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All Chapters of After My Daughter Was Murdered, I Took a Blade to the Capital: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

11 Chapters

Chapter 1

When Nestor, the late king's adviser, arrived, I was still sitting there with my daughter's body in my arms, numb with grief.The last time I had seen Callista, she was only ten.I had spent the past ten years in the temple, keeping Ostan safe.More than once, her maid had written to tell me that Callista still cried for me in her sleep, holding my old dresses and jewelry close."Please come back, Mother. I promise I won't make trouble anymore. Please, Mother. Don't leave me."Every time I heard those words, my heart ached. But I still couldn't leave.As long as I remained in the temple, Ostan would have the gods' protection. No wars. No plagues.I kept telling myself I just had to wait until the kingdom was stable. Then I could go home and see my daughter again.But when we finally met again, my darling girl was dead, her emaciated body covered in terrible wounds."This is insane! Callista had divine power, but Theron sent her to the beastmen. When she came home, he let the Duke's dau

Chapter 2

I had barely stepped out of the temple when the ancient building behind me collapsed with a deafening crash. It had stood through every major event in the kingdom's history, and now it was gone.I returned to the capital and walked straight into the castle. No one tried to stop me. I placed Callista's body inside the crystal coffin in Verdant Hall.Then I went to find my foolish son—the king.Before I could get far, a maid blocked my way. "Who let you in here? Everyone is celebrating the knighting of Lady Naia's brother. Why are you here?"One look at the contempt on her face told me she thought I was Callista. It wasn't surprising. My daughter and I looked almost exactly alike. The late king used to joke that once Callista grew up and started wearing my dresses, even he wouldn't be able to tell us apart.My eyes burned with tears, but I held them back and looked at the maid with all the authority I once had as queen."You lowborn wretch. The king will punish you for speaking to me lik

Chapter 3

The people in the hall seemed to ignore what I'd just said. Instead, whispers broke out around me."Princess Callista? How did she get in here? The king's going to be furious. Weren't they supposed to keep her locked up in the dungeon?""But she's the late queen's only daughter. First they sent her to the beastmen, and now they're treating her like this. Can you really blame her for being angry?"Before Theron could speak, Charles marched over with a deep frown.He leaned close and hissed, "Callista, you actually managed to escape? Did you really have to ruin Naia's happiest day with something this disgusting?"He glanced at the head on the floor, and his expression darkened."How can you be this cruel? You even brought a fake head here just to ruin the celebration! Apologize to her right now!"I studied his face for a moment before finally recognizing him.So this was the man the late king had chosen for Callista?Charles looked a lot like his father. The old duke had always favored t

Chapter 4

Screams erupted around me, but I didn't flinch. I only pushed the dagger deeper.Theron shouted for the guards. They rushed over and pulled me away from Charles.Charles was still alive, but he had passed out.I didn't resist as the guards grabbed me. One of them twisted my wrist until it broke, and the dagger slipped from my hand.My idiot son pointed at me and shouted, "Callista, how dare you attack someone in front of everyone?"He pulled Naia into his arms and kept trying to comfort her."You've gone too far. You killed a maid and stabbed the man you were once supposed to marry. What next? Are you going to kill me too? You're no longer a member of the royal family. Get out of Ostan!"I looked at my son and laughed coldly."You treat me this badly. Aren't you worried Mother's spirit will never find peace in the temple?""Mother was the kindest woman in the world. If she knew how you've treated Naia, she'd be on my side." Even as he spoke, his attention stayed on Naia, as if protecti

Chapter 5

"You've got some nerve! How dare you pretend to be Mother? Stop this now! Attacking Naia is the same as declaring war on the Duke of Highcourt. He trusted us!"When I ignored him, my idiot son lost his temper and ordered the guards to shoot an arrow at my wrist.He thought I was controlling the spell with my hands.I dodged, but the arrow still cut across my arm.The spell broke. Naia fell to the floor, shaking all over.Theron scooped her into his arms, then turned on me."Callista, Naia has had to put up with endless gossip because you were sent to the beastmen. She was kind enough to forgive you and welcome you back to the capital, but you haven't shown an ounce of gratitude. And now you're pretending to be Mother just to threaten me?"Theron stared at me in disgust while Naia smirked from the safety of his arms.Her eyes said it all. See? I told you. No one can save you.I tore a strip of cloth from the bottom of my dress and wrapped it around my wound. Then I looked Theron in the

Chapter 6

Theron's voice turned cold. "I've kept this secret for years, but I have no choice but to tell you now. A prophet once told me, 'When the rose withers, the king will fall into hell forever.' If it weren't for Naia, this kingdom would have fallen long ago!"The Duke of Highcourt couldn't bear to part with his daughter, but he still sent Naia to Ostan because the prophet said she was my guardian. Without her, disaster would have struck us years ago."Theron lifted Naia's hand and kissed it with reverence."Naia, you changed my fate. I should have told everyone the truth years ago. Instead, I let you suffer all this time. I'm sorry."Naia shook her head, tears filling her eyes. She choked out, "It's all right."I could hardly believe what I was hearing.I had spent ten years in the temple protecting this kingdom.Yet somehow, Naia had gotten all the credit.What a joke! So much for that prophecy. So much for changing his fate.I remembered the late king coming to the temple under the moon

Chapter 7

The moment Theron said that, the entire hall fell silent.Even I froze.The way he'd looked at me made it obvious. He still hadn't realized I was his mother.Naia looked confused. "Theron, what did you just call her? The late queen died ten years ago."Theron shook his head and gave me a long look."Of course I know she isn't my mother. I'm saying Callista must have inherited Mother's position as Oracle Priestess. That's how she was able to use magic on you."Theron walked toward me."Callista, I finally understand. You've been hiding who you really are all these years. Why didn't you tell me? Are you using Mother's name to threaten us?"I frowned at him, stunned by how stupid my own son could be.When I said nothing, Theron snorted."You inherited Mother's position, so why did you hide it from me? Do you have any idea how close this kingdom has come to falling apart these past few years?"He pointed angrily toward the northern border."There was trouble at the northern border last yea

Chapter 8

Theron's face changed instantly.He looked from Nestor, who had rushed in covered in blood, back to me.For the first time, he seemed to notice how calm I was. If I were really Callista, the sister he'd grown up with, I would've been terrified by now.With Theron's eyes fixed on me, I calmly cast a healing spell. The wound on my wrist slowly closed.I looked at him and said, "It's been a long time, my son. Or should I say, Your Majesty?"The entire hall went dead silent. Only my footsteps could be heard as I walked toward Theron.The guards still hadn't figured out what was happening. They reached for me again.I flicked my sleeve, sending them flying into the pillars.Theron shouted, "All of you, stop!"The force of my presence drove him to his knees."Mother, it really is you. You're alive? Did Callista find you and ask you to avenge her? Have the two of you been in contact all this time? I'm your son too. Why did you stay in touch with Callista but never tell me you were alive?"I c

Chapter 9

Theron wiped his hands behind his back twice before turning to me."Mother, the woman who hurt Callista is dead now. Can you forgive me?"I watched him coldly.Just moments ago, Theron had treated Naia as the guardian who had saved his kingdom.But the moment he learned that every blessing had actually come from me, he killed her without a second thought.I let out a cold laugh. "Forgive you? If you hadn't protected and spoiled her all these years, how would the daughter of a mere vassal duke have dared lay a hand on a princess?"Theron immediately admitted his fault. "Mother, Highcourt deceived me. I'll strip Charles's family of their title today. And Highcourt is nothing more than a vassal territory. I can wipe it out whenever I want."I shook my head, unmoved."That's not enough. Everyone who had a hand in Callista's death will pay with their life."Tears filled Theron's eyes. He began slapping himself over and over."Mother, I was wrong. I failed Callista as her brother. Please for

Chapter 10

In just half a day, the temple had been reduced to ruins.Nestor had cleared a path wide enough for two people to walk through.Theron and I walked side by side.I glanced at my son, who now stood a head taller than me. "Aren't you afraid I might kill you?"Theron lowered his eyes. "If you wanted me dead, Mother, you could kill me whenever you wanted."The path was narrow. Theron ran his fingers over a handprint on the wall."Mother, what's this?"I didn't even look at it.Nestor answered behind us. "Do you think it was easy to keep the temple's blessing alive? Those are the queen's bloody handprints. She left them behind when she was too weak to walk and had to use the walls to keep herself standing."Theron's expression changed, but I couldn't tell what he was thinking.I said nothing and continued deeper into the temple. Nestor had already brought the crystal coffin containing Callista's body back from Verdant Hall.Theron's eyes filled with tears. He stepped forward and reached out

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