bChapter /bb188 /b

    Nyssa pov

    5 youchersin

    “Is that so?” I asked, popping a piece of popcorn into my mouth as Isabe leaned in with a gossiping bwhisper, /btelling me what had happened to E.

    Everything happened yesterday. The whole ordeal, the maid, the forbidden room, remembering who I btruly /bwas, and then finding out that E had been the mastermind behind everything.

    Once it was confirmed that E was the one who ordered the maid, Cassian had been told to bring her to the packhouse. The king dismissed everyone, saying it was over, for now.

    I’d been a little disappointed. I wanted to confront E myself for what she did. But seeing how furious Darius was, I knew better than to do something reckless that might turn his anger on me. So I agreed to stay quiet, though not before giving the maid her punishment.

    She would be thrown into the dungeon for a year before being released for her crimes.

    When I’d dered that yesterday, the maid cried, begged for forgiveness, pleaded for me to spare her. But why should I? Why should I show kindness when she had intentionally tried to get me killed? I had even given her a chance to save her life, but she refused. So I turned away from her desperate cries as she was dragged off.

    And now, Isabe was telling me something very interesting.

    Cassian had rejected E, breaking the bond with her wolf and leaving her wolfless. When she came to the packhouse to face Darius, he hadn’tid a hand on her. Instead, he stripped her father of his position as an elder, robbing him of his status, and banned their family from ever stepping foot in the packhouse again. If you asked me, that was a light punishment, E could easily have lost her life for what she did.

    “I heard Beta Cassian didn’t even react when Lady E passed out yesterday from the rejection and was taken to the king. Isn’t he… a bit cruel? I mean, she was still his mate. I can’t believe he rejected her knowing she could die,” Isabe said with a small frown.

    Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Serena stiffen at her words. She clearly wanted to disagree, but stayed

    silent.

    “I don’t think he’s cruel,” I said, reaching for another piece of popcorn and popping it into my mouth. “He did it to save her.”

    As soon as the words left my lips, both Isabe and Serena turned to me in surprise, Serena especially, shocked that I knew Cassian’s true reason for rejecting E.

    “If he hadn’t rejected her, the king would have killed her himself. But since she had already been punished by her mate, and taking Cassian, his beta, into consideration, he spared her life and instead demoted her father as further punishment. Cassian might not truly care for E, but he took a gamble with her life and, in the end, saved it. He’s not really a bad person. He saved her.”

    I exined, stretching slightly before cing the box of popcorn on the table. Isabe’s eyes widened as she realized the truth of the situation, and Serena smiled softly at me. But I had a more pressing question,

    b8:13 /bbSun/bb, /bbSep /b14 bN /b

    something that left me confused.

    “Hm, Isabe, how did you say Be got the keys to the forbidden room again? You said someone bgave /bit to her?” I asked, tilting my head slightly as I stared at her.

    She paused for a moment, realizing what I meant, and then nodded.

    “Yes, mydy, but what she said was weird. She imed it was a blind old woman, the head attendant in bthe /bpackhouse, who gave her the key without much exnation. But there’s no such person here. We don’t bhave /bba /bhead attendant,” she said.

    A scoff escaped me at her words. Blind old woman?

    That was Sandra or should I say, the Moon Goddess.

    I couldn’t believe the goddess had given E the key, but something told me it had been nned, a move to push me into that room so I could regain my memory.

    The corner of my lips curved into a slow smirk. The goddess was really cunning, wasn’t she? She seemed to sh everyone’s memory of herself, everyone except E.

    “Miss, are you okay?” Serena asked as I fell into a daze, her expression filled with worry. As my gaze flickered to her, I smiled and nodded, responding,

    “I see… maybe she was hallucinating then.”

    I yawned and then turned to Isabe.

    “I’m pretty hungry. Could you cut me some fruit, please?” I asked, watching as Isabe’s brow lifted at my words. Her gaze flicked to the bowl of popcorn and the snacks already on the table, surprise evident in her eyes. But when she looked back at me, I smiled, and she cleared her throat before standing and lowering her head.

    “Ah… yes, mydy. I’ll go get some fruit now,” she said with a smile before walking out of the room.

    As soon as she stepped out, I watched her figure disappear, and almost immediately, Serena’s voice rang through the space as she adjusted the nket around me.

    “You seem to be eating a lot more today, mydy. I’m happy for you,” she said.

    I turned to her, narrowing my gaze suspiciously as I watched her smile.

    As though she could feel my stare, she instantly stiffened, her hands pausing on me as she lifted her head to meet my eyes. The moment our gazes locked, she swallowed hard, and I studied her intentl closer.

    “M–miss, what did I do-” she stammered, but I cut her off.

    ore leaning

    “Serena, you’re acting suspicious. Do you have something to tell me?” I asked, my gaze sharp. She blinked at my words, her face flushing red, and instinctively shook her head, as if to deny it.

    b8:14 /bbSun/bb, /bbSep /b14 bN /b

    =tki

    “Don’t lie to me, Serena. Tell me the truth. Is there something going on between you and Cassianb?/b” bI /bpressed narrowing my eyes further. She sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes widening, as though I had hit the bnail /bbion /i/bthe head.

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