Chapter 373
Lizzie’s voice grew faint as she leaned against Ferris’s leg and closed her eyes. “All my life, I’ve been controlled by others, but I can’t bear to see you suffer the same fate. Ferris, may we never meet again in another life.”
Her hand fell limp, yet a faint smile lingered on her lips.
Ferris’s umbrella slipped from his grasp and clattered to the ground. He stood frozen in place, staring blankly at Lizzie’s lifeless form. For a long while, he remained utterly motionless.
The torrential rain lashed down on Ferris, soaking him to the bone. Rain streamed down his face, dripping into his collar.
Ferris gazed at Lizzie, her eyes tightly shut. Slowly, he reached out and gently tucked the stray hair from her forehead behind her ear.
Now, Lizzie was no longer the domineering princess who had once held life so cheaply. Upon closer inspection, her face was round and soft.
Ferris gazed at her, his lips curling into a silent laugh. ‘How laughable. Truly laughable,’ he wondered.
Ferris, who had hated her more than anyone, now found himself unable to muster even a shred of that hatred.
“You really are the most vicious person I’ve ever known. You should be a complete and utter villain. But no, you just had to play good with your dying breath,” Ferris choked on a bitter, breathless laugh, yet still held the umbrella over Lizzie’s head.
Ferris sat on the steps, his expression a bitter mix of tears and laughter. By the end of it all, even Ferris didn’t know how to face Lizzie.
‘I hate her? Yet she ended up saving me.’ Ferris thought to himself, ‘I love her? Not a shred of it in me.’
Though they were husband and wife, he became her executioner.
Ferris’s bitter laughter slowly died down. He gazed at the pill in his palm, then swallowed it without a moment’s hesitation.
Ferris thought to himself, ‘To have come to this point, I’m truly weary of it all. If this is truly the antidote, then God has given me a second chance at life. If it were poison, then at least I would finally be free.’
Yet, after a moment, the oppressive pain in Ferris’s chest gradually faded away.
Ferris gave a self-deprecating laugh. ‘Well, who would’ve thought? Turns out I really guessed right–it was the antidote after all,’ he thought.
Ferris murmured, “You saved my life, and now I owe you this debt. I’ll take your body back to your territory and lay you to rest in a beautiful, tranquil place.”
Ferris bent down, gently gathered Lizzie’s body into his arms, and with heavy steps, slowly carried her into the palace hall.
Upon receiving the news of Lizzie’s death, Arthur breathed a deep sigh of relief.
A smug expression crossed his face. With Lizzie dead, his dark deeds would never see the light of day.
As for Arthur, he fancied himself the model king – diligent, benevolent, and destined to be remembered for all eternity.
Arthur ordered, “Lizzie, consumed by guilt, took her own life at the Princess’s manor. Ferris is to return her coffin to her territory seven days later.”
After a pause, Thanatus hesitantly inquired, “Your Majesty, should the funeral arrangements follow those of an imperial princess or a commoner?”
Arthur leaned heavily back on his throne, his brows furrowing. “Her crimes were heinous – she is unworthy of full princess rites.
“Allowing her even a proper coffin is mercy we can ill afford. If we were to bury her with the honors of a princess, how could I ever answer to all those wronged souls?”
“Got it, Your Majesty,” Thanatus murmured.
“There’s no need for any official mourning. Ferris can simply handle her funeral arrangements himself,” Arthur added.
After Arthur finished giving his orders, Thanatus had the death knell tolled and conveyed Arthur’s decree throughout the palace.
At that moment, Athena and Xander were nowhere near Pidence City.
Long before dawn, Athena and Xander had already set out for the Cavendish Family Cemetery.
The rain poured heavily in Pidence City, yet beyond its walls, the skies cleared to reveal bright sunshine.
The road was dry, bathed in warm sunlight and caressed by a gentle breeze.
Athena sat gracefully inside the carriage, her fingertips lightly tracing the window curtain as she gazed at the eerily silent dense woods flanking the road.
Usually, this mountain forest would be alive with birdsong and animal calls, but today it was eerily silent. Even the wind seemed stifled by some unseen force, leaving only the monotonous crunch of carriage wheels over gravel.
Beside her, Xander was clad in black combat gear, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. His sharp gaze swept across the mountain ridges on either side, his brow slightly furrowed. “The road’s unusually quiet today,” he murmured.
Not just Xander – even Athena sensed something was off.
Not a single bird chirped in the mountain forest. The unnatural silence was deeply unsettling.
They exchanged a tense glance, their hands instinctively finding each other’s.
Behind the carriage, a hundred elite soldiers – clad in iron armor, with sharp blades hanging at their waists – marched in grim, disciplined silence.
Ansel quickly rode up from behind and rapped urgently on the carriage window.
Athena slid open the carriage window. Ansel, with a grave expression, addressed Xander, “Your Highness?”
Ansel nodded to Xander and said, “Your Highness, something feels off in the mountain forest. Should we take a detour?”
There was only one road to the Cavendish Family Cemetery. If they took a detour, it would add another two hours to their journey.
They couldn’t afford to miss the hour. Xander gave a decisive order. “No need.”
“Darling,” Athena pressed her hand against Xander’s arm disapprovingly. “We know something’s amiss – why press forward?”
Athena trusted Xander completely – he was a seasoned military commander.
Athena couldn’t believe Xander had missed such a glaring anomaly.
Xander reassured her, “There’s a garrison at the Cavendish Family Cemetery. You don’t need to be afraid.”
Xander curved his lips into a confident smile at Athena. Seeing his unruffled expression, she too finally relaxed.
High up on a nearby ridge, two figures lurked in the dense thicket – Nicolas and Willow, hidden from sight.
Nicolas, clad in a purple robe, his face twisted with malice, a cold, cruel smile curling at his lips.
Beside him, Willow tightened her grip on her bow, her eyes gleaming with greed and murderous intent.
From their vantage point high above, Nicolas and Willow watched as the carriage and its armed escort crept along below, their faces alight with manic confidence.
‘This time, Athena is doomed,’ they wondered. They had been waiting for this day for what felt like an eternity.
“Michael, we have to kill them, right?” Willow cooed, clinging to Michael’s arm and flashing him a sweet, ingratiating smile. “Athena has brought such ruin upon both our families – you’re not going to go soft on her now, are you?”
Michael was cloaked entirely in black, a black hat pulled low and a dark veil obscuring his face – only his predatory eyes were visible.
Michael slowly clenched his fist, his voice dropping to a grim tone. “They have to repay the debt for my parents‘ lives. This time, I’ll make her pay in blood.”
Overjoyed, Willow cooed, “Michael, once we’ve taken our great revenge, let’s storm Pidence City. Then you can reclaim your title as Marquis, shall we?”
At this point, Willow seemed to envision herself already clad in the Queen’s regal robes, the crown adorning her head.
Willow shook her head and continued coquettishly, “With all you’ve accomplished, how could a mere Marquis ever be enough for you? I’ll have Nicolas make you a prince in your own right. Then, we’ll rule the empire together.”
Hearing this, Nicolas looked at Michael, waiting for his response.
“Titles and positions are nothing but chains to me,” Michael said coldly. “All I care about now is vengeance – nothing else matters.”
Nicolas chuckled lightly and said, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
Willow watched the carriage moving slowly along the road, her brows furrowing in confusion. She turned to Nicolas and asked impatiently, “Nicolas, why aren’t we attacking now? With our ambush forces, we could take them all out in one go.”
Nicolas said coolly, “The hundred elite soldiers around Xander are the best of the best. If we strike here, the odds aren’t in our favor – and if we alert the nearby guards, everything we’ve worked for will be ruined.”
Nicolas’s eyes gleamed with predatory confidence. “Once we lure them into the Cavendish Family Cemetery and cut off their escape, they’ll be trapped like rats – completely at our mercy.”
“You’re truly formidable, Nicolas,” Willow declared, chin lifted proudly, her eyes gleaming with vindictive glee. “Once our cannons obliterate them, only then will this burning hatred in my heart be quenched.”