Completely Defeat Zhou Linglong’S Inner Defense!

"Oh, my empress, what have you done to make the people so furious?" Orion's voice oozed with mockery as he gestured toward the angry crowd below the palace walls. "Look, even your own subjects are crying out against you."

Zhou Linglong's eyes burned with rage, her fists clenched. "You deceitful beast!" she spat, her voice trembling with fury. "Orion, no matter what you do to me, I'll never forgive you!"

She lunged at him, her heart consumed by a deep hatred, but the enchanted bracelet around her wrist sapped all her strength. Her attempt was futile. The guards, towering figures cloaked in dark armor, watched silently as she crumbled before Orion.

Orion chuckled coldly, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Why, Zhou Linglong, does the sting of betrayal burn now?" His voice dropped to a whisper, laced with venom. "You remember, don't you? That day, when you ordered me to my death, did you think this day would come?"

The empress could only glare at him, her heart racing with a mixture of fear and anger.

"All this," Orion said, spreading his arms wide, "is just the beginning. You'll see—" he paused, a wicked grin spreading across his face, "the best is yet to come."

He snapped his fingers, and the shadow guards immediately brought forth a middle-aged woman. Dressed in rich robes but trembling with fear, the woman was none other than Zhou Linglong's beloved nanny—the woman who had raised her like a mother.

"No, Orion! Please!" Zhou Linglong's voice cracked as she begged, panic flooding her eyes. "If you have any humanity left, leave her out of this! She has nothing to do with us!"

The elderly woman hesitated, her hands trembling. "Linglong…" she whispered, her voice strained. But the fear of Orion's punishment forced her to speak. "Don't hate me…"

Zhou Linglong's heart shattered as her nanny's words turned sharp. "You vile creature!" the woman spat, her voice suddenly filled with venom. "You pretend to be a ruler, but you're nothing more than a tyrant! You disgust me!"

Zhou Linglong recoiled, horror washing over her. How could the woman she had trusted, loved like a mother, betray her like this?

Tears welled up in her eyes. "Why?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Why would you do this?"

The nanny, her face twisted in anguish, could barely meet Zhou Linglong's eyes. "Forgive me," she muttered under her breath, but it was too late. The damage was done.

Zhou Linglong's heart felt as if it had been cleaved in two. The betrayal of her ministers had been painful, the scorn of her people unbearable, but this—this was the final blow. Her closest confidante, the woman who had cared for her since birth, had turned against her too.

She fell to her knees, sobbing, as despair washed over her. "I've done everything right... yet why has the world turned on me?"

Orion looked down at her, a cruel smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He had broken her spirit, crushed her will. She was defeated.

"Ah, the fall of a queen," he mused quietly, watching as she trembled before him. "You see, it's not so hard to destroy someone's soul. All you have to do is take away everything they hold dear."

A shadow guard approached, bowing low. "My lord," he whispered, "the painter you requested has arrived."

Orion's grin widened. "Excellent. Take her back to her palace," he ordered, his voice cold. "Make sure the preparations are complete. We're not finished with our empress yet."

Zhou Linglong shuddered at his words, her heart racing with dread. She knew what was coming next, and the thought of it terrified her more than death itself.

But she had no strength left to resist.