Married To The Enemy Kingdom's Illegitimate Prince-Chapter 132 — Promises With Sinners…

The clicking sound of the key entering the small hole in the large lock echoed through the dark hallway of the queen’s palace basement.

A loud snap followed as the lock opened, and the dust-covered wooden door creaked on its hinges.

Isabella stepped into the small room.

Inside, spiders had woven thick webs, and dust had blanketed every surface over the years.

Her gaze followed the flicker of golden light emanating from a large chest placed in the center of the otherwise empty room.

Clutching the keys tightly in her hand, she selected another and inserted it into the chest’s lock. With a soft click, the mechanism gave way.

She opened the chest, and a dazzling golden light spilled out. Inside was a radiant mana core-shaped like a diamond, yet far more powerful than any other stone in existence.

"The saintess’ mana core," Isabella murmured, her lips curling into a grin, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

Suddenly, a female silhouette materialized around the mana core-the rightful owner of its power.

[You need to stop this, Isabella,] the voice was soft yet resolute. Golden eyes, mirroring the light of the mana core, fixed on Isabella, while short silver hair framed her delicate face.

"Why are you still here? I killed you already, Rosalina Ramsel," Isabella growled.

[We saintesses don’t die as long as our mana cores remain intact,] Rosalina explained, her tone calm but unyielding.

[But you ensured mine survived. I cannot leave this realm yet.]

"Don’t worry. Once l have finished opening the portals, I’ll smash this thing to pieces. You’ll be free soon enough."

Rosalina frowned, clearly displeased with the response.

[You need to stop this. And... my child.

You haven’t harmed him, have you?]

"I haven’t had the chance to kill him yet.

Frankly, he’s not worth dirtying my own hands for. The demons will take care of him," Isabella sneered, her laughter reverberating through the room.

"As for you... You’ll find your place in hell or heaven soon enough. That’s not my concern," Isabella added coldly, slamming the chest shut.

Rosalina’s projection vanished instantly, though the mana core continued to shimmer faintly.

[Everything is ready, Isabella. We don’t have time to waste,] Isla’s voice chimed, brimming with excitement as she flitted around Isabella.

"You’re right. Since you insisted on rushing things ahead of our original plan... But tell me," Isabella’s gaze flickered toward Isla’s shadow, her voice sharp.

"Why did you start this year when we agreed to wait until next year?"

[Because your daughter was in contact with someone possessing Divine powers. If Iana had remained in her body any longer, she could have died. We had no choice but to act and eliminate her.]

"Someone with Divine powers?" Isabella’s voice rose, her composure cracking. "You didn’t mention this!"

[And why would I? You can’t handle that. Besides, her powers aren’t strong enough to pose a real threat to us,] Isla sneered.

"But... who is she?" Isabella whispered, her voice trembling.

[The grand duchess.]

The name hit Isabella like a blow, and a sharp gasp escaped her lips.

"Her... daughter," she murmured, her breath catching. "Could she know what we did to her parents?"

[Fear doesn’t suit you, my Queen,] Isla mocked with a derisive snort. [But then again, you are merely human.]

"Did she kill the king?" Isabella asked, her voice barely audible.

[You’re letting your imagination run wild. She has no idea she’s a saintess. That ignorance works in our favor. Before she discovers her true powers, we must execute our plan.]

"You’re right," Isabella said, clenching her fists, determination reflecting in her gaze. "We will finish this. No matter what."

***

Standing in front of Duke Ramsel, Cynthia looked down at him while Arlot reached for his face from behind, forcing him to look up at the young woman.

"Why exactly did you kill my parents? I keep asking you over and over, and it seems you’re still hiding something."

"I-I already told you. I just hated them," Duke Ramsel muttered, averting his gaze.

His jaw clenched as he tried to find a way to escape this place.

For a while now, she had been visiting him, torturing him, leaving him in a bloody state, only to return and heal his body so she could repeat her actions.

"I never expected you to be so heartless.

How can you do this to me?! Your mother was such a kind person," he grumbled, hoping the mention of her mother might soften her heartless demeanor.

"And you killed her," Cynthia said coldly, kneeling to the ground. Her piercing gaze locked onto his, sending chills down Duke Ramsel’s spine. His attempt to manipulate her had backfired. freёwebnoѵel.com

"I’ve learned one thing: never be too kind, or people will exploit you, Uncle. You sent countless assassins to kill me during the five years I stayed behind after my parents’ deaths. Did you ever think about how a ten-year-old child survived that? Did it ever occur to you that the assassins might have slashed my hand, or that I was bleeding out and could have died?"

She exhaled sharply, her voice trembling with suppressed anger.

"Oh! And as if that wasn’t enough, you tried poisoning me. The inside of my whole body burned as though it had been set on fire. I coughed up blood.

But did you ever bother to visit me? No, of course not. Instead, you just kept sending more people to kill me!" Cynthia’s voice cracked as she huffed in fury, the raw pain in her words filling the room.

"Y-Your Highness," Arlot stammered, his voice choked with emotion.

He had been listening silently to her revelations, tears streaming down his face. He had never imagined that the strong woman he served had endured such horrors in her childhood.

"Hah," Cynthia let out a dry, bitter laugh.

"Why are you crying, Arlot?"

"May I kill him? Please," he pleaded, his voice shaky.

"Not yet," she replied, her tone icy as she turned her attention back to the elderly man. "Tell me. Why did you kill them?"

"Do you think we only killed them?" Duke Ramsel sneered, his lips curling into a twisted smirk.

"We just needed to free some demons and let them do the job."

Cynthia’s eyes widened in shock. It hadn’t crossed her mind that the people who killed her parents might have also been the ones to release the demons in her past life. Were they planning to do the same thing in this life as well?

Her fists clenched in fury, and without hesitation, she threw a hard punch across Duke Ramsel’s face.

The man groaned, then chuckled softly, his laughter laced with mockery.

"You’re planning to open the portals that separate the human world and the demon world? To set those monsters free?!" she shrieked, her voice trembling with rage.

"You’re planning to open the portals that separate the human world and the demon world? To set those monsters free?!" she shrieked, her voice trembling with rage.

"H-How do you know about that?" Duke Ramsel stammered, his face twisting in confusion. No one was supposed to know about the plan until the Queen had played her part.

"Who else is involved? Is the Queen helping you, too?" Cynthia demanded, her voice sharp and unyielding.

"She’s already done her part. You see, tonight is the full moon. And it’s almost dawn," Duke Ramsel said with a smirk, his tone dripping with satisfaction.

As if his words were a prophecy from God, the floor began to shake.

"An earthquake?!" Arlot exclaimed, his eyes widening as the surroundings trembled like fragile leaves in a storm.

Cynthia remained still, unmoved by the chaos. It was the second time she had experienced this phenomenon.

Through the small window of the closed room, a scarlet-red light pierced the skies—just like it had ten years ago. It felt as though history was repeating itself. But this time, it wasn’t a blessing descending upon the earth. It was a curse. A curse Cynthia knew all too well.

"The portals have been opened..." she whispered, her voice trembling. Her fingers shook uncontrollably, searching for something to hold onto as the building quaked violently, threatening to collapse at any moment.

The walls groaned under the pressure of the trembling earth, cracks forming along the stone as debris began to fall. Arlot instinctively stepped closer to Cynthia, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword.

"We need to leave, Your Highness," he urged, his voice strained with panic. "This place won’t hold for much longer!"

Cynthia glanced at the man chained to the ground.

"You’re not going to leave me here to die, will you? We are still family," Duke Ramsel smiled faintly, a desperate attempt to be saved.

He also knew the demons wouldn’t spare him. They would devour him like a mere piece of meat within an instant.

"If the Gods love you enough to keep you alive, then I’m happy for you. But if that isn’t the case, it is simply your punishment. I won’t dirty my hands with the likes of you," she scoffed, shaking her head.

"Y-You promised to let me go if I told you the truth!" Duke Ramsel retorted, her voice filled with urgency as the cracks on the walls began to expand.

Seeing no reaction coming from Cynthia, Duke Ramsel inhaled before shouting.

"You will be punished by the Gods for breaking it!"

"Punished? What for? For breaking a promise?" Cynthia sneered. "Promises with sinners like you are never valid to begin with," her voice firm, she glared at him before giving Arlot a nod to leave.

And with the flicker of violet light, they disappeared, leaving Duke Ramsel in the room, crying for help.

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