Her amber eyes seemed cold and indifferent to everything.

  Only at that moment did Remesis's resolve waver within her. This meeting seemed to make her a child again, experiencing the same emotions as in her past life.

  No, they were even worse.

  Remesis swallowed, looking at the little girl before her, unable to believe she was seeing a monster. In turn, the girl also did not take her wary gaze off Remesis. She resembled a feral wild animal cub.

  Asil Nara Ashelot. The Northern Devil, whose name people were even afraid to utter aloud.

  The main rumor about her, which wasn't entirely a rumor, was this: even a newborn baby, just weaned, she would tear from its mother's arms and brutally kill.

  Remesis had always known her wife was exactly like that. The person she feared most in the world. So much so that she didn't even dare to hate her.

  The image of the tall, stately woman, whose smile was like a predator's snarl and made her internal organs grow cold, remained far in her memory. Now before Remesis stood only an abandoned child who could hardly aspire to any power in the future.

  Her black hair was disheveled and fell to her shoulder blades. Her amber eyes, holding incomprehensible emotions, were like two small suns. Tightly compressed lips and an indifferent face. A beautiful face.

  Asil stood motionless near the imperial carriage. It was impossible to read the emotions on her face. But she was clearly not thrilled with this situation, just like Remesis.

  They were accompanied North by four royal guards. A paltry number. Asil's belongings were piled in a heap and looked more like a pile of junk. And she herself was dressed in a carelessly buttoned gray jacket and pants of the same color, more resembling a servant's clothing.

  Anyone who saw this girl before them would never believe she was a royal personage.

  Since at first glance, Asil looked more like a street urchin.

  Remesis held her breath.

  In her first life, because she was scared to death, she simply didn't pay attention to this. However, now the girl was more oriented to what was happening around her. She noticed that although they were both cursed children, their situations were drastically different.

  At least Remesis led a life resembling that of an aristocrat. She had her own room, clothes and food, and a personal maid. Despite the people on the estate neglecting her, it didn't stop her from doing what she wanted.

  As for Asil… This child was definitely more pitiful than her.

  In the horoscope, there was only one star that people treated with absolute intolerance. So much so that this person was denied the right to live a normal life in society from birth. The star of death, Asdal.

  They say that long ago, the devil himself appeared under this star. The person who inherits it brings nothing but chaos and destruction. One in whom there was originally more evil than anything human. Just one such life could pose a threat to an entire nation.

  If the princess had been born into any other family, she would have died as an infant. However, the only thing that saved Asil was that royal blood flowed in her veins. A member of the imperial family, regardless of origin, was considered untouchable.

  Even if she were the devil, the Emperor could not kill his own daughter. That would be a violation of the Sun Oath sworn by the first Emperor. The law stated that the only justified reason for regicide could be high treason. Therefore, Alexis Cezar Ashelot could not go against the will of the first Emperor.

  He had to spare his daughter's life. Even though she had lost her status, Asil continued to bear the royal surname. Which, generally speaking, didn't particularly help her.

  The abandoned crown princess lived worse than a yard dog. She had no allies in the Imperial Palace. For years, Asil lived in darkness, completely alone. That's why, as she grew older, she resembled a beast more than a human.

  The child Remesis met for the first time was completely unaccustomed to life among people. The empathy inherent in every person was simply absent in her. The girl did not recognize emotions and could not understand them. Even her movements looked clumsy and more resembled a bear trying to walk on its front paws.

  The adult Asil was little different from her childhood self. Except she became more calculating and cunning. This was one of the reasons Remesis feared her so much. How can you feel calm next to someone who is completely unaware of any human principles and morality?

  The only boundary separating people and animals. The princess, it seemed, had lacked it from birth.

  Remesis also had not forgotten that it was by Asil's hands she had already died once. Despite being married for many years, Asil did not pity her in the slightest. Remesis was cold-bloodedly killed, like any other person. There was no difference between them.

  However, now everything was different.

  To survive, Remesis had to take control of her before this cub grew into an adult beast. Asil Nara Ashelot. Her only chance of salvation and instrument of revenge. In the war against her relatives — Remesis intended to make her her sharpest blade.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  But to do that… First, she needed to suppress the fear churning in her throat, preventing her from even standing properly before her. After all the atrocities she had personally witnessed in the North, Remesis was terribly afraid of Asil. Even now, when she was still a child.

  The trembling that had seized her entire body gradually subsided. The girl found the strength to move closer and bow.

  "Remesis of the house of Duke Carter greets Your Highness."

  "…"

  Asil didn't answer. She just looked at her distantly. Although for a moment, surprise flickered in her gaze. No one had ever addressed her by her status before.

  "It is a great honor for me to become Your Highness's spouse. I hope we can get along well."

  Another short silence ensued. Remesis wondered if she could even speak at all. Come to think of it, in her first life they communicated extremely rarely. When Remesis first got married, she hadn't stopped crying, and they forced her into the carriage. They hadn't even greeted each other then.

  But now Remesis had spoken to her first. Asil only recoiled slightly, like a small animal encountering something unknown. Her amber eyes seemed wary.

  This brief meeting was interrupted by a guard. The man in armor and a red cloak looked at both children with equal contempt.

  "Come on, come on. Hurry up and get in. How much more time are we supposed to waste on you?"

  The guardsman wasn't addressing them as a princess and a duke's daughter at all. This spoke volumes about their true position in society. Even an aristocrat's offspring, cursed by an unlucky star, was considered nothing more than trash in the empire.

  Remesis didn't want to talk to this rude man and didn't answer. She just sighed heavily.

  Her difficult life outside the family estate was just beginning.

  The belongings of both girls were roughly loaded into a separate cart, and the children themselves were placed in the carriage. Sitting on opposite seats, Remesis looked out the window. The preparations took no more than five minutes, after which the small carriage set off.

  Remesis stared at the gates of the Imperial Palace. The Emperor didn't even come out to see Asil off. His own daughter was leaving far away and, quite possibly, would not return. But Alexis Cezar Ashelot didn't care much about that.

  The girl smirked inwardly.

  Could this man have known that in just ten years he would be crawling on his knees trying to reconcile with his daughter? His precarious position as ruler was under serious threat. In the end, he hadn't even hesitated to ask Remesis for help. Stabbing his daughter in the back was the only thing he could think of in that situation.

  However, how it all ended is already known…

  Although the girl died before witnessing further events, she was certain of one thing. Remesis had no doubt about the success of the current government's overthrow. By the time of her death, the northern army was known as the largest and fiercest in the empire's history.

  Even besieging the Imperial Palace would be no more than a rabbit hunt for them.

  "Hmm…"

  However, for Remesis, this was just one reason to establish good relations with Asil while there was time. It didn't matter, even if they divorced in the future. Remesis absolutely did not want to end up on the enemy list of the person who would ultimately hold this entire country in their hands.

  The journey North was to take at least half a month. All this time, it was quiet in the carriage. Despite her young age, the princess was already very secretive and suspicious. However, considering the life she had led so far, this was not at all surprising. A child who had been subjected to violence for years was clearly distrustful of those around her.

  And her newlywed wife, who was aware of the details of her former life, did not dare to impose herself on her. This was a case where haste would clearly lead to nothing good. First, they should simply get used to each other.

  "…"

  Meanwhile, Asil continued to not take her eyes off her. It was rather creepy. Like a beast watching its prey from the darkness. Even though it was a child doing it, Remesis still felt uneasy. The girl gathered all her courage and pretended not to notice.

  It's not for nothing they say that animals always sense fear. The basis of taming them is to stop being afraid of them.

  Remesis repeated this to herself like a mantra as they traveled to the border of the northern region. After about a week, the green hills and fields gave way to snow and cold. The North had indeed been a neglected region for many years.

  After the previous ruler of these lands died without leaving an heir, no one cared for these lands anymore. Overnight, the mighty northern garrison, which protected the empire from dangers and was the Emperor's reliable rear, turned into this.

  After the lord's death, the barbarians — wild tribes living in the mountains — felt their impunity and began to ravage local settlements. The Emperor did not dare send his people to fight these bloodthirsty savages. Otherwise, it would consume a significant portion of the empire's resources needed in the capital.

  As a result, years later, nothing remained of the North's former grandeur.

  That Remesis managed to survive in such a place amazed her to this day. Many times she found herself on the brink of death, but a terrible fate miraculously passed her by. In the end, she ended her life not by a barbarian's spear or wild beasts, but banal at the hands of her own wife.

  "Indeed. My death was as absurd and pathetic as my whole life."

  Although Remesis knew she most likely wouldn't die before twenty, that didn't mean her life wasn't in danger. After all, it happened constantly. Being in the North, even closing your eyes for a moment could be a fatal mistake.

  The barren lands were full of dangers. Endless hunger, the possibility of dying from frostbite at any moment, assassins' arrows, and monsters — none of this could ever become mundane for an ordinary person.

  But the main catch of the dangers of these lands lies in their unpredictability.

  The capital of the North, Fortress Nord, was still far away, but the carriage suddenly stopped in the middle of a snowy road. Remesis held her breath. The knife hidden in her sleeve had been ready all this time.

  "Well now, kiddies, we've arrived."

  The guards accompanying the carriage drew their swords. From outside came the neighing of horses and cursing.

  "Brrrr… It's so cold here! I can't wait for this to be over so I can go home."

  "…"

  The tension in the carriage grew. Remesis swallowed dry saliva, expecting them to burst in at any moment. Running now was useless. And where to, actually…? Everywhere was only an endless snowy desert.

  "Get a move on and come out. We promise it won't hurt."

  Rumbling laughter was like the hissing of a pack of hyenas surrounding the cart.

  The eight-year-old girl only gripped the knife tighter in her small hand. She was scared and excited at the same time. Asil was silent. As before, her expression did not allow guessing what thoughts were swarming in her head.

  During the last few years of her peaceful life in the Duke's estate, Remesis experienced fear for the first time. The kind that makes your heart grow cold and goosebumps run down your body. The fear of death.

  The girl was not exaggerating in the least when recalling her days spent on the northern edge. Each of them was filled with mortal danger. Which began… Today.

  After all, the first danger they encountered upon arriving in the North were the Emperor's mercenaries.