Chapter 148: Details

The quill pen glided across the paper, making a rustling sound.

The room was quiet, with bright lamplight.

At this moment, however, there was a commotion outside.

"Your Grace."

"Your Grace."

Following the sound of chains unlocking, the prison door was pushed open, and a silver-haired young man in plain clothes with a handsome face walked in.

The master of this cell was currently wearing a red robe, sitting at a desk and writing something.

Although Melisandre was technically imprisoned, the treatment she received was even better than when she was in the castle. She had good food and drink every day, and it was convenient to wash and bathe.

And because of Rhaenys' special treatment, Melisandre had the opportunity to light a bonfire every night and pray to the Lord of Light.

Her life was almost identical to her days of quiet meditation in the Red Temple.

Bathing, reciting scriptures, praying, sleeping - her days passed and then began anew.

During this time, with nothing better to do, Melisandre successfully gathered her first group of followers in Andalos - some criminals and prison guards in the jail.

Every evening, they would join Melisandre in lighting the fire, chanting prayers, and asking R'hllor to grant them the dawn.

Viserys had noticed these activities when he entered the prison.

The guard accompanying him tightened his grip on his sword.

"Are you Melisandre?"

Viserys had the guards close the door behind him after entering the cell.

He wanted to have a private conversation with this woman.

At this moment, Melisandre put down the quill in her hand and calmly looked at the young man she had seen in the flames.

Now he was standing right in front of her.

"Mortal titles are not worth mentioning, Your Grace," Melisandre said calmly.

"I have sensed the power of a foreign god filling your body; you have been tainted by evil and need the power of the true God to cleanse you."

It was late at night, and the outside of the prison was pitch black.

The candlelight in the room flickered, casting a long shadow of the young man against the wall.

Viserys raised his eyebrows slightly upon hearing the words of the Red Priestess.

Since entering the room, he had been sizing her up, and she indeed matched the image of the Red Priestess in his mind.

There was no denying that Melisandre was a beautiful woman with a delicate face, red eyes, and fiery red hair like flames.

She wore a thin red dress, and her body radiated a scorching power.

Melisandre exuded an alluring aura, but at this moment, her expression was extremely serious.

"What do you mean?" Viserys asked, raising his eyebrows. Although he did not show it on the surface, he felt a slight chill in his heart.

He didn't think the Red Priestess was bluffing like other monks.

Those who could detect the power within his body were few and far between, limited to the genuine sorceress Mirri and this Red Priestess.

Viserys was well aware that this priestess of R'hllor truly possessed magic, sorcery, and even the ability to prophesize.

"I believe you know what I'm talking about. You have already harnessed and started using this power."

"The power of the evil god is about to pervade your flesh, bones, and even your soul. Without cleansing, it will ultimately result in a terrifying disaster."

"And I will help you."

Melisandre's voice was calm, but her eyes held an unprecedented seriousness.

She had once glimpsed a bit of Viserys in the flames, but she had been careless after all.

She never expected the evil that had tainted Viserys to be more horrifying than she had imagined. Just by looking at the silver-haired youth, it was as if she could hear the wailing of countless souls.

As Melisandre had said, Viserys' expression remained calm, as if he already knew what she was talking about.

The black mist inside him required the consumption of sentient souls as sustenance, and it didn't seem like a good thing at all. Instead, it seemed like he was making a deal with a demon.

He continued to kill people and absorb their souls, and in exchange, the demon constantly granted him power.

One day, he might even sell himself to the demon.

However, after a long silence, Viserys didn't ask what he should do, as Melisandre had expected.

Instead, he raised his head slightly and asked her an unexpected question.

"How old are you this year?"

"What?"

Melisandre was slightly taken aback, and for the first time, her calm demeanor showed surprise.

"Why do you ask?"

"Just...curious."

"I've heard that witches reveal their true selves when they cast magic."

Viserys answered seriously.

"They become old, ugly, like an old witch..."

"No!"

However, before Viserys could finish, Melisandre interrupted him.

"Except for very evil curses, almost no magic makes people age!"

"Even with very evil curses, if you overdraw your power for a short time and rest for a while, you can still recover."

Melisandre seemed unable to tolerate Viserys' description of witches, and she emphasized by tugging at her own cheek.

"I naturally look like this, not because of any magical transformation."

Nevertheless, Viserys still stood calmly, gazing at the red-robed witch, seemingly uninterested in her answer.

Melisandre also realized something after becoming slightly emotional in her words.

"One last question."

Viserys spoke again.

"Go ahead."

Melisandre calmed herself, thinking she shouldn't be angry over small matters.

"Did you kill the person?"

Melisandre shook her head after hearing the question, her voice very decisive.

"No."

Viserys didn't say much after hearing her denial, just nodded.

He then turned and opened the cell door, leaving the prison.

"Let the person go."

...

Night.

The night was deep and quiet.

Viserys released Melisandre due to insufficient evidence and allowed her to return to the castle.

Since her previous room had been destroyed and the new main castle hadn't been built yet, Viserys, who had just returned, had to choose another room to stay in.

Fortunately, Rhaenys had already solved this problem for him, reserving a room for him in advance, next to the two girls' rooms.

Viserys then returned to his room, took off his coat, and sat tiredly at his desk.

He didn't know whether Mili's death was an accident or murder, and he couldn't even guarantee that it wasn't the redhead's doing.

Because based on his understanding of her, she wouldn't mind using underhanded means to achieve certain goals.

However, the main issue was the motive.

Melisandre had no grudge against Mili Mazduur, so why did she suddenly want to kill her?

Melisandre was not a madwoman who acted without logic.

As Viserys thought about these messy matters, he went to his desk.

He had been away from Andalos for more than half a year this time but had returned once in the meantime.

Rhaenys had helped him deal with most of the government affairs, but some decisions had to be made by him personally.

For example, these pieces of intelligence from across the Narrow Sea and a personal letter from the Sea Lord of Braavos.

Viserys skillfully used a small knife to slit open the envelope.

However, at that moment, his wrist suddenly paused in place.

He realized that there seemed to be a slight color difference in the seal of the letter, as if someone had tampered with it and then repaired it with sealing wax.

Viserys' eyes narrowed slightly.