"Injury? What's that?" Colette looked at the woman who had suddenly barged into her room, her voice still calm.
"Physical wounds are obvious, but emotional wounds are often unknown."
The black-haired, purple-eyed witch found a chair with armrests in the room, sat down comfortably, spread her fingers through her hair, and began to speak with interest.
"And the wounds from the past, which have never healed, have become a part of you."
"I know many people are reluctant to admit this, because admitting it means denying themselves and showing weakness to the outside world. But in my opinion, this is precisely proof of strength."
"Your childhood wasn't easy. If you think about it a little, you'll understand. After losing Princess Leanna's protection, a young child living in a power-hungry court could easily have died in an accident if he hadn't been careful and someone had deliberately sabotaged him."
"The extreme pressure and the lack of anyone to rely on for comfort force you to give up hope for everything, because once that hope turns into despair, the pain and suffering become even more intense."
"I vaguely remember that when you were very young, I accompanied His Majesty to see you once. Back then, you weren't like this at all; you were sensitive, prone to tears, and timid." As she spoke, she closed her eyes, seemingly recalling the past.
"Then ten years passed, and you became what you are now." There seemed to be some sadness and nostalgia in her voice, but it was unclear whether she was referring to the girl in front of her or herself from that past time.
After listening to the witch's words, Colette's expression remained unchanged, as if she were listening to a stranger's story.
"Oh," she replied with only one word, her eyes indifferent.
The witch sighed and stood up.
"This is really troublesome. You're so difficult to communicate with. I was hoping to collaborate with you on some things."
"It seems I can't expect you to take the initiative."
She paced around the room, her hands, draped in a light veil, behind her back as she began to speak.
"Do you want to become the next emperor? I mean, defeat your brothers and sisters and seize supreme power."
Colette didn't answer; she just looked out the window.
"Sigh, I have to continue," the witch muttered, then continued her story.
"I know you might not be interested in this right now, but you don't really have a choice."
"As His Majesty's health deteriorates, many conflicts will gradually surface. At that time Prince Hosha and Princess Eve will both see you as a thorn in their side."
"You might say you don't want to get involved in the struggle for the throne, but I'm telling you, that's impossible."
" Prince Hosha and Princess Eve have powerful backgrounds, which is their advantage, while you have no family support, which may seem weak, but it is also an advantage."
"Because those nobles who dislike Prince Hosha and Princess Eve would be very willing to support you, especially a royal candidate who has no background and is easier to manipulate."
" The Blood Dynasty has stood for thousands of years, during which countless families and clans have risen and fallen. The past struggles have left behind many conflicts. Not every noble family can accept Prince Hosha's ascension to the throne, because if he becomes the next emperor, it means that some noble families have reached the end of their road."
"These people won't sit idly by and wait to die. You'll be caught by them sooner or later, whether you like it or not," the witch said calmly.
After hearing this, Colette's indifferent gaze finally shifted, and she looked at the woman.
"You planned all of this in advance, didn't you?"
"As a powerless princess, I should have been forgotten, but only you, the most trusted witch by His Majesty's side, can influence the royal selection."
"Haha, how clever you are, Princess Colette." The witch chuckled, covering her mouth, her purple eyes gleaming with excitement and arrogance.
"Yes, it's me."
"Don't you think this is exciting and thrilling? To defeat one arrogant and domineering opponent after another, to bring the entire dynasty under your control, to decide the life and death of billions of people, and to shake the entire world's situation." She spoke of one exciting and thrilling thing after another.
Unfortunately, these arguments had no effect whatsoever on the princess before them.
"I don't feel anything." She slowly got up, poured herself a glass of water, and savored it.
Faced with this unyielding princess, the Erosion Witch " felt helpless for the first time.
"I said, have you thought about the consequences of giving up?"
"They won't miss the chance to humiliate you. It won't just be losing your life, but even more cruel torture, tearing your dignity and everything else to shreds, crushing you into the most despicable state." A dangerous glint flashed in the witch's eyes.
"Don't worry, I'll end my life before that time comes," Colette replied.
"Hmm, not a bad idea, humph." The witch scoffed, continuing to pace around the room.
About ten minutes later, she suddenly stopped and let out a strange laugh.
"Hehehe, you still slipped up, Colette." She turned around and looked at the seated princess.
"If you truly didn't care at all, you wouldn't have said that."
"Even in the face of such humiliation, I would not end my life."
"It seems you still care, even if only a little."
"Thinking about it, it makes sense. If you lost even this most basic sense of likes and dislikes, you wouldn't be able to maintain your current state. You would have become like a madman or an idiot long ago." She shook her head.
"In that case, I'm relieved." She smiled and left the room.
"We will cooperate one day."
After the witch left, the room returned to silence. At this moment Sylutia felt the indifference and coldness on this body slowly dissipate, and she was able to control it easily.
She stood up, looked around the room, then went to the window and gazed at the lights of the palace in the distance.
From this perspective, it was from this day that Colette's peaceful life was disrupted, and even the wounds from her childhood were gradually reopened, forcing her to re-examine her life.
Three years passed quickly, and just as the witch had predicted, even though Colette was deep within the palace and never actively contacted outsiders, some secret information was still transmitted to her.
The nobles who longed to establish a relationship with her sent lobbyists to tell the princess about their various visions and to present her with all sorts of gifts, including not only rare treasures but also servants to do as she pleased and guards to protect the palace. In the process, the once desolate palace was gradually filled with new life.
The grandest and most eye-catching event was when Grand Duke Russell visited the palace, bringing numerous treasures and a procession of hundreds of people to personally pay homage to Princess Colette, celebrate her birthday, assist in organizing the banquet, and invite many nobles to the feast.
At this birthday banquet, Princess Colette's reputation was greatly enhanced, and many minor nobles outside the Royal Court began to learn about her existence and life, and knew that she was one of the candidates for the next king.
Investing with a very low success rate is something few people are willing to do, but what if its success rate gradually increases?
In the past, the major noble families favored Prince Hosha and Princess Eve's powerful backgrounds, but as the forces supporting Colette have grown stronger, many have begun to consider the possibility of the princess winning.
Five years later, even though Colette herself did not make any statement, no one in the Royal Court dared to ignore her presence, and her name gradually appeared in the discussions of various noble families.
Ten years later, some secret messages spread through the Royal Court: the current emperor was unwell and might not live past thirty years.
For mortals, thirty years is a long time, but for the Blood Clan, thirty years is a short time, because thirty years is not enough to cultivate a Fifth Order Transcendent can participate in a great war. It takes sixty years to barely cultivate a new generation of combat power and successors, and if they want to reach the peak, they need at least a hundred years of accumulation.
Thirty years is not enough time for those weak princesses and princes to suddenly become strong, and the current power structure is unlikely to change drastically. Some things can be predicted gradually.
The internal struggles within the dynasty gradually intensified, and the once powerful emperor, after his health deteriorated, gradually lost his authority and power to intimidate all sides, and the competition among the three candidates for the throne gradually became clear.
As conflicts increased and hatred began to accumulate, just as the witch had said, there was no chance of a dignified exit from such a struggle. Even if Colette was not interested in power, as long as she upheld the most basic principles of being human, she could not bear the cost of complete defeat.
On one particular day, the witch told her something else again.
Do you want to know how your mother died?
"I know this will anger you, but once you ascend the throne, I will tell you the truth of what happened back then."
"Well, even if I hadn't said anything back then, you could have found the answer with your imperial power." The witch blinked, her alluring voice beginning to sway the princess's heart.
"Unleash your talents and ambitions, Colette."
"I know, you shouldn't have originally appeared so cold and serene, but rather a more vibrant and captivating princess and queen."
"And that's the kind of you your mother hoped you would be."