Chapter 7
I stared straight at her. Finally, after ten days of silence, I spoke the first sentence,
“Was Daisy’s death
h your doing?u
She froze for a moment, then curled her lips into a cold smile. “Yes. That servant’s death was definitely because of me.”
“Who else would let her die rather than betray you? She kept screaming your innocence even under torture. If she’d kept up that noise, the King might have actually believed her. So I fed her the witch’s c
“Selene, you remember the Devouring Curse, don’t you? Once inside the body, It eats away from the stomach, devouring every organ until nothing’s left. That poor girl screamed all night in pain, and by morning, there wasn’t even a trace of her bones.”
I coughed up a mouthful of blood onto the floor.
Lyra grabbed my wrist and burst into laughter. “So it’s you who doesn’t have much time left, after all.”
I stared at her with burning eyes, cold and unyielding, as it she were already dead to me.
After she left, the maids hurried over to support me.
I bit back the sharp pain and said, “Please, send for the King.”
By the time King Alaric arrived, the maids had already cleaned the blood from the floor.
Ja leaned wealdy against the bed as he approached, his dark eyes scanning me, as if wanting to say something but he only snorted coldly.
You called me here. If it’s just to beg for mercy, you didn’t have to waste your breath.”
I closed my eyes.
“There’s a hidden space under Lady Evelyne’s bed in the Raventhorn Wing Your Majesty can send people to search there.”
He froze, then his expression twisted into fury.
“you still dare claim ignorance of Evelyne’s disappearance? If anything happened to her, I will make you pay!”
“Send for the carriage! To the Raventhorn Wing at once!”
The King hurried away. Not long after, Lord Cedric rushed back with urgent news. “Your Majesty! There’s a secret passage under the bed!”
The King was shocked. Entering the passage, he discovered it led directly outside the palace walls.
Lord Cedric dropped to his knees.
“Your Majesty… to build such a passage, it must have taken at least two years. This cannot be….
The King kicked him aside, his palm trembling with rage.
At that moment, the captain of the royal guards arrived breathless.
hepurt! Your Majesty! General Stanton has secretly allied with the Vardans and is conspiring request your command to send the Marshal to lead troops and quell the rebellion.”
to rebel. The border defenses have fallen repeatedly. We
“What?” The King’s face changed, “General Stanton is Lady Evelyne’s sworn brother! How could he betray us?”
The captain hesitated, then added, “Reports say the missing Lady Evelyne and the r
se prince
are with General Stanton’s torces.”
white figure from two years ago. the secret passage, something stirred in the shadows.
The Kingswayed, a pale shadow flashing through his mind
deep within
Hours later,
When the door was pushed open, Lord Cedric knelt frantically. “Your Majesty! This…”
Inside was a powerful binding curse. In small doses, it could torment a person with unbearable pain; at full strength, it could bring ruin to an entire kingdom.
The two summoned priests exclunged anxious glances, then fell to their knees begging for mercy.
“Your Majesty… this curse is extremely sinister. We fear only..
*Speak” The King glared.
“One person can undo it only High Priestess Selene.”
Chapter 7
When the King arrived, I was helped outside by the maids. His eyes were bloodshot, standing at the doorway.
After two years, he finally realized the terrible mistake he had made.
“Selene…” His voice trembled, calling me as he once did.
But I was lifeless, emotionless.
He staggered, struggling to suppress his feelings and reach out to steady me
but I waved him off
*Speak your mind, Your Majesty. No need for pretense.” I returned his words to him.
