She stormed toward her room, a volcano of rage simmering in her chest. Her threats of vengeance echoed through the palace corridors; she had sworn to turn their coming days into a living hell. The moment her feet crossed the threshold, she threw herself onto the sofa, her mind weaving the threads of a new scheme. She muttered with bitter resentment, "Damn those useless friends. Because of them, I know every damn event in this novel by heart... Now, how am I supposed to survive this tragic end?"
Suddenly, a thought flashed like a spark in the darkness: "The Mountains of Death!" That desolate wasteland that hid priceless treasures of gemstones within its bowels. This was her only ticket to breaking free from the shackles of this miserable family.
"Hurry, time waits for no one!" she declared firmly, heading for the cabinet beside the mirror. She rummaged through the shelves, pulling out rare pieces of jewelry that dazzled with their beauty and worth, stuffing them into a small pouch. She stripped off her luxurious gown, changed into simple, pitch-black clothes, and slipped out like a shadow in the night.
In the hallway, the servants' eyes were watching her every move. One of them, "Hoch," rushed to inform the Duke of her movements. Before she could reach the outer gate, she found him standing in her way: the Duke, accompanied by his eldest and second sons. The Duke spoke in a pleading tone, "Holeena, I beg of you, do not cause any more trouble."
She pierced him with a gaze as sharp as a blade and sneered with biting sarcasm, "I will make your entire life the very source of trouble, so shut your mouth completely!"
As she moved to board the carriage, her eldest brother stepped forward, extending his hand with a mask of polite etiquette to assist her. But she caught him off guard, slapping his hand away violently while screaming in his face, "Get your filthy hands off me! You are tainting my purity with your touch!" She climbed into the carriage with force and barked at the driver, "To the city center... Now!"
The carriage jolted over the rugged, unpaved paths, shaking so violently it felt as though it might shatter. Holeena groaned in fury, "To hell with this road! I'll meet my end before I even arrive. I swear, if I ever catch the one who sent me to this world, I'll crush their bones to dust!"
Upon reaching the city center, she stepped down from the carriage with arrogant pride. When the accompanying knight tried to help her, she snapped at him sharply, glaring at his extended hand with utter disdain. She was unaware that eyes were watching her from the shadows—sent by the Duke, fearing the catastrophe she might unleash.
A crowd gathered around her, whispering and staring at her haughty beauty. She shouted at them, her voice shaking the very foundations of the square: "Don't you have anything better to do than stare at me? Get lost! If you don't like my presence, there are plenty of walls in this city—go bash your heads against them! And you'd better not test your luck with me, or you'll find my fist knocking your heads beneath my feet!"