CHAPTER 181: SOME TRUTHS

King Solomon heeded Princess Eve’s demand. He finally abdicated the throne for her. The royal court officials present in the palace hall served as witnesses when King Solomon issued his last royal command.

The Royal seal was also given to Princess Eve to formalize the transfer of authority from King Solomon to Princess Eve.

Eve could see the regret in her father’s face. He had lost Esmeralda because of his greed. He could no longer turn back time to correct his mistakes. There was no way to redeem himself.

"I deserve to be punished by you, Eve. I will gladly accept it." King Solomon said in his sad tone. He couldn’t look at her.

Princess Eve clenched her fists. "Send the former King to his quarters," she commanded the royal guard captain.

The royal guard captain obeyed her command, escorting King Solomon out of the palace hall.

Princess Eve turned to the royal court officials. "Go back to your respective posts. Let’s gather here tomorrow for I will issue my first royal command."

"We understand, Your Majesty. We shall take our leave now." Chancellor responded on behalf of the royal court officials.

Now, Eve was left with her royal siblings. Gideon, Captain Alucard, General Artemis, and General Ravenmoor were waiting for Eve’s command.

"Detain them in their respective quarters. Don’t let them leave," she said, darting her gaze among her half-siblings.

Crown Prince Stefan and his wife silently followed General Artemis. Captain Alucard and Commander Kevin captured Princess Alessandra, who tried to attack Eve. They brought her back to her chamber.

On the other hand, General Ravenmoor and Princess Aliyah remained in the palace hall with Eve and Gideon.

"What do you want from me? Are you going to kill me?" Princess Aliyah roared at her.

She couldn’t accept this turn of events. Eve ascended the throne. And now, they were at her mercy. She ordered the knights to detain all the members of the royal family. This was like a nightmare for Princess Aliyah.

Eve was once her slave. And now, she had the power to control the entire army of the Averion Kingdom. She became the new ruler of their kingdom!

"You play dirty, bitch! My mother should have killed you as well. Not only your mother–"

SLAP!

Princess Aliyah’s words were cut off as Princess Eve slapped her hard.

"I’m not yet done dealing with you, Aliyah. You also need to pay for your crime. But I’m not the one who will do that. I will let the Ravenmoor Family decide on your punishment."

Princess Aliyah frowned in confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?" She darted her gaze back and forth between Eve and General Ravenmoor.

"You can’t fool me, Aliyah. I know what you did. You committed a crime. I don’t think Gavin will take his own life." Eve confronted her.

Princess Aliyah could only clench her fists. She wanted to avoid this topic especially in front of General Ravenmoor.

’Does she know something? But she has no proof at all.’ Aliyah thought to herself.

She looked at General Ravenmoor anxiously. "Don’t believe her lies! She is just stirring a conflict between us, Uncle. I had nothing to do with Gavin’s death!"

Eve’s lips curled upward and said, "Well. There is one way to find out."

Receiving a signal from Eve, Gideon grabbed Aliyah from behind, immobilizing her. She struggled to break free but Gideon was very strong. She couldn’t push him away.

"What are you doing? Release me! How dare you touch me?!" Princess Aliyah screamed as she tried to kick Gideon, but her resistance was futile against him.

It did not take long before Eve and General Ravenmoor approached her. Eve was holding a small glass of potion. General Ravenmoor pinched Aliyah’s jaw, forcing her to open her mouth. He also tilted her up, letting Eve pour the truth serum into her mouth.

Choking and gasping for air, Princess Aliyah still forced the liquid down her throat. General Ravenmoor and Eve waited for the truth serum to take effect before interrogating Aliyah.

The general had proven that the truth serum was truly effective. He experienced it first hand. He couldn’t lie to Eve as she asked him several questions. He was compelled to answer her truthfully.

With this, he could finally learn the truth. Who lied to him? Was it Aliyah or Eve? He was dying to know the truth behind Gavin’s death.

After a few minutes, Eve gave General Ravenmoor the go signal. "You can ask her the questions. She will give you an honest answer."

General Ravenmoor pursed his lips, still hesitating. He wondered if he committed a mistake of believing in Aliyah.

"Princess Aliyah, tell me the truth. Did Gavin really commit suicide?" General Ravenmoor asked her expectantly. He looked at her with anticipation. He braced himself for what he was about to hear.

"That cheater?! Of course not! I killed him! But I only made it look like a suicide!"

General Ravenmoor gasped in shock upon hearing that. He couldn’t believe it.

"What?! How could you do that? I thought you loved him. Why did you kill him? Why?" General Ravenmoor grabbed Aliyah’s shoulders, shaking her body as he demanded answers from her.

Princess Aliyah laughed maniacally. "Hahaha! I got tired of him! It was his fault! He fell in love with that bitch! He was supposed to be mine—only mine! But he disobeyed me. He betrayed me! He deserved to die!"

The anger surged up in General Ravenmoor’s heart. This was the truth. This woman was the one who killed Gavin.

Smack!

General Ravenmoor wasn’t able to control his rage. He hit Princess Aliyah on her face.

"Why?! Our clan has always been loyal to your family. I can’t forgive you for this. You may be a princess and his wife, but you had no right to take his life! You and your mother truly are murderers! We never should have chosen you as Gavin’s wife! Ever since he met Princess Eve, he had eyes only for her. We should have listened to his request—he wanted to marry Princess Eve, not you!"

General Ravenmoor started to regret the decision of their family had made before. They were the one who forced Gavin to marry Princess Aliyah even though he expressed his desire to be Princess Eve’s husband. They didn’t listen to him.

"Haha! Stop blaming me! Your family benefited the most from our wedding. You can’t deny the fact that the Ravenmoor Clan became arrogant just because Gavin married a princess like me. You’re a hypocrite, General Ravenmoor! You are only regretting it now because this bitch has become the Queen of this kingdom." Princess Aliyah mocked him.

General Ravenmoor punched Princess Aliyah in the stomach. He didn’t care anymore—she had no power over him. He just wanted to release his frustration and anger. But Eve held his shoulder, thus stopping him from inflicting more damage on Aliyah’s body.

"Stop it, General. She is just a weak woman. You’ve hit her enough."

Gritting his teeth, General Ravenmoor stepped back as he obediently listened to Eve. "Forgive me, Your Majesty. I failed to control my anger."

"Don’t worry. I will hand her over to you once I’m done dealing with her. You can do anything to punish her. But don’t kill her. For now, send her back to her quarters."

General Ravenmoor didn’t object. "I understand, Your Majesty. I shall escort her back to her pavilion."

Eve finally dismissed General Ravenmoor. The only people left in the palace hall were Eve and Gideon. Once everyone had left, she suddenly felt both emotionally and physically exhausted. Confronting her family hadn’t been easy.

"You should sit down first," Gideon said gently, supporting her as he led her to the throne and helped her sit.

"Are you okay, Eve? Do you feel unwell?" he asked with concern.

Eve took a deep sigh while rubbing her temples. "It only made feel dizzy. I’m fine now. Thanks for your concern, Gideon."

Gideon grabbed her hand while staring at her intently. Eve gazed up, giving him a questioning look.

"I don’t think you’re okay. You got what you wanted, but you don’t look happy at all."

Eve fell silent the moment she heard his words. She couldn’t deny it. Gideon was right. She wasn’t entirely happy for what happened today.

"Even though I hated them, they are still my family. My father... and my half-siblings."

Gideon tightened his grip on her hand. He wanted to comfort her. He couldn’t bear to see her sad.

"I understand you’re having a hard time because you have a kind heart. However, you can’t just forgive them so easily after everything they did to you and your mother."

Eve smiled faintly. "I know. I must strengthen my resolve and not waver. This is just the beginning of my revenge. I still need to punish them."

"No matter what you do, I’m here to support you. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be scared. You are still the kindest woman I know. My Queen..." After saying those words, Gideon leaned closer and pulled her into a warm hug.