Chapter 3

Lyra's words cut through me, and I shut my eyes in despair.

She took my silence as proof she had uncovered the truth. With a wave of her hand, she forced me back into my true form and dragged me to her chambers.

…

"Hey, wake up. You didn't really think it was over, did you? That little scene earlier was just an appetizer."

I blinked groggily awake to see Lyra standing over me. Her chin was tilted high, and she was brimming with excitement.

A shiver ran through me. My lips parted, but no sound came out.

Sweat beaded along my forehead as I realized the truth—I wasn't just bound, but silenced by a spell.

Lyra smirked at my futile struggle, clearly entertained. She lifted a pale, elegant hand and gestured. "I need two guards here. Since this carp has such a reputation for craving men, I'll let her enjoy herself one last time before she dies. Call it mercy."

The catfolk attendants who had just been rewarded chuckled, flattering her endlessly. "Thank you for the generosity, Your Ladyship!"

An elderly maidservant, watching from the side, couldn't bear it. She stepped forward and said in a trembling voice, "Your Ladyship, she's still His Majesty's consort. This isn't right. You may have his favor, but doing such a thing would be dangerous."

My head was heavy, and my vision blurred. Yet, I turned toward her, gratitude filling my eyes.

Lyra paused and considered, then laughed lightly. "You're right, Mary. Two isn't enough. Make it four. His Majesty won't punish me. Just the other day, he promised me a luminous pearl from the Sea of Dusk as a gift."

Her tone brooked no argument.

My body went cold, and all strength drained out of me.

The four chosen guards stepped forward. Their eyes were gleaming, and their tongues were sliding across their lips as they stared at me like prey.

I could do nothing but clutch my stomach with both hands.

One sneered. "Forgive us. But don't worry, we'll treat you well."

They closed in and then forced themselves on me, crushing me under their weight.

A single tear slipped from the corner of my eye.

I forced myself to block out what they were doing, clinging to one thought over and over—nothing mattered but protecting the child.

With the last scrap of my power, I sealed my womb in a protective spell, holding the life inside steady.

Meanwhile, the whispers of the other maids around me kept seeping into my ears.

"The High Priest said His Majesty would never have an heir. How dare she claim her illegitimate child belongs to him? No wonder Your Ladyship is so furious."

"Exactly. She deserves this."

I didn't know how long it went on, but just when I thought I was about to die, they finally stopped.

Lyra stepped closer, her disdain plain on her face. "Tsk! How filthy. This is the price of infidelity. Do you understand?"

I bit down on my lip, refusing to say a word.

"What's the matter? Still defiant?"

She sneered and slapped me hard across the face, then forced me back into my true form. "Bring me a blade!"