Commander Astoria arrived with military precision, her blonde hair gleaming like spun gold beneath the afternoon sun as imperial soldiers moved in formation around me.
Their spears formed a deadly circle, each point aimed with practiced efficiency. The marketplace had fallen eerily quiet, vendors and citizens backing away as the scene unfolded.
"Where is that criminal?!" Astoria demanded, her voice sharp as steel as her blue eyes swept the area with predatory intensity.
I tilted my head with feigned innocence. "Which criminal?"
"That coward, Javrian, who ran away," she spat, her grip tightening on her sword hilt.
For a moment, I felt my body go cold, pure anger flooding through my veins like ice water.
How dare she? My eyes hardened as I stared her down.
"Mind your language," I said, my voice dangerously low. "If he is a criminal, then what are you doing—forgetting your work in the capital and roaming around here? Is this the way you take paid leave to fulfill personal revenge, forgetting your responsibilities?"
The words hit their mark perfectly. I watched with satisfaction as Astoria's face flushed, her composure cracking.
"You—you?!" she stammered, clearly stung by how precisely I'd pressed on her most painful nerve.
I looked straight into her eyes, unflinching, watching as she clenched her jaw in barely contained fury.
With jerky movements, she snapped handcuffs around my wrists, the metal cold against my skin. "You are soon going to be in prison. And after interrogation—"
Before she could complete her sentence, I felt it—that familiar, terrifying presence that made my heart race even as it filled me with pride.
Every soldier around us began trembling, and I knew Javrian was watching, his killing intent washing over them like a tide of death.
The air itself seemed to thicken, and I could see Astoria struggling to breathe, as if invisible hands were squeezing her heart.
She stammered backward, instantly drawing her sword with a sharp ring of steel.
"Where are you? Reveal yourself!" she yelled, her eyes darting frantically around the marketplace.
The soldiers' spears wavered wildly as they searched for an enemy they couldn't see.
I watched this display with obvious amusement, unable to suppress a soft chuckle. 'I told him to hide, but at least he isn't coming here, maybe..'
"You are panicking just by his presence," I observed casually. "What if he really came, Astoria?"
I saw the words hit home, watching her shiver visibly as fear crept into her eyes.
Good. Let her understand exactly what kind of force she's trying to provoke.
But I couldn't let this escalate—not yet.
I needed her to take me to wherever they were holding prisoners, and I needed to plant the seeds of my plan.
"But it's fine," I said, suddenly switching tactics as if I were now on her side. "That guy will come to you. I will make sure of it."
She blinked in confusion, clearly thrown by my sudden change in tone. "What?"
Time for the performance. I let my voice take on a bitter edge, calling up memories of Victor's cruelty to make the pain sound genuine.
"Exactly. I also want to catch that bad guy for killing my—" I stopped abruptly, as if the words were too painful to say.
The moment felt heavy, and I licked my lips, drawing strength from the memory of Javrian's kiss just moments before.
It was strangely soothing and gave me silence, even though I must say his lips are rougher than mine, but something that makes me confident. "My ex-husband, I mean. Victor."
Astoria's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Why are you suddenly acting like this? After clearly showing hostility toward me when I called that man a coward?"
Perfect opening.
I shrugged my shoulders—an impressive feat while handcuffed—as if we'd finally reached the heart of the matter. "I am doing just the same thing Xen does for you. Secretly loving, yet helping."
I watched her mouth twitch with confusion. She was taking the bait. By saying that, I had also sent a signal to the man who was listening to my conversation and who might really forget about our promise and barge in. So I needed to console him and tell him how I love him.
To Astoria, it sounded as if I were saying that Xen loves her.
It was a double-meaning sentence that fulfilled both of their needs and sounded to them like what they wanted to hear, and I felt the air becoming calmer, as if his anger was dissipating.
"What are you saying?" she asked, clearly overwhelmed.
"What? Isn't it obvious?" I pressed forward. "Why would anyone help you for free? Like, wasn't it him who revealed to you that your husband was killed by Javrian?"
She narrowed her eyes. "No, it was His Majesty."
'Damn. That didn't work.' But I could salvage this. "Indeed, because Xen wanted to hide his presence, so he used His Majesty to deliver that information to you. Just think about it—tell me, why did you get your husband's death news so late?"
I was calculating quickly. If the Emperor had delivered the news officially, protocol would have delayed it. Her nod confirmed my guess.
"Yes, it was delayed, but how do you know?" Suspicion crept back into her voice.
"Isn't it obvious?" I replied smoothly. "Xen wanted to protect you from getting too depressed."
I could see her getting more frustrated, which meant my manipulation was working. "Where did that guy come from, and why are you mentioning him again and again like you know him?"
Time for the final blow. I felt a pang of sympathy for this woman—grief-stricken, manipulated, used as a pawn. But that sympathy meant nothing compared to protecting my family. I would do whatever it took.
"You know what," I said, shifting into storytelling mode, "if I am correct, you would most probably have already received that image in the crystal about me walking beside Javrian. But you might not have been able to know what we talked about. You know what? Let me tell you a secret." I met her eyes directly, preparing to shatter her world. "Your husband was demonized."
"WHAT NONSENSE!" she screamed, her composure finally breaking completely.
'And there it is.' The crack I needed to widen.