Corwin narrowed his eyes as if recalling something.

  "At that time, the water burial was a secret in the palace. But those present—the King, the Late Empress, Duke Rowan, the Duke of Braedon, my cousin, and myself—we all witnessed it. In less than half a day, the infant princess sank beneath the waters. There was no way she survived. The Duke of Braedon wants to elevate Arianne’s status with this ploy? What a ridiculous dream."

  I poured tea, my voice casual.

  "I, on the other hand, think the Duke of Braedon is quite creative."

  Corwin turned to look at me, his gaze cold. Suddenly, he placed his hand over mine.

  "Elias has fled. Why didn’t he take you with him?"

  I frowned slightly, withdrawing my hand too quickly, causing the hot tea to splash onto his.

  Corwin stood, staring at me in silence.

  I forced a smile, feigning remorse.

  "Sir, you keep bringing up painful topics for me."

  At dawn, the sound of a wooden gong echoed, followed by the deep chime of a bronze bell. A moment later, the bell fell abruptly, its ringing cut short.

  I hurriedly threw on a robe and pushed open the door.

  The sky above Corwin’s estate was redder and brighter than the rest of the capital.

  The Crown Prince Alaric's soldiers had completely surrounded the estate.

  He wanted to see me—and he had even prepared a gift.

  When I opened it, a crimson parrot burst out, circling a few times before flying straight into my courtyard.

  "A pair of Blood Parrots, male and female, taking turns to spy on the palace day and night."

  Alaric raised a hand, signaling his men to track the bird.

  "Autumn, you used Weaver’s Venom on this parrot. Don’t you think that’s a waste?"

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Weaver’s Venom was a sinister poison used by Western shamans. Any man who ingested it had to see the shaman daily, or he would suffer agonizing pain. It was a method to bind unfaithful lovers.

  "Wasting it? When it’s used to uncover matters of life and death?"

  Alaric grabbed me by the throat and shoved me against the wall, his voice low and threatening.

  "I won’t question you helping Elias escape. But tell me—who has been opening the palace window for you every night? Out of respect for your three sisters, I’ll spare your life."

  Outside, Corwin and Arianne stood in the courtyard, surrounded by soldiers with gleaming swords.

  I stared into Alaric’s eyes and let out a helpless laugh.

  "I am nothing more than a concubine of Corwin’s household, barely summoned to the palace a handful of times. Do you really think anyone would listen to me? Alaric, your paranoia is no different from your father’s—no, from the Late King’s! You are exactly like him!"

  At that moment, one of his subordinates returned and reported,

  "The two parrots have been killed."

  Alaric’s face remained expressionless as he released me.

  "Autumn, I’m not killing you because you’re still useful."

  Leaning against the wall, I clutched my chest, coughing a few times before looking up with a mocking smile.

  "Your Highness, are you here for a fortune reading?"

  Alaric stepped closer, his gaze dark.

  "I don’t need your curses. Your second sister already told me—I have at least twenty more years to live. Doesn’t that prove I’ll be the one to win in the end?"

  "What a pity."

  I smiled regretfully.

  Even though Summer hadn’t lied to him, he needed my prophecy as well to see the full picture.

  What a pity indeed.

  Alaric left behind three hundred soldiers to lock down Corwin’s estate.

  Corwin and Arianne were placed under strict surveillance.

  I was confined to my room.

  In the dead of night, a few men snuck in, turning everything inside out, but they didn’t find what they were looking for.

  "Searching for the jade lock?" I mused. "For a moment, I thought it was Corwin who betrayed me. Arianne?"

  I stood beside the table, removed the lantern’s glass shield, and relit the flame.

  From the darkness, Arianne stepped forward, her figure unmistakably that of a woman seven months pregnant.

  "Autumn, you claim Elias is the one you love. But why are you growing closer to Corwin? He once loved me. He has never even looked at you. It’s you…"

  I cut her off. "What have I done?"

  She had no answer, only staring at me, biting her lip.

  "I don’t know what you did, but you are very clever," she finally said with certainty. "I must admit—you’re incredibly skilled. You act like you care for me in front of him, soft, understanding, considerate. You make me seem dull and uninteresting by comparison, pushing him further away from me."

  A wave of disgust rose in my heart.

  "Arianne, I once thought I could sympathize with you. But now I realize—you don’t need my sympathy at all. You truly disgust me."

  Two figures emerged, grabbing my arms and twisting them behind my back.