The Greatest Villainess (Completed)

Chapter 33

The night passed, and eventually, the rain subsided. Before we departed from the village, I left a strict order for them to remove as much of the muddy ash surrounding the area as they could. I instructed them to bury it deep in soil that wasn’t prone to flooding, to prevent it from spreading if the rains came again. The task was urgent, and I could only hope they would complete it with haste.

By the time we returned to the palace, night had already fallen, and the situation I encountered was just as grim as when we had left. The ash still lay thick on the ground, posing a continuous threat. Without delay, I issued another command, insisting that everyone must act swiftly. All hands were required to work together to remove the ash as quickly as possible. If another ash storm came, the remaining layer would be thin enough that the wind could easily blow it away. I made sure they understood the importance of using protection—covering their noses and mouths with cloth, wearing gloves, boots, and thick garments to protect their skin from the harmful effects of the ash.

The following morning, I wasted no time. I immediately made my way to the dungeon, where we had imprisoned the captives from the night before. As I entered the dimly lit cage, the stench of blood and sweat filled the air. The prisoners we had captured were in a pitiful state. Their faces bore the marks of exhaustion and torment. Their clothes were soaked with dried blood, and their bodies trembled from the cruelty they had endured. Fifteen of them knelt inside a large cage, their hands and feet bound by heavy chains that clinked with every slight movement.

"Have they spoken yet?" I asked, my voice cold and authoritative, slicing through the oppressive silence of the dungeon. A knight stepped forward and bowed respectfully before me. "Your Majesty, one of them has spoken. He claims to be the leader of the group." His words made my brow furrow. My eyes scanned the prisoners, one by one. None of them showed fear. Their faces were blank, resigned to whatever fate awaited them. It was clear they had already accepted their deaths.

"Which one?" I asked, my voice growing more severe, demanding answers. The knight stepped away from my side and approached a bearded man kneeling in the middle of the group. Without hesitation, he yanked him to his feet, shoving him roughly, causing the man to fall forward, his face hitting the cold, stone floor.

I clenched my jaw in frustration. This man had no dignity. He couldn’t even stand to face his death like a man. There was no point in dragging them here if we couldn’t get any useful information from them.

I stepped closer to the man who claimed to be the leader. His defiance irked me. As I stood before him, I knelt down and grabbed his hair, yanking his head up to force him to look into my eyes. "So you’re the leader?" I asked, my voice laced with disgust, feeling as though he was playing a game, testing my patience.

I watched as his jaw tightened, a small act of defiance, "I am the leader, and no one else," he replied, his voice rough and hoarse from what I could only assume were the hours of torment he had endured. For a brief moment, I smirked, but my expression quickly turned icy. I pushed his head back to the ground with force, releasing my grip. I stood up, turning my back to them all. As I approached the door to leave, I spoke one final command, "Bury them alive," I ordered, my voice carrying an air of finality that left no room for hesitation.

These men were useless. There was no longer any reason for them to remain in this world, especially when they had already accepted their end. A part of me, in some twisted way, admired their audacity—their loyalty to their leader was so strong that they preferred death over betrayal. But at the same time, they were fools. Loyalty meant nothing when it led to such a pathetic, inevitable demise.