After my intense exchange with Anastasia, I was on my way back to my chamber when I encountered Sarah. Her face was a canvas of despair, etched with the unmistakable signs of recent tears, her complexion pale. My brow furrowed with concern. "Your Majesty!" she exclaimed, her voice quivering as though she had just witnessed a scene from a nightmare.
I immediately grasped her shoulders, looking deeply into her eyes, trying to steady her, but she broke down into sobs right in front of me. "Calm yourself, Sarah," I said, my voice a soothing balm, calm and steady, despite the turmoil I sensed within her.
"Your Majesty, a-ang aking nakababatang kapatid, ang babae kong kapatid... nawawala," she finally managed to say, her words choking through her struggle to breathe, each syllable weighted with fear and sorrow.
I instinctively pulled her into an embrace, and she clung to me, her sobs growing louder, more desperate. In that moment, a thought flashed through my mind-the prisoner we were holding in the dungeon. "Go home for now, Sarah, go," I whispered softly to her. She pulled back slightly, looking up at me with tear-filled eyes. I nodded gently, allowing her to leave the safety of my embrace. "Maraming salamat, Your Majesty," she said, her gratitude thick with emotion, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "Go," I repeated, my tone firmer now. She swiftly bowed her head and hurriedly left, her steps quickened by fear and sorrow.
As she disappeared from view, I clenched my fists. This kidnapping is a problem that Henry and I have been relentlessly trying to solve. The officials have already begun to move, eager to involve themselves in my investigation, pressing me to release the prisoners I've captured. But I refused-I cannot fully trust them. Too many people are blinded by the lure of wealth, easily manipulated if one knows how to dangle the right bait.
Without hesitation, I made my way to the dungeon. The smell of iron greeted me as I descended, the air heavy with darkness, punctuated by the creaking of metal bars. The sound of my sandals' heels echoed through every corner of the dungeon as I approached the far end where our prisoners-the bandits-were being held. I couldn't help but smirk when they immediately noticed my arrival, the power dynamics shifting palpably as I entered their presence. Tatlo na lang silang natira, one of them didn't survive, succumbing to the relentless tortures-inflicted by my own hands. Yes, I killed him-- he was my first victim, sa nagawa kong iyun dalawang araw akong hindi nakatulog, guilt washed over me, yet at the same time, I felt a swell of pride. The thrill I experienced during that moment of power, the way it coursed through my veins, excited me, urging me to push further. It was exhilarating, and despite the guilt gnawing at the edges of my conscience, I couldn't deny the deep satisfaction it brought me.
"Well, well, well, have you finally thought things through?" I asked, my voice reverberating through the cold, dark dungeon. Fear immediately gripped the three of them, their faces paling as my words settled over them like a shroud. They remained silent, which told me all I needed to know-they still hadn't decided to share the information I sought. Marami silang mga sugat natamo dala ng paglatigo ko sa kanila, habang putol naman lahat ang kanilang mga daliri, pati na rin ang mga daliri ng kanilang mga paa. Natuyo na lang ang kanilang mga dugo sa katagalan.
Lumapit naman ako sa lamesa kung saan nakalagay ang mga gamit na kakailanganin ko, "Masyadong matigas ang inyung mga ulo. Mas importante pa ba ang buhay ninyo sa buhay ng iba? I know your kind-selfish to the core," I declared, my voice steady but laced with irritation. Masyadong matigas ang ulo nila, parang gusto kong pukpukin ng martilyo upang lumambot.
My gaze drifted to a mallet resting nearby, and a grin slowly spread across my face. I picked it up, feeling the weight in my hand before turning my attention back to them. I struck the mallet lightly against my palm, my eyes never leaving theirs. "Speak now before I completely lose my patience," I demanded, my tone firm and laced with a clear warning. Too much time had already been wasted, and my patience was wearing dangerously thin.
YOU ARE READING
The Greatest Villainess (Completed)
Ficción histórica𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖔𝖓𝖎𝖛𝖆𝖑𝖊 𝕯𝖚𝖔𝖑𝖔𝖌𝖞 𝐈𝐈 Adil was a writer whose life came to a tragic end at the hands of one of her reader. She thought that was the final chapter of her existence, that her story had reached an irreversible conclusion. However, fa...
