The piece of cloth strangling Emery tightened causing her to cough and be short of breath. She desperately gasped for air, taking deep breaths, as she tried to claw at her attacker but it was futile. Dying of strangulation was definitely not the kind of death she wanted and she would not accept it if she were to die early after what she had gone through. Thus, she took a few steps backward, held her right fist, and with a full swing, she elbowed her enemy right on his right rib. Managing to free herself and finally gasping for some air, she turned on her heels to face the intruder. Despite her heavy heaving, she still charged toward him and slashed her dagger across. However, her first attempt at counterattack was simply dodged and the next second, she ducked to evade the sword that almost cut through her. Her sudden movements made the bandage press against her wound, sending those tingling pain in almost every part of her body. This was forcing her to limit her movements while it gav

The two of them glared at each other as they fought over the poor scroll. For a few minutes, only the heavy tension lingered around them and if only it was possible, electric shocks could be ignited with their intense glare at each other. And neither of them dared to talk as if they knew that if they start speaking, it would only lead to yelling at each other. But the very first one to give up in their wordless fight was King Lawson. It was just that at the back of his mind, there was a lingering fear telling him to look away or else he will fall deep into the dark eyes of the queen. It was a feeling he was not used to. Thus, he let go of the scroll and proposed a deal. “Fine, you want the key? Then, tell me the real reason why you left the palace. Tell me where you went, what you did, and who you met,” the king stated as calmly as he could. “How many times should answer that same question? I told-” “I am not buying that lie, Emery.” The tone of his voice was low yet gravely. The

The next morning, Emery woke up when she heard Lila’s voice just outside her chambers. The sun was already out outside the window, so she got out of bed and let Lila enter. However, her forehead creased when she saw the other maidservants holding some dresses as if she was about to get married again. When she asked what was going on, Lila replied, “Princess Garnet has invited you to attend the Flower Banquet held at the nearby lake.” Cocking her head to the side, Emery wondered what the Flower Banquet was. But then again, she heaved a sigh since she would not fully understand the different occasions or banquets held by the nobles. May it be out of a whim or not, banquets were the least favorite of the queen. “Can I not go? I am a bit tired of yesterday’s travel,” she tried to reason out. “Your Highness, the princess said that you are needed for the banquet. Royal Concubine Hazel is now waiting for you by the gates.” Saying that, Lila pushed Emery towards the bathing ward so she co

Emery was still speaking with Lady Ruby when everyone got on their knees and lowered their heads. “Your Majesty, please spare our lives!” they begged. Looking behind her, the queen locked gaze with the king who was coming in their direction exuding some deadly aura. She turned on her heels to face him and asked if the royal concubine was doing fine. The king did not reply and was about to walk past her, however, Emery stepped to her right and blocked his way. She received his infamous icy and striking glare but it did not stop Emery from stepping to her left when the king attempted to get past her for the second time. “Step aside.” His command was absolute and full of authority but the queen knew that if she did let him be, he would scare the shit out of the already frightened ladies behind her. “If Lady Hazel is doing fine, there is no need for you to be merciless towards these young ladies. Other than that, did she tell you who pushed her?” “She is not saying anything so I woul

Emery moved when she felt a bit ticklish behind her ear. She was about to simply brush it off but when she raised her hand a bit to hold her ear and drive away whatever was causing it to tickle, she felt someone’s hand that drove her away from sleepiness. Out of instinct, she opened her eyes in no time and saw a masked person right in front of her, with only his remarkable blue eyes could be seen. She immediately grabbed her dagger hidden beneath her pillow and did not hesitate to attack, slashing the intruder with no hesitation. However, the masked person immediately stepped back and dodged the dagger. It was just the other day that her first assassination attempt happened so she expected that the security around the palace became tighter but it seemed like she was wrong. And for another attempt to happen so early, Emery was just as surprised. However, when she immediately stood to make a lunge, she felt lightheaded all of a sudden and her vision started to blur, making her dizzy and