To be the Villainess

O57.

Chapter 57

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CRYING AND MOURNING filled the air as I walked through the heart of the Capital. The once-proud city was now a desolate wasteland. Ash coated the crumbled remnants of once-grand structures, and flickering embers danced on the wind. Charred bodies lay strewn across the ground, their lifeless forms a grim testament to the devastation. The acrid stench of smoke and burnt flesh clawed at my throat, forcing me to swallow the bile rising within me.

The vision I had seen in the orb mirrored this horror perfectly. But this… this was not what I expected. I bit my lower lip as I stared at the ruins, my mind racing. Why would the Emperor do this? No... my memory rebelled. I had seen it clearly. This wasn’t the Emperor’s doing. Someone else was responsible for this chaos.

“My lady,” Sebastian’s voice broke through my spiraling thoughts. I turned to him sharply, meeting his gaze. His face was a mask of fury, his jaw clenched so tightly I thought it might shatter. His emerald eyes burned with an emotion so raw and unfiltered, it sent a shiver down my spine. For once, even he was struggling to contain himself.

“We need to go to the palace,” I commanded, my voice firm and unwavering despite the turmoil within me. He gave a stiff nod.

An arcane circle flared to life beneath us, its glowing symbols spinning with purpose. As the magic took hold, I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails bit into my palms. The bitterness of failure coursed through me. I had failed Arthemice. Her revenge, her final wish—I hadn’t fulfilled it. And now… it was too late.

“We’re here,” Sebastian said, pulling me back to the present. I blinked, realizing we now stood before the towering gates of the Imperial Palace.

But the sight before me was far from what I had expected. Gone was the grand and majestic palace, its beauty now marred by destruction and chaos. A crowd of people had gathered in front of it, their expressions shadowed by fear and smoke. My eyes darted to the center of the commotion, and my stomach twisted.

There, bound together by thick ropes, was a group of captives. Firewood surrounded them, and dense smoke from the smoldering fires cloaked their faces in an impenetrable haze. Ash floated through the air like cursed snowflakes, settling on their ragged clothes and battered bodies. Though their expressions were hidden, the way their heads jerked frantically and their wide, glistening eyes darted in desperation spoke volumes. My chest tightened, a heavy ache spreading through me. Who were they?

Suddenly, Sebastian’s hand gripped my head, forcing me to bow low. His voice, low and urgent, whispered in my ear, “My lady, something is wrong. She… she came back.”

My eyes narrowed. “She?” The confusion twisted in my gut like a knife. “Who came back?”

Before he could answer, a ripple swept through the crowd. One by one, the people dropped to their knees, their foreheads pressed to the ground. The air grew thick with an oppressive silence, broken only by the crackle of distant flames.

Sebastian dragged me behind a nearby bush, his movements tense and hurried. “Stay hidden,” he hissed. His usual composure was gone, replaced with something that unnerved me—fear.

We peered through the leaves, watching as the crowd bowed deeply. I followed Sebastian’s line of sight, my breath hitching when I saw her.