Chapter 188
“Hate? No, no. If I could, I’d torture her to death right now. But since you need the Empress alive… Well, even allies must compromise.”
“My, such consideration! How grateful I am.”
“Tch. If you understand, then leave. I’ve waited long enough to play with her.”
“I’ll go soon—but first, a small matter.”
Triennene grinned, stepping away from Ysaris to approach Runellia. He leaned in as if to whisper—and the Imperial Consort, bemused, tilted her ear toward him.
What happened next left both women stunned.
Thunk.
“Ghk—!?”
The dagger plunged deep into Runellia’s chest. A wet, whistling gasp escaped her lips as the blade found her lung.
Why?
Triennene smiled down at her, beatific, as she choked on her own blood.
“We’ll be keeping Her Majesty very carefully. For decades. Can’t have loose ends, can we?”
“Y-You… ghhrk…”
“Ah, but don’t worry! You won’t be lonely. By now, the Marquis Logiten’s family—those who failed to escape—will have been executed by the Emperor. I may have… neglected to uphold our deal.”
Crunch.
He twisted the dagger. Runellia’s body convulsed, eyes rolling back as she collapsed. Thick blood pooled around her, the stench of iron flooding the room.
Triennene hummed, examining his blade in the light like a child admiring a toy.
“You understand, don’t you? It’s hard enough keeping myself safe—how could I possibly protect them?”
Ysaris recoiled, her skin crawling. When he suddenly turned to her, she flinched—trapped against the bed.
“Now, where were we? Ah! The spatial pocket theory for the ring’s secondary mana core—”
“…You suspected it might overlay dimensional storage magic,”
Ysaris forced out.
“Oho! Brilliant! No wonder you’re worth keeping around!”
His cheerful tone made her nauseous. This man had just murdered his ally without hesitation.
“The Consort wasn’t entirely wrong, though. Accidents happen… so I’ll be confiscating this ring~!”
He didn’t wait for permission. In one fluid motion, he slid it off her finger, admiring it like a prize.
“Now, let’s finish that blood draw, shall we?”
A fresh dagger gleamed in his hand.
* * *
Fifteen wyverns streaked across the sky. On the sixth, a knight bellowed into a communication artifact.
“Your Majesty! The Logiten Marquis’s household has been eradicated! They were fleeing—they knew about the Empress and Crown Prince’s abduction!”
Kazhan’s only response was a nod. His bloodshot eyes burned ahead, fixated on the faint glow of his wedding ring—not from a barrier activation, but from its paired counterpart.
It pulsed, pointing directly to Ysaris.
Discussion
0 CommentsNo comments yet.