CHAPTER 218: THE FIRST HUNT

[Dawnspire Wing—Lavinia’s Chamber—Midnight—LAVINIA’S POV]

"Repeat. That. Again."

I rubbed my eyes furiously, as if scrubbing hard enough would somehow erase Rey’s smug grin from existence. Alas, no such luck. He leaned against my doorframe like a predator who’d cornered his prey, a smirk carved sharp across his lips.

"You heard me, princess." His voice was a deliberate drawl, too calm, too certain. "Caelum... is the hidden emperor."

. . .

. . .

My mouth opened. Shut. Opened again. The words stuck to my tongue like ash. "...I sincerely hope you brought proof. Because if you came here in the middle of the night just to throw rumors at me—" my tone dropped cold, sharp, "—I swear, Rey, I will kill you for real."

His smirk deepened, infuriatingly confident. "Relax, princess. I did."

I stared at him, searching for the lie, and found none. "...Get in," I muttered, stepping aside.

We settled on the couch, shadows stretching long around us under the dim lantern light. I folded my arms, pinning him with a glare. "Alright. Show me."

Wordlessly, he slid a folded parchment across the table. His eyes—mocking, yet deadly serious beneath—never left mine.

"It all began before the war with Irethene," he said quietly.

I unfolded the parchment, scanning the ink with quick eyes. My breath caught when I reached a familiar name.

"Yes," I murmured slowly. "I remember... Caelum being adopted by Marquess Everett just before the war began."

"Exactly." Rey’s voice sharpened. "That wasn’t coincidence. It was calculated. Every step was planned. The goal was never just survival—it was infiltration. To take over Eloria from within."

I swallowed hard, my gaze dragging back to the parchment. My heart thudded uncomfortably in my chest. "...So Caelum was sent here, by a Priest, to measure our strength. To learn. To watch."

Rey leaned closer, his voice dropping lower. "Yes. At a very young age. Unlike you, princess, heirs outside Eloria are taught the art of politics and cunning before they can even spell their own names. And Caelum..." he tapped the table with one gloved finger, "...as heir of Irethene’s throne, was sent here as a spy. A child spy. Invisible. Unquestioned. No one would’ve suspected him."

"...No one." My voice was little more than a whisper. "Because he was just a boy."

Rey nodded grimly.

"Hmm..." My fingers tightened around the parchment as I read on. A chill slid down my spine. "...And when he saw Papa— grow soft with his daughter—" my throat tightened "—he thought him weak."

Rey’s eyes flickered. "That’s when he moved. The southern attack? It wasn’t random. It was the moment he decided to strike."

I froze. My mind flashed back—scenes, faces, and fragments of memory aligning like broken glass. My breath quickened. "...Rey."

He lifted his brows.

My voice cracked, low and disbelieving. "...He’s the one who poisoned me last time... isn’t he?"

Rey’s silence was heavier than any answer. And then he gave a single, grave nod.

My stomach dropped. The parchment trembled in my hands. "...The foreign coins—the bribe to that maid—"

"Also his doing," Rey confirmed, voice cold.

I closed my eyes, the realization clawing at me. "And he... he was sitting with me. Smiling. Watching... when she served me that poisoned cup."

The words left my mouth like broken glass.

Rey’s eyes gleamed in the lanternlight, his expression dark but steady. "He never imagined Emperor Cassius would win against Irethene. He thought your father was finished—that the old tyrant had gone soft the moment you were born."

My jaw tightened. "...But Papa proved him wrong."

Rey inclined his head once, sharply. "Exactly. And that is why he tried to poison you. If Cassius was no longer weak, then the next step was to shatter him through you. Break the daughter, and the father follows."

My hands clenched in my lap. "...But why wait all these years? Why now?"

A smirk tugged at Rey’s lips as he leaned lazily back against the couch, though his eyes glinted with something far more dangerous than amusement. "Because timing, princess, is everything. He was waiting for the perfect moment... weaving himself deeper and deeper into your life. Closer, and closer still. Close enough for you to lower your guard. Close enough for you to trust him."

The breath I exhaled came out sharp and bitter. I leaned back into the cushions, my gaze fixed on the ceiling as the weight of it pressed down on me. "...So all this time, I had a traitor at my side. Every day."

The parchment crinkled in my hands. My lips twisted into a bitter smile.

I used to think of him as nothing more than a background character. A second lead. The one who killed the real Lavinia at the end of the story. But now? That wasn’t a role in some novel. That was a plan. A strategy. A life-and-death truth.

And the more I thought about it, the more I realized—this didn’t feel like a novel world anymore. It felt like a real world with blood that stained, with blades that cut deep, and with whispers that could kill.

Rey’s voice pulled me back, sharp and deliberate. "Now... the question is, princess..." He tilted his head, watching me with unnerving focus. "...what are you going to do?"

I turned to him slowly, narrowing my eyes. "...What do you mean?"

His smirk returned, thinner now, edged with steel. "You’ve seen the truth. You’ve seen the traitor. So—what next?"

The parchment trembled once more before I set it aside. My decision burned in my chest, hot and steady. "... What next? There’s only one answer, Rey. I’m seizing him."

His brows lifted. "Right away?"

I pushed myself to my feet, my gown rustling around me as if even the fabric carried my resolve. My heart hammered with anger and frustration. "Yes. Immediately. I will not allow a traitor to sit so comfortably in my empire another day longer. Gather the knights. And send word to Papa—tell him we’ve found the hidden emperor."

Rey studied me for a heartbeat longer, a smirk playing faintly at the edge of his mouth—as though he were testing if I would falter. But when I didn’t, when I stood tall before him, he gave a slow, approving nod.

"As you command, princess."

He rose, cloak whispering behind him as he strode for the door. And then, with a sharp flick of his hand, he was gone.

Leaving me alone with the heavy silence. And the storm that was about to begin.

***

[Emperor Cassius’s POV—Imperial Balcony—Midnight]

The night was calm. Too calm.

I leaned against the balcony rail, goblet of crimson wine in hand, watching the moonlight spill over the palace grounds. And then—movement. Dozens of armored knights, rushing with urgency, their boots hammering against the stones as they converged toward the Dawnspire Wing.

My hand froze mid-sip. My gaze narrowed.

"...What in the hell is happening?"

From above, I caught sight of Rey slipping through the shadows, pushing past the knights as if he owned them. He crossed paths with Ravick, who stopped dead in his tracks, his face draining of color. Then, without a word, Ravick bolted toward the palace halls.

My heartbeat struck once—loud, heavy.Did something happen to Lavinia?

I slammed the goblet onto the balustrade, wine splashing like blood. My feet carried me before my mind could catch up. I threw open the doors to the hall just as Ravick appeared, breathless, bowing low.

"Your Majesty—"

"Out with it," I snapped, my voice cutting like steel. "Has something happened to Lavinia?"

Ravick’s chest heaved. His eyes flickered with unease. "The princess... she has uncovered the identity of the hidden emperor. She is... on her way to seize him."

For a heartbeat, silence. Then my lips curved—slow, sharp, and dangerous.

"...So. My daughter finally sniffed out the rat."

The wine-soaked calm shattered into something darker. Ravick stared, troubled, his words stumbling. "Your Majesty, forgive me, but... should you not be more concerned than proud? The matter is dangerous. This could end in blood."

I let the smirk linger, then dropped my voice to a cold growl.

"Concern is for weak men, Ravick. My daughter is mine. Devereux’s blood. If she dares claim him, she will not falter. And if she does..." I turned, the tyrant’s weight settling into my shoulders. "...then I will burn the palace to its foundations myself."

Ravick stiffened, eyes widening, but I did not grant him mercy in silence. I stepped closer, gaze sharp enough to cut.

"But—" My lips curved into a cold, wolfish smile. "Do not mistake my pride for negligence. My daughter may walk with a lion’s heart, but she will not hunt alone. Not while I still draw breath."

Ravick bowed deeply, head almost touching the marble. "Your Majesty..."

"Gather the guards," I commanded, each word edged with iron. "We march at once—behind my daughter, under her banner."

I paused, savoring the taste of it, before smirking into the midnight air.

"Because tonight, Ravick..." I raised my hand, signaling the shadows to move. "...My daughter’s first hunt has begun."