Shadow Empress (GirlxGirl) (COMPLETED)

Chapter 21 | The High Consort is Back

HIGH CONSORT/SHOPKEEPER BELLA'S POV

"Bella, France, come here and join me for dinner. I understand that both of you are busy, but you two need to eat as well. Please, come here." Since Elpis already asked the servants to prepared the food beforehand, we can't say no.

I put down my feather pen and walked towards the dining table.

"Wow! You even asked the cook to cook a few of our favorite dishes! I am touched, your majesty." France was ecstatic because she hasn't been eating properly since yesterday. At this point, we just want to save as many people as we can.

But of course, we're not God. There were a few deaths, and that includes the little boy's mother. It was too late for her. The boy's mother was too weak, and she was dying. But at least the boy manage to talk to his mother before she passed.

"Bella?" Elpis noticed I was not eating. I smiled.

"I'm sorry. My mind was elsewhere. Anyway, how did the meeting with the duke go? Did you find anything suspicious in his home?" Elpis sighed. I assumed she didn't find anything.

"Except for the excessive way his concubines greeted me, nothing caught my attention. But he's not out from the list of suspects yet. Don't forget that the so-called genius doctor is working for him. He might just want to cover it all up." That made sense.

"So, did you two managed to find the source of this mysterious disease?" France and I looked at each other before smiling at Elpis.

"We did make a breakthrough. The torch was the caused of this mysterious illness. We have given orders to the imperial guards to stop burning this specific torch every night. We'll see in a few days if there's a new case that occurs. As for a cure, I'm working on it. France has made a complete diagnose of the disease. I just have to wait for the shadow guards to get the herbs that I need to make the right antidote pill." Elpis didn't expect we made progress in a short amount of time.

I guess, if you have the same amount of experience as we did, we bound to work as if our life depends on it. I was surprised to see the leader of the shadow guards suddenly appeared at the door.

"Your majesty, we followed the duke to see a man wearing a black cloak at a secluded area. Your guess was right, your majesty. He's not working alone." Oh! Did Elpis give the shadow guard a mission to do?

"What were they talking about?" Elpis asked while she eats.

"The duke explained to the man wearing the black cloak about your arrival at the village. The man in a black cloak was furious. Even the duke kowtows on the ground, begging for his life." Elpis chuckled upon hearing this.

"Do we have any information about this mysterious man?" I noticed the shadow guard contemplating whether he should say it out loud or not.

"The duke called his name briefly. He called the mysterious man Virtacus. And when he removed his hood, I noticed a scar under his right eye. Your majesty, that person has the same scar that  the late crown prince of Faraway Kingdom has." Elpis's body language changed.

"And they shared the same name. I don't think this is a coincidence." Elpis dropped her chopsticks and bowl of rice. Both France and I were surprised by her action.

"He's alive? That is impossible. I killed that man myself! How was it possible for him to be alive?! I pierced his heart with my sword! I saw how he struggled to find a way to live! He died in front of me!" Elpis slammed both of her hands on the table.

Wait, Virtacus?

Isn't that the name of Virtra's older brother? If I recalled it correctly, Elpis killed the crown prince because she wants to protect Virtra from harm. After the crown prince managed to kill the emperor and empress of Faraway Kingdom, he was planning to marry his sister to keep their bloodline.