|I'M THE OP VILLAINESS| {Yuri}

CHAPTER 19『DEATH...』

I have to admit, I've forgotten all about what it feels like to live inside the Imperial Palace. Oh, wait. That's because I'm the reincarnated soul of Vespertite. There's no way that I have her memories of her past, since I wasn't really Vespertite then, I was back in my own world.

Still, living inside here is magnificent. It is the product of Imperial superiority, compared to other places outside the world. The city of Io, the capital city of the Empire and the Palace, which overlooks above the city, is considered an autonomous region on its own.

In actuality, the Palace holds 2/3 more territory than my entire Duchy, minus my previous, recent gains, winning against the Barbarians on the battle now passed down in history, as the "Battle Of The Hell's Pass".

Another thing that really made an impact on me, is the quality of the food they serve. Truly delicious. I should have hired some of the chefs down here to come to my mansion. I'm convinced that they'll consider the salary first. For one to transition to a Duchy, and leave THE Imperial Palace, it would feel like a preposterous, dumb idea.

Of course, the Palace doesn't know that the majority of the plunder from the Barbaric regions doesn't rest up inside their coffins. It is all situated inside my Castle, in my Duchy. As if I'd let my Father get hold of all these riches. Surely, it would have made my sister shake from her jealousy, but as one of the greatest philosophers in human history, Aristotle has said: "He who lives quiet, lives great."

This life inside the Palace, was just a trial, an appetiser of what it could be like if I had stayed inside its chambers. That is exactly what I'm fighting for today. Yes, the day has come. My match with Aristea is on.

I have completely neglected my training because of procrastination and spending time organising the army, and reforming my Duchy, now that it has gained significant power.

Now, the Porphyroi are just a buffed Roman Legion with overpowered magic spells, and the Provincional Army of Longnor, are Phalangites with pikes and skirmishers.

Me and the aristocrats from the city serve as the cavalry force.

It is a really good army, considering when the rest of the world is still attacking with war chariots and fights not under a cohesive line and a formation.

Laconically, this basically means that I have the best professional army in the world right now. The Empire may have numbers, but I have my Provincional Army and the Porphyroi. Just a fraction of them, to be exact, but you get my point.

While the Generals of the Imperial Army have grown old and aren't used to mobile manoeuvrable warfare, I have.

Forget my rambling, my internal monologue, today is a special occasion for the Empire and its people. The Evil Princess faces against the Advocate of the People, Aristea Bernadotte, the less infamous counterpart of Vespertite the Evil.

My people at Longnor support me wholly, but here? I'm just the "Evil Princess" to them, a person who they would likely want to see on the gallows as soon as possible. Me, engaging in scandalous debauchery? Of course, kick me out of the Palace without any evidence and then believe what the Imperial Family says.

However, you cannot blame them. They just hear what the Imperial Family says, and they follow suit, like the good subjects they are to the Empire.

You know what? I don't care. I will humiliate Aristea today and then I'll kill her. Not in the face of the dear audience, obviously, but I'll find a way.

We were outside, in the Imperial Courtyard. Thousands of spectators were lined up in order to witness this rare spectacle. Normally, Princesses like us wouldn't be outside surrounded by the populus who wants them to see a battle between each other.