Chapter 69: LXVI ※ Plotting, Secrets, and the Inevitable Murder: Just Another Day in Paradise

Thya's point of view

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Avy would never lie about something like this. I knew her too well. She was too sincere, too dedicated to her work, to ever fabricate something so serious. So why, then, were they going to such extreme lengths to try and frame me for it? What could they possibly gain from this? It was beyond me. If they succeeded, Avy would look like a liar, and so would they. There was no way they hadn't thought this through—no way they hadn't considered the consequences. If they request an audience with the temple and have it broadcasted, it would be disastrous for them. Everyone would see the truth, and they would be exposed.

The temple didn't answer to the Royals; they answered only to the truth, to the gods, and to the sacred laws that governed our land. They were bound by higher rules, ones that could not be twisted or manipulated for personal gain. The very idea of using the temple for their own purposes was reckless.

I was still thinking through all of this when Aeneas spoke, his voice laced with an edge of concern. "So, you... you two didn't lie, right?" His words seemed to hang in the air, heavy with doubt, and I felt my stomach twist in response. The tension was palpable, like a thick fog that refused to clear.

"No!" I hissed, the frustration rising within me, hotter than I had expected. My breath caught in my throat, and without thinking, I pulled off my blindfold, not needing it around them anymore. The cool air rushed against my face, offering a small moment of comfort amidst the madness swirling around me. But it didn't last long. I could still feel the eyes of the others on me, their questions, their doubts, pressing in from all sides.

"No!" Rai exclaimed immediately, his voice almost defensive, as if he was ready to prove something. "I used to eavesdrop on Nsomi to see what she was scheming," he added, a sharp laugh slipping from his lips, as though it were some sort of joke. "Hah, of course, I did. I saw when she was working on the song, just like I heard the day she told Avyanna, in our manor, that she had finished making the song for her."

That last part hit me harder than I expected. The memories came rushing back with overwhelming force—the sound of Avy's laughter echoing through the halls of the manor, the way she had beamed with excitement when she asked me for help. The way she trusted me, believing in my abilities to create something meaningful, something that could have real value. There was no way in hell she would betray that trust, not like this, not over something so petty.

"Ugh, this is going to turn into a scandal," Aeneas groaned, rubbing his forehead as though trying to ease the headache that was undoubtedly forming there. He was always one to worry, but in this case, he had every reason to. "The public is going to tear the Royal family apart over this. I don't understand why they would lie about something like this. Avy was no liar."

"Avy would never lie about something like this," I snapped, my voice sharper than I meant it to be. It came out as an automatic defense, the conviction in my words so clear that even I could feel it. "Never. She wasn't the type to fabricate something so serious. She asked me to do this for her, she knew the effort I put into it. She would never take credit for something she didn't do. That's not who she is."

The weight of the situation seemed to press down on me harder with every passing second. Daisuke, Phaedra, and the Queen were scheming—there was no doubt about that. It was becoming clearer by the moment, the way they had orchestrated everything. I could almost see the twisted plot unfolding in front of me, a plan that would lead only to disaster. They were setting me up, manipulating the situation to their advantage, all for some hidden agenda I couldn't even begin to fathom.

"That much is obvious," Rai hissed, his eyes narrowing in a way that told me he was angrier than I had seen him in a while. "But to go this far? To make a fool of our house? Have they lost their minds?" He clenched his fists, the muscles in his arms visibly tensing. "They may hold power, but they know damn well that House D'Arcy is almost as powerful as House Maximilian. They need us. Even still, they're going this far… for what? To mess with you? To mess with us?"

I couldn't help but nod in agreement. It didn't make sense, none of it did. If they were going to lie about something as serious as this, they had to have some bigger plan in mind. But why would they risk so much just to make me suffer? To damage everything we had fought for?

"None of this makes sense," Aeneas muttered, his voice laced with frustration. "What did you see in your vision of Ismene's death?" His voice took on an urgent tone, as though he believed the answer to this entire mess might be buried in my vision, the one I had seen so clearly and with such terrifying detail.

I froze for a moment, the question catching me off guard. I hadn't expected him to ask about it now. My stomach churned, and I found myself avoiding Rai's gaze. The question felt like a trap. If I answered wrong, I knew there would be consequences. "Uh... she died at 99, just like I said," I replied quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. "Heart attack when she was sleeping, surrounded by lots of kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids." I didn't want to say more, but I could feel their eyes on me, demanding more.

I didn't dare glance at Rai—his eyes were already too sharp, too perceptive. I could feel the weight of his gaze, burning into me as if he could see right through me.

Rai clicked his tongue in frustration, clearly not satisfied with my answer. He stepped forward and blocked the doorway of my chambers, positioning himself between me and the exit. His presence felt almost like a wall, unyielding and insistent. "You're hiding something," he stated flatly, his tone demanding. His eyes never left mine, searching, daring me to lie, daring me to deny what I was keeping from them.

I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. The pressure was mounting, my pulse racing in my ears. "It's not up to me to tell this to… anyone," I muttered, my voice shaking slightly under the weight of the secret I was holding.

"We're in a mess now, Nsomi," Aeneas scoffed, his patience clearly wearing thin. His gaze turned hard, no longer the concerned look I had seen earlier, but something else. "So, you better not hide anything from us. Spill it, now."

Rai's hand shot out, grabbing my chin with surprising force, his grip unyielding but not painful. He forced me to face him, his eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that left no room for evasion. "Everything," he demanded, his voice low and intense, almost a growl.

I felt cornered, trapped in a web of my own making. "It's just that I know who she'll marry," I blurted out, the words rushing from my lips before I could stop them. "The kids I saw made it all too clear to me. But I don't want to touch that matter. It's not for me to meddle in. It's up to them to fall for each other and get married!"

My breath hitched as I tried to calm my racing heart, but it didn't feel right. I hadn't told them everything. Not yet.

After a long, tense silence, Rai's frown deepened, his brow furrowing in realization. His eyes widened in shock, then narrowed, as though something inside him had clicked. "Is it me?" His voice was softer now, but I could still hear the undercurrent of disbelief.

I pressed my lips together, hesitation gripping me. The weight of the truth felt unbearable. I wasn't sure I was ready to say this out loud. "It's not up to me to say this," I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper, almost as if I was trying to convince myself.

"It's me," he gasped, his voice rising in a sudden burst of excitement, and then fear. "It's me, isn't it?"

I swallowed hard, trying to steady my breathing, but it was hard. I had no choice but to say it. "Yes. You are the only one who looks like me now—golden hair, ruby eyes. There's no one else but us. The kids were all a mix of blond and black hair, ruby and amethyst eyes. Some looked like you, others like her. You die at 88. She dies at 99, thirteen years after you. Both peaceful deaths while sleeping."

Rai's eyes widened, a mix of shock and something else in his gaze. But there was no disappointment, no anger. His expression was unreadable for a moment, before he spoke again.

"I'll marry the Royal Princess?" His voice was steady, almost too steady, as if he had already accepted this truth deep down. But his gaze didn't falter. If anything, he seemed to lean into it, almost curious.

I swallowed hard, my throat tight. "Yes. But... don't feel forced into anything just because of my vision. It will happen one way or another. It's already written in the stars."

"That's good," Aeneas snapped, clearly relieved. "At least that means what's happening now won't destroy the relationship between Houses D'Arcy and House Maximilian."

I wanted to laugh, but there was nothing funny about this. If even my death—at the hands of Daisuke—won't break that connection, then I doubt this vision will change anything either.

Feeling sick to my stomach, I pushed Rai away gently, the weight of it all making me dizzy. I couldn't look at them, not anymore. I couldn't keep pretending everything was fine. My eyes burned with tears I refused to shed. It was frustrating to know that I wouldn't live long enough to meet any of my nephews, or to even have children of my own. That hurt more than I was willing to admit. It fucking hurt.

Pushing open the door to my room, I entered but they followed me. Aeneas stepped closer, a look of concern still in his eyes. "Why are you acting so weird?" he pressed, his tone softening, though the worry was still there.

I rolled my shoulders, trying to shake off the weight of my thoughts. "I won't live long enough to meet your families. It kind of stings," I muttered, my voice barely audible. "I'll die before any of you, before any of them, and I won't have the luxury of a peaceful death." A pitiful smile tugged at my lips as I sat down on the bed, the heaviness in my chest making it harder to breathe. Slowly, I began taking off my heels, one by one.

"I'll be murdered," I whispered to myself, the words almost foreign on my tongue.

They gasped in unison. "What did you say?"

"I'll be murdered," I repeated, this time with a soft sigh escaping my lips as I set the heels aside. I started massaging my feet, trying to soothe the tension in my body, but it did little to ease the tightness in my chest.

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