176 THE DISAPPOINTING UNVEILING
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. The once radiant courtesans now bore sickly, disfigured faces, marred by lesions and sores.
"What happened to them?"
"Is this some kind of joke?"
"You invited us to see these ugly bitches?"
Outrage swept through the gathering as guests began to shout, their excitement turning into anger and disappointment.
Madam Chantrieri stood frozen on stage, her grand reopening unraveling before her eyes.
Leo watched from the sidelines, his satisfaction evident in his smirk.
------
[Some time ago- somewhere in an alley]
"Young Mistress, you must return to the family. Madam Chantrieri is furious," Arum urged, her tone pleading.
"I won't go back as long as that impostor Sakema is there," Petunia replied sharply, her arms crossed defiantly.
"Sakema is your sister," Arum reminded her, though her voice wavered with uncertainty.
"Are you so sure about that? Mother lost her daughter years ago, and now, out of nowhere, this woman shows up claiming to be her? How convenient," Petunia said, her eyes narrowing in disbelief.
Arum hesitated. "But she had the pendant... the one Madam Chantrieri left with her when she was taken by thieves all those years ago. It's unique can't be forged."
Petunia scoffed. "Exactly—thieves. If they were real thieves, why would they leave something so valuable with Sakema for so many years? They would have sold it long ago."
Doubt flickered across Arum's face. "I'll admit, I doubted her at first too. But Madam was so overjoyed to reunite with her daughter, it felt cruel to question it further."
"Mother is blinded by her emotions. But we aren't," Petunia said firmly, her resolve unshaken.
"What are you planning to do?" Arum asked cautiously.
"I'm going to expose Sakema for what she truly is," Petunia declared.
"And what is that?"
"She's not just an impostor. She's a powerful demon—a creature they call the Rose Demon. She's not seventeen, Arum, she's likely hundreds of years old."
Arum's eyes widened. "That's a serious accusation, Young Mistress."
"If you don't believe me, take this." Petunia handed her a small, glowing stone. "It's a demon-revealing crystal from the Assassin Guild. If you bring it near her, it will expose her true nature. That will be the proof you need."
Arum studied the stone, her expression conflicted. "Very well. But if I prove Sakema isn't a demon, you must return to the family without argument."
"And if she is?" Petunia countered.
"If she's a demon... I'll help you—for the sake of the family and ourselves," Arum said solemnly.
"Deal," Petunia agreed, her eyes burning with determination.
Arum nodded, pocketing the stone as she turned to leave. "I hope you're wrong, Petunia. For all our sakes."
-----
"Are you really just letting the Roses leave?" Grangya asked, her voice laced with skepticism.
Leo paused for a moment before replying. "Of course not."
"What are you going to do, lock them up?" Petunia asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, we let them go," Leo said calmly.
"Huh? Why?" Grangya asked, confused.
"It's all for the show," Leo explained. "The show must end with Lillsa showing her true colors—in front of the entire world, preferably."
"I still don't get it," Petunia said, shaking her head.
Bara stepped in to clarify. "You remember the curse from the relic stones in the dungeon? The one that afflicts anyone who touches them, making them hideously ugly?"
"The relic stones in the dungeon?" Grangya asked, her expression darkening.
"Yes. Some of Bara's girls were afflicted, but I quarantined the curse on their bodies, so they're fine now," Leo said.
"What does that have to do with the Roses?" Petunia asked cautiously.
"We're going to spread the curse to all the Roses," Leo said matter-of-factly.
"That's... horrible," Petunia muttered, horrified. "But won't Sakema notice if all the Roses start showing signs of the curse?"
"That's why the curse will be isolated at first," Leo explained. "But the isolation is controlled by a timer. On the appointed day—during their unveiling ceremony—the curse will break out, revealing to the world that the Roses are far from beautiful."
"You can time the curse?" Grangya asked, intrigued.
"Yes. I've been experimenting with minor magical programs, and it works," Leo said confidently.
"What makes you so sure the timing will align perfectly with their ceremony? They haven't even announced a date yet," Petunia pointed out.
Leo smirked. "That's where Arum comes in. You still have your spy in the Lotus family, don't you?"
"Yes, Arum is still feeding us information," Petunia confirmed.
------
[Back at Court La Lotus' reopening ceremony]
"What happened to all of you?" Madam Chantrieri screamed, her voice trembling as she looked at the afflicted Roses.
Sakema rushed to inspect the women, her face twisting in frustration. "What is this? I've made sure you're not poisoned. How did you get these lesions?"
"We need answers, Madam Chantrieri!" Leo's voice boomed from the crowd.
Madam Chantrieri turned her fury on him. "You did this to us, didn't you?"
Leo smirked. "A bold accusation, but wrong. It's your so-called daughter, Sakema, who's the real culprit."
"No! This has nothing to do with me!" Sakema protested, panic creeping into her voice.
Suddenly, Arum stepped forward, holding a glowing stone. She thrust it toward Sakema, and the stone erupted in a blinding crimson light, illuminating the stage.
"Is that… a demon-revealing stone?" someone in the crowd whispered.
"Madam Chantrieri's daughter is a demon?" another gasped.
"No! I'm not a demon!" Sakema screamed, her voice cracking. She turned to Leo, her eyes blazing with fury. "You did this! You're framing me!"
Before more could be said, the city guards stormed in, surrounding the stage. The captain stepped forward, holding another demon-revealing stone.
"I must confirm this officially", the guard said. His crystal glowed brightly as he approached Sakema.
"She's a demon," the captain confirmed grimly, raising his sword. "Guards, take her!"
The crowd erupted in chaos, fleeing in terror.
"No! This can't be true!" Madam Chantrieri cried, clutching her chest as Arum pulled her away from the scene.