Princess, Please Fall in Love with Me-Chapter 64 : Chapter 64

Chapter 64: Shattered Dreams, Roses Entangled with Thorns
Kill all enemies blocking your path, use every means to survive future encounters—only the living can be the victors.
This was the principle Loka had decided upon when she was first reborn.
With this ruthless and cruel creed, her path to rebirth could be remarkably easy.
From outmaneuvering Balesha to confronting the Duke, everything was for her own interests and longer-term goals.
Endurance, betrayal, deals... these were things her past self had experienced countless times.
Even when she pledged loyalty to the Sixth Princess and willingly served her goals, it hid her own schemes.
The Princess knew her heart wasn’t true, yet still dared to accept her potentially backstabbing promise.
People were just resources to be used at any time, even loyalty or sacrifice could always be measured by value.
True sincerity was often the least valuable.
But when did Loka start feeling like she had changed? Was it when she reunited with Lina?
Though she felt warmth, it couldn’t alter her resolve.
Was it hearing the Saito’s Grand Duke’s story?
It was touching, but for Loka, who had seen countless partings of life and death, it was merely an appetizer, not worth mentioning.
Was it that time she willingly rushed into the poisonous gas in the garden?
That was probably just a spur-of-the-moment act.
She had prepared by holding clover grass in her mouth, only to underestimate the poison’s strength.
After fainting for three days, she woke to see that girl by the window.
Loka felt a subtle, unfamiliar feeling quietly growing within her.
Or was it when she was locked in the dungeon by the Duke, yet felt no panic?
Could she really have believed Yiwen’s promise to save her?
Impossible. Loka would never fully trust anyone.
But when Yiwen came for her in person, and she discarded that useless key she’d stolen, why did she feel a twinge of joy?
Could it be when she secretly took Yiwen’s silver sword, worrying Yiwen might cry or fuss over it?
Surely not because she feared being disliked or hated. No, no way.
What was it, then... Was it the dance at the ball?
The midnight surprise of sneaking into bed?
The occasional pastry feedings or the stubborn insistence on drinking juice together?
No, why was she thinking about this?
Wasn’t she supposed to be pierced by a sword?
Why was Her Highness crying? Really?
The dying Loka struggled to raise her right hand, gently wiping the tear from Yiwen’s eye, then lay powerlessly in her arms, slowly closing her eyes.
The Duke’s face grew grave.
He hadn’t anticipated things would take this turn.
Everything in his plan was slipping from his control.
Even if Loka had killed Yiwen, he could’ve found an excuse to eliminate Loka afterward.
If they turned on him again, his men were more than enough to deal with them.
Even if Yiwen killed Loka, in a mutually destructive scenario, Yiwen’s condition wouldn’t be much better.
If she died from her wounds, it would be understandable.
He had anticipated every outcome and countermeasure, but this scenario was utterly unexpected.
Based on his understanding of Loka across two lives, she would never sacrifice her life for anyone.
Yet he couldn’t believe that the Loka who killed him without emotion, who clawed her way back from death, who had lost all feelings except for profit and calculation, would give up her life for someone else!
Could the Sixth Princess be more important than her life? Could she abandon her plans after rebirth for this?
These were things the Duke didn’t dare imagine.
"You lot, kill Yiwen too."
Loka’s actions startled the Duke, but he quickly regained his composure.
Seeing Yiwen sobbing over Loka, with one obstacle gone, it was time to end this farce.
"Your Excellency the Duke, are you breaking the terms of the witnessed duel?"
"As long as no one knows, there’s no breach—who’s there?!"
The black-clad men exchanged glances, looking back. A hidden black-clad figure suddenly shed his cloak, revealing a face no one expected.
"Since everyone’s been an audience, you can’t deny me my right to speak and oversee, can you? So, I declare that Sixth Princess Yiwen has won the duel."
With a flippant expression and slightly open, scheming squinting eyes, it was none other than the elusive National Teacher of Eryus, Kavita, who had gone unnoticed all along!
From the start, he had observed the Duke’s actions without detection.
With one glance from Loka, he knew this clever girl’s plan and decided to play along with her act.
"As the witness to this duel, as a gentleman, I must take responsibility for its outcome. So, I’ll escort Her Highness Yiwen away, and the Duke won’t stop us, will he?"
Kavita slowly approached the Duke, whispering in his ear.
"If we don’t leave, do you think I haven’t prepared a contingency?"
Under the Duke’s furious yet restrained murderous glare, Kavita maintained his fearless demeanor.
Yiwen clung to Loka, the sword in Loka’s chest still slowly bleeding.
"You can leave, but Loka’s body stays."
Confident in his flawless planning, how could the Duke swallow such a loss?
He had to take revenge on this plan-disrupting wretch!
But as his men reached for Loka’s body, the black-clad man’s hand was instantly severed.
Yiwen glared at him fiercely, her eyes as if to kill.
More black-clad men moved to surround her.
Yiwen pressed the dagger to her own throat, glaring at the Duke with hatred, as if she meant to kill not herself but the vile, shameless man before her.
"One step closer, and tomorrow the entire empire will hear how the Duke murdered the Saito’s Grand Duke’s granddaughter. The Caesar Family has always been clear about debts—never-ending vengeance!"
Before, Yiwen only knew the Caesar Family from books, but now, that name was the greatest threat to the Duke.
As for who would spread the news, who do you think loves watching the drama most?
Kavita looked at the vein-bulging Duke, suddenly chuckling, then leisurely walked to Yiwen’s side.
Seeing her fierce, beast-like demeanor, his expression turned solemn.
"As one of the witnesses, I offer a Valhalla blessing for this fallen warrior. May her wish will be fulfilled in the heavens."
This was an Eryus tradition of mourning, but no one noticed that as Kavita prayed, he whispered something very softly in Yiwen’s ear.
"Cry harder, make it convincing. Your sword missed by a few centimeters."