The Villain Princess survived the Imperial Riot

Viola was at a loss, took several steps back, the gold coins fell to the ground, and she fell into the bed.

The velvet bedding retained the lady's fragrant body warmth and was a million times more comfortable than the floor covered with only a layer of linen that she had slept on before.

She jumped up as if she had been electrocuted, afraid of dirtying the compensation money. She looked left and right, but did not dare to look directly into the princess's eyes.

Hestia wiped her lips lightly, her demeanor calm and composed: "This is the complete allegiance ceremony."

"Is this a ritual?" Viola once again realized the country folk's limited knowledge and tilted her head as if she understood.

"you have a problem?"

"No……"

"Then pack up and report to Iyana. Remember, from now on you are mine. I don't care what rumors or nonsense you hear from the outside world, you must remember—"

Hestia's mind flashed with magnificent scenes, and her expression became colder than ever before.

"You, Viola Leland, will always obey only me."

Volume 4: The Dreamer: . Witch Relics

Late at night, a perfectly round celestial body dominated the night sky, a pale violet background framed by a circle of fading pale golden dusk. The sky above was ablaze, the arc of the Milky Way nebula bisecting the horizon. The sheer grandeur of the scene was enough to fill one with a deep sense of fear, like an ant observing a giant elephant.

Hestia sat by the window, lost in thought. She played with her smooth, silky silver hair, twisting it into knots between her fingers, but her mind was not relaxed.

Today's terrorist attack is just the beginning. In the years to come, rebellions and assassinations against the imperial rule will occur endlessly throughout Fran.

There are countless people who want her dead. Her status as a member of the Heberus royal family alone is enough to make the free-willed rebels rush forward one after another, and there is no telling when the knife will pierce her neck.

According to official history, Hestia Heberus was a fervent believer of the God-Emperor, the embodiment of iron and fire, and the vanguard of the anti-urbanization of Fran and the Southern Empire. She carried out purges every three days and massacres every five days, leaving corpses strewn across vast distances, leaving no one alive. Even so, the frequency of assassinations failed to slow.

She obviously couldn't follow in the original owner's footsteps.

"You're right, but Eternal Shadow is a brand-new open-world adventure game developed by Hestia. Set in a great nation known as the 'High Empire,' you'll play the role of a powerful imperial princess, immersing yourself in the thrill of bullying classmates, dominating subordinates, engaging in colonial plunder, and engaging in iron-blooded repression. In a world where no one picks up anything, you'll encounter friendships with rebels and revolutionaries, even staking your claim on lifelong friendships—and experience the irresistible invitation to the guillotine."

She complained inwardly with a hint of resentment, she hated the dog planner.

In the seventh year since the Bloody Grand Duchess and Regent's death, the High Empire has disintegrated, worms have descended, Chaos has invaded, warlords have fought for power on the corpses of dragons, and even the newborn babies of the Heberus royal family have been slaughtered.

"Your Highness, have you rested?"

There was a knock on the door, and Iyana's gentle voice filled the room.

"Come in."

After receiving the agreement, the graceful elf with blue hair and emerald eyes pushed the door open and walked in. She had her hair tied up in a bun and was wearing a satin brocade robe gown with a low neckline, a tight waist, and a flowing skirt. The light and transparent chiffon petticoat made her fair skin look flawless and smooth. It was as if she was not wearing clothes, but lying naked in the snow.

Hestia couldn't help but take a second look, and then she saw Iyana bow respectfully: "Your Highness."

The girl raised her eyebrows: "Have you forgotten my orders?"

Iyana was stunned for a moment, then pursed her lips and smiled with relief: "Hestia... Your Highness."

This name was so old that it was unfamiliar to her. It reminded her of an afternoon fifteen years ago when the little baby was well-behaved and clever, with big eyes blinking, giggling and sucking her fingers.

Hestia said calmly, "Tell me, what's the matter?"

"Miss Lilan had some gifts to pack, and her family hadn't yet informed me, so I've sent her back. Also, the Governor sent someone to inquire about Your Highness's well-being. The perpetrator of the ceremony has been arrested and will be publicly executed at Genting Highlands in about two weeks."

As Iyana spoke, she observed Hestia's facial expression, ready to comfort her at any time.

To her surprise, the princess, who should have been furious about the collapse of the Emperor's Colossus, was unusually calm at this moment. Even when she heard that the criminal had been executed, she did not jump up and shout that the criminal should be chopped into meat paste.

For a moment, Iyana was worried that Her Royal Highness the Princess really had some sequelae and her brain was damaged.

"Your Highness?"

"Ah."

"Are you... okay?"

"That's fine. Why, do you think I should fly to the prison right away and slice off the flesh of those criminals and feed it to the dogs?"

Hestia looked out the window. The pier was brightly lit, and the tide was eroding the cliffs, stirring the tide under the pull of celestial gravity.

Shaking her head, Hestia asked, "Iyana is a mystic, right?"

"Uh, yes. We, the Star-Moon Clan, bathe in the light of the Purple Moon and follow the path of natural harmony."

"What about my mother, the same as you?"

Hestia's mother had died when she was young, and she was less familiar with that woman than with Iyana. The fragmentary historical records found in the game revealed the Bloody Archduchess's mother to be Charles II's third wife, a bond uniting the north and south of the empire.

"No, your mother is an orthodox Holy Covenant secret practitioner..." Iyana's expression suddenly froze. Thinking of an incredible possibility, she tentatively asked, "Your Highness, are you interested in a path other than Order?"

"Well...broadening understanding isn't a bad thing. I'm free right now, so why don't you tell me about the Sacred Covenant?"

In fact, even if Iyana said nothing, Hestia was well aware of the secrets hidden in the official history.

"Eternal Shadow" begins with Mengsu, the legendary skin that leads to the abode of God. It is the path for mystics to pursue the truth and the most important supernatural system in this world.

If we say that the sorcerers who delve into the arcane arts summarize and reproduce the laws of the world, then what the secret practitioners seek is to become the rules themselves, to be immortal.

There are nine roots, nine paths, and the mystics intertwined in the paths and branches are engaged in a protracted dispute over world order and eternal life.

The Supreme Empire is also a process of conflict.

And this brings us to the founder of the Supreme Empire, a living legend who inherited the blood of a heavenly dragon, extraordinary talent, and the weapons of a hero, the Supreme God-Emperor who is feared by all in heaven and on earth.

This legendary man swept across the world, razing the vast expanse of wasteland. He commanded the Divine Emperor to forge a link between heaven and earth, forbidding the myths of the Dream Realm from interfering with the mortal realm. It was through the power of the Tower, acting on behalf of the Path of Order, that the millennium of war in the Old World was brought to an end. During his reign, he ruled over the vast majority of the known world.

Sadly, centuries later, the God-Emperor has become a mere symbol for people to admire, no longer appearing in the mortal realm. Secret societies and the myths they venerate still exist, tucked away in the shadows.

After the God-Emperor's disappearance, the esoteric sects worshipping him split into two factions. One was the Iron Cross, the God-Emperor's spear and shield, the supreme guardian of the world, and the iron-blooded ruler of the Empire. The other was the Sacred Covenant, represented by the House of Lorraine. This sect of esotericists sought a more gentle means of reconciling internal conflicts. The Iron Cross viewed them as cowards who hindered the Iron Guard's efforts to slaughter the unruly Muggles.

Hestia wasn't sure whether to follow in the footsteps of her former owner.

From a player's perspective, the High Empire was indeed hopelessly corrupt, but across its vast territory, it remained a formidable behemoth, awe-inspiring to countless subjects and foes alike. Only in the past two years, with naval defeats, financial ruin, and the illness of Charles II, had the High Empire slowed down its foreign wars.

In official history, even though the empire eventually disintegrated, the Iron-Blooded Cross remained an important force in the competition for the continent.

If she continues to maintain the tower and serve as the maintainer of the existing order, with her identity, status and resources, her strength will be increased to second only to those ascended myths in a short period of time.

"Your Highness..." After briefly explaining the situation of the empire's rulers, Iyana deliberated, "Are you considering the alternative of the Holy Covenant?"

The God-Emperor's domain is order, eternity, and salvation, symbolized by the tower of conquest and rule, the ever-lasting relic of the Holy Spirit, and the sun that illuminates the world. There is only one sun in the sky, and for this reason, even the Church of Radiance has ceded the sun's authority to the God-Emperor in its teachings, claiming the God-Emperor to be the Apostle of the Rising Sun, guiding the world through radiance.

Hestia's original self deeply detested the despicable act of taking advantage of the God-Emperor. During her later years as the ruler of the Southern Council, she persecuted the Radiant Believers in the territory for a long time and converted the Radiant Church into the God-Emperor's Invalides.

No matter how much she hated him, the Holy Covenant and the Church of Radiance were two different things. Out of emotional considerations, Iyana naturally hoped that Hestia could become the leader of the southern states who were willing to accept her, rather than the iron-blooded princess of the Supreme Empire.

Hestia glanced at her and said calmly, "I'm considering the Empire's position."

Sure enough, His Highness is still that His Highness...

Iyana let out a mournful smile, still unwilling to give up, and hesitated, "Your Highness will undoubtedly become a pillar of the nation, but all paths lead to the same destination. As long as it benefits the empire, it's not necessarily a bad thing to be tolerant and accept it... In fact, the princess left a relic before her death, saying that it should be taken out when Your Highness can make his own choice."

Hestia raised an eyebrow, "Mother? What did she leave behind?"

"I don't know, it's a box. The princess said that only the blood from His Highness's brow can open it." Iyana shook her head.

After a moment's silence, Hestia said in a deep voice, "Bring it to me."

"Your Highness, the princess said..."

"Separate priorities, Iyana. I don't want you to rely on her will for everything." Hestia spoke subconsciously, paused, and then said softly, "Go."

Iyana hesitated to speak, bowed and took her leave, and soon brought the relic she mentioned to Hestia.

The whole body is dark blue, with a crystal texture. The cool shell is etched with drifting clouds and stars. A dim shadow lingers, shaped like a pupa with moth wings emerging from its cocoon, or like a layer of indelible mildew growing on the surface of the box.

"Okay, go down. I'll call you if there's anything else."

Hestia waved her hand. The blood from her brow was needed to unlock it. This relic was no ordinary artifact, and it must contain inhumane secrets. Even though Iyana was a loyal servant for two generations, she had no intention of letting her know.

After the maid left, Hestia opened the dressing table. Besides a small amount of cosmetics, the remaining space was filled with a flintlock pistol with a gilded shell, an enchanted dagger engraved with a double-headed eagle, gunpowder, bullets, and a container of colorless poison.

The Supreme Empire is full of martial virtues, and the Iron-blooded Princess has a strong murderous intention.

She took out the dagger and prepared herself mentally for about a quarter of an hour. Then, looking in the mirror, she used the tip of the dagger to lightly prick a drop of blood between her eyebrows, letting it drip onto the double-petal keyhole of the crystal box.

Suddenly, an invisible chill filled the entire room. A thin layer of frost formed on the mirror. The crystal box turned into wisps of blue mist, and the arcane wall lamp reflected a gloomy and mysterious light in the room.

The place that originally belonged to the crystal box has been replaced by an ancient, thick, leather-bound book.

There were no words on the writing, only demonic, stretched-out marks, identical to those engraved on the crystal box.

It looks like a pupa, a butterfly, or a sheep's head with coiled horns, but it does not have a more detailed outline.

But Hestia had a better word for it—womb.

"It can't be that..."

A mysterious, evil being, no less dangerous than worms and chaos, floods into Hestia's memories.

"Shadow of the Witch", even in the late game, only appears as the tip of the iceberg, an invisible existence that shrouds Meng Su.

It is unknown whether the witch is a group or a symbol of immortality. What is known is that there is a group of witches who worship the witch and aspire to ascend to become the vast curtain that occasionally flickers in dreams.

Her mother was a witch?

Hestia found this incomprehensible. Neither the official historical records nor the Iron-Blooded Princess's personal relationships mentioned any encounters with witches or sorcerers.

Of course, the Bloody Grand Duchess would also burn to death hundreds of insignificant dissidents on the charge of witchcraft when she was plotting against them, but the more she did so, the more outrageous it seemed that her biological mother was a witch!

"It's a good thing Iyana didn't see it. If she had realized the possible meaning of this symbol..."

Hestia shuddered, more than she would have if she had known she would be guillotined in the future.

Because there is only one way for witches to ascend, and this path is destined to make them the mortal enemy of Meng Su.

Prey on mystics, or rather, prey on their coordinates and spirits in dreams.

Volume 5: The Dreamer: . The Witch's Book

Hestia didn't touch the book on the dresser. She first peeked outside, carefully closing the window, then closed the grille of the Arcane fireplace to prevent assassins from entering through the chimney. The princess looked around for a while, still feeling uneasy. Suddenly, she looked up and saw a majestic statue sitting on a throne in a niche. She immediately broke into a sweat.

The evening breeze climbed up the wall and slipped into the window cracks. The cold current and the warmth from the fireplace merged, and Hestia felt half warm and half cold, as if she had accidentally walked into a battlefield where two armies were facing each other. Once the horn was blown, the horses' hooves and the waves of people would trample her flesh and blood.

"God Emperor, I am guilty!" Hestia folded her hands over her chest, confessing with heartbroken remorse. "How can such a shabby room contain the glory of the Holy Lord? Please bear with me for one night, just one night... Tomorrow I will immediately order the construction of a majestic temple in the forest, and invite you to move into your new home! Amitabha, Infinite Heavenly Venerable, Hallelujah!"

After saying this, Her Royal Highness the Princess took out a square scarf embroidered with a double-headed eagle and a golden shield from the wardrobe and covered the statue with it, then carried the pedestal and placed it on the corridor in front of the door.

She closed the door, locked it, and finally relaxed.

"Witch, witch..."

Hestia reached out and touched the texture of the cover. It was delicate and smooth, as if it were tanned from the fairest and tenderest skin of a young girl, without showing any signs of decay due to the erosion of time.