Chereads / The Reborn Witch Princess / Chapter 22 - Rage

Chapter 22 - Rage

At the long, ornate dining table, the silence was suffocating. Candlelight flickered weakly, casting shadows across the faces of the gathered nobles, each staring intently at the menus laid before them. Their expressions were tense, each face wearing a mixture of disbelief and shock. Eyes darted between the lavish banquet on the table and the lies they had been told for months.

Who was it that had claimed the small kingdom of Loton was suffering from famine?

Outside these grand palace walls, the common people were gaunt, their hollowed eyes and skeletal frames telling a story of hunger and desperation. The barren fields were proof of the suffering, with no crops growing and no livestock left to graze.

But the sight before them — the feast, enough to feed hundreds, possibly even a thousand — contradicted everything. The table overflowed with golden-roasted meats, exotic fruits, and platters of delicacies from far-off lands, all arranged like a masterpiece, mocking the starving kingdom.

At the head of the table, Prince Xavier sat rigid, his cold, piercing eyes locked on the extravagant spread. The room's temperature seemed to plummet with each second he stared, the tension growing as frost seemed to seep into the very air. His hands clenched the armrests of his chair, knuckles white. Everyone shifted uneasily in their seats, avoiding his gaze.

Finally, the silence broke with a voice as sharp as ice. "Bring the king here now!" Prince Xavier commanded, his tone lethal.

The guards stationed at the door stiffened. "Yes, Your Excellency!" They sprang into action, swiftly moving to execute his order.

"Wait!" Xavier's voice halted them. His gaze shifted to Rara, the girl sitting beside Mayonne, a deity-like figure who radiated an ethereal calm.

"You go and assist them," he said, fixing Rara with a look that sent chills down her spine.

Rara blinked in surprise, pointing at herself as if questioning whether he meant her. She glanced nervously at the goddess, hoping for intervention.

"What? You don't want to go?" Xavier's head tilted slightly, his eyes narrowing dangerously, the corner of his mouth curling into a hint of a threat.

Mayonne, seated beside him, sensed the storm brewing. She nudged Rara with a sharp pinch, urging her. "Go."

Rara shot Mayonne a glare before standing, reluctantly giving Prince Xavier a look of annoyance. She barely managed to hide her anger as she stormed out of the room, her gown sweeping the floor in dramatic fashion.

Me? A delicate girl? Drag the king? she fumed silently. How could he ask me to do something so... so unladylike?

Her anger fueled her steps as she crossed the expansive courtyard, her slender hands gripping her gown to avoid tripping as she made her way to the king's palace. The moon hung high above, casting a silver glow over the stone walls. She cursed under her breath, muttering Prince Xavier's name with every step.

At the entrance to the palace, the guards — tall and imposing in their gleaming armor — barred their way, standing firm in defense of the king.

"Move!" Rara commanded, her voice ringing with authority. Her eyes glowed faintly as she let her gown fall back in place, standing with a new sense of power.

The guards hesitated for only a moment before Rara lifted her hands. Vines of creeping flowers snaked down from the palace walls, twisting around her wrists before shooting forward like living tendrils. The thick, dark green vines wrapped themselves around the guards with terrifying speed. Prince Xavier's men stepped back, astonished at the display of power.

The guards of King Dan were paralyzed, unable to react in time. Some tried to unsheathe their swords, but the creeping flowers were faster, binding them tightly against the stone walls, leaving them immobile and at Rara's mercy.

One brave guard managed to crack the heavy palace doors open, intent on running for help. But he barely made it three steps before Rara flicked her wrist, and the flowers snatched him up, pinning him to the floor.

Within seconds, all resistance had been neutralized. Rara walked through the palace entrance with a sense of purpose, Xavier's guards trailing behind her, now too embarrassed to look her in the eye.

Inside, they encountered another battalion of guards, standing alert, weapons drawn. Their captain stepped forward, sneering at Rara.

"Do you think we fear you, girl? You may have magic, but we have numbers."

Rara's lips curled into a smile, a dangerous glint flashing in her eyes. "Numbers won't save you from stupidity," she muttered under her breath.

She shot a glance over her shoulder at the guards behind her, who had remained frozen, still unsure of their place in the battle. Her eyes narrowed.

"What are you waiting for? Do you expect me to fight for you, too?" she snapped, her voice sharp and cutting.

The guards shuffled, their faces flushed with embarrassment. One by one, they drew their swords and charged into battle, clashing steel against steel with the Loton soldiers. As the chaotic sounds of battle filled the halls, Rara strode calmly through the fray, undisturbed by the violence around her.

Suddenly, she sensed movement behind her. One of Loton's guards had broken through and was launching an attack. Without turning around, Rara flicked her fingers, sending the man hurtling into the air, where he remained suspended for a second before crashing into the wall with a sickening thud. The stone cracked under the force, and the guard fell limp.

"Hurry up!" she shouted at Xavier's men, growing impatient. "I'm hungry!" Her voice echoed through the palace as the ground beneath her trembled, causing the walls to shudder slightly. The quake caught Loton's guards off guard, and they lost their footing, giving Prince Xavier's men the opportunity to finish them off quickly.

Rara moved deeper into the palace, unbothered by the bloodshed. She frowned when the guards returned, reporting they hadn't found King Dan.

Rara knelt in the middle of the throne room and pressed her palm to the cold stone floor. A soft, blue light spread from her hand, crawling along the ground, across the walls, and up to the ceiling like a pulse of life. Her eyes fluttered closed as she focused her magic, listening carefully to the vibrations in the palace.

There. Faint voices echoed from beneath the floor.

Her eyes snapped open, and she stood, scanning the room.

"Search the palace again!" she commanded, as the guards rushed off to obey.

Rara wandered toward the throne itself. Her eyes narrowed, her instincts telling her that King Dan hadn't fled far. She sat on the throne, tapping her fingers impatiently.

Suddenly, a soft *click* sounded from beneath her. She glanced down and saw a hidden trapdoor swing open, revealing a staircase that led into darkness.

With a wave of her hand, an orange light flowed down the steps, spreading like a slow-burning fire. The magic seeped into the air, turning it dry and hot. The faint scent of burning filled the halls as the fire powder worked its way through the underground hideout.

Moments later, several figures emerged from the shadows, coughing and gasping for air. The Haguar's guards dragged them out, revealing King Dan, his family, and his ministers, all pale with fear.

They were brought before Prince Xavier, forced to kneel.

"What is the meaning of this, King Dan?" Prince Xavier's voice was cold and unforgiving, his brow arched as he glared down at the king.

"Y-Your Excellency," King Dan stammered, unable to meet Xavier's gaze. "We... we prepared this feast in your honor! You are our esteemed guest! How could we serve you a simple meal?"

Rara stepped forward, her gaze sharp as a blade. Using her magic, she forced the king's head upward, making him face her.

"Where did you get all this food?" she asked, her voice dangerously quiet.

King Dan's face drained of color. His eyes darted nervously, betraying the lie forming on his lips.

"This... this is the food we saved for the people—"

"Liar!" Rara hissed, her power flaring as she twisted his head unnaturally to the side. "You stored this for yourself!"

Without waiting for further excuses, she raised both hands, lifting the queen and their two sons into the air. Their terrified screams filled the room as they dangled helplessly.

"My Lady, please! Let them go!" King Dan's voice cracked with desperation.

"Speak the truth, or they suffer!" Prince Xavier roared, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. He pulled a dagger from his belt, its sharp edge glinting in the dim light.

King Dan's resolve broke.

"I'll speak! I'll speak! I hid the food in the palace storerooms... I wanted my family to have enough to eat!"

Rara's eyes blazed with fury. Without hesitation, she raised King Dan high into the air before slamming him down with such force that the crack of bone echoed through the room. The king lay unconscious on the cold stone floor.

The queen and her sons suffered the same fate before Rara turned, leaving the hall. As she made her way out of the palace, the weight of her actions hit her. She fled into the forest, leaning against a tree as she coughed up blood, the strain of her magic taking its toll.