My Past Life is Riddled With Many Sins - Chapter 71
Her descendants are ruthless bastards.
Regina felt every bump and jolt as the carriage sped towards the imperial palace, forcing her to steady herself with a dry rub to her face.
“Once invited, attendance is mandatory. Should anyone feel unwell, rest assured that medical treatment is available upon arrival at the palace.”
It was a blunt declaration that one must come to the palace once called, regardless of condition. Confronted by the imperious manner of the palace servant who had come to meet them at the academy, Regina was at a loss for words. Even Yekarna had never resorted to such tactics.
‘How have we regressed over 200 years instead of progressing?’
Exerting authority to this extent was bound to breed resentment.
As unfortunate as it was to be summoned to the palace, there was a silver lining—albeit a slim one compared to the impending dread.
The imperial library, or more precisely, the Emperor’s private archives, were now within reach. Regina planned to infiltrate it, assuming the palace layout hadn’t changed. There, she would gather information about the demon realms.
The academy’s and the Mary library’s collections had proved insufficient. But the Emperor’s archives were another matter, likely holding confidential documents not available to the public. Information unknown to her, accumulated over the two centuries since Yekarna’s death, lay dormant there.
‘Should I be more worried about my own safety than world peace?’
The prospect of encountering the new ‘Seven Guardians’ at the imperial banquet chilled Regina to the bone. Who among them hadn’t she yet met? Prince Rexid, Lennon… Her thoughts were interrupted as the carriage stopped.
“We need to walk from here.”
Regina sighed deeply. Stepping into the gates of hell on her own accord felt bizarrely apt.
“Are you finding it difficult? You look unwell.”
The runner-up asked at her, looking clearly concerned. There were two carriages dispatched from the academy for the banquet, and all the passengers in hers were female.
“You had mentioned you weren’t feeling well before leaving, so the carriage ride must be dizzy. It must have been particularly tough on you. I’ll help you when you get off.”
“No, thank you for your concern, though,”
Regina declined politely as she stepped down from the carriage.
The moment she looked up at the imperial palace, her heart sank. She felt a resonant ‘zing’ throughout her body as if it was echoing her dread. She wished she could just stand there indefinitely, undisturbed, soaking in the view….
However, the situation forced her to come to her senses, so she had to get out of the sentimental feelings.
Praying she wouldn’t encounter anyone from her past life, Regina headed towards the banquet hall.
“Everyone can enter first. Those feeling unwell after arriving may seek medical assistance here.”
The servant, who guided the winners of the Academy Swordsmanship contest to the entrance of the banquet hall, looked at Regina.
There is a space near the banquet hall where doctors, priests, and wizards are waiting. It is a natural measure because accidents of one kind or another inevitably occur in places where many people gather.
If they are in a bad condition even during the banquet, they can come out for a while and get diagnosed and go back.
“How may I assist you?”
The doctor asked, noting her pale complexion.
Regina coughed dryly and described her symptoms.
“My head feels like it’s splitting, my body is shivering cold, my limbs ache as if I’ve been beaten, my stomach is upset, and I feel like I’m lacking blood…”
“You seem to be quite alive for someone with those symptoms.”
The doctor said, giving her a skeptical look. Clearly, he wasn’t easily fooled, considering his expertise in medicine….Realizing her ruse wasn’t working, Regina swiftly changed her approach.
“Please help me. I really shouldn’t be at the banquet. Can you just say my health is too poor to attend? Think of it as saving someone’s life.”
“Would that really be enough? Sometimes it’s better to face inevitable consequences sooner rather than later.”
Despite her most groveling plea, it was to no avail.
Dejected, Regina trudged towards the banquet hall. After showing the invitation, she entered quietly and minimized her presence. Luckily, nobody paid her much mind.
Those who did catch a glimpse of her quickly lost interest after seeing her academy uniform. After all, this wasn’t a martial arts competition but merely an academy swordsmanship event.
‘Preferring a fully formed talent over a budding potential, who might have problems later on?’
Regina thought it was an arrogant mindset. It fits perfectly with the pride expected of imperial nobility. She just hoped they would continue to ignore her like this.
She relaxed her tensed shoulders and merged into the crowd of academy students who had entered the banquet hall before her. Wearing the same uniform as her peers, she hoped, would help her blend in more effectively and diminish her presence.
While scanning the hall to identify anyone from her past life, Regina spotted Bliss.
Today, he wasn’t just the academy’s Dean but attended as a noble, dressed elaborately in an attire resembling knight’s armor rather than typical formal wear.
The outfit, simple yet sophisticated black, was adorned with gold embroidery, metal accents on the epaulets and cords, a brilliant sash, and a high-quality leather belt cinching the waist, making it more dazzling than many ceremonial armors.
It somehow reminded her of his Margrave days—if only he had a cape, he could easily pass for Skyler Lintzmeyer himself.
Caught off-guard by a surge of nostalgia as she continued to stare, their eyes met.
Bliss winked at her, causing Regina to flinch and swiftly divert her gaze as if scorched.
It was a mistake. She avoided a fox only to encounter a tiger.
In her attempt to avoid Skyler’s reincarnation, she accidentally faced another person from her previous life.