Chapter 220: The Curtain Falls
“For a monarch, everyone is a pawn, only to be used when needed, feigning concern… you have no right to command me, you hypocritical scoundrel.”
Diana’s words were a sharp blow.
With that, she ignored Red’s changing expression.
The siblings were not close. Without an external threat, these upper-class nobles would fight amongst themselves, even turning on their own family…
Red had no right to criticize Diana; he was simply trying to reclaim his lost pride by asserting his authority over her and her fiancée, Lena.
The fuse was lit.
Red’s head felt like it was about to explode, his body trembling with rage. It took him a long time to calm down, and he finally scoffed, “Bring her up!”
A lifeless, orange-haired girl was pushed to the ground.
Lena’s expression remained unchanged. “What is the meaning of this, Your Highness?”
“Nothing, just making an example of someone, to establish military authority…”
With that, Red ordered two soldiers to hold the alchemical doll, his fingers stroking its muddy cheek. “After all the trouble of catching the leader of the rebels, you tell me she’s a corpse, hmph…”
His gaze swept over the crowd.
Suddenly, he punched the doll’s stomach.
An unexpected sensation, soft and yielding, indeed human tissue.
Red was confused, he didn’t believe the leader of the [Nea Cult] had died so easily. Although she had been brought in by Hecate, the hero, and Lena, none of them were his people. In other words, if the three of them had conspired to deceive him…
Hmm…
Red feared being played for a fool.
But now, he couldn’t afford to care.
The longer this dragged on, the more detrimental it would be to his ascension. He wanted to end this farce as soon as possible, because the public outcry he would face would be far more intense than any magic bombardment.
He had been tricked by that bitch on the throne from the very beginning!
This wasn’t about capturing rebels, it was a conspiracy to suppress him!!
“I may have lost this round, but it’s not over…”
Red’s eyes gleamed with a mad light.
Victory and defeat were common in war, he wouldn’t be defeated by a single loss.
So—
Red grabbed the doll’s collar, his smile growing more sinister.
“Let’s see your true face…”
Red summoned all his guards, surrounding the area.
Countless eyes stared at the doll in his hands, a hint of desire in their gazes.
They were all young, hot-blooded men, their days filled with training and fighting, they had never touched a woman.
Red’s actions weren’t just for humiliation, but also to send a message to Lena, that he would remember this, that her little tricks wouldn’t fool him.
Rip—
He tore at the doll’s collar, the fabric ripping.
As he reached a critical area, he paused, as if to savor Lena’s expression.
If there was any deception, it would surely be revealed now, and he would know who was behind this.
So, Lena, how will you respond…?
“Don’t.”
Snow’s voice was soft, her hand on Lena’s shoulder.
“He’s playing with fire.” Lena, seemingly unable to tolerate Red’s despicable actions, using a girl’s body to threaten and coerce, even if it was just an alchemical doll, she couldn’t let Megan be insulted by this beast in human skin.
Perhaps, her reaction was also part of Megan’s plan.
But by the time Lena realized this, she had already thrown a punch…
The battlefield, ever-changing, filled with deceit and schemes.
No one was perfect, no one always won, and no one always lost.
Lena’s fist landed squarely on Red’s nose.
This punch was fueled by personal emotion, she had wanted to teach this arrogant prince a lesson for a long time, and now, it was simply to vent her anger.
“You…! You… you!!”
Red clutched his nose, trembling uncontrollably.
Crimson blood flowed down his face, staining his lips.
He hadn’t expected Lena to suddenly attack him, so domineering, so unreasonable?!
“Good… you’re good!”
Red sneered, his mouth twisted, but he knew this single punch had ruined Lena.
He had every reason to hold the Falmouth family accountable, to use this as an excuse to interfere in their affairs!
This punch was worth it, Lena would pay dearly for her recklessness!!
“Guards! Seize this regicidal traitor!”
Red could already imagine Lena in prison, a smug smile on his face.
But he waited, and waited, the bleeding from his nose stopping, yet no one moved.
“Where are my guards?!”
He turned around angrily.
Everyone was standing still, their eyes vacant, as if shrouded in a shadow.
What kind of magic was this?
To be able to block people’s senses!
“You did this?!”
He accused Lena.
Lena smiled enigmatically, sighing inwardly at the timely arrival of reinforcements. “Don’t say that, Your Highness, I didn’t do anything.”
“You…!”
Red’s vision blurred, his anger making him dizzy.
Turning black into white, without witnesses, his words alone couldn’t convict Lena.
He had been outsmarted again!
He wiped his nose, spitting out a mouthful of blood. “Don’t let me catch you, I’ll make sure you have no place to be buried… I swear…”
“A classic villain’s speech, do you know what happens to the villains in operas who make such empty threats?”
Lena chuckled, her taunts perfectly timed.
“Honestly, you should get your head checked, then come and compete with me, wise monarch.”
“How dare you!”
Red was about to lose his mind.
He had never been so humiliated, not only punched, but also insulted.
And most importantly, his sacrificial magic would only backfire here.
An indiscriminate [Sacrifice] would kill everyone present.
Including his own men, and the Empress’s faction.
He wouldn’t continue this pointless confrontation with Lena, there would be plenty of time to play with her later…
Red forced himself to calm down, then said, “The game has just begun, Lena, remember this smug look on your face, remember this moment… soon, I’ll have you on your knees, begging for death.”
A child doesn’t cry every day, a gambler doesn’t lose every day.
What was one small loss…?
Red sneered, then stormed off.
The pouring rain draped a pathetic veil over the defeated prince, the mist thick, the people slowly waking up…
Hecate had witnessed the entire conflict, but as a member of the Empress’s faction, he hadn’t interfered in the war between Lena and Red.
“Thank you, we should be going now.”
He nodded at Lena, pointing in a certain direction.
“Please take care of Lian Lian, a personal request, I owe you one…”
“What are you doing?”
Lena took his hand, her gaze appreciative as she looked into the distance. “I’ll take good care of Lian Lian, as for the favor… hehe, I’ll remember it for a lifetime…”
“It’s fine. If you ever need my help, just ask.”
Hecate left with his thousands of Imperial Guards.
The lion-like aura receded, leaving behind a desolate, silent land.
Lena stood in the rain, her hair drenched.
But at least, she could finally go home and take a hot bath.
So comfortable…
“Miss!”
“Lena!”
Almost simultaneously, two voices called out, and two figures rushed into Lena’s arms.
Angel kissed Lena’s lips, savoring the familiar taste. “Thank goodness, you’re okay…”
“How could I not be? I’m invincible.”
Lena stroked her head, then turned to the little fox girl. “I lost your tail fur, I’m sorry…”
“Mmm, Miss can have as much as she wants!”
Ling Ling wagged her tail, placing its soft, damp tip in Lena’s hand.
She giggled, her white stockings tapping against her shoes.
“Good girl, Ling Ling.”
Lena praised her, a compliment Ling Ling had longed for.
Ling Ling twirled happily.
After a moment of affection, Diana approached, pouting. “Is it my turn yet…?”
“I almost forgot.”
Lena stroked Diana’s cheek, her gaze gentle. “Let’s all take a bath together, my bathtub is big enough… Snow too?”
She turned to Snow.
Snow, her expression blank, didn’t answer, simply looking at the beautiful girls surrounding Lena, one more beautiful than the next.
She felt like an outsider.
A sense of defeat, not a good feeling.
“…”
Snow shook her head, her beautiful silver hair brushing against her skin, not detracting from her cold beauty.
“As you wish,” Lena didn’t press her.
After all, compared to when they had first met, Snow had changed a lot.
She talked more, even initiated physical contact, a strong and handsome ice beauty, who wouldn’t love her? Especially one who was so devoted.
“Are you leaving?”
Snow tugged at Lena’s sleeve, smoothing out her messy bangs. “Goodbye.”
“Mm, see you tomorrow.”
Lena touched Snow’s ear, then their foreheads touched, a moment of silence between them.
No one interrupted.
The storm had calmed.
Snow’s cheeks burned, and when they parted, she hid her face behind her hair, as if to hide her embarrassment.
Her hand, along with her silver hair, was held to her lips, as if shy, unable to meet Lena’s gaze.
“I’m leaving now.”
Lena and her family were heading home.
But Snow still didn’t respond.
“I’ll come to the library to see you tomorrow, are you working? Or do you need a rest?”
The knowledge and skills from the Divine Artifact required time to absorb, and even a genius like Snow needed time to master them.
Snow nodded, then shook her head.
Lena smiled. “Alright, take care of yourself, I’ll see you in a few days.”
Snow nodded firmly.
No one understood how they communicated, perhaps it was a tacit understanding.
…
The incident was finally over.
On their way back, Lena, following Hecate’s directions, found Lian Lian in a ruined, open-air area, clutching a ragged doll.
“Megan asked me to pick you up.”
Lena crouched down, looking at the seemingly abandoned little girl.
“She said you’ll be living with me from now on. Let’s start over, I’m Lena, Lena Falmouth.”
“Lian Lian…”
The little fox’s tail was still, and she hugged the doll tighter.
The stuffing was coming out, the stitches grotesque.
This gloomy little fox was about to join the Falmouth family, Lena had to find a way to get along with her.
She secretly summoned Ling Ling, preparing a surprise.
But Lian Lian stood up first, holding out the ragged doll to Lena.
“For me?” Lena pointed at herself.
The little fox nodded, her tail wagging slightly.
Her eyes held a hint of reluctance, but it quickly faded.
“Don’t force yourself, this doll is important to you, right? Did Megan ask you to do this? To win my favor?”
Lena accurately guessed Lian Lian’s thoughts.
To survive in this filthy world, a little weakness was necessary. Lian Lian understood this, just like Ling Ling, their maturity heartbreaking.
“For you.”
Lian Lian held the doll higher.
Unable to refuse, Lena took it, smiling. “How about this, you give me a gift, and I’ll give you a big one in return. Now, you can turn around and see if you like this gift.”
Lian Lian blinked, turning around.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
“Ling Ling?!”
She leaped into Ling Ling’s arms, the two little foxes recognizing each other, sniffing each other’s scent, as if confirming the reality of this dream-like reunion.
“I thought you were dead.”
“I’m not, Miss took me in, she gave me a home, a super warm family.”
Ling Ling was overjoyed, constantly praising Lena, her tail wagging furiously.
And Lian Lian, finally realizing she had misjudged Lena, lowered her head in shame, her face flushed.
“So, the tail fur…”
She took out the well-preserved bottle.
“Huh, why does Lian Lian have Ling Ling’s tail fur?” Ling Ling was confused, she had only given it to Lena.
“Well, actually…”
Lian Lian fidgeted.
Seeing the wound on Lena’s leg, she felt even more guilty.
Her voice grew smaller. “Actually… ugh…”
“Actually, Lian Lian helped me find the lost tail fur, thanks to her,” Lena interjected, saving Lian Lian from her embarrassment.
