مكتبة
بحث
بيت / The Last Snowfall / Chapter 6

مشاركة

Chapter 6

مؤلف: Gaggle Gray
All Serena could hear was the buzzing in her ears. It felt as though the blood in her body had frozen. Cedric knew that Gwendolyn had orchestrated everything to frame her, yet he had chosen not to expose her or seek justice for Serena.

Instead, he wanted Serena, the victim, to play along, confess to a crime she had never committed, and accept the punishment. All of it was to ensure that Gwendolyn's emotions would not affect her recovery.

What about Serena? She had just taken a poisoned arrow for him and had not fully recovered. In fact, she had yet to recover from childbirth.

Pain washed over her as the absurdity of the situation sank in. The pain felt even worse than when she had taken that arrow for Cedric. After a long moment, she finally found her voice.

"Your Highness, m-my health hasn't been very good since giving birth. C-can I not admit to this crime?"

Cedric looked at her pale face and the dull light in her eyes. For a brief moment, he felt flustered. He looked away, and his expression hardened.

"Don't make this difficult for me, Serena Claridge. This is only an act. I won't really punish you severely. Once you've done this, I promise... I'll make it up to you."

Make it up to her?

He was always talking about making it up to her, but Serena wanted none of it. All she wanted was to leave this place safely. Unfortunately, that choice was not hers to make.

Cedric's word was absolute in the Palace. If he wanted her to confess, she had to confess. If he wanted her punished, she had to accept it.

Serena lowered her eyes slowly. When she looked up again, they were filled with lifeless numbness.

"Your wish is my command, Your Highness."

Cedric's expression softened when he saw her submit.

"Let's go inside."

They entered the chambers one after the other. Gwendolyn was reclining on a chaise lounge, and the moment she saw Serena standing behind Cedric, tears immediately welled in her eyes.

"You have to do something about this, Your Highness. I had no idea Serena... s-she held a grudge against me because I made her dance at my birthday banquet.

"I can't believe she tried to use such a vicious method to curse me to death. If it weren't for the powerful mystic, I... I might never have seen you again, Your Highness!"

Cedric hurried to her side and gently cradled her head.

"Take care of your health and don't get upset, Gwendolyn. We already know what happened."

He turned toward Serena, silently signaling for her to speak.

Serena closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she curtsied toward Gwendolyn and spoke in a calm, emotionless voice.

"I wasn't thinking clearly when I made that voodoo doll. I admit my mistake, Your Highness, and I'm willing to accept punishment."

A flash of satisfaction crossed Gwendolyn's face, but it was quickly replaced by even greater indignation.

"You heard her yourself, Your Highness! She admitted it! She wants me dead! You must punish her severely, or... or I'll never recover from this illness!"

Cedric patted the back of her hand before turning toward Serena. His expression became stern, as though he were delivering an impartial judgment.

"Lady Consort Serena Claridge used dark magic to curse the Crown Princess, demonstrating malicious intent. However, because you are willing to repent and have given heirs to the Royal Family, you will be spared from execution.

"From this day forward, you will be confined to the chapel and ordered to transcribe 100 copies of the Penitential Psalms while repenting in silence."

For a woman in Serena's condition, one who had not fully recovered from either her injuries or childbirth, confinement in the cold, damp chapel while transcribing 100 copies of the Penitential Psalms was already a severe punishment.

Gwendolyn, however, remained dissatisfied.

"That's it?" She sat upright immediately. "Your Highness, she nearly killed me, and all she has to do is copy psalms? How is she supposed to learn her lesson from such a light punishment?"

Gwendolyn clutched Cedric's arm and looked at him with tear-filled eyes.

"Your Highness, are you... are you trying to protect her because you've fallen for her?"

"What are you talking about?!" Cedric's expression darkened as he immediately denied it. "You're the only woman in my heart. I'm not protecting anyone."

"Then prove it to me! Send her to the Royal Dungeon and punish her according to Palace law."

استمر في قراءة هذا الكتاب مجانا
امسح الكود لتنزيل التطبيق
الفصل السابق الفصل التالي

أحدث فصل

  • The Last Snowfall   Chapter 24

    The physician blanched."Your Majesty, you can't do this! Your health is tied to the kingdom itself. This method will damage your body. I can't allow it!""Just use my blood when I tell you to," Cedric repeated calmly. He offered no further explanation. "There's no need to discuss it anymore. Make the preparations immediately. If you fail to save him, I'll bury you with him. If you dare tell anyone about this, I'll execute your entire family along with you."The physician's face turned deathly pale, and he collapsed to the floor.Over the next seven days, Cedric claimed he needed peace and quiet to recover and refused to see anyone. Each day, the physician entered his room in fear and carried out the treatment.Every time it was done, Cedric felt as though he had one foot in the grave. His body was wracked with pain. Constant exhaustion and chills left him drifting in and out of consciousness. Even so, he clenched his teeth and endured it without making a sound.Whenever he close

  • The Last Snowfall   Chapter 23

    Not long afterward, news arrived from the Northern border that Serena and Julian had married in the rustic yet welcoming House Sinclair. On the day of their wedding, a rare snowfall blanketed the borderlands.Snowflakes swirled in the wind and settled on Serena's hair and wedding gown. Looking up at the falling snow, she was briefly transported back to the day she first met the Crown Prince. He had stood before the grand hall of the Palace, looking down at her with cold, indifferent eyes.The memory distracted her for only a moment before a small smile touched her lips. She had finally made peace with her past. Every joy and sorrow, every love and hatred, every struggle, sacrifice, life, and death seemed to drift away with the falling snow. One by one, the flakes melted into the earth and disappeared.After the new king ascended the throne, the kingdom gradually stabilized. Before long, court officials began urging Cedric to take a new queen and produce more heirs. He rejected every

  • The Last Snowfall   Chapter 22

    Serena stood frozen, staring at the soldier delivering the report. His mouth moved as he spoke, but all she heard was a dull buzzing in her ears. The only words that broke through were "fell off a cliff" and "alive or dead, unknown."Those words repeated endlessly in her mind.She slowly sat down amidst the chaos around her and remained there without moving, from daylight until late into the night.On the third evening, Julian finally returned to camp. He was exhausted, covered in blood, and riddled with injuries. They had found Cedric clinging to a dying tree halfway down the cliff face. His body was covered in blood, and he had suffered multiple fractures. His breathing had been so weak that it was nearly impossible to detect.Even then, his hand had been tightly clenched around a bloodstained emerald hairpin.Julian had immediately recognized it as Serena's.For the first time, he had not known what to feel toward Cedric. After rescuing him, Julian personally led a group into

  • The Last Snowfall   Chapter 21

    Cedric's vision was blurred from the fever, but his hearing seemed sharper than ever. From the tent beside his, he could hear muffled sounds and quiet sobs that belonged to Serena. Mixed among them were Julian's low breaths and the faint creak of a bed shifting beneath their movements.The sounds cut into Cedric like a burning blade. He bit down so hard on his lower lip that he tasted blood. His fingers dug into the mattress until his knuckles turned white.He wanted to get up. He wanted to storm into the next tent. He wanted to drag Julian away and kill him with his own hands. The fever left him too weak to move. Pain spread through every part of his body, and he could barely lift a finger.All he could do was lie there with bloodshot eyes, listening as reality shattered what little hope he had left. Every sound reminded him that he had lost Serena completely. One night felt longer than a lifetime.By the time dawn arrived, the sounds had long since faded. The last trace of hope i

  • The Last Snowfall   Chapter 20

    Rage and worry surged through Cedric at the same time. Without thinking, he spurred his horse toward Serena. He wanted to drag her away from the battlefield and send her somewhere safe.Just as he was about to ride forward, everything changed.An arrow suddenly shot from the side. Hidden among a group of retreating enemy soldiers, an archer had fired from a blind spot. The arrow flew straight toward Julian's heart.Julian was too busy fighting several opponents in front of him to notice."Julian!"Serena's eyes widened in terror. She cried out his name and ran forward without a second thought, but the chaos of the battlefield blocked her path.Everything happened in an instant.A figure dressed in black suddenly charged in from the side. Before anyone could react, he slammed into Julian. Both men crashed from the horse and hit the ground.Pfft!The sound of flesh being pierced rang out clearly.The arrow that should have struck Julian's heart buried itself deep in Cedric's ri

  • The Last Snowfall   Chapter 19

    Cedric slowly raised his head to look at her. In the dim candlelight, he could see the faint trace of disgust on her calm, distant face. She was no longer the obedient and tolerant woman he remembered. Most importantly, there was no love in her eyes.There never had been.The realization struck him harder than any blade.All he could see now was coldness, and for the first time, it truly sank in. He had lost her.Completely.Forever.Cedric pushed himself off the floor and staggered to his feet. Standing unsteadily beside the bed, he gave her one last lingering look, as though trying to carve her image into the deepest part of his soul. Then he turned and walked away.He looked hollow.Broken.Like a man whose spirit had already left him.His footsteps faded down the corridor before disappearing into the darkness outside.That night, Cedric wandered aimlessly through the freezing streets of the Northern border. Eventually, he found a small roadside stall that was still servi

فصول أخرى

قد تعجبك أيضًا

استكشاف وقراءة روايات جيدة مجانية
الوصول المجاني إلى عدد كبير من الروايات الجيدة على تطبيق GoodNovel. تنزيل الكتب التي تحبها وقراءتها كلما وأينما أردت
اقرأ الكتب مجانا في التطبيق
امسح الكود للقراءة على التطبيق
DMCA.com Protection Status