How to Live as the Mad Duke's Fake Daughter

“What’s wrong, Princess?”

Benny made eye contact with me. The purple eyes that turned into a reverse eye looked serene.

My lips were dry at the sight of that innocent look.

“You…”

A feeling of dread pierced a corner of my heart. It soon grew into a strong intuition rather than a hunch.

“Why… are you here?”

Benny took me out of the barrier. And he was here with me for several days.

‘Even though he knew the rebels were in a tight spot.’

If he was worried about me, it was a matter of taking me to the fortress prepared in advance by the duke’s family.

Despite the situation, there was no way that all the bases had already been captured.

‘Then why is he just watching the fight outside the barrier?’

Something was strange. I took a step back and pointed to the doubts that had arisen one by one.

“You’ve ripped Her Majesty’s barrier. But it was a trap.”

A cold sweat ran down my back. It felt like my whole body had turned into cold ice.

“If I think about it… It’s unlikely that the nobles who took part in the rebellion were the spies of the imperial family. Because the people who knew in advance the plan to infiltrate the Imperial Palace were me, the Duke, Garou, and…”

I lifted my sweaty face and blinked and looked straight at Benny.

“You, the only one who made this plan.”

Benny was expressionless as always. There was no slight perplexion on his face, which was rather strange.

“…Is it you?”

I clenched my fist. Without realizing it, black magic leaked out.

“The traitor.”

Benny shut his mouth. I was convinced by the outrageous silence.

The traitor Garou was talking about was Benny.

“You want revenge? On the Bauner family, on the Duke…”

I felt my left arm drooping. My body was turning into a demon on its own.

“…No.”

Benny tilted his head slowly. At first glance, it was an excuse, but his expression was really full of questions.

“I promised not to do that.”

“Then?”

Without realizing it, my voice rose. No matter how calm I tried to be, the thought of Alan’s limbs hurting burned my stomach.

“What the hell are you thinking? You know, if there’s anything I’ve done wrong, I’ll fix it…!”

“Oh my God, Princess!”

Then, in the darkness, I heard a woman’s voice.

I turned to the side of the sound and froze.

It was a familiar voice, but that’s why I couldn’t help but be terrified.

If I remember correctly, the owner of that voice couldn’t be here.

The regular sound of footsteps approached.

A woman appeared from the darkness. She was about an inch taller than me and had blonde hair to the waist.

The Imperial Palace was a mess, yet there was not a single dust on her dress.

I stuttered and called her.

“…Yuria?”

Yuria nodded as if I was right.

Her face was still half hidden by the shadow of a tree, so her expression could not be seen properly.

“Yes, Princess.”

Yuria answered meekly. Indeed, it was her.

I couldn’t keep my mouth shut in this ridiculous situation.

Yuria disappeared right after the Imperial Army attacked the Duke’s Castle.

Since she’s a child who finds her own way so well, I naturally assumed that she ran away on her own.

But why was she standing in the middle of the Imperial Palace where battles were taking place?

It wasn’t like her at all.

“Yuria… Is it you? Why are you here?”

“Princess has called me, so I’m here.”

Yuria answered without delay.

Something was strange. Yuria had a habit of blinking her eyes and looking elsewhere whenever I questioned her.

But now, the Yuria in front of me stood upright like a mannequin, gazing directly at me. She looked more like a stiff doll than being polite.

“…Is it really you?”

“Of course.”

Yuria took one step closer to me. The dark shadow lifted and the bright full moon revealed her face.

I hardened again.

“Yuria…”

“Yes?”

“…What’s wrong with your eyes?”

The whites of Yuria’s eyes were black. Just like when Benny or I unlocked the power of demons.

She continued to approach me with a smile as if it was no big deal.

“Don’t worry about me. Do you need anything?”

I unknowingly grabbed Benny’s sleeves tightly.

This was a sight that could only be seen in a nightmare. However, Benny patted my shoulder with an indifferent expression.

“It’s a bit lacking because we didn’t have time. Even so, Princess don’t have to worry about your family, as they will look perfect on the outside.”

“…What do you mean?”

I gripped Benny’s collar even tighter and whispered.

“Benny, what did you do with Yuria?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t explain enough.”

Benny slowly got away from my hold and approached Yuria.

When he tapped the puffy sleeve on her shoulder, Yuria put her hands together like she was being captured.

It seemed more like a marionette with strings than a living creature.

“I’m controlling this.”

“…What?”

‘You’re controlling Yuria?’

I touched my face at the words I did not readily understand.

“You, you’re using brainwashing magic…?”

“No.”

Benny explained step by step like a teacher teaching a child.

“I drove out the soul that was in this body and filled the void with my black magic.”

Upon hearing his words, I felt like I had been punched in the back of the head.

I gave strength to my legs, which were about to collapse, and let out a hoarse voice.

“Yuria… Did you kill her?”

“This is not death. This body is alive and moving properly.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You said you had rid her of her soul.”

The scratchy voice gradually gained strength.

“No matter how alive this body is, you are only controlling the empty shell. How is this ‘Yuria’…!”

“Didn’t Princess say that it’s okay for me to be ‘Benimus Albrecht’?”

I was speechless at that one sentence.

Benny took a step towards me.

“I am a demon resurrected from the body of ‘Benimus Albrecht’. I’ve regenerated a body that was once dead with my black magic.”

“…..”

“But Princess calls me ‘Benny’.”

Benny stood close to me and pointed to Yuria behind his back.

“It’s the same thing.”

The man stroked the ends of my hair. The usual hands were unfamiliar and suffocating.

“Why…”

I asked sadly, stroking his face.

“Why did you do this, Benny…?”

Was it revenge? But if that was the case, there was no way that Yuria could be sacrificed.

Unlike me, who was confused, Benny tilted his head as if it was simple.

“That just stood by and watched Princess suffer.”

Benny ran a hard finger across my forehead.

“I’m in control, so that’s never going to happen again.”

What he said was true. When I was living in an ant cave, Yuria hung out with a child who tormented me.

Not only did she turn away from me as I was stoned and bleeding, but she even laughed at me from time to time.

But I wasn’t happy at all. Rather, it was heartbreaking.

“…People who tormented me… Are you going to make everyone like that?”

My head practically ‘creaked’ to face Benny.

Benny didn’t say anything for a long time, and then covered my eyes with his palm as before.

At that moment, countless memories flooded my mind.

From Yuria, who met trouble while sleeping, to Bryce, who bled and died in the basement of the mansion, to other people whose faces were now pale.

Black magic engulfed those who tormented me.

Some died, and some became living corpses like Yuria.

As soon as the illusion that filled my eyes ended, the strength in my legs vanished.

Benny hugged my body that had fallen into his arms and patted my back as if asking me not to worry.

“I intend to make all the people of the empire like that.”

No words came out in shock.

The corners of his mouth, which were moving out of my sight, drew an arc slowly.

“If I put everyone under my control, no one will bother the Princess.”

Benny smiled, affectionately and lovingly.

The innocent smile of a boy cooled the blood all over my body.

“I will do whatever the princess asks, and I won’t say a word that hurts you.”

I realized at that moment.

Benny didn’t break his promise to me, since it was true that the humans he controlled were alive.

The man in front of me was trying to turn this world into a model garden just for me.

He wanted to create a world where everyone loves me and no one leaves me.

“Princess will be happy.”

Benny gently squeezed my shoulders. His cold body temperature cooled my skin.

“Forever.”

Thump, thump.

At that moment, footsteps were heard from the side where Yuria had disappeared.

At the same time, there was also the sound of something heavy being dragged.

“I brought it.”

Cloudy-eyed Yuria put something in front of me. No. She threw ‘someone’. His white hair fluttered in the bright moonlight.

With his hands behind his back, he turned and looked up at me, biting his blood-stained lips.

His sapphire eyes were still dazzling, even though they were obscured by the veil of night.

I opened my eyes wide to see the man caught like a prey.

“…Brother Hugo.”

Benny reached out to Hugo without hesitation.