I Tamed the Monstrous Prince - Chapter 95

Schedule: Wed and Sun

“She’s so twisted because of her low birth,” Elda concluded. That’s why she was so difficult. When Lady Aronzo offered her money and the order, Elda had been delighted. She would have sought revenge regardless of the payment. “I can’t work in the palace anymore anyway,” she muttered. Reputation was everything in the palace. Once tarnished, it was impossible to recover. Worse, she’d also earned the Countess Elvira’s displeasure. Without a letter of recommendation, she was effectively barred from any position of worth. Elda clenched her fists. She had been watching the Crown Princess from afar for days, waiting for an opportunity.

Then, the unexpected happened. “Why is she alone?” Elda wondered, spotting the Crown Princess slipping out of the Emerald Palace like a mouse.

***

I stumbled forward, the visions growing clearer as I neared the pond. It was strange. This was distinctly different from the nightmares that plagued my sleep. In those dreams, the most unsettling aspect was the palpable sense of a hidden hand orchestrating events, yet remaining frustratingly out of reach. The dream visions were always obscured, either by a dark fog or the overwhelming agony of the dead girls. But as I approached the pond, the scene became increasingly vivid. The pond was secluded. The rumors of a death there had further deterred visitors. My awkward gait didn’t hinder my progress; the pond wasn’t far from the Emerald Palace. Reaching the water’s edge, the smell of stagnant water intensified, and another vision flashed before my eyes: a hand shoving me from behind, into the pond. The hand seemed so familiar. Those thick knuckles… I felt that if I got just a little closer, I could identify its owner. “Just a little closer…” I urged my slow legs forward. My vision blurred again, obstructed by the shimmering幻影.

Then, I felt a powerful shove from behind. “What?” I gasped as my balance shifted. In that instant, I saw it clearly: a woman’s face, contorted in a demonic rage. Her normally elegant hair was wild, her eyes blazing with madness. Her screaming was truly terrifying. “Stop struggling!” she shrieked. It was like an explosion in my mind. A sharp voice pierced through me, so piercing it sounded like shattering glass. Crash! The sound of a glass lampshade breaking. Shards seemed to scatter around my feet.

“Ugh!” It felt like being electrocuted. Nausea welled up, but it was too late. Visions flooded my mind: a fractured skull bleeding profusely, burning poison melting my insides as I vomited blood, a fall from a great height. And most vividly, sinking into the frigid pond, hands relentlessly pushing my head under. A red mark appeared on her pale neck, a tiny spot, easily overlooked by its owner but visible to others. A mark that appeared when she was agitated. “Mer…cedes…!” It was her. The culprit hidden in the shadows was none other than Lady Mercedes Aronzo.

As realization struck, I heard a splash. Water engulfed me. No, not engulfed. I had fallen. The splash was me hitting the water.

“Gah!” I instinctively thrashed, but the cold water filled my mouth and nose. My panicked thoughts narrowed to a single instinct: survival. I struggled for breath, desperately trying to open my mouth.

“Die!” A brutal force pressed down on my head, preventing me from breathing. Who? Who is doing this? “Die! Because of you!” I thrashed again, but my body wouldn’t rise. The water clung to me like a viscous fluid, refusing to release its grip.

“Ugh! Hack!” I had to grab something, anything. I reached out, my fingers clawing. A shriek echoed.

“Peep!” Suddenly, a yellow chick appeared. No, Av! Run! It’s dangerous! I desperately reached out, nails extended.

“Ow! What the—!” Something tore. The pressure on my head lessened. I was momentarily free from the brutal hand. In that fleeting moment, I saw the culprit’s face. It was the maid I had dismissed from the Emerald Palace. What was her name…? But it was too late to recall. My vision distorted, time slowed. Were my movements always this sluggish? I felt my body stiffening.