Chapter 4

Agatha immediately burst into laughter. "Rosamund, you think you can accuse the queen of murder with nothing but an attendant's skeleton? You deserved to be hanged for this!"

The queen walked up to me and took my cold hand in hers.

"Rosa, I know you've spent all these years living in seclusion at Ravenvale," she said. "You must've been terribly lonely. You've let your own demons get the better of you.

"I don't blame you at all."

I stared at her flawless face, my stomach churning with disgust.

Charles had studied divination under me since childhood, and he was particularly sensitive to the signs. He picked up the three coins stained with my blood and crouched down to cast the reading again.

At first, his brows were tightly furrowed. Moments later, he suddenly looked up, his face lighting up with excitement.

"It changed! The reading changed!"

Grabbing Alexander by the arm, he exclaimed, "Father, look! The signs have shifted. The elements have fallen back into harmony. This is an extremely positive sign!

"Mother isn't dead. She's alive and well!"

Then, he turned toward me, a hint of reproach in his eyes.

"Rosa, you must've grown rusty with divination after spending so many years in seclusion. That's why you got it wrong.

"Mother is right here. Please, stop putting everyone through this."

The other seven princes quickly agreed, their tense expressions finally relaxing.

Alexander let out a long breath, his entire body sagging with relief.

"Rosa, you're exhausted," he said gently as he walked toward me. "Spending eight years alone in Ravenvale must've been difficult.

"Someone, take Lady York to the east chamber to rest. No one is to disturb her without my permission."

The commander of the royal guard approached with two guards and gestured for me to follow.

Meanwhile, the queen came over once more and affectionately linked her arm through mine.

"Rosa, go get some sleep. Everything will be all right when you wake up."

I looked at them, completely deceived by the woman standing before them, and gave a bitter smile.

The ancient power within me carried the energy of heaven and earth and could discern the workings of life and death. How could it possibly be wrong?

I couldn't lie to myself any longer. I couldn't keep running from the truth.

There were countless secret arts in this world, and there were indeed ways to deceive ordinary divination.

Someone whose abilities surpassed mine a hundredfold might even be capable of fooling the sacred power within me.

But no matter what trick this impostor had used, there was one thing she could never deceive—my mentor. Whatever secrets she possessed, they would never be enough to fool him.

I suddenly tore my arm free from the queen's grasp.

"Rest? No."

I drew the dagger at my waist and, without the slightest hesitation, plunged it straight into my chest.

"Rosa!"

Alexander and all eight princes immediately went pale with shock.

"Don't move!" I shouted.

I yanked the dagger free, and blood gushed from the wound.

With fingers slick with blood, I snatched the three coins from Charles' hand and slammed them against my forehead.

The instant the coins touched the blood from my heart, they erupted a blinding golden light before sinking directly into my brow.

I opened my eyes.

My eyes, once clear and dark, had transformed into brilliant pools of gold.

The queen staggered backward under the force of my gaze. For the first time, the composure on her face finally cracked.

"Rosa, what are you doing?"

I stood before her and asked one final question.

"If you really are Eleanor, then answer this. What is our mentor's name?"

The queen froze for a moment before secretly relaxing.

"Our mentor? Raven Vail, of course," she answered casually, brushing a stray lock of hair from her temple. "We studied under him at Ravenvale."

The moment she said it, the entire chamber fell silent.

I closed my eyes as blood-red tears rolled down my cheeks.

Alexander's face changed instantly. He suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood before collapsing unconscious.

Realization dawned on Charles and the other seven princes. They drew their swords and pointed them at the queen.

Charles' eyes were bloodshot, his face filled with murderous fury as he snarled, "Who the hell are you?"