Chương 22: A Night for A Nightmare
In Twilight's Chronicle, Christopher was Luna's lover. Their relationship was born not of romance but of mutual ambition. Together, they formed an alliance fueled by their thirst for power, complementing each other's insanity like a twisted villain-and-villainess duo. His unhinged nature and abusive tendencies made him a walking red flag.
Actually, he could be considered William's rival, as their handsomeness, physical strength, and swordsmanship were almost evenly matched. Some female readers even had rooted for him at the character's popularity contest.
As for me?
No sane girl would ever want to end up with someone like him.
"Are you sure your brother is exactly like the version I told you about from the novel?" I asked Ren, raising an eyebrow.
"100% sure. That skibidi boy is a carbon copy of our father's worst traits. He's a year younger than me but never missed a chance to torment me when we were kids."
"What? You just let him bully you?"
Ren rolled his eyes and replied with a dry laugh. "You think I'm a big L? Of course not!"
"Hey, stop talking like that! It's cringe!" I frowned and nudged him in his stomach.
"Sorry. Guess talking about my family makes me kinda emotional!" Ren chuckled. "I mean, I fought back every time. But you know how it is…"
"The Marquess and Marchioness always took his side because he's their precious legitimate son?"
"Bet!" Ren said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "You're lucky you didn't run into him when you stayed at my place before."
"Ugh… No, thank you! I hope I never do!" I shuddered at the thought of meeting Christopher in person.
Ren sat on my bedside and then stared at me. "We need to revise our plans soon," His tone shifted to something more serious as he said, "From what I've gathered, Shilien is organizing a tea party next week. It's for the King and the nobles to discuss preparations for the kingdom's anniversary celebration. She's been put in charge as the event coordinator."
"Hmmm…" My mind began piecing together a scheme, one that would let me humiliate Shilien yet again… this time, in front of the King and the nobles.
"Hey, I've got an idea," I leaned closer toward Ren and whispered in his ear, outlining my plan.
"That's a bit cruel but interesting… Are you sure about this?"
"Absolutely," I said with a smirk.
He grinned then we bumped fists, sealing our mischievous agreement.
***
The following week, a day before Shilien's tea party, I invited Chrisola to join Ren and me for a game of hide-and-seek in the palace gardens.
After two quick rounds—which Ren and I easily won—I crouched beside Chrisola, who was pouting after her loss.
"Hey, Sis! Do you want to make this game more exciting?" I tried to ask her casually, masking my hidden motive.
"How?" Chrisola's eyes lit up with curiosity.
"Hmmm… What if we invited Mother to join us?"
Chrisola hesitated, wrinkling her nose. "Are you sure Mother will agree? After our last game… Mother didn't seem happy… I don't think she's interested in playing with us again."
"Oh, come on! It doesn't hurt to try, right?" I said, smiling. "Let's go ask her!"
Chrisola tilted her head, clearly unsure. "Alright. But if she says no, don't blame me!"
"In that case, I'll wait here," Ren said, leaning against a tree with a casual wave.
He and I exchanged winks, a signal that the next phase of our plan was about to begin.
Accompanied by Anna and Elly, Chrisola and I headed to Shilien's chambers.
We knocked on the door, and one of her maids opened it.
"Is Mother inside?" Chrisola asked sweetly, her voice brimming with innocence.
"Yes, Your Highness. She's in her room," the maid replied.
"Please tell her my sister and I wish to see her," Chrisola continued.
The maid disappeared briefly before returning to usher us inside. She didn't notice Ren slipping in behind us, concealed by his Translucent Veil spell.
Shilien greeted us with her usual feigned warmth, her violet eyes narrowing slightly. "What brings my lovely daughters here? It's rare for you to seek me out," she said, her voice honeyed but laced with suspicion.
"Mother, we'd like to invite you to play hide-and-seek with us!" Chrisola said brightly.
Shilien stiffened, her expression faltering. It seemed she hadn't forgotten the last game, where I'd tricked her into imitating animals and it traumatized her.
"Ah… I'm afraid I'm quite busy today," Shilien said, forcing a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Perhaps another time?"
Chrisola's face fell, her lower lip quivering.
I immediately patted her shoulder to console her. "It's alright, Chrisola. Mother must have important duties to attend to. Let's go back and play with Ren, Anna, and Elly instead, okay?"
"Okaay…" Chrisola sighed, her enthusiasm dimmed but not entirely extinguished.
We left the room, followed by Ren who gave me a small nod from the shadows, signaling that the preparations were complete.
***
That night, after everyone in the palace had retired to their quarters, Ren and I met secretly near Shilien's chambers.
"So…" I glanced at Ren who was stretching his arms and legs in front of me. "How are we going to do this?"
"I unlocked her window earlier. We can sneak in through there," he replied while gesturing toward the balcony outside Shilien's bedroom.
"You're sure her maid didn't lock it again?"
"No chance. I rigged the frame so it can't be locked anymore," Ren assured me with a grin, then activated his Translucent Veil spell.
I glanced at the towering tree outside Shilien's window. Fortunately, her chambers were on the second floor, which was easy to access without scaling the castle walls further.
"There aren't any magical barriers inside, right?"
"Nope. Her magic isn't nearly as strong as you'd think." Ren smiled as he started to climb the tree. "She didn't even notice me earlier when I scouted the room."
"Typical. Her specialty is voodoo, curses, and other black magic," I muttered, climbing after him.
We reached the balcony with little effort, and Ren silently disengaged the wire he'd used to jam the window. He then slid it open with practiced ease, and we slipped inside cautiously.
While seemingly strong, Ren's Translucent Veil was essentially a combination of basic LIGHT and FORCE magic, detectable by powerful magicians who could perform mana detection, like Ixius. I hoped that Shilien really couldn't sense our mana.
The room was dark, with light only coming from the faint moonlight streaming through the curtains. At first glance, it seemed like any other noblewoman's quarters; plush rugs, ornate furniture, and a faint scent of perfume. But who knew what traps might be hidden?
Then as I approached the bed, my breath caught in my throat. Shilien's eyes were wide open, staring directly at me.
"R-Ren!" I hissed, clutching his arm.
"What is it?" Ren leaned in to check.
"She's awake!"
Ren waved a hand in front of Shilien's face, then rolled his eyes. "She's asleep. With her eyes open. Relax."
I stared at the snoring figure. "Geez… That's horrifying."
Ren snickered. "If only this world had cameras and internet, we could turn this into a viral meme!"
"Or… we could just kill her now and end the trouble before it starts," I smirked.
Ren stared at me, he seemed startled. "You're joking, right?"
I flashed him a smile. "Of course! I'm not that heartless."
But in my mind, I thought, "You're lucky you gave birth to me, Bitch!"
"Hey, we need to hurry. My spell won't last long," Ren reminded me.
"Alright…" I pulled a small object from my pocket.
It is time to teach this bitch a lesson she'd never forget. Something that would make her wouldn't dare to bite me anymore!
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