Chapter 87: Death.
Screams shattered the usual peace of the servants’ quarters.
The cries echoed through the palace grounds with such terror that everyone within earshot abandoned whatever they were doing and rushed toward the source. Maids dropped baskets of freshly washed clothes, guards tightened their grips on their weapons as they ran, and servants whispered fearful prayers beneath their breaths.
Within moments, a crowd had gathered.
No one dared move any closer.
In the middle of the narrow pathway lay the lifeless body of Gina.
Gasps rippled through the gathering as horrified eyes settled on the corpse. It wasn’t merely death that frightened them...it was the condition of her body.
She looked as though every drop of life had been drained from her.
Her once youthful skin had shriveled tightly against her bones, dry and gray like ancient parchment left beneath the scorching sun for centuries. Her cheeks had completely sunk inward, her lips were cracked beyond recognition, and her empty eyes stared lifelessly toward the sky. There wasn’t a single drop of blood around her, nor was there any visible wound on her body.
It was as though something had stolen not only her life...
...but her very soul.
Several maids screamed again, covering their mouths to stop themselves from vomiting.
Others immediately turned away, unable to continue looking at such a horrifying sight.
Queen Calista soon arrived, her elegant steps calm despite the growing panic around her.
The crowd instinctively moved aside, lowering their heads respectfully to create a path for their queen.
She stopped beside Gina’s body, her face betraying no emotion.
Slowly, she lowered herself into a crouch.
Her sharp eyes carefully examined every inch of the corpse.
No cuts.
No bruises.
No signs of poison.
Nothing.
Only an impossible dryness that made the body resemble a centuries-old mummy instead of someone who had been alive only yesterday.
Her brows knitted together ever so slightly.
This...
This wasn’t natural.
After several silent moments, she rose gracefully to her feet.
"Take care of her body," she instructed the guards quietly, though her voice carried enough authority for everyone to hear. "Prepare her for burial immediately."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The guards carefully stepped forward.
Just as they reached for Gina’s body...A heartbreaking scream pierced the air.
"Gina!"
Everyone turned.
A middle-aged woman stumbled through the crowd, her hair disheveled and tears already streaming uncontrollably down her face and her long ears where now very red.
It was Gina’s mother.
The moment her eyes landed on her daughter’s corpse, her entire body froze.
"No..."
She whispered weakly.
"No... no... no..."
Her legs gave way beneath her.
She crawled across the ground toward the body before throwing herself over it.
"That’s my Gina..."
Her voice cracked into uncontrollable sobs.
"That’s... that’s my Gina..."
She clutched desperately onto her daughter’s cold dry arm as though refusing to let anyone separate them.
"My child... wake up..."
Her cries grew louder.
"Please wake up..."
The guards hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances.
None of them had the heart to pull the grieving mother away.
But eventually, duty prevailed.
They gently tried lifting Gina’s body.
"No!"
Her mother screamed.
"Don’t take her!"
She wrapped both arms around the corpse, rolling onto the ground in desperation.
"Please! Don’t take my daughter away!"
Her heartbreaking cries caused many of the servants to wipe tears from their own eyes.
Even the hardened guards looked away.
Queen Calista quietly walked toward the grieving woman.
Without saying a word, she knelt beside her and wrapped her arms around the sobbing mother.
"It’s alright..."
The Queen whispered softly.
"We’ll give her a proper farewell."
But the woman continued crying uncontrollably.
"My Gina..."
"My little Gina..."
"My baby..."
The entire courtyard fell into mournful silence.
It was at that exact moment that Florence and Kaelion hurried into the quarters, still dressed in the elegant clothes they had worn for their wedding celebration.
The contrast between their joyful attire and the tragedy before them was almost painful to witness.
The moment Kaelion saw the body being carried away...
He immediately understood.
His jaw tightened.
Beside him, Florence’s face turned deathly pale.
She staggered backward as realization struck her.
Kaelion quickly caught her before she could lose her balance completely.
She stared blankly at Gina’s corpse disappearing into the distance.
Then another terrifying thought entered her mind.
Saline.
Her breathing hitched.
She spun toward Kaelion, panic flooding every inch of her face.
"Kaelion..."
Her voice trembled.
"Saline has also been missing since this morning."
Kaelion’s eyes widened instantly.
"What?"
His voice rose in alarm.
"Why didn’t you tell me?"
There was no anger in his tone.
Only worry.
Pure, unmistakable worry.
Florence lowered her gaze in shame.
"I... I came to tell you earlier."
Her cheeks flushed with guilt as memories of what had delayed them surfaced in her mind.
Had they not stayed behind...
Perhaps they would have begun searching sooner.
Perhaps...
She bit her lower lip.
The guilt became heavier.
Queen Calista had heard every word exchanged between them.
Her expression immediately hardened.
She slowly rose to her feet.
"You both are coming with me."
Her tone left no room for argument.
She then turned toward one of the royal guards standing nearby.
"Take care of Gina’s mother."
The guard bowed.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"And send Lilian to my chambers immediately."
"At once, Your Majesty."
The guard hurried away without wasting another second.
The journey back to the palace was unusually silent.
Not even the sound of footsteps seemed loud enough to disturb the heavy atmosphere surrounding them.
Each person was lost within their own thoughts.
Florence couldn’t stop blaming herself.
Ever since Saline had entered her life, she had unconsciously begun treating the younger girl like family.
She should have watched over her more carefully.
She should have noticed sooner.
Now Saline had vanished...
And another innocent girl had died.
Her chest tightened painfully.
She silently prayed.
Please... wherever you are... be safe.
Kaelion’s thoughts raced endlessly.
The kingdom’s borders had been heavily reinforced under his direct command.
Extra guards had been stationed around every entrance and exit after recent incidents.
No ordinary person could simply walk out unnoticed.
So how had Saline disappeared?
Had someone helped her?
Or worse...
Had someone taken her?
Neither possibility sat well with him.
His fists slowly clenched.
Meanwhile, Queen Calista remained eerily quiet.
Her expression was calm.
Too calm.
But beneath that composed exterior, countless thoughts battled inside her mind.
Gina’s corpse...
Its appearance...
The unnatural state of the body...
It reminded her of someone she desperately wished had remained buried in the past.
Him.
Her breathing almost faltered.
No...
She immediately rejected the thought.
It couldn’t be him.
There was simply no way.
He couldn’t possibly have returned.
Yet...
The image of Gina’s shriveled body refused to leave her mind.
By the time they reached her private chambers, silence still lingered between them.
The doors were shut behind them.
Queen Calista finally turned to face Florence and Kaelion.
"I’m sorry..."
Her voice softened considerably.
"Your happy day started like this."
She knew what today had meant to Florence.
It was supposed to be filled with celebration.
Laughter.
Hope.
Instead...
It had become another day stained by grief.
Florence shook her head almost immediately.
"It’s okay, My Queen."
Her voice was quiet but sincere.
Nothing mattered to her at that moment.
Not the interrupted celebration.
Not the unfinished festivities.
Only one thought consumed her heart.
She wanted Saline back.
Safe.
Alive.
A knock sounded on the chamber door.
"Enter."
The doors slowly opened.
Lilian stepped inside, led by one of the royal guards.
The moment she crossed the doorway, she immediately sensed the heavy tension filling the room.
The Queen.
Commander Kaelion.
Aunt Florence.
All three pairs of eyes settled on her at once.
Her heartbeat quickened.
She lowered her head respectfully.
"Good morning, Your Majesty."
Queen Calista merely nodded.
"How are you this morning, Lilian?"
The question sounded ordinary.
Too ordinary.
Lilian swallowed.
"I’m very well, Your Majesty. Thank you."
"I see."
The Queen studied her carefully before speaking again.
"As you already know, something terrible has happened this morning."
Lilian nodded faintly.
"This matter also concerns Saline."
At the mention of Saline’s name, Lilian’s fingers instinctively tightened against her dress.
"I want you to answer me truthfully."
The room became unbearably quiet.
Queen Calista’s gaze never left her.
"Do you know where Saline is?"
Lilian froze.
She could feel every pair of eyes fixed upon her.
Commander Kaelion’s piercing stare.
Florence’s anxious expression.
The Queen’s calm but commanding presence.
Her mouth suddenly felt dry.
She had lied once already.
She had covered for Saline because she believed the girl would return before anyone noticed.
But now...
Someone was dead.
What if something terrible had happened to Saline too?
The guilt she had buried all morning suddenly came crashing down on her.
Queen Calista spoke again, her voice gentle yet firm.
"Remember..."
"This concerns Saline’s safety."
Lilian shut her eyes tightly.
She couldn’t lie anymore.
Not now.
Not after everything that had happened.
Taking a shaky breath, she finally forced the words out.
"Sh... she..."
Her voice trembled violently.
"She went outside..."
She swallowed hard.
"...outside the kingdom."
Silence.
Complete silence.
For a single heartbeat, none of them reacted.
Florence’s eyes widened.
Kaelion’s face went completely rigid.
Queen Calista stared at Lilian as though she had misheard her.
Then....
"WHAT!"
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