The Countess Lives Twice in the Apocalypse-Chapter 17: Sixteen

"Your Highness, Countess Rafelon is here." Lady Cynthia, a lady-in-waiting of the princess, knocked on the door and let the princess know about Jannah’s arrival.

"Let her in." Came a deep and husky female voice, "I’ve been waiting for her."

Jannah felt a shiver run down her spine the moment she heard the voice of the princess. She’s not fully acquainted, but she could still remember how the princess looked shaken when she had inhaled the powder of Echinacea.

Lady Cynthia looked at her over her shoulder and nodded, opening the door. Jannah nodded her head to thank her silently for her hospitality before she stepped inside the room.

"Take a sit, Countess." Princess Huenazia said, watching Jannah enter her office.

Huenazia Le Mercuria, the Starlian Kingdom’s first and only princess. Her looks alone can rival the Gods because of how beautiful she is.

Having a long and silky red hair is as red as a human’s blood, orangish-yellow eyes that looked similar to the color of the setting sun, and light brown skin that highlighted her beautiful features— many believed that she’s the embodiment of beauty. Not only that, she’s always emitting a powerful aura that could bring a lot of strong knights down to their knees.

With her being the heiress to the throne, several nobles are already backing her.

This is the only royal that Jannah fears to anger. She may dare to cross path with the princess, but that only means that she’s ready to have her head cut off.

"Greetings to the young and brightest star of the kingdom." Jannah did the bow for the royalty. She lowered her head, raised the hem of her dress with her left hand, and placed her other hand on her chest.

The princess wasn’t behind the desk, but is sitting on the sofa with sweet delicacies on top of the table and tea served. She raised a hand and gestured towards the seat in front of her.

"Please drop the formality." Huenazia shook her head, "I didn’t call for you to be formal with me. I asked you to come here for a reason so take a sit."

"Forgive me, Your Highness." Jannah apologized halfheartedly and straightened her body, "However, may I be bold and ask for you to not beat around the bush?"

"What’s the rush?" Huenazia asked and paused, "... Ah, whatever. Just as you have said, let me get straight to the point. I have been keeping an eye on the Rafelon County lately. I couldn’t help, but notice that you have sold half of your assets— why is that?"

Jannah didn’t answer right away. Should she just be honest and say the truth to the crown princess of the kingdom? Should she tell her highness that the kingdom she dreamed to rule over will be ik chaos two nights from now?

Unable to decide, Jannah took this chance to take a seat in front of the princess.

"Not only did you sell your territory in the west and south, but you also bought a lot of supplies three days ago." Princess Huenazia added on, listing off the things that Jannah did, "Are you preparing to go to war again, Countess?"

Jannah shook her head to answer the question, "If I could, I would also my title as a noble, Your Highness."

"What?" The disbelief is clear on the princess’s face.

"Yes, but I can’t just do it." The Countess smiled softly, "As per your previous questions, the reason why I sold the territory at the west and south— well, I have no use of it. I’m sure it would fall on either Duke Manzaniro or Duke Zacharias. The two of them have been eyeing the mines under my authority after all."

The silver and gold mines wouldn’t serve any purpose in the apocalypse anyways. What I need is an iron mine, but most of the iron mines are under Count Nige. Jannah thought, displeased at how bad her disadvantage is.

Even if she wanted to prepare as much as possible for the apocalypse. She only had seven days at most to gather whatever she could. The process of transferring the mines under another noble will take at least a month to finish. She don’t have time for that.

"Hmm.. How about your sudden shopping spree for fruits, vegetables, seeds, saplings, gunpowders, and people with expertise? You didn’t just go for the noble’s market, you also went for the commoner’s market."

"That.. Well, I’m going to have a long vacation for the time being, princess." Jannah lied through her teeth, "I don’t want to go out of the capital empty handed."

Lying in the princess’s face? You have guts, Jannah! She thought, sweat dripping in her back. Would she even believe me? I know for sure that she know where I’m going. She did say she has been keeping an eye on me!

Princess Huenazia didn’t say anything and only stared at Jannah’s red eyes. From her stares alone, Jannah could feel her hands and feet getting cold. Would she get caught lying through her teeth or would she get away with it?

Jannah pinched herself to stop herself from flinching when the princess leaned forward, putting her elbows on her thighs, buried her face in her hands, and let out a deep sigh.

"Forgive me.. I’m not suspicious of you or anything.. It’s just that.. Things.. Have been tough inside the castle." Huenazia’s voice was slightly shaky and unsure, she looked vulnerable, the commanding air around her had disappeared in an instant.

"Pardon?" Jannah couldn’t help, but stammer out. She’s quite shocked to see the Kingdom’s young and brightest star to confide to her like this.

"Would it be alright to ask if I ask you to lend me an ear and not treat me like a royalty right now?" Huenazia inquired, voice muffled in her palms since she still has her face buried in her hands.

"Uhh.. Yes..?" Jannah answered hesitantly, "I’m a mere Countess, princes—"

"Huenazia." The princess corrected her immediately, "Just call me Huenazia starting now."

".. I refuse. I don’t want to get my head cut off." Jannah forced a smile, "On the other hand, I could listen to whatever’s troubling you, princess. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to help, but I’m willing to listen."

Huenazia gave her a deadpan look, silently asking her ’seriously?’ with her beautiful eyes. However, Jannah kept her cool and nodded her head, not backing down.

".. I see, I see.." Huenazia sighed out and mumbled under her breath, "Guess she won’t soften up to me like this.."

"I had letters sent to me for the past two from the south gate... They... They told me to send me knights as a backup so I did. They didn’t say anything about what’s happening, but I didn’t want my people to feel that I don’t trust them." The princess started as she stared at the untouched tea in front of her, "I sent a letter with the knights asking what the backup was for, but I never received a reply."

Holy.. So, the infection started spreading at the south since the other week? Jannah’s hands trembled lightly, she could only clench her hands into a fists as she continued to listen.

"I.. I.. I sent them knights at the gate as a closure and had them carry a messenger bird just in case..." Huenazia paused, a troubled expression crossing her beautiful features, "But I didn’t received anything. The knights didn’t come back and the bird.... The bird, my raven... He didn’t come back. None of them did."

".. Princess—"

"I tried asking His Majesty, the King, to let me go to the south gate, but he refused. I couldn’t even call a royal expedition because he’s so adamant of letting me stay here with my brothers."

What? The King knew about it? Jannah thought, biting her tongue to stop herself from speaking. She badly want to say something, but now is not the right time.

"The third prince, Hanzo, wanted to back me up with my plans, but— father— he... He looked pale when I told him about it and he just... He just collapsed."

"The king collapsed?!" Jannah exclaimed, unable to stop her outburst.

"He was bedridden since then." Huenazia added on, much to Jannah’s shock. The princess’s eyebrows are furrowed and the troubled expression on her face worsened.

"How come the other nobles didn’t know about this?" Jannah looked down on the table where the untouched treats were resting.

"The Kingdom will turn upsidedown if they knew that the King collapsed. I’ve been postponing the meetings he has with the other nobles, but I don’t know how long I could keep it up."

"I see.." Jannah got quiet for a bit before she looked at the princess in the eyes, "Why are you telling me this, princess? You could’ve confided with your brothers—"

"Our relationship is not the same as yours and Lady Rafelon’s relationship. We’re not that close." The princess answered.

"My relationship is not good with my sister.." Jannah said, eyebrows furrowing at the princess. How could she know how close she is with Jeriel? Everyone in the capital knows about the rumor of the sisters having bad blood!

"Really?" A genuine taken aback look crossed the princess’s face, "But.. Why.. I just have strong feeling that you’re close with her though.."

Yeah, and how did you know that? Jannah wanted to ask her, but that would be considered as rude and impolite. So, she held herself back and nodded her head slowly.

Although, Jannah could tell that the princess looked confused just like her.

"Also, for some reason, I felt like we’re close. Like, I know that you won’t tell a soul about it— well, you might tell your sister, but I have a feeling that you two could keep secrets and bring it to your grave." Huenazia said, placing her chin between her forefinger and thumb, "You feel strangely familiar, Countess."

I don’t know you though! Jannah wanted to say, but then again, she held back and could only nod her head.

"It’s strange, isn’t it? I feel like I could tell you my deepest desire and I wouldn’t even mind if you judge me for it." Murmured the princess, her eyes scanning the Countess from head to toe. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"Pardon?" Jannah blinked, she didn’t hear what the princess previously said.

However, instead of repeating what she just said, she chuckled and shook her head, "Nothing." She said and repeated it, "It’s nothing."

She looked at the clock behind the Countess and scoffed lightly when she saw that it’s almost evening, "It seems that I kept you here with me for hours, Lady Jannah. It’s about time I send you back home."

The princess stood up, sighing loudly and didn’t even hide the fact that she’s tired. Again, she felt at ease in the Countess’s presence for some reason, making her lower her guard.

"Come on, I’ll walk you back to the castle’s gate." Huenazia urged the Countess to stand up.

However, Jannah stayed seated.

The princess paused when she showed no sign of standing. She let out a sigh and run a hand down to her face, "Look—"

"The illness." Jannah spoke, cutting her off.

"..What?"

"The reason why those knights didn’t come back was because of the illness." Jannah said and stood up, "The rumors? Those aren’t rumors. The illness is real."

"And where’s the proof? Look, Countess—"

"You’re locked here and was forbid to go out, but then you had a plan and the king collapsed after you told him about it, right? The illness.. It brings back the dead to life and if you’re bitten.. You’ll turn to one of them." Jannah spoke with so much seriousness that the princess is already thinking that she’s going crazy.

"Stop saying nonsense. An illness that brings dead people alive? Can you hear yourself—"

The princess couldn’t even finish what she was saying because the door to her office got slammed open, Lady Cynthia came running inside, her hands shaking and blood dripping from her hands, it was obvious that it’s a wound she’s pressing.

"P-P-Princ.. Princess..." The lady-in-waiting was stammering, shaking violently as she kept pressing the wound in her hand.

"Cynthia! You’re hurt!" Princess Huenazia exclaimed and walked towards her lady-in-waiting, but Jannah grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back, "What are you doing?! Can’t you see she’s hurt—"

"Your hand." Jannah said coldly as she eyed Cynthia warily, "Show me your hands."

Afraid that Cynthia might get her head cut off if she refused, she slowly showed her bloodied hands. Her breath hitching at the sight of her own wounds inflicted by the ruler of the Kingdom.

"Oh my god.." Jannah breathed out, staring with wide eyes at Cynthia’s hand, ".. You’re bitten."