Chapter 15- Princess Katheria's game

Through a hallway that extended away from the garden in the grand palace belonging to Princess Katheria Arinphiam, a man hurried along, moving as fast as he could without breaking into a run to avoid attracting attention from the servants.

His eyes frantically scanned the surrounding areas as he glanced back often, worried that someone might be following him. He remained on high alert, desperate to escape the palace as quickly as possible, but the hallway seemed to go on forever.

Count Patric Vrandin was presently soaked in perspiration, barely managing to push through a seemingly endless stretch of time. His heart raced, knowing that if he was discovered in this place, the consequences would be far beyond mere death.

After poisoning the Marquess, Patric was certain that he had condemned his family to a future of eternal darkness. With uncertainty gnawing at him, his only option was to flee before the Princess Katheria Arinphiam could catch him.

Little did he know, his mind consumed with thoughts of fleeing, Patric Vrandin unwittingly sealed his fate by choosing to leave the gathering by himself, oblivious to the fact that he was unknowingly traversing a hallway shrouded in an unsettling emptiness and eerie silence.

'Where are the servants?', After at last arriving at the end of the hallway, he felt a cold breeze along with a soothing light that seemed to calm his mind as it brushed against his face, finally easing his inner turmoil. It was then that Patric realized the puzzling absence of the servants who should have been present there.

'Wait, why didn't I notice any servants until now, or even soldiers?' Patric Vrandin felt an unsettling sensation wash over him as he walked through the hallway and realized that he hadn't seen a single person from the beginning to the end of his journey to this place. His pace quickened, his face now contorted with fear, as he cried out,"no, No, NO!"

'I don't want to die!', He ran with all his focus on somehow getting out of the palace, knowing that once he reached outside, his servants would be able to notice and help him escape safely. After that, he would deal with the Royal court.

His heart was racing in his chest, his eyes trembling rapidly, knowing full well that something was missing. Finally, his face brightened, which was drenched in sweat, and he felt a sense of relief as his feet stumbled while running and leaped to finally step outside into the light, leaving the hallway behind.'I-i survived'

"Huh?", Finally stepping inside, Patric gazed ahead to see a scene that was far from what he had expected. Instead of expansive skies, luxurious cars, and numerous servants, he was met with a cramped space, metallic stench and a putrid odor that immediately assaulted his senses which appeared to not being able to process things.

As he blinked and blinked again, his eyes kept showing him the image of black walls covered in algae with moths fluttering around small yellow lamps.The entire place was illuminated by numerous chains and blood stains could be seen scattered all over. At first glance, the eerie atmosphere revealed the true identity of the place as a Dungeon.

'?!'

Suddenly, Patric's gaze snapped downward as he felt something crawling over his feet. He noticed several small insects, including rats, centipedes, and a few small worms that looked long like snakes but were similar to earthworms in appearance.

"Haah, N-no, this can't be, LEAVE ME!" As one of the rats bit into his leg, Patrick realized the swarm of hungry insects trying to attack him. He flailed his leg as he sprinted from that place, stumbling as his feet were numbed. He fell to the ground, horrified, gazing at the approaching horde of insects. "NO! Don't come near me!!"

"Argh! Stop, stop PRINCESS! Stop this!",The man's body and sight were suddenly overwhelmed with rats and insects covering him, jumping over his skin and eating away at him. Earthworm-like insects started entering his body through the wounds left by the rats, while the poison from centipedes started to paralyze him. He cried out in an attempt to escape this horrifying fate.

"The princess will arrive in a few minutes." a booming voice echoed inside the dungeon, causing Patrick's eyes to widen. He felt a rat biting his eyelid and realized he would have to bear this torment until the princess arrived herself. "No! someone please help me?"

"AaaaRrrrGggggHhhhh!!!" His screams echoed off the cold Dungeon walls as he lay inside, ignored by all. The initial treatment given to the guests of this place was callous, the pain searing through his body like a burning needle piercing through flesh.

Blood carried signals of agony, bombarding his brain and creating a gruesome scene on the dungeon floor, but it was not enough to elicit pity from the only person cloaked in white assassin robe present inside the dungeon.

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"So, is this the compensation for infiltrating my palace?" Princess Katheria strode down the corridor with a chilling stare, grilling the handful of maids. One of them clutched onto a box, while the rest scurried around her, purposely avoiding her gaze and visibly shaking.

They had just told her about the recent happening that occurred just moments before - the princess was in the midst of a gathering when Butler Sebastian, accompanied by a small group of soldiers and a knight with the rank of captain, entered the palace under the guise of gathering information about Marques' alleged involvement in treason.

'Empress seems...', As Princess Katheria walked through the hallway, having just dealt with Count Patric with the help of one of her empyreal, she suddenly halted in her tracks upon reaching the end. What met her eyes was a gruesome scene of lifeless bodies and crimson stains adorning the floor by the entrance of a room.

At first sight, it seemed evident that the Empress was sending a strong message to Princess Katheria, showing her disregard for the princess's authority and willingness to execute anyone within the palace at her will, regardless of consequences.

"Open it", Katheria remained unfazed at the sight of the blood stains as she moved with graceful elegance, calmly giving instructions to the maids. Her impassive expression and yellow pupils surveyed the corpses below her as she navigated around them with ease, finally coming to a stop at the doorway of a room.

"Princess it's a ruby", The maid opened the box she had received from Sebastian, who had informed her of the incorrect information and his execution of the soldiers. In an attempt to make up for the discomfort caused by Sebastian's actions, the Empress had given the princess this box.

'The Estrela de fura, a 55.22-carat red ruby, sold at a Sotheby's auction for 30.8 million Imperial Crowns.', As Katheria glanced at the ruby, information flooded back in a split second. She then turned toward the open window, noticing the dust particles on the ground and the bare walls. Her feet approached the only window inside the room.

Her eyes narrowed as she peered through the window, unable to see the garden clearly due to the dense trees. However, she could make out the figures of doctors and other individuals, along with a lone man seated in the middle.

Even from afar, the man's silver hair shone brightly in the moonlight, draped in a white bathrobe. Her eyes remained fixed at him for a few moments before directing the maids,"Sell this ruby."

'?!'

The maid was surprised by the unexpected words, even though she was aware of the princess's dissatisfaction. Instead of demanding the return of the ruby or kicking her out, the princess instructed her to sell it.

"Clean and restore this room before the sun rises." Keeping a steady gaze on the man seated at a distance, Katheria couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong. The room's disarray and the direct access of the garden from the window only heightened her suspicions.

After hearing about Sebastian's entrance with guards, confidently mentioning the possibility of treason, she decided to set up a meeting with Marquess in the morning at this very location.

"P-princess, It's slightly" The maids were feeling incredibly stressed as they realized the sheer impossibility of completing all the tasks needed to restore the room to its original state within a mere 5 hours.

"There are similar rooms nearby. Just move them in here.", Katheria's fingers grazed the window edge as her eyes observed the marks on the walls. She felt the texture that appeared to be small cut marks caused by thousands of blades, each slowly peeling off the paint without touching anything further,' Precision, accuracy and....'

"Inform the Empress that she must supply 50 million Imperial crowns or else the head of Sebastian will be demanded for his reckless actions", As Katheria shifted her gaze from the garden to the vacant room while exiting, a piercing coldness flashed in her eyes, a hint of a smirk playing on her lips that eventually transformed into a slight smile. 'You sure know how to play the game, Marquess'