Oralina began leaving while carrying Lin.
She leapt across the palace grounds until she entered through one of its balconies.
She dragged Lin into her room without hesitation.
Then, using her hand like a blade, she slashed her palm. Blood began to drip—but Lin was the one who screamed in pain.
He reached for his dagger, only for Oralina to grab him by his long hair.
"So, you still enjoy rebelling, huh?" she said coldly.
She began punching his stomach—again and again—each blow forcing blood from his mouth.
"Seems like this pregnancy is making you weak," Lin muttered, eyes half-lidded, lips stained red.
Oralina's expression froze.
Just for a second.
As if he had struck a nerve no one else dared touch.
Without a word, she kicked him in the face, sending his body crashing through two walls.
She walked over and began punching his face, again and again.
"Even weakened, I'm more than enough to discipline my slave," she hissed.
Then, without shame, she leaned toward the cut on his hand and began drinking his blood.
Her eyes began to glow. Her stomach swelled unnaturally with each gulp—as if feeding not just herself, but something far worse.
When she finally pulled back, her belly returned to its normal size. Her breath was steady. Controlled.
"Since the physical method didn't work on you," she whispered with a cruel smile, "let me show you what obedience truly means… my dear husband."
The crown-shaped mark on her hand began to glow.
Lin's body arched.
He clutched his chest—his heart pounding as if it were trying to escape his ribs.
Then came the screams. Raw. Animalistic.
She kept draining his blood for an entire hour, as if drawing out his very energy with it.
Somewhere between agony and numbness, Lin stopped screaming.
Not because the pain ended—
But because something inside him snapped.
A wall.
A part of him that still believed he could survive this without changing.
When she finally grew bored, she deactivated the mark.
"Maybe now you've learned your lesson," she said, voice like frost.
She grabbed him by the hair and dragged him through the palace halls.
His body left a trail of blood behind him—like a crimson ribbon leading to her throne.
A trail of pain… but also of defiance.
When they reached the throne room, she let his head dangle at her side.
Four chairs surrounded her seat of power—one for Elenius, the other three for the princesses.
They were already there, waiting.
The princesses looked on in silence, their expressions tense and frowning.
Only Elenius allowed a flicker of something else to show—
a faint smile.
Mockery? Satisfaction? It vanished too quickly to be sure.
Oralina sat on her throne, tall and proud. Regal. Untouchable.
But just before her fingers rested on the armrest…
They trembled. Slightly.
No one noticed.
Except Lin.
With a wave of her hand, she hurled Lin into the wall beside them.
He groaned in pain, clutching his ribs—
"Aaagh..."
Then, deep inside, a thought burned in silence:
I'm going to kill you. I swear… I'll take everyone here down with me.
He didn't speak it aloud.
But the hatred in his eyes said enough.
Oralina turned her gaze to the room.
Elenius was smiling.
The other three princesses frowned.
Her aura surged, filling the chamber with suffocating pressure.
Lin collapsed, kissing the floor.
None of the others could move an inch.
The chairs had already been shattered, and a visible crack spread across the room's floor.
"Next time," she warned, "fix your expressions—or there won't be a next time."
"…Yes, Your Majesty."
"Serpina," Oralina said, turning her cold gaze toward the black-haired princess with green eyes—her hair writhing with black snakes, their eyes glowing red. "Here's the latest intelligence."
She gestured, and a magical projection lit up before them.
Then she began.
"The White Wolf Clan has lost its king. The cause? Betrayal. Though unconfirmed, it's strongly suspected that his own daughter orchestrated the assassination. Internal power struggles have erupted, and the clan's influence is crumbling."
Oralina's gaze shifted to the golden-haired princess.
"And Ivarina—the golden-haired princess, always flanked by a green-golden serpent with a single golden eye…
The White Ghoul Prince has awakened a mysterious blessing. According to reports, he defeated the entire elite force of his clan in a single night—unarmed. His rise was so abrupt, the clan elders had no choice but to bow to him.
We have no further intel on his sister yet... but the White Ghoul Clan is growing dangerously strong.
Their appetite for expansion has returned."
She turned to the white-haired princess with light blue eyes surrounded with many white snakes next.
And you, Leucinta—what information do you have?
The Queen of the Blue Elves—her eyes have finally awakened, turning golden. That alone would be a political earthquake… but her daughter has also received the blessing. A rare dual awakening within a single bloodline. The Elves of the Sapphire Moon are rising once more, and their influence across the northern territories is spreading like frost."
She paused briefly, then added coldly, "At the moment, we have no further confirmed intelligence."
A silence fell… until Oralina's tone sharpened.
"As for Isphyriela, the White Dragon Queen—she's sent out a decree: every clan must attend the Gathering in one week. Not just send tribute like before—this time, she wants everyone there in person. And those who refuse? She promised they'll see hell. Her words."
The room tensed.
Oralina narrowed her eyes and stood tall.
"She used to just sit on her throne and collect what she was owed—
cold, distant, above it all.
But now?
She's changed the rules."
Her voice was calm, but heavy with meaning.
"Damn… she's not just calling us together.
She's preparing something vicious.
I need to be ready for it."
She glanced around the hall, eyes unreadable.
"We can't afford to look weak. Not now. Not in front of her.
Then, facing her brother, she said,
"Elenius, make Lin strong. No more excuses. He is the new king now."
She stepped forward.
"This is your responsibility. Do not fail me, Elenius."
Her words struck like a blade dipped in ice.
"Everyone else—prepare. I want everyone to be ready."
Oralina's voice echoed with finality.
As the tension in the hall began to ease, Elenius stood up.
He walked toward Lin's broken body, lifted him effortlessly, and said with a calm yet commanding tone:
"You're under my care now," he said, his voice quiet but unshakable.
"And if you survive what I'll put you through…
you might just outlive her."
As he turned and carried Lin away, his blood continued to drip behind him—like shattered red petals.