All Chapters of REVENGE AFTER REBIRTH-THE LORD'S FORSAKEN BRIBE: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

The scent of wine clung to the corridors long before I reached Damien’s chambers.Guards stood uneasily at the door, their eyes averted, their shoulders tense. They did not speak as I entered, though the silence told enough.Inside, the air was heavy with smoke and spilled drink. The fire roared, but the room felt suffocating, cloaked in heat and shadows.Damien sat slumped in a chair, his tunic half-loosened, a goblet dangling from his hand. Empty bottles littered the table, shards of broken glass glinting like stars on the floor.He lifted his head as I entered, his eyes bloodshot, his expression twisted with something between rage and despair.“So the duchess graces me at last,” he slurred thickly. “Come to remind me how you saved me again? Before all of them?”I did not answer immediately. I studied him, the man who had once stood proud in polished armor, who had commanded armies with a glance, and now was reduced to a drunk, drowning in bitterness.“I came to see if you still rem

The first scream cut through the music like a blade.Then came the fire.Flames burst from the merchant stalls, orange light devouring silks and timber. Smoke thickened, swallowing laughter, turning joy to chaos. From the alleys, masked figures surged blades flashing, serpent tattoos glinting on their skin.“Serpents!” a guard cried. “The serpents are here!”The square erupted into madness. Nobles shrieked, servants fled, children wept. Guards scrambled, their lines broken by the sudden onslaught.And Damien?I found him at the edge of the chaos, pale, his hand trembling on his sword but never lifting it. His eyes darted wildly, his lips parted in disbelief. “Not here… not now…” he muttered, retreating step by step.He was paralyzed.The duke, frozen while his people bled.Something inside me hardened.If he would not stand, then I would.I stepped into the square, the heat of fire licking at my gown, the screams piercing my ears. My voice rang out above the chaos, sharp as steel.“To

It was Lady Veyra’s garden that day, a gathering of noblewomen, all pearls and perfumed silks, their laughter as delicate as the porcelain teacups they held. A perfect stage for whispers.I attended as duty demanded, my smile serene, my gown a shade of ivory that caught the sunlight. Every eye lingered when I entered, and every fan fluttered as if my presence stirred the air itself.Aria arrived moments later, veiled in pale lavender, her expression soft, her steps measured. She played her part well… the grieving sister, the gentle dove. Once, the sight of her had drawn gasps of sympathy. Today, the glances were cooler.I saw the flicker of unease in her eyes when she noticed it too.Lady Veyra, eager for amusement, leaned close to her. “My dear, you look pale. Are you unwell?”Aria smiled faintly, lowering her lashes. “It has been difficult, my lady. One suffers much in silence… though some suffer less than others.”Her gaze flicked… subtly, but noticeably toward me.A ripple of atte

Damien,” I said softly, my voice lugging despite its calm. “This is not justice. This is a mess.”His head snapped toward me, fury blazing. “Silence! You dare undermine me again? Before them?”I did not flinch. I folded my hands, my gaze steady. “Justice commands loyalty. Cruelty breeds rebellion.”His sword trembled in his grip. For a moment, I thought he would turn it on me instead of the prisoners. But his pride was too desperate.With a roar, he drove the blade through the first man. Gasps erupted, nobles recoiling in horror. The second man cried out, struggling against his bonds, but Damien’s hand was merciless. Blood sprayed across the stone floor, the metallic scent filling the chamber.The silence that followed was deafening.Damien stood panting, his chest heaving, his face twisted in triumph that felt more like madness. “This is my realm!” he shouted. “My rule! And any who questions me will meet the same fate!”But no cheers followed. No oaths of loyalty rose. Only silence…h

The palace was meant to be impenetrable.Its walls rose high, its gates reinforced with iron, its halls patrolled day and night.But walls are only as strong as the shadows within them, and shadows are where serpents thrive.The attack came during supper.The great hall was filled with the clatter of goblets and the hum of uneasy conversation. Nobles feigned laughter, but the air carried the weight of blood spilled in the streets and whispers that would not die.Damien sat at the head, his eyes dull with drink, his voice too loud as he boasted of punishments yet to come. Few listened. Most eyes flicked to me.I felt it before it began, the prickle of unease, the unnatural hush between heartbeats.Then came the scream.A servant collapsed near the wine casks, a dagger buried in his throat. From the shadows of the hall, masked figures surged serpents, their blades flashing in torchlight.Chaos erupted.Nobles shrieked, scattering behind tables. Guards scrambled, their lines broken in th