Chapter 186: The Queen’s Puppet
[Music Recommendation: Eternal Eclipse - Dawn of Faith]
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Damien’s cold-blooded eyes remained locked on the Queen’s, his jaw ticking as pure, unbridled rage burned through him...rage that threatened to deliver them the most brutal death imaginable.
The air thickened as another set of footsteps echoed behind the guards.
A moment later, both professors emerged into the corridor, only to freeze mid-stride. Their gazes swept across the chaotic scene...the trembling prince pinned by the throat, the queen’s eyes locked on with Damien’s, Evelyn collapsed on the floor, the guards poised for battle.
Dante’s expression hardened instantly. Turning to the Queen, he demanded, "What is the meaning of this?"
The Queen turned her cold, venomous gaze to Dante. "As you can see, Professor...your student has openly disrespected the royal family of this kingdom and dared to lay hands on the Crown Prince. You, of all people, should know what that means."
A heavy silence fell.
Dante’s jaw tensed as he glanced slowly at Damien before speaking with firm authority. "Lord Damien, release Prince Valen. That is an order."
Damien shifted his cold gaze to Dante. "Then tell the Queen to release Prince Ivan as well."
Dante and Seira’s brows shot up before they both turned to the queen, who remained completely unfazed. She merely shrugged her elegant shoulders. "I haven’t captured your prince," she said smoothly. "He has willingly chosen to remain in the palace for the rest of his stay."
"Don’t lie!" Cece shouted, her voice sharp with fury. She struggled violently, forcing Edward to tighten his grip on her to stop her from doing something reckless, even though every fibre of his being screamed to unleash his power as well.
Viva looked at Cece with amused delight. "And why would a queen need to lie? It’s the truth," she said lightly.
Cece growled, struggling harder before she nearly slipped free of Edward’s hold, and the moment she did, every guard in the hall snapped into position. Their sceptres lit with crackling magic, all aimed directly at the enraged vampiress, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
Professor Dante and Seira could feel just how dire the situation was becoming. Dante stepped forward and spoke firmly, "Why don’t we all calm down for a moment?"
He turned his sharp gaze toward the conniving queen. "Your Majesty, where is Prince Ivan? You are well aware of what it means to hold a royal from another kingdom as a captive. It means war...and not just with any kingdom, but with the largest of them all, the Kingdom of Versailles."
His tone was grave, stripped of any trace of mockery. He stood tall, protective not only of his students but also of the crown prince of his kingdom.
Queen Viva met Professor Dante’s eyes, and silence settled over the hall for a few tense moments before she let out an exasperated sigh. She turned to Jareld and said, "Jareld, why don’t you go and fetch Prince Ivan, since they all seem to have trouble believing that I haven’t forced anything on him."
Jareld gave her a quick bow and rushed off to carry out her command. Everyone held their breath, minds blank and nerves taut, unable to predict what would happen next or how the situation was about to unfold.
Soon, two sets of footsteps echoed through the corridor again.
This time, Eve’s heart reacted instantly. She would recognise those firm, purposeful footsteps anywhere. Even though her view was blocked by the crowd of people, she knew.
As the footsteps drew closer, the gathered individuals slowly parted one by one, until the man she had been fearing for finally came into view.
Her heart pounded so violently she could hear it drumming in her ears, yet she remained frozen on the ground.
He stepped forward and came to a stop beside the Queen, completely unrestrained. There were no binds, no signs of force, nothing that would suggest he was being held captive.
The Queen turned her pale green eyes toward the breathtaking prince standing beside her. She lifted her pale, manicured hand and let it brush casually against Ivan’s arm before speaking in a deceptively sweet voice.
"Prince Ivan, it seems your people have misunderstood your stay here as me keeping you captive. Would you say that I am holding you as a prisoner?"
Ivan slowly shifted his gaze toward them, and they all froze. His usual molten red eyes were now much darker, as though black had nearly swallowed the red whole. Hollow. Unfeeling. Empty.
He swept his gaze across each of them, one by one, until it landed on Eve.
And then...he looked away. As if she wasn’t even there.
When he finally spoke, his voice was devoid of emotion. Just flat, cold, and lifeless.
"No."
Professor Dante and Seira exchanged a troubled glance as they watched the prince’s behaviour in the presence of those closest to him. They were well aware that Prince Ivan always carried an air of cool indifference, but they also knew how fiercely protective he was of his own people. Yet the way he simply scanned over them before looking away, as if none of them held any significance....especially Princess Evelyn. It sent a deep unease twisting in both professors’ hearts, and they knew something was terribly wrong.
Damien, unable to stay silent any longer, called out to his brother, "Ivan! Tell everyone what this woman has done to you! You don’t need to hold back!"
Ivan shifted his lifeless eyes toward Damien but said nothing.
Queen Viva clicked her tongue in mock displeasure. "See? This is exactly what I’ve been saying. Your prince willingly wishes to stay here, yet you all continue insisting that I’ve done something to him, even after he confirmed it with his own mouth."
Damien sneered at her, his voice laced with pure venom. "I swear I’ll kill your son right here if you don’t turn Ivan back to how he was before."
Viva met his gaze, then burst into mocking laughter at his threat. "And what could I possibly do to the strongest man on the continent? I’m only human, after all."
She turned to Ivan again, her voice laced with sickly sweetness. "Tell me, Your Highness...have I done anything to make you stay here?"
Ivan remained utterly motionless as he replied in a monotonous, emotionless voice, "No."
"See? How many more confirmations do you need before you finally accept that I am not holding your prince captive?" she said accusingly, as though she were the one being wronged.
She then turned to Professor Dante and Seira. "I trust you can clearly see how your students have been completely out of line, when all I have done is welcome them into my home."
As silence filled the corridor once again, a slight movement caught everyone’s attention. They turned to see Eve, who had been on the ground, finally managing to stand. Her deep blue eyes remained locked on Ivan, who wasn’t even looking at her. She took slow, shaky steps toward him, drawing every eye to her.
Her heart continued to pound painfully against her ribs as she walked towards him, yet she felt nothing from him...as if he simply wasn’t there. When she finally came to stand directly in front of Ivan, his eyes lifted to meet hers, and her breath caught in her throat.
That was when she saw it....the abyssal darkness in his gaze. Gone was the blazing fire that once swirled in those mesmerising crimson pools. Now they looked like the hollow depths of an infinite well.
Her eyes welled up with fresh tears, and she raised her shaky hand to bring it close to his cheek...when he caught her wrist in a tight grip. His lifeless eyes remained fixed on hers, but she felt just how cold his hand was. Those warm hands that once gave comfort were not there anymore.
"I-Ivan.." she whispered his name with her trembling lips, but he remained silent as if he had never heard her, yet he didn’t let go of her hand.
As Eve’s tears fell silently again, Ivan’s grip on her wrist began to tremble slightly, but enough for her breath to catch. It was as if her heartbroken expression stirred something deep within him. Then, without warning, Ivan stumbled back a step. His brows drew together faintly as he lifted the same hand, the one that had held hers moments ago, toward his temple, as though a sudden pain or confusion struck him.
Queen Viva’s eyes widened in alarm, panic flickering across her face before she masked it. She hurried forward and grabbed Ivan’s arm. "Oh dear, Prince Ivan, are you alright?" she cooed, even as she discreetly muttered a wordless spell under her breath, freezing his movements once again.
"Jareld," she said sharply, not taking her eyes off Ivan, "His Highness doesn’t seem well. Why don’t you escort him back to the room where he was resting?" She shot Jareld with a pointed, meaningful look.
As soon as she did, Damien released Valen and lunged forward to reach Ivan. "Ivan!" he called out. But before he could take another step, a row of sceptres blocked his path, thrusting toward him by the royal guards. In the next instant, they unleashed a heavily charged magic attack straight at him.
