Rehena froze in sheer terror, her eyes widening as they fell upon the syringe already plunged into Roselia's chest.
"HOW DARE YOU!" she cried, her voice trembling with both fear and fury, as she surged forward to push the girl named Anabelle, who was dressed as a maid.
Thud!
Anabelle collapsed violently onto the floor, landing with a painful thump, while Rehena immediately darted to Roselia's side. She gripped the older woman's shoulders and hastily turned her to face her, kneeling beside her in a desperate attempt to gauge her condition. Roselia, the mother of Max—looked ghastly pale, her breath shallow. Rehena's chest tightened, a gasp escaping her lips as she cradled Roselia's trembling form.
"Your Highness… are you alright?" Rehena asked, her voice thick with worry, as she held Roselia's arm, feeling it quiver beneath her touch.
Roselia let out a heavy sigh, exhaustion etched into every line of her face. "There's… no time…" she whispered faintly, barely able to lift her eyes.
"Please… don't… Max will be here!" Rehena said, whipping her head toward the door as she shouted desperately, "YOUR HIGHNESS! MAX—AAAACCCCK—"
SCRAAAAAPE!
Her shout was cut short as Anabelle yanked Rehena's hair with brutal force, dragging her across the floor. Rehena screamed in pain, her hands clawing at the ground as she tried to resist the pull.
"Let me go!" she cried, springing to her feet with a surge of desperate strength, shoving Anabelle with all her might. The maid nearly lost her balance, her body wobbling dangerously, but she recovered quickly, a cruel, triumphant smirk twisting her lips.
"You bitch!" Anabelle spat, drawing a small kitchen knife from her pocket. Rehena's eyes widened, and Roselia's chest heaved as she struggled to catch her breath, watching the confrontation escalate.
"Put that down!" Rehena commanded, waving her hands in a pleading attempt to calm Anabelle, though the other merely grinned with wicked delight.
"And who are you to command me, you fool?" Anabelle hissed.
With a sudden lunge, Anabelle charged, knife aimed at Rehena's stomach. Rehena ducked just in time, narrowly evading each vicious strike, her heart thundering in her chest. She darted sideways with desperate agility, swinging a chair with frantic force to block Anabelle's relentless advance. The maid prowled toward her like a predator closing in on helpless prey, eyes glinting with merciless intent. Rehena's limbs trembled violently, and a silent scream clawed at her throat, yet she forced herself to remain composed—she knew Max and Barron were far too entangled with the Eastern guards under the new queen's command to come to her aid.
"HAHAHAHA! I'LL KILL YOU!" Anabelle shrieked, slashing the knife through the air with murderous intent.
"NOT BY CHANCE! AAAACK!" Rehena yelled, narrowly evading another strike. In a desperate move, she seized Anabelle's wrist, where the knife was held. She intended to wrestle it free, but Anabelle's strength far surpassed hers—Rehena's slender frame barely able to contend with the maid's brute force.
"What do you think you're doing? AAAACCCCK!" Anabelle screamed, straining to maintain control. The two girls grappled for their lives, shoving and pulling, stumbling backward and forward in a chaotic battle, each desperate to gain dominance over the weapon.
"I can't die!" Rehena sobbed, her body trembling with raw terror.
"YOU WILL!" Anabelle spat, her voice twisted into a demon-like growl. She pushed Rehena toward the wall, intending to crush her completely.
"AAAAAACK!" Rehena shrieked, the brutal impact jolting agony up her spine. Every muscle ached as she clung desperately to the knife, her heartbeat hammering in her ears, her fingers trembling against the cold steel. Before her, Anabelle pressed the blade dangerously close through her eyes blazing with merciless intent.
Amid the haze of panic and the creeping urge to surrender, a sudden vision flickered in Rehena's mind—a soft, familiar whisper that seemed to float directly from her beloved Carlo.
~My love…~ Carlo whispered, his voice echoing softly through the recesses of Rehena's mind, as if he were guiding her hand and teaching her how to anticipate Anabelle's strikes. ~In moments like this, find your enemy's weakness.~
His words repeated in her thoughts, over and over, as Rehena's mind raced through the chaos. She forced herself to focus, even as Anabelle's knife loomed threateningly before her. Then, in a flash of clarity, she saw it—the crucial weakness, the exposed point she could exploit: Anabelle's knee.
But even as Carlo's voice urged her on, a shadow crept over her vision. Darkness clawed at the edges of her sight, for Carlo's presence, though guiding, was no longer gentle—his influence poisoned her mind, twisting perception with an insidious force.
~Kick it… make her release the knife…~ Carlo's whisper echoed in her mind.
Gathering every ounce of strength, Rehena stomped fiercely on Anabelle's knee.
"AAAAACK! Shit!" Anabelle yelped, stumbling backward and collapsing to the floor, the knife slipping from her grasp.
~There… do not hesitate, my love. Grab the knife..~ Carlo's voice urged again. Trembling and overwhelmed, Rehena snatched the weapon from the floor just as Anabelle scrambled to rise.
~You did it, my love…~ Carlo whispered one last time, fading from her mind. In the brief moment of shock, Rehena lunged forward, plunging the knife into Anabelle's stomach. The maid vomited a torrent of blood, her eyes widening in horror as crimson sprayed across Rehena's face. Anabelle collapsed, lifeless, her body crumpling against the floor.
Rehena, drenched in blood, blinked in disbelief. Slowly, she lifted her head to gaze upon Anabelle's dead body, then glanced at her own hands, slick with the cold, sticky crimson. Her vision blurred, darkness creeping at the edges.
"No… nooo!" she wailed, stumbling backward, collapsing to the floor. Her gown was stained red, the horror of what she had done crashing upon her with unbearable weight.
"Kyaaaaaaaa!" she screamed, covering her ears, tears streaming freely. "No! I… I… I didn't kill her! It's not my fault! I only… I only wanted to survive!" Her cries grew louder, more frenzied, teetering on the edge of madness. "Carlo! Carlo! Help me! Help me! Carloo!" Her body shook violently, exhausted and broken, the first experience of taking a life leaving her utterly shattered.
As Barron continued fighting without pause against the Eastern guards outside, his clothes were already soaked in blood. The guards kept charging at him relentlessly, blades raised, voices echoing through the grounds. As Barron struck one down and turned his head sharply to scan the distance, his breath caught in his throat. His eyes widened in alarm when he saw the Crown Prince of Eastern Meldric rapidly approaching the mansion, accompanied by his mother—Josepina, the Queen of the Eastern Empire.
"Damn it… I need to get the lady out of here," Barron muttered through clenched teeth.
With a final, forceful thrust, he finished off the guard before him and immediately rushed back inside. Panic pressed heavily against his chest. If they delayed any longer, none of them would escape.
As Barron ran toward the chamber where Rehena was, Max had already reached his mother's room. He pushed the door open without hesitation, only for his body to freeze in place. His eyes widened in horror at the sight before him.
His mother lay weak and pale against the cold marble floor, her breath shallow, her strength slipping away.
"Mother!" Max cried out as he rushed forward, dropping to his knees and lifting her fragile body into his arms.
"M-my child…" Roselia murmured, her voice trembling as her body grew weaker by the moment.
"Mother, please hold on. We will save you," Max said desperately. "Where is Rehena?"
"Th-there…" Roselia whispered, lifting her trembling finger. "She is having a panic attack…"
Max turned his head in the direction she indicated. His breath faltered when he saw Rehena sitting on the cold floor, her hands pressed tightly over her ears. Tears streamed down her face, splashing against the marble beneath her. Her entire body trembled uncontrollably as quiet sobs escaped her lips.
Without hesitation, Max rushed toward her.
As he approached, his gaze caught sight of a lifeless woman nearby. A kitchen knife was buried deep in her abdomen, blood spreading across her clothes. When Max's eyes shifted to Rehena, he noticed her dress soaked in red. A terrible suspicion stirred in his chest.
"My lady," Max said gently as he knelt before her, placing his hands carefully on her shoulders.
He tried to steady her shaking body, his voice calm despite the chaos around them. To Max, such a reaction was natural—she was fragile, overwhelmed, and had never taken a life before.
"No… no… I didn't kill her!" Rehena cried, shaking her head violently. "She wanted to k-kill me!"
She refused to meet Max's eyes, her breath uneven as panic consumed her. Max's gaze darted toward the door. Time was slipping away, and the Eastern guards would arrive at any moment.
Then Rehena screamed.
"Carlo! Carlo! Carlo! Please… help me!"
Her voice cracked with terror as she cried out the name of the man she longed to have beside her. The weight of her first killing crushed her spirit, her anxiety spiraling beyond control. Her vision darkened, the world blurring around her—
"Rehena… I'm here."
A warm, gentle voice brushed against her ear.
Her eyes widened in shock as she lifted her head slowly. Her vision remained hazy, yet before her stood a man with golden hair and pale skin—the same image that mirrored her beloved Carlo.
"Rehena!"
She gasped sharply.
Her vision cleared, and reality struck her all at once. Standing before her was Max. Not Carlo. It had been an illusion born from fear and longing.
"W-what happened?" Rehena asked, swallowing hard as she tried to steady her thoughts.
"You were having a panic attack," Max explained urgently. "We don't have time. We must leave—now."
Forcing herself to stand, Rehena gathered what strength she had left and hurried toward Roselia, who lay weakly on the floor.
As Max and Rehena struggled to support Roselia's fading body, Barron burst into the chamber, his expression grim.
"My lady, my lord—we are out of time," Barron said urgently. "The Queen and the Crown Prince are here. I must secure Lady Rehena immediately."
Instead of panicking, Max and Rehena focused on Roselia.
"Mother, let me carry you," Max pleaded, sliding his arms beneath her.
Roselia weakly grabbed his wrist, stopping him.
"There is no time," she whispered.
"No, my lady," Rehena said through tears. "We will save you."
Roselia remained silent for a moment. With trembling fingers, she reached into the pocket near her chest and pulled out a sealed scroll, pressing it into Rehena's hands.
Rehena stared at it in confusion.
"What… what is this?" she asked.
"Th-this is the formula of the her—"
"They are here!" Barron shouted from the doorway, cutting Roselia off.
"Go!" Roselia suddenly pushed Max away, sending him stumbling to the floor.
"No, Mother!" Max cried.
Despite her weakness, Roselia grabbed him firmly as they both lay against the floor.
"Listen to me, my child," she said desperately. "If you stay, none of you will survive. Live for me. Avenge our people. Avenge your mother."
he shook his head in denial.
"Mother… please!"
"Go!" Roselia screamed. "Leave me here. This is the only way."
She turned to Barron. "Sir Barron, take my son with you."
Barron hesitated—but the approaching footsteps forced his hand. With a heavy heart, he grabbed Max by the shoulder. Max resisted, desperately reaching for his mother's hand, refusing to let go.
Roselia's strength snapped.
"LISTEN, MAX!"
Her sudden shout froze him in place. She held his face firmly, her eyes burning with warning. Max felt the chilling cold of her skin, her life slipping away.
"You are the heir of the Eastern Empire," Roselia said.
"I don't care about that—" Max began.
"Max," she interrupted sharply, "listen to me."
"If you stay, they will kill you. Flee to the north. Seek alliances. Avenge us. Your father will not spare you. Go!"
She pushed him away with what little strength remained.
"Sir Barron," Roselia commanded, "protect the true heir of the Eastern Empire."
Barron bowed his head and obeyed. He forcefully pulled Max away. Max staggered to his feet, powerless, his heart breaking as he was dragged from the room.
"Please… take care of my son, Rehena," Roselia whispered, lifting her cold hand to Rehena's cheek.
Rehena swallowed her sobs, forcing herself to nod.
"Long live Queen Roselia of the Eastern Empire!" Rehena cried through her tears. "Long live!"
They ran—Max, Rehena, and Barron—leaving Roselia behind. Max wanted to scream, to cry, yet no tears would fall.
As they escaped the chamber, voices rang out behind them.
"Look! After them!"
The Eastern guards spotted them, forcing them to flee in another direction toward the exit.
Back in the chamber, a tall figure dressed in crimson stepped forward.
"Well, well," a mocking voice echoed. "Is this the greatest herbalist of the Eastern Empire?"
Roselia lay weakly upon the cold floor, her gaze lifting with what little strength remained. She already knew who stood before her.
Josepina—the current Queen of the Eastern Empire.