“Hela. You know you’re the only one I can trust with this. Get moving. Think of the bonus. We’ve secured the regular customers from high society, and the cowardly nobles won’t buy any more of the drug. We need to expand our supply channels. Here, five gold coins. Is that satisfactory?”

“F-five coins?”

Hela’s face brightened immediately.

“Oh my, when did I ever say I wouldn’t do it? If it’s your order, I’ll roll up my sleeves and run anywhere.”

The sense of superiority Selina felt watching Hela become instantly servile was short-lived as her mood sank again. An unpleasant feeling spread through every corner of her mind like black ink. She stomped on the gold coins irritably.

‘Even with all this money piled up, I still can’t have the one man I want.’

Her beautiful face contorted like Medusa’s.

“Selina, I didn’t expect you to attend this gathering.”

“Can we even call ourselves family anymore? It’s amazing this engagement has lasted this long.”

“That crazy woman….”

How much money did daddy pour into pushing this engagement? Who provided the military funds for the conquest?

“How dare you treat me like this when you don’t even know gratitude?”

For a moment, Hela’s face with the gold coins transformed into that damned queen’s face. The following luncheon, Achilleon nearly drinking the poisoned cup, and Hari stopping him.

“…”

Come to think of it, it was strange. At the time, she was too busy crying because the queen was trying to frame her as the suspect to analyze the situation. After her innocence was proven, the poison investigation was still ongoing but making no progress. Despite the prince nearly being poisoned, public opinion remained quiet.

‘Who put poison in Achilleon’s cup? It was originally the queen’s cup.’

Her head was complicated. There were many who targeted Achilleon. There were also those who resented Tiltia for favoring only Achilleon.

‘Like Antor… Wait, does that mean he set everything up and tried to pin it all on me?’

Everyone looks down on her. In her heightened emotions, Selina jumped up and threw the glass against the wall.

“Eek!”

With a crash, glass shards bounced off the wall and grazed Hela’s cheek.

“Oh, oh my lady. What’s with the sudden noise? Please calm down!”

“Oh, sorry Hela…. I almost killed you by accident. That wouldn’t do. You’re such an obedient dog after all….”

“What…?”

There was something more irritating than the possibility that Antor might be the culprit and the fact that she had suffered needlessly. That ‘thing’ had been making her feel terrible all along.

‘Hari.’

That woman saved her beloved Achilleon. The queen praised her achievement, and the prince called the woman who saved him to his chambers.

“Hela, watch the slave from Galate. Report everything she does to me, every single movement!”

Crack! The paper in her hand crumpled, spilling powder onto the carpet. The spilled pattern looked just like devil’s wings. Staring blankly at the stained carpet, Selina muttered.

“Right, those who do bad things should be punished by heaven. You shouldn’t covet what belongs to others.”

So she would gladly pass judgment as the devil. Because Achilleon was hers.

Getting worked up had drained her energy. Selina loosened the ribbon that was tightly constricting her chest and gestured toward the curtain. As if he had been waiting to be called, the curtain opened. The young and beautiful athlete she was sponsoring walked out n*ked.

Without hesitation, the man who had pleasurably heated her body the night before lowered his head and took her br*ast in his mouth. Intense moans filled the bedroom. The smell of drugs stubbornly clung to their pressed flesh. It was time to fall back into bottomless pleasure to eliminate the fire eating away at her heart.

* * *

Upon hearing that the true culprit of the assassination attempt had been caught, Achilleon changed his destination to the conference room. When he pushed open the thick door, the first thing he saw was Huliya kneeling on the floor.

“So, you’re saying we should conclude that the temple fire was caused by the fire-tailed beast? There’s no way such a beast could enter the sanctuary. If you make such an announcement, it means placing all responsibility on the temple.”

“What other choice do we have, High Priest?”

Achilleon glanced at Huliya, who had her head bowed, and said to the High Priest.

“Are you suggesting we blame me for the fire spreading from the cradle to the sacred artifact storage? The gods specifically knocked down the Third Prince’s sacred statue, and that fire grew to damage the sacred artifacts, so it’s an ominous sign. Would you be satisfied if we spread such propaganda?”

“That’s….”

“Interesting. If you don’t want to condemn me in such a way, you’d better look for the reason why the perfectly fine sacred statue collapsed within the temple.”

“The cradle is guarded by priests day and night!”

It was then that Antor, who had been watching the argument, stepped forward.

“That’s right, High Priest. I’m sorry, but let’s conclude this incident as the temple’s mistake. Otherwise, it would appear as if… as if the gods are specifically punishing my brother. It would also bring shame to the royal family.”

Antor turned to look at Achilleon with a gentle smile. Behind that facade of a loving brother, the subtle smile hidden beneath irritated Achilleon.

Right, when will you show your true colors? You who bribes my people and hides a knife in your br*ast, when will you drop this act of being a kind brother and draw your blade?

“The punishment of the culprit who harmed the Third Prince takes priority. I hear we have obtained a confession from the perpetrator.”

The nobles’ attention turned to the true culprit of the assassination attempt.

“Huliya Myrtos. The motive was reportedly revenge.”

Huliya’s tearful excuses that followed failed to reach the high seats of the conference room. While the Third Prince was staying in Colondo, he allegedly r*ped her niece whom she cherished as much as her own daughter.

She had been a loyal and honest woman who served as nanny to both princes. At least until he discovered her name on the list, she deserved such high praise. Had Huliya, who had shared over ten years with him, stabbed him in the back because she fell for Antor’s snake-like whispers?

Huliya spoke passionately as if everything were true. Who knew she could act so well. Sadly, none of the nobles threw her a sympathetic vote.

“How much did Antor pay you?”

Achilleon came down from his seat and whispered to the criminal.

“Do you think he’ll save you? Give you money for your sick daughter’s treatment and enough to live idly for life, then let you go free?”

“…”

“You should have stolen jewelry instead, poor Huliya. There’s no corner of the White Jade Palace your hands haven’t reached. You should have become a thief. Then I could have turned a blind eye a few times.”

“Ah, Lord Achilleon…”

“You stick a knife in my back?”

Finally coming to her senses, Huliya shook her head violently.

“Right, a dog that can’t recognize its master should be thrown into the fire pit.”

“W-wait. Just a moment, Lord Achilleon! I’ve committed a mortal sin-“

“Then die.”

Bang, the door closed and the screaming stopped. The nobles, having completely forgotten the old woman’s protests, resumed their meeting in a calm atmosphere.

He couldn’t help but laugh as he watched the woman being dragged away.

Ten years. To think this was all he got for trusting without doubt. There might be more spies planted by Antor. The advisor, guards, royal physician, and Margharita.

Achilleon cleared his head of the names clouding his thoughts and looked up to focus on the meeting. As if he had been watching him all along, his eyes immediately met Antor’s. As soon as he faced that snake-like smile, reality came rushing back and the suspended noise flooded in like a broken dam.

“The beast’s breeding season is approaching. Some creature has been invading the sacred beast protection zone to hunt, and it’s a serious problem. Even posting guards all night is useless.”

“Is there no solution?”

“Without El, it’s difficult to stop the beasts. It might be better to move the protection zone from southern Odepotos to the palace grounds, but herding them won’t be easy. They’re sacred beasts that don’t take to human handling at all, and they’re good at hiding.”

“You mean they’re impossible to capture unless we kill them.”

“Yes, I’ll send a support request to the temple first.”

The king nodded and looked at the two princes. A strange tension circulated among the nobles as they exchanged brief glances.

“Antor, Achilleon. Proud sons of Hitais, the time has come to compete for your abilities as heirs to the throne.”

* * *

“Gather all the White Jade Palace servants. Investigate everyone’s background without exception and submit a list of those showing suspicious behavior or frequent outings. Confiscate all items brought into the palace before and after the festival.”

Immediately upon returning to the palace, the Third Prince’s stern orders fell. Having heard the rumor that Huliya was the one who had attempted to take Achilleon’s life at the main palace, the servants could only bow their heads and tremble. With the palace turned upside down once, unrest had reached its peak.

Entering his office, Achilleon roughly ran his fingers through his hair.

“Rainan, bring the woman from the prison.”

As soon as Rainan left the room, he poured the ice water brought by his advisor into the fireplace. The world was too dangerous to accept and drink without doubt.

As he was about to throw the remaining water glass into the fire, a low knock sounded. Through the gap in the door that opened with a creak, he saw the woman’s eyes burning as brightly as the flames that had swallowed the water glass.