Reborn To Change My Fate-Chapter 293 - Two Hundred And Ninety Two

The carriage wheels rumbled rhythmically against the cobblestone streets, creating a steady, hypnotic sound that filled the silence of the night. Inside the velvet-lined interior of the Thompson family carriage, the air was cool and quiet. The chaos of the Golden Swan felt miles away, though it had only been a few minutes since they left.

Marissa leaned back against the plush cushions, letting out a long, slow breath. Her body felt heavy, drained by the performance she had just put on. Her hands, resting in her lap, were finally still. She stared out the small window, watching the gas lamps of the capital blur into streaks of yellow light as they passed.

Opposite her, Lily sat on the edge of her seat. The maid looked nervous. Her hands were clasped tightly together, holding something small and shiny. She kept glancing at Marissa, then down at her hands, then back at Marissa.

Finally, Lily couldn’t hold her silence anymore. She opened her hand, revealing the heavy gold token she had stolen from Prince Liam’s coat. It glinted in the dim light of the carriage lantern—a golden lion with ruby eyes. It was a symbol of royal power, a personal item of the Crown Prince.

"Your Grace," Lily spoke softly, her voice barely rising above the noise of the wheels.

"What should we do with the token?"

She held it out as if it were a poisonous spider. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Marissa turned her gaze from the window to the object in Lily’s hand. Her expression hardened immediately. The sight of the lion, the symbol of the man who had threatened her husband and harassed her for weeks, made her stomach turn. It was a piece of gold, valuable to anyone else, but to her, it looked like dirt.

"Seeing Prince Liam’s things annoys me," Marissa replied, her voice cold and flat. "It reminds me of his arrogance. It reminds me of his smell."

She curled her lip in disgust.

"Throw it away," Marissa ordered.

Lily blinked, surprised. "Throw it away? But Your Grace... it is solid gold. It is worth a fortune."

"I do not need his gold," Marissa said firmly. "And I do not want his trinkets in my house. It has served its purpose. It was the evidence that condemned him tonight. Now, it is just trash."

She waved her hand dismissively.

"Toss it out the window," Marissa said. "Let it lie in the gutter where it belongs."

Lily nodded. She understood. She lowered the carriage window slightly. The cold night air rushed in. She didn’t hesitate. She threw the heavy golden token out into the dark street. It disappeared into the shadows of the capital, lost among the melting snow and the stones.

Lily closed the window and settled back into her seat. She looked at her mistress with a new level of awe.

"As you wish, Your Grace," Lily said.

They rode in silence for another moment. The tension in the carriage began to lift, replaced by a sense of victory.

Lily leaned forward again, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"But Your Grace," Lily asked, her eyes wide. "There is something I do not understand. How did you know Lady Ashlyn would change your meeting place with Prince Liam?"

Marissa turned back to the window, a small, knowing smile playing on her lips.

"Ashlyn is predictable," Marissa said softly. "She is driven by envy. She wants everything I have. If I have a dress, she wants it. If I have a husband, she wants him. If I have a secret meeting, she wants to steal it."

Marissa smoothed the fabric of her dress.

"I knew that if I sent a letter to Liam, Ashlyn would find a way to intercept it or copy it," Marissa explained. "She spies on me constantly. So, I used that against her."

Lily tilted her head. "But why didn’t you add Golden Swan to the letter?"

"Because," Marissa replied, turning to look at Lily, "no matter where I schedule a meeting, I would definitely not appear at the Golden Swan myself."

"Why not?" Lily asked.

"Because the Golden Swan is mine," Marissa said simply. "I own it. It was Derek’s gift to me months ago. It is part of my private investments and Ashlyn would pick it as a choice for a meeting."

Lily’s jaw dropped. "Because His Highness wouldn’t suspect it wasn’t you,"

Marissa nodded. "Exactly. Liam thinks he is clever. He thinks he knows everything. If I suggested a meeting at a random inn, he might suspect a trap. And by seeing the Golden Swan in the letter, he felt safe. He knows I have connections there. He knows the staff is loyal to me. He thought I chose it because it was my territory, a place where I would feel safe to submit to him."

Marissa’s eyes gleamed with intelligence.

"Meeting him there won’t make Prince Liam suspicious," Marissa continued. "He thought I was seeking comfort in a familiar place. He didn’t realize that because I own it, I control the doors. I control the keys. I control who enters and who leaves."

She looked at Lily.

"And I knew Ashlyn would change the location in my letter to Liam," Marissa said. "She wanted to take my place. She wanted to meet him. She didn’t want me to steal her only ally away from her. But she didn’t know she walked right into the room I prepared for her."

Lily nodded slowly, processing the layers of the plan. It wasn’t just a trap; it was a masterpiece of psychological manipulation.

"What a clever misdirection," Lily whispered. "You used their own greed against them."

She looked at Marissa with shining eyes.

"But Your Grace," Lily said earnestly, "you were even more brilliant than that. You acted so surprised. You acted so innocent. Even the Princess believed you."

Marissa felt a warmth rise in her cheeks. She wasn’t used to such direct praise. She blushed at Lily’s praises. She looked down at her gloved hands, feeling a bit shy.

"I did what I had to do, Lily," Marissa murmured. "To protect my family. To protect Derek."

The carriage began to slow down. The rhythm of the wheels changed as they turned off the main road and onto the smooth, paved driveway of the Thompson estate.

"We are home," Marissa said, a wave of relief washing over her.