CHAPTER 144
The drawing room was blanketed in silence.
Timothy glanced back and forth between his father and Besilia, his eyes wide with confusion. The two exchanged steady, emotionless stares, maintaining a tense atmosphere.
It was Timothy who broke the silence first.
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean that I know where His Imperial Majesty’s parents are, kuh kuh,” Besilia chuckled.
Timothy asked the giggling witch, his voice trembling despite his efforts to keep it steady.
People still believed that the black panther monster that invaded the imperial palace had killed Crown Prince Luca. It was also believed that the Crown Princess had been kidnapped by the monster.
In reality, the destruction in the Crown Prince’s quarters within the palace had been caused by none other than Crown Prince Luca himself, cursed to become the black panther. And the Crown Princess had left the palace to follow her cursed husband.
Timothy remembered his father muttering to himself not long ago, “Crown Prince Luca might still be alive.”
It was after his father had returned home from an audience with the Emperor. His father’s expression had turned strange when the Emperor mentioned he hadn’t visited the Ekol Mountains in recent years.
“The traces I found two years ago were undoubtedly those of a black panther monster… But the Emperor said he hasn’t been to the Ekol Mountains…”
Recalling his father’s words, Timothy swallowed dryly.
His father might have already suspected that Crown Prince Luca and the Crown Princess were still alive.
“Are you saying that Crown Prince Luca and the Crown Princess are alive?”
“They might be alive, or they might not be, kuh kuh,” Besilia answered Timothy’s question cryptically, smirking with an air of mischief.
Count Corald remained still, showing no reaction.
If the traces of the black panther monster found in the Spirit Forest of the Ekol Mountains really did belong to Crown Prince Luca...
Besilia might be telling the truth.
No one knew more about the cursed monsters that passed through the Spirit Forest than someone like her.
Count Corald eyed her suspiciously.
“Why didn’t you tell me before? I asked you several times about the black panther monster when I searched the Spirit Forest.”
“Isn’t it obvious? You asked me about the black panther monster that ‘killed the Crown Prince.’
I knew the whereabouts of the Crown Prince who had turned into a monster, but I couldn’t tell you anything because I didn’t know about the monster that killed him,” Besilia said, grinning as she played with words.
Count Corald’s jaw clenched tightly, unable to refute her claim.
As Besilia said, he had been hunting the monster that had harmed the Crown Prince, unaware that the Crown Prince himself had transformed into a monster due to a curse.
“Did you really think I would hand over the monster to a monster hunter like you? The Spirit Forest is a place that hides monsters, but in return, it absorbs their energy. Why would I give you the whereabouts of a monster that the Spirit Forest needs?”
“Then why have you changed your mind?”
At Count Corald’s sharp question, Besilia answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Because there’s something I want from the Emperor. I’ve come here to make a fair trade: I’ll give him what he wants, and he’ll give me what I want.”
Count Corald didn’t ask any more questions, simply staring at Besilia.
What could she possibly want from the Emperor?
An unsettling thought flashed through his mind.
Unable to hold back, Timothy interjected.
“What is it that you want from His Imperial Majesty?”
Besilia’s artificial eyes, which had been rolling around aimlessly, focused on Timothy.
Her thin lips twisted into a grotesque smile.
“The Empress by His Majesty’s side. I want Lumen Savior.”
The Count and Timothy simultaneously drew their swords from their belts.
Besilia raised both hands, pretending to be frightened in an exaggerated manner.
“Don’t worry. All I need is just a few drops of the Empress’s blood.”
***
Two days earlier, in the “Spirit Forest” of the Ekol Mountains.
Besilia, having prepared to travel to the Imperial capital, stood before a mirror.
Initially, she had planned to bring Tristini with her, as per the original plan.
Kuvule’s Bergen and his royal family had vanished without a trace, and according to their contract, Tristini now belonged to her.
Even though Tristini was a lower-grade Lumen Savior, her blood was still far more valuable than that of any wild animal or monster.
At least, to a witch with goblin blood like Besilia.
At over three hundred years old, Besilia had to continuously absorb the blood of living creatures to extend her life.
The blood had to be pure and fresh, like that of young wild animals.
“Vampires at least get to live forever,” she muttered bitterly as she gazed at her rapidly aging face.
Even after living for so many years, her desire to cling to life was insatiable.
Recently, even the blood of young wild animals had lost its effectiveness.
She could feel that her life was truly coming to an end.
If she died as a result of using dark magic, she was sure to fall into the underworld.
There, she would become prey for the demon king and the monsters.
She had used every possible means and method to obtain anything that could extend her life.
After decades of searching, she had discovered the perfect combination.
The blood of a monster mixed with the blood of a Lumen Savior.
If a few drops of Lumen Savior’s blood were mixed into a monster’s blood, it created the ultimate elixir—the potion of immortality.
“If Arabelle and Tristini found out how I discovered this combination… kek, kek, kek.”
Besilia couldn’t contain her laughter as she recalled her first experimental subject.
She had been able to create this combination thanks to Kisha, Arabelle’s mother, and Tristini’s aunt.
Kisha, the twin sister of Elenya, had sensed that her sister was in danger.
When Kisha was overwhelmed by a sense of foreboding, Elenya and Tristini were visiting the Kingdom of Kuvule, where they were kidnapped by the King of Laicanoor. Besilia seized this opportunity with impeccable timing.
Sensing that something had happened to her sister, Kisha set out to find her, only to fall into Besilia's clutches and become the subject of her experiments for eternal youth.
"If only she hadn't escaped."
The witch's lips twisted in anger at the thought.
It was after Besilia had consumed a mixture of Kisha's blood and the blood of a young monster that she momentarily let down her guard, rejuvenated by the potion. While Besilia was out, Kisha made a desperate escape from the Spirit Forest.
"She must not have gotten far after losing so much blood. Either she became prey to a beast or fell to her death from a cliff."
Although Kisha's body was never found, Besilia was confident she had perished, as she hadn't reappeared for over a decade, not even in front of her daughter or niece.
Besilia had planned to bring Tristini to the Spirit Forest to create the elixir of immortality. She had even captured a monster in preparation. There would be no repeat of the blunder with Kisha.
To ensure that, Besilia had inscribed a binding mark on Tristini's arm.
"No matter how much she struggles to escape, as long as the dark magic is etched into her body, she can never slip from my grasp. Kik, kik."
Besilia had made all the necessary preparations to bring Tristini to the Spirit Forest.
But the witch's greed knew no bounds.
Arabelle had caught her eye.
A true Lumen Savior, whose light was hundreds of times stronger than Tristini's.
Besilia could spy on Tristini’s every move because of the scar she had left on her arm. The identical scars on Tristini’s and Besilia’s arms connected them, allowing Besilia to see whatever Tristini saw.
If she could obtain Arabelle’s blood, she could create a genuine elixir of immortality.
Not just something to slow aging but to reverse time, making her young again.
The problem was...
"The damn Emperor will never negotiate for Arabelle."
Besilia licked her lips as she watched Arabelle through Tristini's eyes.
The Emperor had descended into the underworld to confront the Demon King just to save Arabelle. No matter how skilled she was in dark magic, Besilia knew she couldn’t win in a direct confrontation with the Emperor.
But soon, a sinister chuckle escaped from between her teeth, mingling with a low, eerie humming.
Even the Emperor wouldn’t be able to turn his back on his parents.
The Emperor would have no choice but to negotiate with her to find out if his parents were alive and where they were. Even if he didn’t, the Empress would.
She would likely think nothing of giving a few drops of blood in exchange for information about the Emperor's parents.
Of course, no one would suspect that Besilia had a plan to bring Arabelle to the Spirit Forest.
Besilia drank the red liquid in her cup and stepped out of her cabin. Concealing her now-beautiful face under a hooded robe, she quickly made her way out of the forest.
***
The morning after Besilia visited Count Corald.
Several people were gathered in the Emperor’s audience chamber.
All eyes were on one person: the Emperor, the Empress, Count Corald and his son, and Sirs Jacob and Peter. Even Tristini, who had prepared to return to Kuvule today, was present.
Besilia had just finished telling the Emperor about his parents.
The Emperor's piercing gaze was fixed on her.
"How can I be sure you’re not lying? Goblins and witches lie as easily as they breathe, and you’re a mix of both."
Besilia exaggeratedly bowed her head.
"If Her Majesty the Empress would kindly take my hand… she will be able to confirm that I speak the truth."
The Emperor’s expression twisted momentarily as he was about to refuse.
But then, dark, clear eyes came into his view—eyes filled with earnest pleading.
The Emperor stared at Arabelle for a moment before slowly nodding.
He gave a quiet command to Sir Peter.
"Bring the witch to the Empress."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Sir Peter escorted Besilia to stand before Arabelle.
Besilia bowed her head respectfully and extended both arms forward.
"Please confirm that everything I’ve said is true, Your Majesty."
Hidden behind her bowed head, Besilia's eyes glinted with anticipation.
Without hesitation, Arabelle reached out to take Besilia’s hands.
This concerned the life and death of the Emperor’s parents.
If it meant finding them, Arabelle would give more than just a few drops of blood.
Arabelle's small hands were placed over the witch's hands.
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