…

    ra’s POV

    :

    b78 /b

    55 vouchers.

    I froze. My heart pounded in my chest, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe.

    Amara.

    What was she doing here? Had she figured out what I was up to?

    Her presence felt like a cold gust of wind in an otherwise calm room, and for a second, I could barely process the situation. Her eyes locked onto mine, and the shock that shed across her face only made me more wary.

    “What’s with that face, ra?” she asked, arching an eyebrow, her voiceced with suspicion. “What were you looking at?”

    My gaze fell instinctively to the floor, to the file that had slipped out of my hands -Nora’s medical record.

    I stepped back, shifting my weight just enough to nudge it with my heel. The file slid quickly under the shelves, out of sight.

    I had to get rid of it before she noticed.

    I forced my voice to remain steady, even though everything in me screamed to act quickly. “Shouldn’t I be horrified? Thest time I saw you, you tried to kill me, Amara. What are you doing here now, finishing up your unfinished business?”

    Amara‘ eyes darkened, and her lips curled into something between a sneer and a smirk. “Look, ra, I think there’s been a misunderstanding-”

    Before she could finish, the heavy thud of footsteps echoed from behind.

    Dario appeared in the doorway, his presence immediately filling the room. His eyes flicked from me to Amara, a mix of confusion and irritation flickering across his face.

    “Why didn’t you wait for me?” Dario muttered, his tone defensive, almost using.

    9:51 Tue, Sep 9

    I stiffened.

    b78 /b

    55 vouchers

    If it had just been Amara, I could have handled her. She was nothing more than a petty threat. But with Dario here? I didn’t stand a chance.

    Dario was an unpredictable wildcard, and there was no way I was getting out of this clean if he and Amara were teaming up.

    “Dario,” I said, my fists clenched tightly behind my back. “I thought you said you were done with all of this. What the hell are you doing here with her? Trying to undermine the King’s orders again?”

    Dario’s face twisted in shock. “What? No! You’ve got it all wrong.”

    He stepped forward, but when he saw the fury in my eyes, he hesitated, stumbling slightly. Then, with a heavy sigh, he reached for Amara and dragged her closer to ollime. /li/ol

    “We’re not here to hurt you, ra,” he said quickly, his words tumbling out in a rush. “It’s the opposite, really… Amara is here to apologize.”

    Apologize?

    For a heartbeat, I just stared at him, trying to process his words. The idea was so absurd, it almost left me speechless.

    I couldn’t help the bitterugh that escaped my lips. “You? Want to apologize?”

    Amara wiped her eyes, trying to feign sincerity as she pulled out a handkerchief. “Yes… Yes, I do.” Her voice cracked, and she seemed to crumble, her words barely above a whisper. “I was out of my mind that day… I didn’t know what I was doing. I let jealousy take over my brain, and I… I hope you can forgive me.”

    I took a step back, incredulous. “Forgive you?!” My voice grew louder. “You came at me with a damn dagger! You nearly killed me–and my child! That’s something I can never forgive.”

    Amara‘ face crumpled. She sank to her knees, her shoulders heaving as she broke into loud sobs.

    “I–I’m sorry!” she wailed. “You want me to die, don’t you? I’ll do it… just say the

    9:51 Tue, Sep b9 /b

    b78 /b

    55 vouchers

    word, ra, and I’ll kill myself right here, right now, to show you how sorry I am!”

    I gritted my teeth. What a maniptive, cunning bitch.

    “Amara!” Dario shouted, lunging toward her. He grabbed her, pulling her away from the dagger that had somehow appeared in her hand. “Don’t be an idiot!”

    She wept uncontrobly, her voice shaking. “What do you want me to do, Dario? How will I live with this? If ra tells Dorian and the elders, they’ll never forgive me. People will look at me like I’m a monster! I’d rather die than face that

    humiliation.”

    I crossed my arms, my gaze cold as I watched her. This is her y. She’s scared. Not of me–but of getting caught.

    I couldn’t let her manipte me like this. Not now. Not ever.

    I let out a low, bitterugh. “What a joke,” I muttered under my breath.

    Amara wasn’t sorry–she was desperate. Desperate to cover her tracks, to make

    sure her crime was buried with her fabricated remorse.

    Dario looked at me, his expression pleading. “ra, I know you’re angry, and we don’t deserve your forgiveness, but… Amara has been through so much since my brother passed. She’s… unstable.”

    I didn’t even try to hide my skepticism. “Bullshit,” I said tly. “Unstable? She looked perfectly sane when she was aiming that dagger at me.”

    Dario swallowed, his face pale. “Please. You once said you owed me one,

    remember? You said it was your fault I got punished by the King… Please, just this once. Forgive her.”

    I scoffed. “You want to cash in that favour now? For her?”

    “Yes,” he said firmly, his voice low but urgent. “Amara is my family. She’s my responsibility.”

    I studied his face for a long moment, weighing his words. How stupid can he be?

    “Fine,” I said, though the word left a bitter taste on my tongue.

    9:51 Tue, Sep b9 /b

    …

    b78 /b

    55 vouchers

    Dario’s eyes lit up, his expression a mix of surprise and relief. Amara, still kneeling, shot to her feet, a hopeful gleam in her eyes. “Really?” she asked, her voice trembling with excitement.

    “Yes,” I said, though I made no effort to soften my words. “But you need to promise me something. Stay away from me–and from Dorian. I won’t tolerate any more interference.”

    “Yes, yes, I swear! I won’t bother you again!” Amara grinned through her tears, still sniffing as she curtsied. “Thank you so much, Queen ra.”

    I raised an eyebrow, a sarcastic smile tugging at my lips. “You’re wee.”

    Forgiveness?

    Not in a million years.

    But I had no choice. No hard evidence to bring her down, not yet. So I pretended to forgive her… for now.

    She might have won this battle, but when I had enough proof, when I could finally expose her… that would be the day Amara met her end.

    “Now, will you leave me alone?” I waved my hand dismissively, trying to sound uninterested. “I’ve got maternal research to finish. The head nurse mentioned some great books in here.”

    “May I help, Your Majesty?” Amara asked eagerly, her eyes wide with a desperate sort of hope.

    I smirked. “No, I’m fine. Thanks for the offer.”

    I turned to Dario, who was standing quietly by the door, still anxious. “Dario, if you’re not too busy, could you help me? Some books are on the top shelf, and I can’t reach them.”

    “Of course,” he replied quickly. He walked over to the shelf, moving with purpose. Amara, with a final curtsey, headed out the door.

    As soon as she was gone, I crouched down and retrieved Nora’s medical record from under the shelf. “Take a look at this,” I said, handing it to Dario.

    b9:51 /bTueb, /bSep b9 /b

    …

    :

    b78 /b

    55 vouchers

    His eyes widened when he saw the file. “This is… my brother’s file?” He flipped it open, frowning. “Wait, you were looking for my brother’s file? Why?”

    I pointed to the line where it mentioned Nora’s strange symptoms. “Look here.”

    “Red eyeballs after death,” Dario read aloud, his brow furrowing. “Yeah, I remember that. The doctors said it was some kind of allergy, right?”

    I couldn’t hide my frustration. “What kind of allergy causes someone’s eyeballs to turn red, Dario?”

    I leaned in closer, lowering my voice. “And earlier today, I saw the same symptom in Elder Randy.”

    Dario’s face paled, and his hand trembled as he held the file. “But—Elder Randy was poisoned!”

    “Exactly,” I said coldly. “Now, do you see where I’m going with this?”

    He stood frozen, eyes wide with realization. “But… but my brother… he died from an allergy. The doctors confirmed that!”

    “The doctor could have been wrong,” I said firmly. “Now, tell me. What happened the night Nora died?”

    Dario inhaled sharply, his face filled with grief and confusion. Slowly, he began to speak.

    “It was almost five years ago. Amara had gone to her parents‘ house to pick up some hand–me–downs for Bryn, She called me, asked me to keep Norapany… have dinner with him. I was about to head home when I got an emergency patrol alert–a girl had been attacked by bears near my point. But it was a false rm. By the time I got home, Nora was already on the floor, takeout box at his feet… dead.”

    His voice cracked.

    “Amara wasn’t there?” I asked softly.

    “No. She was still with her parents. Nora was alone. We checked the security footage–the only person who came to the door was the delivery.guy.”

    9:51 Tue, Sep b9 /b

    :

    b78 /b

    55 vouchers

    I nodded slowly, my mind piecing the puzzle together. “And yet… Nora was poisoned. Without anyone being there. Think about it, Dario.”

    He shook his head, disbelief and fear in his eyes.

    “But… how?” he whispered.

    “One doesn’t need to be present to poison someone,” I said quietly. “But I think I know who did it.”

    He looked at me, wide–eyed. “Who?”

    I exhaled slowly.

    “Amara,” I said coolly.

    田