Linda's secret reveal

Anna was left bewildered by Lilly's words, unsure of what the queen was holding against her or her village. Despite this confusion, Anna was determined to seek clarity and turned to her mother, asking, "Mom, how did you end up in this situation?"

Lilly rose from her seat and approached Anna, gently patting her head and trying to ease her worries with a reassuring smile. "It's not as bad as it may seem," Lilly began, "but to answer your question, I made it a daily routine to visit the market to learn more about what was going on. Unfortunately, my constant presence caught the attention of the knight, and they eventually arrested me while I was going about my usual business."

As Anna's anger boiled over, she turned to Lilly and demanded, "Did they mistreat you in any way?" The intensity of her emotions was palpable, causing Lilly to tremble and shake his head in fear.

After a few deep breaths, Anna composed herself and apologized to her mother. "Let's put aside our feelings for now," she said. "I need to get you out of here and then deal with the city lord."

As Lilly began to speak up, his voice shook with trepidation. "No, we can't leave," he whispered urgently. "And you can't confront the city lord."

Anna was confused and asked why, prompting Lilly to reveal the truth of how he ended up in this dire situation.

My heart pounded as I recalled the night I was captured by those knights, spending a torturous night in jail before being summoned to the city lord's court. Fearful of revealing my true identity, I lied and spun a tale of being a woman held captive by monsters in the jungle. Though the city lord paid little attention to my words, he was captivated by my form, offering me a place in his harem. At first, I resisted, but I soon realized I had few options if I wanted to uncover the truth behind this. Thus, I accepted his offer and began serving him, probing for information. Initially, he used me solely for physical pleasure, but eventually, he became more open. One fateful night, he stumbled in, exhausted and inebriated. My curiosity piqued, I pressed him for information and discovered the dark secret plaguing the kingdom - the queen herself was the mastermind behind the mind-wiping of its citizens, earning the moniker of "dark witch".

As Anna sat there, her mind racing with confusion, she found herself unsure of how to react. Eventually, she turned to her mother and posed a question that had been haunting her since they received the news: "But why does the queen want our clan to die?" With a solemn expression, Lilly pondered the question for a moment before speaking. "I don't know the reason behind it," she began slowly, "but he said something about the queen having a dark past. It's like the hero doesn't die while fighting the demon king, but the reason is the queen..." Before she could finish her sentence, Linda abruptly ended the spell and collapsed to the ground. Alex and Maya rushed to her side, shouting in alarm, "Why did you end the spell so forcefully? We told you it was incredibly powerful, and if you can't handle it, you'll end up sleeping for eternity!"

- To be continued