked face installed and as if he had multiple questions about her life the past few months. Thinking back... I think I should have healed myself for this... But it's too late now. And my neck is tearing apart with the force!
She gulped in a huge amount of air into her lungs while staring down at the blonde haired woman.
"Aren't you too smart and savage to be considered a Princess? I would have worked on dethroning you if I knew about your intelligence back then... But the laws related to politics wouldn't side with me."
"But if it wouldn't side with you, why not force it to side with you? Well that's what I do most of the time." She snapped back as the pressure at her throat increased.
"How? I have no time to speak with children like you who think life is a game." The reply changed the entire atmosphere around them.
"Of course life is a game! Although it has no reset buttons, you still have a new year to try again! And speaking of which... I love discussing politics while in situations like this... It gives you more adrenaline then in an amusement park."
Finally, the shield of silence snapped as Helio stepped forward to try and protest for her.
"Have you lost your sanity?! How are you still trying to provoke her when your entire life is on the line?!" He shouted at her direction while withdrawing his own weapon and keeping it out of sight in case of safety disruption.
"Well thinking of this... You still don't know what has been happening the past few months... So this will be a difficult situation to explain..." She responded while placing her hand at her chin and making a thinking gesture. "Well I did lose my sanity for a month which caused me to get enrolled into an asylum, then I had lost my sanity yet again, when Brittany died which is not long ago. And I did happen to be in this type of situation a lot of times, like also when one of my brothers tried to kill me twice, so this also ain't a problem for me..."
"But thinking otherwise... About my entire life being at her hands right now, at the edge of my throat... I will be brutally honest... I hate being strangled, but I really enjoy death. Because it gave me a few days to rest and keep me out of these problems I face on a daily basis. Since you probably asked how I am still not afraid of my life being on the edge, I guess I can say I have died enough times to realize I can wake up again a week later. But I thought you knew this? That I can wake up again?"
Her face turned a little annoyed and curious, making her look like a kid who was just trying to play with death and was furious because it was taking far too long.
"Well you can't keep wasting away your life like this!" He shouted back with the scared, animatic voice and gesture as he smacked his hands onto her head. "Wait... Well you did suffer a lot of things... So I should leave you alone to face her I guess." He scratched the back of his head while coming to a stop.
"What kind of a target have I been assigned?" The Countess smacked her hand onto her forehead as if face-palming.
"This kid is just... Too mature in terms of thoughts and too young when she is presented with serious matters." Finally, her fingers unclasped from the girl's throat. "Kid... I don't want anything to do with you... You are too young to be dead anyways."
"Ow! My ankle! I think I sprained it!" Aefia shouted while standing up and bending sideways, in a very small angle. Well my psychological game worked on her... I think I should thank him for asking that question... And for reminding me I have a power play in my hand, using my skills from the novel. Phew! I managed to save myself much pain and trouble I can say.
"I think it serves you right honestly." Helio laughed while walking up to her and offering her a hand to stand up. "Do you still not want to get healed up? You said you had a mission to kill this woman? Although I don't know how an Imperial member gets assigned a task something like." He whispered as she limped a few steps while still standing at the same place.
"Yes but it is a long story. I had to choose to kill this woman in exchange for a few informations. So I need to find a better way to kill her, and not here. It would be best to be able to prove the kill in front of that woman, because she is the same level of intelligence as me, maybe more." She replied while whispering back. "Also, I would prefer a little bit of energy over healing. So I will steal your magic energy... I know you have a lot, and you just phased up, so you have no reasons to back out."
"I don't mind... But I would have allowed you to steal as much as you want if you can explain what caused Ms. Avry's death in specific and how you got that hair or lost your magic energy like that." He responded as he dusted the snow off her hair.
"Now if you don't mind... Princess... I have a question for you..." She asked while slamming the sword on the ground.
"To ask a question like that... You must have one that would put me off in a bad mood." Aefia replied while letting go of his wrist and clenching the knife at her left hand tightly.
"Well I don't know. But I wanted to ask why you are so blood thirsty... These monsters... They are hiding and scared because of you..." The Countess spoke while smiling. "To be feared by creatures who knows you are a human and they are supposed to kill you, you aren't a superior entity or a major villain... But if you weren't a villain... Why would the smaller villains fear you?"
"Your words don't make sense..."
"Of course it won't... But it will if you try to interpret it in a way that you would use to communicate with your uncle... Am I right?"
"...!"
A ripple of shock went back and forth inside her mind as she was about to let loose of her knife. "You... Know..."
"Of course I do! In fact, I know that the same uncle is your biological father and that you are—"
"Shut up!" Aefia shouted while stepping forward. "You forced it out of her! And that isn't the information about me that the Guardian of Silence wanted... But you took it out anyways because you are trying to take a revenge on your dead sister..." Her eyes narrowed at the realization. "The thing you wanted to know... Is what I know about the Guardians until now... Isn't it to prevent the real information about the competition from leaking?"
The woman smiled as she watched the girl with her angered face. "Bold... Well yes! Although I don't know about your competition much, I was present with the Gaurdian of Silence during the questioning... So I though about taking notes. Besides... I also know that you quit the competition knowing a specific number of informations about it... It's that book."
"And what does it have anything to do with you? You are not a participant..."
"I am not... But you said it yourself... I wanted revenge."
"For what? I was trying to protect my family while your family was trying to bring it down. Wasn't Stephany set up to kill me in order to get more out from behind the palace walls?"
"Oh look! You have gotten the hint... Here is the thing you missed, we had to break down the barrier of the family... And I set her up. Do you think only Elanor is smart? She grew up thanks to me... You must have known it for yourself... I was smarter. Ever thought why she wanted me dead to began with?"
"Not back then... But now I do. Because you are a culprit like as your father. She knew you were behind the destruction and isn't that why she reached out to me? To keep the Imperial family protected? Although I do know she is plotting against it..."
The woman's eyes widened as a smile immerged from her face. "Then why are you with her? Still being friend with frequent visits to the estate and the trips of the cat back and from the palace? You even sent your loyal servants away."
"The truth might actually shock you now..." Aefia replied while snapping her gaze towards Helio. "Go find Nada... I have a few discussions with her. And you will need to be excluded from it unless you are a noble from around here." She spoke with a serious face. Without saying anything, he obeyed and walked the abandoned streets while looking left and right and between alleys.
"So? What is it that you are planning to use her to do?"
Aefia slapped on a sinister smile as her place face seemed to glow with the cold with her breath leaving in the form of a mist.
"I plan on having her destroy the palace after I run away. You know? I have a few unfinished tasks with the competition and I can't stay within the watchful eyes of the Imperial family... I plan on destroying the Empire... And your family will have their wish fulfilled either ways." She shrugged. "But too bad... You won't be able to go back to warn anyone... Now you see? Why we make a good and dangerous alliance?"
"You are such a savage adopted daughter..." The woman muttered while wiping off her smile. "You psycho... How the heck do you–" Her mouth shuted itself before releasing the words. Her own intelligence failed her, making it seem like she failed the battle against the girl.
"Oi? Cat's got your tongue? Or are you that mesmerized?"
"You are going to frame Elanor! And my entire family! Isn't that what you wanted to do?! That's what you mean by dangerous alliance!"
"Not really... Although thinking about it... I might if she tries to betray me. But my real reason... Is because I want to take revenge against the Empress." She flashed a dangerous smile. "Don't you think she made me suffer too much? She killed my happiness in front me... So I won't spare her until I turn her life into a living hell. She should have known better..."
A fear crept onto the woman's eyes as she placed her hand at the pierced bomber jacket she was wearing, where only her skin has been harmed. "That must be why... These monsters fear you... You are just... Impossible to know what you do next..." She whispered to herself while stumbling backwards.