“Now, everyone!”
A sharp clap rang out from the second floor, the sound cutting through the hum of chatter like a whip. All eyes turned towards the grand staircase, leading up to a high platform where Duke Merca stood, bathed in the glow of the chandelier lights above. He held himself with the rigid posture of a man who believed himself above everyone in the room, his chin raised just a bit too high, a faint smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“I ask for your attention, just for a moment! And then we’ll kick off the official beginning of this annual celebration that we’ve held for years!”
He swept his gaze across the gathered guests, a satisfied gleam in his eye. The crowd below him was filled with noblemen and women, all decked out in their finest, each one a piece in the elaborate game he hosted every year. Duke Merca’s voice, smooth yet commanding, resonated off the walls as if daring anyone to ignore him.
Duke Merca’s gaze settled on Charlotte, who clutched Sesillian’s arm like a lifeline, her expression unreadable under the scrutiny of the crowd.
“We’re here tonight not just to mourn the dead, but to learn from our past mistakes, to make sure those incidents are not repeated. With the Empire making its suspicious moves across the continents, we need unity more than ever. And this gathering is the perfect opportunity for that! We are the nobles of the Kingdom of Milham! We are the greatest kingdom of all, and we will not let anyone force us to bow!”
Applause erupted like thunder, rolling through the hall as the nobles raised their hands high, faces flushed with pride and wine. The energy of the room seemed to pulse, as if Merca’s words had sparked a fire in their veins. I lifted my own hand, blending into the sea of clapping figures.
“I must express my gratitude to everyone who has attended this year, especially Mr. Faust.”
I raised my wine glass, the liquid inside catching the light as I offered a nod.
“And let’s not forget to thank the gods for blessing my daughter with good health! And for guiding those who preserve our world. Now then, I suppose I’ve said enough. Let’s get this party started! Cheers!”
Duke Merca raised his glass high, the deep red of the wine swirling with the motion, and the crowd mirrored him, their glasses catching the light in a hundred different flashes.
With that final toast, the night’s party officially roared to life.
Gabrielle’s POV
“You’re delusional. You’re so damn delusional, woman! You don’t know a thing! You don’t know a damn thing!” Her voice broke into desperate shrieks, each word laced with a crazed edge, like she was clinging to a lifeline made of lies. Her mind was shattered beyond repair, twisted by whatever brainwashing had taken root inside her.
“I’m not here to hear you ramble on with your madness,” I shot back, voice hard as iron. “Not from someone who slaughtered the innocent.”
“You’re wrong! You’re fucking wrong! You have no idea! You know nothing, you bitch!”
She lunged, or at least tried to, but the chains pulled her back, leaving her thrashing uselessly against her restraints. With a sharp kick, she sent the tray flying, the food splattering across the pristine floor, leaving stains on the blinding white. The plate shattered into jagged pieces, the crash reverberating like a gunshot in the silence.
“You don’t know anything! You’re wrong! Our Lord is… Our Lord is…!”
“If you’re going to kick away your food, then starve. Suffer in your hunger until it drains the last bit of strength from you. Starve to death for all I care.” I spun around, my words cutting through the air, then headed toward the door.
“You don’t know anything! YOU KNOW NOTHING! YOU KNOW NOTHINGGGGGGGG!!!” Her voice tore through the room, desperate and raw, like it was trying to claw its way back to sanity. But I ignored it, walking out and slamming the heavy door behind me, cutting off the sound like a knife through flesh.
“May you rest in peace, I suppose…” I whispered, the words barely audible, then turned and walked away, leaving behind the silence and the shadows of a lost mind.
