[One piece x reader] The Hearts are Blind

25

TW: murder 😱, sad :(.
Please refer to 'Kingdom' chapter and the one before if your forgot the details.

Back with Truth Seeker.

I managed to find that Commander after he ran away but, he ran away.
Again.
At least he knows when to quit.

I left for the palace and let the guards take over, not like he can run for long with that injury anyway. I eventually reach the palace and go inside, greeted by the gatekeepers' bows.

"Where's her majesty?" I ask.

"She was in a throne room, last I heard." One of the gatekeepers answers.

"Thank you." I nod and make my way to the throne room. When I finally reach it, I only find guards in their placements. Maybe she's in her room.

'Oh I can't wait to see you, sweet Irene.' I grin at the thought of seeing my beloved as I walk up the stairs and through the corridor. I eventually stop when I'm in front of Irene's room. I knock, but there's no answer.

Click
I peek into the room, finding a sleeping figure in her bed. I smile and walk towards her before sitting down on the edge. She looks so beautiful when she's peacefully asleep. I picture her reaction to waking up to me after not seeing me for so long.

I brush a strand of hair out of her face and admire her beauty, careful not to wake her. My smile drops however, when my finger brushes against her forehead. It felt...hot?
Carefully, I lightly lay my hand on her forehead, and my heart pangs when I feel how  warm it is. I sigh and place the bottle I've been holding onto this entire time on her nightstand. Standing up, I quietly walk to her dresser.

'You said you weren't sick anymore...' I open a drawer, my eyes searching for medicine. 'Are you just trying not to worry me—?' Im snapped out of my thoughts as I move things around, looking for the medicine and my eyes settle on a ring.

A ring with...

A skull with a crown on its head.

Brow furrowing, my mind races with reminders of the incident two years ago, Odette's last words ringing in my ears.
'Man, Crowned Skull, Hand.'

'Is this what she meant? Her attacker wore a ring with a crowned skull on his hand? Why does Irene have this? Does she know who the attacker is? Why would she hide this from me—wait...'

"...C-could she be..?" My eyes widened as water threatened to drop from them.
No. No way. Odette said 'Man', not woman...unless Irene hired someone but... she'd never do that. She wouldn't betray me like this.

But why...

Why is she hiding this from me?

"So, you've found it." Her voice snaps me out of my thoughts and doubts.

I turn to face her, she's standing there as she looks unsurprised. "What is this, love?"

She doesn't answer as she looks at the bottle in her hands, the one I worked so hard to get and fill for her.

"Why aren't you answering me?" I pick up the ring and hold it up for her to see more clearly. "What is this? Why did you hide this?" Surely she wouldn't...

"I can already see the desperation in your eyes." She chuckles. "Looking so desperate to prove to yourself that it wasn't me."

Hands dropping to my side, my eyes widen. "N-No..."

"And you'd be right. It wasn't me." She pauses as I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"It was you."