"AAAHHHHHH!!!"
A horrified servant fell to the floor upon discovering the lifeless body of Hadrian hanging in his room.
"Call the Duke! Hurry up!!" Douglas shouted in a panic.
Frightened and trembling, the servants stared at Hadrian's lifeless form.
A letter lay on his bed.
"What's with the fuss? So early in the morning!" Duke Wolfsbane grumbled as he entered his brother's room. However, his voice wavered when he saw the lifeless figure. "N-No..." He quivered as he slowly advanced. "Bring him down! What are you doing? Bring my brother down!!!" he screamed.
The servants swiftly obeyed, their fear evident as they lowered Hadrian's body to the ground.
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....
The news of Lord Hadrian Wolfsbane's death reached the palace.
Aria dropped her cup in shock. "W-What did you say?" she stammered, staring at Cedrik in disbelief.
They attended his funeral, where ministers and nobles offered their condolences, comforting the grieving Duke of the South. All eyes turned toward the entrance as Aria arrived, clad in a black dress, holding a handkerchief. She approached Hadrian's coffin.
The official cause of death was suicide. They claimed he had taken his own life due to his depression and the realization that he would never walk again.
What a lame excuse...
Aria couldn't accept this explanation.
Duke Wolfsbane approached her. "My brother was a kind person."
She met his gaze with hostility and remained silent.
"Such a shame that he left this world early," Duke Wolfsbane remarked, the tone of his voice taking on an ominous undertone.
Dismissing him, Aria turned her back and sat beside Claudius.
Izekiel was notably absent, as the servants informed her that he was unwell.
Aria fixed her gaze on the altar, a strong conviction filling her heart.
I refused to believe that Hadrian had taken his own life.
She glanced at Duke Wolfsbane, suspicion in her eyes.
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....
Douglas screamed in agony as Ryu mercilessly broke his hands.
"P-Please... I didn't do anything wrong!" he begged, his voice trembling.
Aria took a knife from William and held it against Douglas's neck. "Suicide?" she scoffed. "Don't try to deceive me. Hadrian would never have taken his own life. Now, speak the truth. Who killed him?" Her pressure on the knife caused a trickle of blood to appear on his neck.
"P-Please.. I-It wasn't me! I merely followed his orders!" Douglas cried in desperation.
"His orders?" Aria withdrew the knife, standing up. "Tell me everything."
Douglas recounted the gruesome details. Duke Wolfsbane had ordered him to kill the young Lord, claiming that Hadrian had become an obstacle and needed to be silenced. Douglas had entered Hadrian's room while he slept and smothered him with a pillow until he died. He then staged the scene to make it appear as a suicide, even leaving a fake note behind.
Aria clenched her fists, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. How could Duke Wolfsbane kill his own brother? Was he really that greedy?
"P-Please.. Y-Your Majesty! Spare my life!" Douglas begged and pleaded.
She grit her teeth, her anger boiling within her. This man had murdered her friend. How could she forgive him?
She exchanged a glance with Ryu, and he understood her unspoken command, taking hold of Douglas.
Aria left the room with William, the blood-curdling screams of Douglas echoing behind her.
She couldn't help but think. If being evil is the only way to keep my loved ones safe, then I will turn myself into an evil person.
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....
Izekiel clutched his head in agony. The pain was unbearable. It hurts! It hurts!
"L-Ludwig!" he called out.
The door swung open, and Ludwig appeared.
"Ludwig! It hurts! My head hurts!" Izekiel cried in distress.
"Your Majesty, have you taken your medicine?" Ludwig inquired.
The medicine?
No, Aria had warned me not to take it again.
"Your Majesty, only the medicine can help you," Ludwig insisted, beginning to prepare the drug in water.
"N-No! I can't take that anymore! A-Aahh!!" the pain in his head intensified.
Ludwig extended the cup to him. "Don't be stubborn, Your Majesty. You need this."
With no other option, Izekiel reluctantly drank the drug. Gradually, his pain subsided, and he drifted into a fitful sleep.
Ludwig covered him with a blanket, a sly grin on his face.
In truth, he had been adding drugs to Izekiel's food daily. These drugs left him dizzy, exhausted, and despondent, making him more inclined to take his prescribed medicine.
This was how Ludwig exerted control over him.
"Have a good night's sleep, Your Majesty," he whispered before departing from the room.
Izekiel is mine...
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....
"We don't have any more time to waste. Sell the drugs in the capital. Begin with the commoners. Incorporate them into candies or beverages," Duke Wolfsbane instructed.
The ministers nodded in agreement.
"The Empress is bound to make her move soon. My butler is missing, and I have a strong suspicion that she's behind it." he added.
"Why not kill the Empress directly?" Minister Cruz proposed.
Duke Wolfsbane grinned sinisterly. "I've already devised a plan, but I intend to make her suffer before her ultimate demise. I'll start with her child."
The ministers exchanged ominous glances, their nefarious intentions clear.
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....
William carefully inspected the food brought by the servant to ensure it was safe before allowing it to be served to the Empress.
"Is Izekiel still unwell?" Aria inquired.
"I've heard from the servants that he's not leaving his room," Cedrik responded.
Worry crept into Aria's thoughts. Could it be that he was taking the medicine Ludwig had brought to him again?
"I should go visit him," she declared, rising from her seat.
Cedrik and William followed her.
They found Izekiel lying on his bed.
"How are you feeling now?" Aria asked as she took his hand.
"I'm feeling better now," he replied, sitting up. "Did I make you worried?" He lovingly stroked her hair.
A smile graced her lips, and she kissed his hand. "You did worry me, so please take care of yourself."
He nodded and returned her smile.
She hugged him tightly, wanting to ask him about the medicine but realizing that this wasn't the right time.
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....
Days passed, and Izekiel continued to consume the drugs. He now sat in his room, staring at the ceiling with a blank expression.
"Aria..." he mumbled.
Ludwig entered and bowed to him. "Your Majesty, the ministers are here and have requested an audience with you."
He sighed and stood up, making his way to the meeting room to listen to them.
But he struggled to comprehend their discussions, finding it hard to focus. A drowsiness overcame him.
"Your Majesty, are you all right?" Minister Rodriguez inquired.
"I'm fine. Regarding your proposal... Do as you see fit," he replied before abruptly leaving the meeting.
The ministers exchanged knowing glances, and a wicked grin spread among them.
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....
Xerxes had yet to return, and Aria was consumed with worry.
What if something terrible had happened to him?
"Your Majesty, here's your tea," Jenny offered.
"Thank you," she said, taking a sip.
As she gazed out the window, she resolved to send knights into the forbidden forest to search for Xerxes.
She caressed her belly.
But her heart began to race, and she dropped her cup. She clutched her chest.
"Your Majesty, are you all right?" Jenny asked.
She coughed, and blood appeared on her hand. Panicking, Jenny called for William.
Aria trembled, feeling something wet on her legs. "Jenny!" Her anxiety escalated. "L-Lift my skirt!"
Jenny quickly complied, and they were both horrified to see blood.
"N-No... T-This can't be!" Aria fainted upon seeing it.
"Sir William, hurry!" Jenny urgently shouted.
William was equally alarmed when he noticed the bleeding.
Ryu entered through the window. "What happened to her?" His eyes widened when he saw the blood. Shit! Had he failed again?
William swiftly carried her and placed her on the bed. "Call the doctor!"
Ryu grabbed Jenny's arm. "Tell me what happened."
Trembling in fear, Jenny faced Ryu's intense gaze, wondering if it was her fault.