The Greatest Villainess (Completed)

Chapter 48

I was standing on the balcony, with Sarah quietly by my side. My heart was filled with unease; I was indeed within the palace walls, yet peace eluded me. My family had sent letters, asking how I was, their words laced with concern. But despite their worries for my safety, my thoughts were elsewhere. I wasn’t afraid for myself—I was fearful for those who might have to sacrifice themselves for the sake of peace. One of them was my husband, the man I’ve come to love, despite our hardships and his burdensome duties.

Nagpaiwan si Edward sa palasyo upang bantayan ako, though he hadn’t yet fully recovered from his injuries. He insisted on staying to guard me. Henry, too, was here, along with the few maidservants and knights who remained after the recent enemy assault. These were the loyal ones who chose to stay, despite the risks and dangers lurking around every corner of the palace.

Lost in thought, I was abruptly pulled back to reality by a commotion below. Peering over the balcony’s edge, my eyes widened in horror. A maidservant fell to the ground, struck down by a knight’s sword. My heart pounded violently in my chest, and without thinking, I turned and sprinted out of my chamber.

“Your Majesty!” I heard Sarah call out, but I didn’t look back. I raced through the corridor, my steps echoing through the hollow silence, until I was forced to stop. Before me lay the lifeless bodies of the maidservants, their blood pooling on the cold stone floor. My breath caught in my throat, and it felt as if my entire world crumbled before me. My knees weakened, barely able to hold my weight.

“Your Majesty—aaaahhh!” Sarah’s scream pierced the silence behind me, sending chills down my spine. Panic gripped my heart as I fought to steady myself. Gasping, I gathered whatever strength I could muster and forced myself to keep moving, desperately hoping I might still find someone alive.

I stumbled out onto the palace grounds, only to be greeted by an eerie, unnatural silence. My heart seemed to halt as I took in the ghastly sight—bodies of knights and maidservants scattered everywhere, lifeless, like fallen leaves on a cold, unforgiving autumn day. An unbearable pain gripped my chest, squeezing it so tightly that I could barely breathe. My vision blurred as tears began to fall, my hand clutching my chest as if to keep my heart from breaking completely. They were innocent. What had they done to deserve this fate? Why did this happen? How?

I raised my gaze toward the distant gate, expecting to see the remnants of an enemy force. Yet, the gates were silent and unbroken, with no sign of a breach. No one had come through to invade. So how did they die?

I stood frozen, my mind reeling in confusion and terror. The questions swirled endlessly, a relentless storm in my head. My pulse thudded in my ears, each beat mingling with the echoes of those final, desperate screams that still lingered in the air. The silence that replaced them was suffocating, as if the palace itself mourned its lost souls.

My trembling fingers clenched into fists, struggling to grasp the reality before me. These were the same people who had laughed, served, and protected with unwavering loyalty. Their faces had been alive with warmth just hours ago, and now… now they lay still and cold, painted in the merciless red of blood.

I forced myself to look away, biting down hard to keep from crying out. This was no time for weakness. I had to find answers—I had to know who was responsible for this carnage. Swallowing the bile rising in my throat, I took a shaky step forward. Every nerve in my body screamed to turn back, to hide, to escape this nightmare, but I couldn’t. Not now. Not when so much was at stake.