Chapter 32: Chapter: 30

"Father..."

Rex called his father carefully, he could see the visible anger and sadness on the Emperor's face, he has reported all of his conversation with Grizel and give him the list of the traitors' felonies.

Emperor Drake massages his furrowed forehead, his son was asking an audience with him as soon as he came back from the Belial territory, Drake thought it was a report regarding his fiancee yet he brought this shocking news instead.

"Rex, My son... I am sorry, because of your incompetent Father you lost your mother at such a young age"

Drake said in regret because he sits at the highest position in the empire yet couldn't even protect his beloved wife.

"Father, I know you are the one who lost her the most, as her son, I know my mother never wanted to see you blaming yourself"

Emperor Drake stroked his son's hair affectionately, he is the proof of his love for the Empress, their treasure.

"Thank you for being born as our precious son, Rex"

Rex smiled genuinely without his usual fake one but then turn into a red tomato as his father keeps on talking.

"And seems like you found a reliable spouse to support you"

Looking at the red face in front of him, the Emperor couldn't help but widened his eyes because it is the first time he looks at his son acting shy.

"Father, we can talk about Grizel as my fiancee later as we have a pressing matter"

The bashful prince cuts abruptly before another talk about engagement arises.

"Haha, alright. We will have a full father-son chat soon after all"

Rex just nodded helplessly and called Dion who is waiting for him outside the room.

"Father, Grizel gave me this to prove her claim about Mother's assassination as a token of apology for using this sensitive matter as the bait to lure us"

A small wooden box appears on Rex's hand from his storage ring, inside of it was a vial which contains a transparent liquid no different from normal water in appearance, but looking at how it was carefully placed in a box, of course, it's not ordinary water.

"Instead of an apology, shouldn't we be thankful for her to reveal the truth behind the Empress' illness, moreover she lists the culprit for us?"

"I thanked her but she insisted on giving me this"

He took the vial filled with a transparent liquid from the box carefully afraid of breaking it in any possible way.

"Dion, did you bring the item needed?"

"Yes, Your Highness. I have exchanged the late Empress' pillow secretly"

Dion hand over a fancy soft pillow he took from his storage ring.

"Pillow?"

Drake asked in confusion because the report on the list said the cause of the death was due to the long term poisoning.

"Yes father, the poison doesn't necessarily have to be eaten through the mouth, in fact, the food and beverage of the Royals always tested before served, moreover Mother barely had enough appetite to eat, for a bedridden patient like her, pillow or bed is the most suitable medium for the poison"

It was Grizel's assumption, but Rex believes in her because all she said was more make sense than an ambiguous explanation of the Imperial high priest who didn't even suspect her mother's illness as a poisoning.

"Grizel told me that consuming the poison once or twice will only cause nauseous because originally the poison wasn't that potent. The problem is the difficulty of detecting this colorless, odorless, and tasteless poison"

He explained all the information regarding the poison to his father just like his fiancee did to him.

"And the long term poisoning will cause symptoms similar to an illness that gradually weakened one's body, that is why mother had to be bedridden for years before she passed away"

Both of them look down with a grim face, compared to a quick death by a sharp blade, this way of dying is far more tragic, she has to endure all the pain in her body for years while hoping up for the cure only to die in the end.

"Is this liquid in the vial can be used to detect the poison?"

The Emperor who has quickly grasped the explanation and the usage of the Grizel's gift asked his son.

"Yes, father. According to her, even though the bedsheet had been cleaned several times and the evidence are mostly removed, there should be a little trace of the poison still left on the pillow or the bed, all I have to do is to sprinkle this liquid on it, and for the comparison, I will do the same to my pillow"

Emperor Drake and Rex look at each other and nod, while Dion putting 2 pillows on the table to be tested.

Sprinkle!

Rex sprinkled a little amount of the colorless liquid onto his pillow, the slightly wet pillow didn't show any change except for becoming a little humid.

Sprinkle!

Once again he did the same but this time is to his late mother's pillow, the 3 of them watching the pillow carefully because just a little bit changes can be used as evidence but...

"..."

Dion, Rex, and Emperor Drake started to widen their eyes in shock, they couldn't find any words to say after seeing the pillow.

Slowly but surely the white color of the fancy pillow change into a pitch-black stain.

"This..."

The Emperor almost shouted in anger, according to his son's fiancee, there should be at least a little trace of the poison, but...

"They are underestimating us"

This time Rex is the one who said it in bloodshot eyes, instead of finding a little trace, they found the whole pillow covered in black stain means that the culprits didn't even bother to erase the evidence.

"Seemingly, they have huge confidence this poison wouldn't be discovered"

Dion stated his opinion while the Emperor and his son nodded in agreement. Then drake mumbled to himself after observing the black-stained pillow curiously.

"What is the origin of this poison to make those careful traitors recklessly left the evidence untouched?"

Even though Emperor Drake doesn't want to admit, the poison which killed his beloved wife is the most perfect poison for an assassination he ever knew.

Tasteless, colorless, and odorless, also can be used without being eaten, moreover, the symptoms are similar to an illness that gradually weakened the victim make it easier to prevent any suspicion.

He, Rex, and Dion couldn't help but notice that the enemies are more resourceful and dangerous than they imagined.

"About that... I am sorry but I have no idea, Father"

Rex knows his father is only mumbling out of curiosity to himself and didn't expect an answer from anyone because all of this information is gathered by Grizel, they need to be grateful and ask for no more as she has given it to them freely, she generously provides the evidence though they didn't sign anything of her request contract yet.

'Wait, considering her personality, isn't it seem like another bait? By leaking limited information in the name of apology but holding the most crucial part'

Rex startled by his sudden thought as if he was just realized something yet still, he is smirking in disbelief.

First, his fiancee uses the assassination fact as bait to lure him, afterward, as a pretense of apology, she gave him this liquid to prove her words of the assassination while leaking about how dangerous the enemies are, yet she is hiding the most crucial portion as part of the contract agreement to trap him deeper and has no choice but to approve the contract.

'What a scary girl'

Through their first negotiation that night, Rex has already had a hint of Grizel's cunning personality, he would find it suspicious if she gave him all the information and this liquid at once without any reason, but she concealed her second trap as a token of apology.

'I fell for my evil fiance's trap again...'

-•-

Crash!

Grizel accidentally nudged a flower vase in the hallway to her room, she tried to hold onto the vase table to support her imbalance body.

"Milady"

Levi and Lucy rushed towards Grizel before she completely falls onto the floor, the other workers started to get panic and run to call the head maid.

Grizel feels a familiar heat and the burning sensation creeps through her body, the long-gone pain comes to her once again, the nightmare from 9 years ago.

"Levi, carry the Miss to her room! Lucy, prepare the bed! And Emma, go take cold water to compress the Miss!"

It was the head maid who rushed to them in a hurry, the most strict woman in terms of mannerisms yet running without thinking about her unladylike behavior.

"How could we are being this neglectful of our Miss"

"What do you mean?"

Levi asked with an impatient tone as he lays Grizel down onto her bed.

Huff! Huff! Huff!

Grizel heavy breath is going louder and louder making those who heard it filled with anxiety.

"It was her 10th birthday a few weeks ago"

10th birthday is a special occasion for the people in this world because it was the starter line of their fate, one's life can change drastically after their 10 birthday, but some left remain unchanged. The long-awaited chance to gain power...

"She is in the awakening stage"

"No way, she has alread-"

Before Levi shouted any longer, Lucy grips his shoulder and shakes her head to warn him not to speak unnecessary things.

In contrary to her firm eyes, the hand that gripping Levi's shoulder is trembling vigorously couldn't hide her fear, she knows why is Levi is being emotional, after all, both of them have pledged loyalty to their Lord and receive the same symbol on their hand, for the first time after years, this symbol sting and make them aware of their Lord's pain.

Succeed in the awakening and gain fame as an awakeners is a sweet temptation but...

The casualties during the awakening stage are not surprising news.

Those who didn't know Grizel has awakened her ability since long ago would think it's normal yet worrisome.

But it's different for those who are aware that Grizel has awakened her ability, and awakening for the second time was never be heard even since ancient times...

Lucy and Levi are facing the uncertainty of their Lord's life.

To be continued...

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Author's Corner:

Hello everyone~

It's my 30th chapter and I want to thank you all for the supports, the votes, and the nice words of you my beloved readers, it really means a lot to me.

I hope you are enjoying the story...

Here's Azure Empire Emblem for you~

And this is some fun fact about our evil, no, I mean beautiful MC's name, Lagertha Grizel Von Belial.

Lagertha is originally the name of a badass Viking Queen, I'm in love with the independent Queen who stands strong among and above men. She got me goosebumps! So dazzling!!

Grizel: I picked it as the unique identity of her silver-white hair as the True-Blood of Belial family, some sites also interpret this name as 'Black Battle' or 'Grey War' in old German, isn't it suit her well? I mean the 'war/battle' part Lol.

Unfortunately, in Croatian Grizelj means Grizzly Bear hahaha I'm dead if our MC found it out.

Last, Belilal is the name of the Demon who has beauty in appearance and is dedicated to creating wickedness among humans, mostly through deception, temptation and seduction.

Oh, I am really dead, she won't let me go this time.