If You Devour Poison / Doku Wo Kurawaba Sara Made Prologue

Prologue

“Julieta O’shayne Asbal, I hereby break my engagement with you!”

The words, brimming with confidence and conviction, resounded. With her pride and yearning crushed, my daughter lost consciousness and collapsed on the marble floor.
We were in the audience room, where all the retainers who served the Kingdom of Palcemith had gathered.
The denunciation was right from the mouth of the Crown Prince, who was soon to take up the throne. Not minding that the recipient, my daughter, had already lost consciousness, he continued.
In front of the dumbfounded [me] staring in astonishment, a single teardrop trailed across the powdered cheek of my daughter lying on the floor, but it was hidden by her fine silver thread-like hair.

“…And I nominate Nasha Laturi as my new fiancée. As for the vacant seat of the Sacrificial Priestess… I shall hand it over to Julieta O’shayne Asbal.”
“Your Highness Vikram…!”
“…Do not fret, Nasha, it is fine. I will protect you.”
“Yes…!”
(…Ahh.)

The Crown Prince Vikram and his mistress Nasha brazenly hugged on the throne. And beside them, the Crown Prince’s aides looked over them with a smile.
The clamour raised by the retainers at the sudden development was all but forgotten.
At that moment, I remembered everything.
Memories from a distant past.
In a world different from this, born in a country called Japan, memories of growing up healthily and surrounded by family.
Both my parents worked, and despite being ordinary, were kind and always had a smile on their faces. I was always involved in embarrassing hobbies, but even that was fun, with my pride and joy, my little sister, by my side.
A bright and happy past life.
And then I reincarnated in this world.
In a large landmass known as the continent of Yugena, many countries governed their territories, including the Kingdom of Palcemith.
Palcemith was a kingdom of dragons. Despite being in the north of the continent and being known for its harsh weather, it was prosperous, thanks to the blessing of the dragon confined deep under the king’s castle.
However, I knew of all the riots that would rage across the Kingdom of Palcemith from here on.
There was a hidden secret behind the history the kingdom had spun.
I knew it because I had already experienced it once.

(…Certainly, it is [The Dragon and the Sacrificial Priestess])

That’s right, there was no mistaking my memories.
This world closely resembled the world from an ‘Otome Game’ I had thoughtlessly played in my past life.
Or perhaps, it was the world itself.

(No way. To reincarnate in a parallel world… Moreover, a world from an Otome Game…)

The young man amongst the embracing couple was the crown prince of the kingdom, Vikram Atrai Palcemith. The dainty little girl he was embracing was a [Sacrificial Maiden], brought as an offering to the dragon from a rural town in the outskirts of Palcemith, Nasha Laturi. Flanking the two on both sides were three young men. Close aides of the prince— Imperial Knights and also his trusted friends…the so-called “Capture Targets.”
Well, seeing the Crown Prince be so doting in front of the public, there was no mistaking that the route the Heroine chose this time was the Crown Prince’s.

“…”

Then there was my unconscious daughter, face covered in thick makeup. Her name was Julieta O’shayne Asbal. When the game began, she was Crown Prince Vikram’s fiancée and held the position of the [Dragon Maiden] who was in charge of the festival. Taking advantage of her position, she repeatedly harassed the heroine who got closer to the Capture Targets.
And she was my…the Prime Minister, Anderheim Yucht Asbal’s, only daughter.
That’s right. I don’t know if it was irony or fate, but I had reincarnated into the corrupt noble who framed the heroine along with his villainess daughter. I do not remember what caused my death in my past life, however, I don’t have any memories of getting involved in any conspicuous crime to receive such treatment. And for me to remember my past at such a delicate time.
God, isn’t this too severe?
After I mildly complained to God in my heart, I closed my eyes for just a few seconds and hardened my resolve in a moment.
The Dragon and the Sacrificial Priestess was an otome game by-and-large divided into two parts. The end of the first part decided the heroine’s capture target based on favourability, while in the second part, a deep story about the history of the kingdom unfolded for each character. Despite following the main story, it wasn’t a cookie-cutter plot, and going through the multifaceted viewpoints of all the capture targets, it began to reveal profound worldbuilding. This was also the reason that I got completely engrossed in this game and played it in its entirety despite being a man. It was a scene where the heroine clearly opposed Julieta’s father, a corrupt noble and the Prime Minister, Anderheim.
And this moment was the last scene of the first part. The hero chosen by the heroine would denounce the villainous daughter Julieta’s sins, and no matter who was chosen, Julieta’s engagement with the crown prince would be annulled.
Originally, when the engagement between the adamant Julieta and the Crown Prince was annulled, and furthermore at the crown prince proclaiming that his daughter Julieta was to be the Sacrificial Maiden, Anderheim would be overwhelmed by rage and disparagingly rebuke the hero and heroine. After that, the kingdom would be divided into two factions— the Prime Minister and the Crown Prince. With the offering of the Sacrificial Maiden to the dragon half a year later as their limit, the quagmire of the second part began.
However, I knew what lay ahead.
After being imprisoned, despite resisting, Anderheim would be dragged by the executioners and die on the guillotine.
With all her childish schemes seen through by the heroine and her friends, in the end, Julieta would end up in the dragon’s stomach.
Do I have to follow such an ending?
I let out a long sigh and took off my thin silver-rimmed glasses.
The cold clink of the glass and the frame mysteriously rang out loud amidst the clamour of the audience room.

“…Crown Prince Vikram.”

In the room that had returned to a pin-drop silence, all eyes turned to the foot of the throne.
While paying homage to my lord, placing the palm of my hand on my heart, I fixed my gaze straight on the Crown Prince and laughed lightly. Not only the Heroine and her friends, but even the retainers and nobles lined up all held their breaths.

“Your words just now, can I take them undoubtedly as your true will?”

Prime Minister Anderheim was a direct descendant of the cursed Asbal family. He was a descendant of the sage who sealed the dragon at the time of the founding of the Kingdom of Palcemith. Their appearance was unchanged and were beautiful regardless of gender, and no one knew their age even at their deathbed. In exchange for everlasting good looks and intelligence, they were fated for a short life. Despite that, they were a family of Prime Ministers that had served the royal family for generations. However, with their honour long lost to the long history of Palcemith, and known to all as the greatest disgrace of the kingdom, Anderheim still wielded undiminished power. Someone such as [I] could handle this much insult. Without raising my voice, without even my body trembling in resentment, I dispassionately put my words together.
They must not have expected it.
I faced the Crown Prince, who made his confusion evident, and purposely repeated my words as if to make certain.

“You wish to annul your engagement with my daughter Julieta, and install Nasha Laturi, who was brought into the castle as the Sacrificial Maiden as your new fiancée. And Julieta, who has long served as the Dragon Maiden, shall now become the Sacrificial Maiden… Is that the gist of what the Crown Prince said?”

At my words, the Crown Prince, while doubtful, nodded in certainty.
At this place, with many retainers and nobles as witnesses.
This was acknowledgement that it was no doubt the Crown Prince’s imperial command.
Now, for the first step.
While I chucked in my heart, I didn’t change my expression and kneeled on the ground to gently lift up the unconscious Julieta in my arms.
And then, turning to the stock-still Crown Prince on the throne, I politely bowed while holding my thin daughter tightly.

“As you command, my lord. My daughter Julieta, shall no longer be the Crown Prince’s fiancée from this moment on. She shall become the honourable saintess, the dragon’s sacrificial maiden. I acknowledge this in the name of Prime Minister Anderheim Yucht Asbal.”

Then, shall we begin preparations for the counterattack?