Chapter 41

Seeing the female lead from up close was something completely different. It was something indescribable. Every fiber in my body was screaming at me to bow but Ephraim was holding me in place. I glared at him trying to push him away but he just looked at Sarangerel, a smirk on his face:

"The Duke and his wife greet the Heir to the Glacial Throne."

Sarangerel didn't seem surprised by his behavior and nodded. It was almost unnoticeable but it was there. She then looked back at me and tilted her head slightly on the side. I would have given my arm to hear what she was thinking but she didn't say anything. She turned away as if to leave. Ephraim didn't seem to want to hold her back and I thought it would be my last chance to talk to her. I quickly opened my mouth but no sounds had time to come out.

What we heard next was a deafening explosion ripping through the air. The walls shook violently and I would have fallen backwards if it wasn't for Ephraim's arm around my waist. Screams of panic erupted from the guests as debris rained down from above. People started running in the first direction they could see, trying to get away from the invisible danger. Soon, chaos reigned.

I had no idea where I was anymore. The one second appealing exhibition turned into a warzone. People were howling, crying, fleeing. Everything was moving, everything was loud. I had no idea where to go or what to do. I completely froze and just stared at hell breaking loose. I thought that everything would eventually calm down if I waited enough but things only seemed to get worse.

Masked people appeared through the windows and started attacking the people closest to them. I thought that it couldn't have been real. It must have been a play or some kind of art form but what I saw couldn't have been fake blood. Smelling that atrocious smell finally woke me up and I covered my mouth, trying not to throw up.

Arora seemed just as shocked as me. It was her first outing and here she was caught in an attack. I hugged her against my body with all my strength. I didn't know if it was to calm her down or myself.

"It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay."

I was repeating it as a mantra. If I said it then it would probably come true. I couldn't die here. Not yet. Not now. Please don't let me die here. Please.

"What's wrong darling?"

My head jerked up towards Ephraim. What did he mean by that? Everything was wrong! How could he be so calm? He was looking at me as if I was the weird one. As if I was overreacting but he was the one under reacting.

"We can die any second! What do you mean what's wrong? Do you want to die? Aren't you too young to die? Dont you have dreams? I don't know what villains dream of. Killing more people? You wont be able to kill anyone if you die!"

I shouldn't have talked about dying because Arora immediately started crying.

"No! I didn't mean it like that! We surely won't die."

I looked at Ephraim:

"Right?"

He shrugged:

"Probably."

I thought I would cry with Arora.

"What do you mean probably?"

I looked at Sarangerel. I trusted her way more than Ephraim. The female lead surely wouldn't let an innocent child die, right? She was always a good person and now that she was powerful it was even better.

Sarangerel tilted her head again seeing my gaze. She didn't seem at all alarmed, just as Ephraim. I didn't know what was making her so calm but if the female lead was calm then I was too. I didn't have time to calm down for real however because Ephraim immediately pulled me closer to him:

"Don't worry, wife. Your husband will protect you.

-Let me go. I prefer the female lead. I don't want you to protect me. You're scarier than this place."

Ephraim laughed but I didn't have time to understand what he found so funny. Another explosion was heard and the walls quaked. A section of the ceiling gave way, collapsing with a thunderous crash. I didn't have time to understand what had happened. All I knew was that one second Arora was in my arms and the next she was under the debris. I looked down at my arms again and again thinking that I must have imagined things.

"Arora? Aurora!"

I pushed Ephraim away and rushed to the wreckage. What had happened? It all happened so fast I had to remember. But I just couldn't understand. Arora was safe with me. Why would she suddenly run towards the collapsing wall? Why would she do that?

"Arora! Arora! Are you okay? Answer me!"

I tried pulling the wall debris away but they only grazed my hands in the process.

"Arora!

-Dad! I'm okay!"

I thought I would collapse in relief when I heard the faint voice.

"Thank God! Are you sure you're okay? You don't have anything?

-I'm completely fine!

-Don't move! We will come get you!"

I turned towards Ephraim, thinking that he would get her out in a second but what I saw made me frown. He wasn't doing anything really. At least he wasn't reacting as I thought a father would react. I knew that he was the villain and he didn't care a lot for Arora but I thought that he would at least... I don't know, do something. His expression remained detached. He didn't even look in Arora's way and raised his hand, signaling to his knights:

"Save those trapped under those debris."

His voice was cold. Way too cold as he was pointing at the debris next to Arora. I thought I was seeing things. I rubbed my eyes. It couldn't be happening. But Ephraim's men didn't hesitate a second and started helping the people stuck on my left. Surely Ephraim mustn't have seen where his daughter was.

"Arora is trapped over here."

Ephraim nodded:

"I know."

My heart suddenly went cold.

"What do you mean you know? What are you doing? Your own daughter is in danger."

Ephraim looked at me as if I was the weird one. I had never been more scared of that man in my entire stay in this new world:

"There are more people trapped over there.

-But... She is your daughter! How could you not help her first?

-What kind of leader would I be if I listened to such selfish thoughts? There are more people in need over here."

I had no idea what to say. It was so terrible that all I could do was laugh. How could I have forgotten? This man was the villain. I had spent peaceful days next to him which must have numbed my fear. But this man was to be feared. He was a cold blooded calculating killer who was ready to do anything for revenge. Everything he did was logical and he didn't care at all about his daughter. He was...

"You're a monster!"