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The Wound I Chose Myself

Author: Rainey Alta
last update publish date: 2026-06-20 08:00:07

The borders of the Hera Empire were slick with the remnants of last night's torrential rain. 

Kaelus Valthorne did not reduce his speed for even a fraction of a second as he thundered through the stone arches marking the imperial territory.

The steeds carrying the twenty Odiley royal guards and his nine Valthorne knights galloped fiercely in his wake, mud spraying a

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  • No Longer Your Puppet, Duke    Before the Hall Doors Open

    The red silk scroll was still warm on the table. Kaelus had already ordered the guards to burn it, but the tension it brought did not vanish with the smoke.The morning air in the Valthorne lodge was cold and heavy. The smell of last night’s rain lingered in the crevices of the wooden window frames, carrying a sharp scent of damp earth.In the corner of the room, Eden inspected a row of small glass vials and silver needles as thin as a strand of hair. The clinking of glass was the only sound shattering the silence.“There is no poison that leaves no trace, Your Grace.”Eden dipped Roselyn’s jeweled hairpin into a neutralizing liquid without looking back. “However, Cedric will not use a fast-acting poison. He needs a slow one—something

  • No Longer Your Puppet, Duke    A Bait Draped in an Invitation

    The scroll was wrapped in deep crimson silk like the shade of dried blood.Molton stepped forward two paces and held it out. His withered hands trembled slightly, but his gaze remained fixed directly on Kaelus.“His Imperial Majesty invites the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess to a private dinner banquet at the main hall of Hera Palace tomorrow evening,” Molton stated. His tone was flat—far too flat to be called calm.Kaelus did not reach for the scroll. His ruby eyes narrowed, scanning the royal butler as if skinning away every hidden motive behind his words.“A dinner banquet?” Roselyn interjected softly from her seat beside him. “While the Empress is ‘severely ill’ and kept in isolation?”“It is a banquet, Grand Duke,” Molton replied without fully turning toward her. “The Emperor wishes to clear up recent misunderstandings and ensure that our relationship with Valthorne remains intact.”“Do you feel our relationship has become problematic?”“…”“Never mind. Continue.”“There is one mor

  • No Longer Your Puppet, Duke    A New Plan

    Roselyn held her breath. This time, there was something that felt like hope."When will we know the results?""Before dawn, if they are swift enough.""What if the Empress is in danger? I shudder to think of us being too late, Kael.""We will decide once we know the situation.""Kaelus...""I know what you want to ask.""I haven't even said anything yet.""You want us to rush to her rescue tonight, don't you? A woman with a soft, pure heart like yours would naturally want safety for the person who helped you."Roselyn fell silent. She couldn't d

  • No Longer Your Puppet, Duke    False Suffering

    The morning sun crept bashfully through the gaps in the heavy velvet curtains, bringing a streak of golden light that cleaved through the darkness of the Valthorne Faction’s private inn chamber.The chilly dawn air still hung thick, carrying the scent of wet earth from last night's lingering rain. Atop the grand bed, Roselyn gradually awoke.Her eyelids felt heavy and swollen from the exhaustion and draining emotions that had sapped her strength all through the previous day.For the first few seconds, her mind was hazy. She stared at the ceiling adorned with intricate wood carvings, struggling to remember where she was.Yet as soon as memories of the tragedy in the East Wing, the discovery of the explosives and arsenic, and Kaelus's brief news regarding Empress Isa

  • No Longer Your Puppet, Duke    Dimmed Crimson Eyes

    Roselyn stood by the bedroom window. With her arms crossed over her chest, she gazed at the line of palace towers rising rigidly beneath the darkening evening sky. The heavy silk curtain, drawn aside, swayed gently in the cold wind that was beginning to carry the scent of rain.After the tense drama in the East Wing, Kaelus disarmed the explosives and arsenic hidden within their residential area. The lingering remnants of safety crumbled in an instant.Roselyn's refusal of the royal physician served as the next heavy blow. Right in front of everyone, she even named the Empress as the source of the warning regarding the poisoned dew.On the grounds of safety, Kaelus moved the entire entourage out of the palace to reside at the private inn of the Valthorne Faction. That move announced to the nobles that Hera Palace wa

  • No Longer Your Puppet, Duke    The Empress

    Isabella stood with grace even as her neck was choked, her expression devoid of fear. Perhaps she had long prepared herself for the arrival of this inevitable day."You leaked this plan to Valthorne and ruined everything I built!" Cedric squeezed her neck harder, his fingernails digging deep into her flesh."I merely saved this empire from disaster, Your Majesty," she gasped weakly."You wretched fool; you are the disaster!""Is this not what you taught me, to achieve our desires by any means necessary?" she countered with a faint, bitter smile. "I refuse to watch the entire empire crumble under divine wrath for your sins."With a roar of pure fury, Cedric violently threw Isabella's frail body aside.

  • No Longer Your Puppet, Duke    Warm Snow

    A stifling silence enveloped the balcony, broken only by the sound of Roselyn’s ragged, fractured breaths. Before her, Kaelus stood motionless, like an ice sculpture untouched by time.Roselyn lowered her head, trying to steady her racing heart. "Forgive me for forcing you to witness such a shamefu

  • No Longer Your Puppet, Duke    Just For A Moment

    Three days of confinement were enough for the bruises on Roselyn’s body to fade from a deep purple to a dull yellow. Thanks to the Elysium from her uncle, the wound on her forehead had dwindled to a thin red line.Vogard personally ensured that the mark was buried under layers of powder before drag

  • No Longer Your Puppet, Duke    A Piece of Memory

    No one greeted Roselyn as she left the room. There was only a silence that felt like an insult, making her misery complete.A few servants were called to drag her away, but Roselyn brushed their hands off.Step by step, holding onto the wall, she walked down the corridor with every joint in her bod

  • No Longer Your Puppet, Duke    The Bruises of Betrayal

    Roselyn ran out without looking back. The night chill pierced her skin, shielded only by a thin gown, but it was nothing compared to the frantic hammering of her heart. It throbbed between anxiety and a strange sense of satisfaction for having just trampled on the Duke’s ego.The four-hour journey

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