The head maid looked furious when she arrived on the scene. Her eyes burned like charcoal now that she had the backing of the guards surrounding her.
“You all, make sure they all die, even Lady Natasha.”
“B-But…”
“Do as I say or else your family will face the consequence. I hope you have not forgotten who I am?”
“Of course not, Count Violet. Your orders shall be carried out by us.”
The guards looked conflicted at their orders. It was clear from their expressions that they did not want to follow her orders but they had no other choice but to do so.
But to think that the count was even willing to create so many witnesses that could be used against her in the future.
It was obvious what her strategy was. No one except her was coming out of this fight alive. Those who die will die and those who survive will be killed off by the nobility before they could even take a step outside this palace.
“Head maid, what are you doing? I am still royalty and I should be respected as such.”
Natasha stepped in front of the group. Her voice was cold as ice when she asked that question but there was brokenness in her eyes.
“Ah yes. My Lady is really of the royal blood but it won’t matter for much longer. Please die for the betterment of this nation, My Lady.”
With those final words, the attack began. It was three against a dozen and there were not a lot of chances for the trio to be able to escape successfully.
“Fuck you all. If we’re not getting out of here alive then neither are you, you devil. I hope you enjoy your life in hell.”
Rita’s words did not even cause the head maid to flinch. Instead, the anger faded into indifference.
“A devil you say? From my perspective, that girl behind you is the real devil. Living each day happily while being unaware of the darkness of this world. She is a ticking time bomb for our nation. We had no other choice but to keep her in check.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well, you see, it is a long story. Unfortunately, we have run out of time. Maybe you’ll get to hear it in the afterlife.”
The head maid’s words caused a lot of confusing thoughts to appear inside Rita’s mind but if she chased the truth now, then they would all die.
“Rita, this way. Hurry up inside.”
Rita wanted to ask more but she ultimately decided to abandon the truth and run after Natasha and Alexander.
“Follow after them. And put the emergency magic in place. No one shall escape this palace today.”
The lady had protected this secret for more than a few decades now. She would be damned if the secrets of this nation were revealed now.
===========================
The tunnel system inside the Royal Palace was a mess. Aurora had gotten lost more than a few times already even with the help of a map.
Thankfully, she had a guide with her who could lead her toward her destination. The assassin had disappeared for some time only to appear with another old-fashioned map in his hand.
Aurora had quickly scanned it with her system and then decided to make use of it.
The deeper Aurora walked, the colder it got. In the end, it got so cold that Aurora could even feel her breath freeze over due to the cold.
Her body was shivering and the temperature would soon get into the life-threatening territory.
To say that place was an ice prison would not be overexertion on Aurora’s part. Even the coldest parts of the abyss paled in comparison to this place.
But the most concerning part of the whole equation was the concentrated abyssal energy that the ice gave off. And the source felt exactly like the trial.
The one who had constructed this icy prison must be the same one who had cast the spell for the trial.
“My lady, I have a favor to ask of you as a republican, no, as a citizen of the Northern Republic. Please do not reveal anything you see inside to the public. These secrets should never see the light.”
“I understand. Do you need me to swear an oath to you about it?”
“No. Your words are enough, My Lady.”
From the assassin’s words, it was clear that whatever lay behind the door was not something an ordinary person could access.
Nor it was something that people could just know about at will.
It was a secret big enough to spark a war or even worse if it was to be revealed. And Aurora was hesitant to even know of such a secret.
No matter how big this secret was, once it was revealed to someone, it would become a liability.
“As you can see, this door is no ordinary door. The only ones who can enter and exit it are the head of the four ancient Duke families of the nation and someone who has the blood of divinity.”
“I cannot enter this room but Lord Karan asked me to lead you here. This is also here that you will know why we are powerless to do anything against the nobility or the royal family.”
Aurora touched the door and instantly felt the repelling magic trying to push her away. It was strong enough to compel any ordinary person to step away.
But Aurora was a being filled with divinity and the door was observing her magic. The second it identified her, it began to step back little by little.
The pressure due to the magic never really disappear but it did settle all around Aurora like a cloak.
It was a warning for Aurora not to be foolish and open her mouth unnecessarily. It was dormant magic to keep people’s mouths shut.
What a terrifying weapon this was. It was no wonder that neither the assassin nor the other nobles ever opened their mouth.
Aurora felt her heart beat faster and faster as she neared the door. There was a ringing inside her ears that made Aurora lose her balance and slip off the floor.
“MY LADY.”
Aurora felt her body falling and a pair of hands reaching out for her but then the darkness broke her connection.
She instantly picked herself but her surroundings had changed. Instead of an icy cave, Aurora was standing on top of an icy lake. The coldness was seeping inside her heart but it was nothing compared to the surprising feeling she got.
The center of the lake held a gigantic icy pillar with a familiar face sleeping inside.
This chapt𝙚r is updated by fr(e)ew𝒆bnov(e)l.com