“Do you have any idea how much she cried for you?” The woman’s voice trembled by soft sobs, “Sniff, sniff… Watching my little baby in tears, I-I nearly shattered.” Her tone was filled with deep, sorrowful emotion as if the thought of her daughter being hurt tore her apart.
Yet, the contradiction in her actions was undeniable…. her grip around Kai’s neck tightened even further, choking him more with each word.
Cough, cough.
“P-Please… f-forgive me, M-Mother-in-la—aarrrrhhh!!” Kai stammered, his voice breaking as her fingers clamped down harder on his throat, silencing him before he could finish.
“How dare you!” she spat, her once sorrowful voice now laced with venom, “How dare you address me like that after all the pain you’ve caused my little princess?… Do you think my baby isn’t good enough for you? That she lacks the talent to stand beside someone like you? Hah! You disgust me.”
“Arrrhhh!!” Kai groaned, a sharp cry of pain escaping his lips as her hand moved with brutal precision, snapping one of his fingers without hesitation.
A sinister grin spread across her face as she watched him writhe, “You truly think you’re worthy of my daughter, don’t you?” She leaned closer, her words dripping with disdain,
“Let me enlighten you~ Little boy~ If it weren’t for your mother, Xara—and the so-called friendship I once shared with her, there would never have been an engagement. You were never my choice.” She spat again, her eyes narrowing. “To me, you’re nothing but filth. An unwanted insect that I’ve tolerated for far too long.”
Kai’s pride burned, but his body was in too much pain to resist. He choked on his words, swallowing his humiliation, “I-I never thought of her like that… cough, cough… I truly l-love—Arrrhhh!!” His sentence was cut short, another agonizing crack ringing through the room as she broke another finger.
“The next time you say those words… those lies… with that filthy mouth of yours, I. Will. End. You.” Her voice was a menacing whisper, yet it rang loud, echoing like a death sentence in his mind.
Blood dripped from Kai’s lips, his body trembling under her ruthless grasp. As he gasped for breath, the woman’s lips curled into a smirk,
“Do you want to know why she never kissed you? Why she always pulled away?” She chuckled darkly, watching his eyes widen in confusion, “It’s because I forbade her. I swore that the moment she let you get close… the moment she let you touch her… I would kill you without hesitation.”
Kai’s face twisted in shock, his bloodshot eyes staring at her in horror. His mind was racing, struggling to process the monstrous truth she had just revealed.
Her smirk deepened. “What’s the matter? Did you really believe I’d let you fuck my precious little girl just because you’re the son of my best friend? Oh, you poor, deluded fool~
Yuck no~” Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire
She stood tall, “The only reason you’re still breathing is because of your mother. Were it not for her, I would’ve killed you the first time you ever made my little princess cry.” With a sudden surge of force, she flung him against the wall with brutal strength.
BAM!
Thud!
Cough, Cough!!
Kai’s body hit the floor hard, his vision blurring as pain shot through him. Blood pooled in his mouth as he coughed violently. His red, unfocused eyes found the woman, who now casually walked toward a chair. She sat down, completely unbothered by the chaos she’d caused, her eyes calmly scanning the room.
“Hmm… not a bad place for an Arcane King,” she mused aloud, nodding as if inspecting the decor.
This was Kai’s own room, and… he was being beaten to the brink of death in it.
‘M-My mom warned me that Lia’s mother was dangerous… b-but this… this is far worse than I ever imagined!’ Kai thought, his face twisted in agony. His trembling hand reached for a healing potion—the very one she had given him, ironically enough.
“Hey, boy.”
Kai flinched at her words, fear spiking through him. He forced himself to look up at her, his voice shaking. “Y-Yes, ma’am?”
She chuckled softly, the sound was almost playful, “Not you, dear~” She shook her head dismissively, her eyes shifting to the side, where… Jack Sparrow stood, bowing deeply, his head lowered in respect.
“Yes, Your Majesty?” Jack responded, his tone reverent.
The woman gestured toward Kai with a lazy wave of her hand, “You said it was him, right? This pathetic thing?”
Jack nodded swiftly. “Yes, he is the one I informed Our Grace about”
Her eyes narrowed as she studied Kai. She tilted her head, her lips curling into a disappointed frown, “I don’t see what’s so special. He looks just as weak and pitiful as before. Nothing about him stands out. Is this the one they claim is the ‘chosen’?” Her voice dripped with scepticism.
Kai, who was halfway through drinking the healing potion, nearly choked as rage flared within him. His eyes snapped toward her, “Weak? What are you—” Before he could finish, her bloody red eyes gleamed again, and instantly, the colour drained from his own. His body went limp, slumping like a marionette with its strings cut.
“See? Weak. I didn’t even need to use my full charm to break him,” she sighed, shaking her head with a sad smile, “To think this is the child she gave birth to… how disappointing. No wonder she ran off. She must have been ashamed.” She sighed dramatically, her eyes slowly shifting toward Jack, who stood frozen in place, his face pale with fear.
Her tone suddenly dropped, sharp and dangerous. “Hmm… Hey, brat!”
Jack’s heart skipped a beat, ‘Fuck, she’s going to use her charm on me!’ His thoughts screamed in terror as he immediately dropped to his knees, bowing his head even lower. “Y-Yes, Your Majesty?” he stammered, his voice trembling.
“Look at me,” she said, her voice calm but deadly.
Jack’s entire body began to tremble. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he struggled to respond. “Y-Your Majesty, I swear I’m telling the truth. It was him who caused the white and black phenomenon in the temple!”
“I said… Look. At. Me.” Her voice was indifferent, cold, and final.
Jack swallowed hard, slowly lifting his head. The moment his gaze met hers, he was lost.
Her bloody red eyes gleamed like twin flames, and in an instant, his own eyes glazed over, lifeless and dull.
Her voice was quiet but commanding. “Now, tell me, who is the real one?”
In a hollow, robotic tone, Jack replied, “Kai Frostblade is the real one.”
The woman blinked in surprise, her eyes narrowing slightly as she shifted her gaze back to Kai, ‘Is that so…’ she thought, her mind racing as she snapped her fingers. Jack’s lifeless eyes blinked back to life, and he quickly bowed his head before speaking.
“Now you believe me, Your Majesty?” Jack asked, his voice tinged with nervous relief.
The woman’s cold stare lingered on Jack for a moment, then slowly moved back to Kai. Sensing her attention return to him, Jack’s body tensed, and beads of sweat started forming on his forehead.
‘Shit!! I really hate this bitch!!’ he screamed internally, desperately trying to think of a way out.
But then,
“Empress!! The principal is calling for you, and she said if you dare use your charm on her students again, she’ll come and fuck your charm herself!” Nyx burst into the room, her steps hurried and her face flushed with urgency.
The woman’s lips twitched in mild annoyance as she shot Nyx a look, “Did you really have to repeat her exact words?”
Nyx blinked innocently, giving a small shrug.
The woman sighed, shaking her head with a faint smile playing on her lips before turning her attention back to Kai.
Jack, sensing the shift in the room, panicked. “Y-Your Majesty! S-Sovereign specifically said you can’t use your charm on him!” His voice trembled as he bowed even lower, sweat pouring down his face.
The woman’s eyes flicked to Jack, who immediately averted his gaze in fear, his heart racing in his chest.
She then returned her gaze to Kai, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. ‘Something doesn’t add up here…’ she mused silently, ‘Jack is here, but… He’s just a puppet, not the real him. He’s either lying or hiding something.’
With a decisive nod, she snapped her fingers once more. Instantly, the colour returned to Kai’s eyes, and he blinked in confusion, ‘W-What happened?’ he thought, his mind still reeling as he watched the group finally leave his room.
Kai exhaled deeply, a wave of relief washing over him, but it was short-lived…. Determination soon replaced the relief, his expression hardening, ‘So, Lia’s mother is the real obstacle between us,’ he realized bitterly,
‘She’s controlling her daughter like a puppet, keeping us apart. But once I become Sovereign, she’ll pay for this! I’ll free Lia from her grasp, no matter what it takes!’ His teeth clenched in anger as he swore to himself that he would fight for Lia and their love!!
Meanwhile, walking behind the Empress, Jack sighed in silent relief, ‘Thank the gods… She didn’t figure out that I’m just a puppet,’ he thought with a smirk, ‘Looks like she’s easier to trick than I thought… Hahaha… Maybe she’s not as sharp as she pretends to be.’ He chuckled inwardly.
Suddenly,
“I’ve heard my little princess has been getting close to a certain servant lately. Care to enlighten me about who that might be?” Her voice remained calm, but both Nyx and Jack felt killing intent leaking from her body!
Nyx hesitated, shifting uneasily before finally answering. “I, uh… I’ve seen her speaking to… what’s his name again? The servant who helped us crack the dome?”
Jack gulped as he muttered under his breath, “A-Aether.”
“Aether…” The woman echoed, her lips curling slightly as she repeated the name, a glint of something dangerous flickering in her bloody red eyes.
…..
….
Meanwhile,
!~Ding~!
[Survival rate: 62.2↓]
Aether blinked in confusion as the notification flashed before him, ‘Why did my survival rate just drop?’ he wondered, his mind racing.
“Aether?” Aqua’s soft voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked down at her, watching as she adorably licked his shaft like it was a lollipop, her tongue swirling teasingly.
He smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Get your cute little ass over here~”
“P-Pervert~!!” Aqua pouted, her voice playfully scolding him as she moved closer, her cheeks flushed with excitement.