Book 5: Chapter 148: Idiot |
The first thing that caught Calvin’s eye was a slender and fair hand, but now marred by scars and stained with blood. The scars extended from the wrist, disappearing into the unseen folds of the rags, with blood dripping from the fingertips.
One of the fingers was adorned with a ring.
It was an extremely rare storage ring, as its holy light stone was personally blessed by a cardinal from Luminous Theocracy. Crafted from hardened mithril, the ring sparkled like stars in the night sky.
Rather than calling it extremely rare, the ring was actually unique. There was only one such ring in this entire world.
And Calvin happened to recognize this unique and valuable ring.
When the most favored grandson of the First Divine Elder of the imperial family, Doug Blanche, offered her the ring, Calvin had been present as a knight on duty that day.
His eyes lingered on the ring and the beautiful finger, fantasizing countless times about being the person to place it on her finger. Hence, despite the bloodstains and scars, Calvin could recognize the hand and the ring at first glance.
“How… can this be?”
The shock of this realization left his voice trembling. His mind was blank and his body moved on instinct alone.
Blood seeped through the rag. As he got closer, the pungent scent of blood filled his nostrils. He was afraid that lifting the rags would reveal an outcome he could not bear to face.
No, they are in the Immaculate Tree Domain. If she’s still here, then that means…
Calvin finally reached out and gently lifted the corner of the rag that covered the head.
The stagnant blood caused the fabric to cling to the skin, but Calvin persisted, carefully peeling away the layers until an extremely familiar face was fully revealed.
“This is…”
The moment he saw the face, Calvin’s brain buzzed. The glimmer of hope he had in him instantly disappeared without a trace. At the same time, all his fear disappeared, leaving only anger behind.
His face contorted fiercely as he snarled at Luna, “She’s your sister! How could you?!”
Her face was pale and blood flowed from the corner of her closed eyes. Almost every inch of her skin was marred by countless tiny cuts.
As Calvin lifted Princess Estelle’s upper body, he realized the extent of her injuries—at least half of her bones had been crushed by a terrifying external force. Her spine was broken to at least three sections.
Rather than a person, Calvin felt as though he had a puddle of slime in his arms.
“Aww, this is the quickest way my sister can come and see all of you, looking all pretty. You have no idea how terrifying she looked a few moments ago.” Luna pulled a face, attempting to look like a ferocious monster with bared fangs and claws.
“You heartless monster! Even if this is a match, the imperial family won’t stand for such sadistic cruelty. I’ll escalate this to His Majesty the Emperor and expose you as the heartless witch you truly are!”
“How rude.” Luna rubbed her forehead wearily, clearly exasperated. “How dare you accuse me of harming my dear sister? I endured this pain to enlighten her.”
With a resigned sigh, Luna continued, “Unfortunately, my dear sister proved to be more fragile than anticipated and failed to grasp the lesson until the very end. What a pity.”
“Nonsense! This match is being broadcast all over the city. I’ll wait and see how you’ll explain yourself!” Calvin’s voice shook with anger.
“Oh?”
Luna narrowed her eyes and a seemingly kind smile spread across her face. “What makes you think they’ll broadcast footage of me having fun with my dear sister?”
“What?” Calvin’s expression faltered.
“Hehe… even if the organizers are incompetent, they wouldn’t risk broadcasting sensitive images that could stir up trouble.”
“But… with so many people watching…”
“They’ll probably just claim it was a technical glitch or find a scapegoat. Public outrage fades quickly, you know. There’s always a way to bury the truth.”
“You… Even so, I won’t let you get away with this!”
Calvin’s anger boiled over, his words tumbling out uncontrollably.
“Even if it’s not broadcasted, there will still be a recording at the organizers’ disposal. I’ll go to my father and we’ll escalate this to His Majesty the Emperor. We’ll expose you for the heartless villain you are!”
“How… foolish.” Luna shook her head, quickly losing interest in the idiot in front of her. “The rumored composure must be a lie… he seems brainless.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing.”
Just bring this matter to Father and see whether he’ll prioritize beheading you first to save the imperial family’s reputation or dealing with me first.
As Luna walked past Calvin, she offered a “kind” warning.
“Although my sister is resilient, she’s clinging to life by a thread right now. If you beg her for mercy now, like a good little dog, maybe she’ll spare you when she wakes up.”
“You…” Calvin attempted to retort, but as soon as he crossed Luna, an icy and oppressive aura emanated from her delicate body. It felt as though an ancient, ferocious beast had suddenly awakened and was now fixating its gaze upon him, a mere mortal. In that moment, Calvin was reminded of Luna’s true nature—the culprit who had subjected Princess Estelle to torture.
Calvin’s body trembled involuntarily, and he averted his gaze.
Meanwhile, Luna eased off her imposing presence and approached Lilith, who lay in a pool of blood.
She crouched down, observing with interest for a moment before gently shaking Lilith’s shoulder.
“Wake up, Master Lilith. Rise and shine.”
No response came.
“Master Lilith, it’s time to eat.”
Still, there was no reaction.
Frowning, Luna considered changing her approach when Myre, who had been observing silently, interjected abruptly.
“It’s no use. She’s already dead.”
“Huh?” Luna scrutinized the young girl curiously as if she had only just noticed her presence. “And… who might you be?”
“My name is Myre, Your Highness,” Myre replied with a curtsey.
“Myre… and what is your family name?”
Myre’s expression shifted subtly, a hint of disdain flickering in her eyes as she replied, “I have no family name, Your Highness.”
“I see…”
