The Hidden King's Stolen Wife-Chapter 243: An Eye For An Eye

"Die!" Ricard exclaimed triumphantly, fully prepared to stab his youngest brother through the throat.

All the accelerated healing couldn’t help him if he died from asphyxiation. But his triumphant look soon bled into disbelief as he realized he could not move a step forward― his body hanging inches off the ground in mid-lunge. The blood sword he had swung was pried out of his hands, and it landed on the floor.

Rafael had imprisoned his limbs by using the blood from the blood dome to encase Ricard’s body. Now, the only part of Ricard that could move around was his head, and Soleia watched as his lips twisted into a sneer that didn’t quite hide the panic in his eyes.

He must have been waiting by the dome, hoping to ambush them the moment it fell. It was only Rafael’s quick thinking that saved their skins― and of course, his strengthened powers.

Soleia stared down at their clasped hands, wondering how on earth such a feat was possible.

But then again, she could figure that out in her own time. Now, she made sure to think only of strengthening Rafael, pouring her own energies into him. She didn’t know if it worked, but at least it didn’t feel like she was nullifying his abilities.

"It’s rude to interrupt a couple, Brother," Rafael said casually. "Can’t you see how in love we are?"

As if to prove his point, Rafael flicked a finger, and two blood needles formed. They made their merry way to Ricard’s eyes. No matter how much he tried to twist his head to avoid them, there was no escaping Rafael’s little game.

Soleia thought he would simply gouge out Ricard’s eyes and be done with it, but to her surprise, Rafael used said needles to keep Ricard’s eyes open by prying his upper and lower lids apart.

That looked mightily inconvenient and painful. Ricard’s eyes were already starting to water from the strain. But he wasn’t a highly skilled combatant for nothing. With intense focus, he managed to summon his sword from the ground, aiming it straight for Soleia.

Rafael huffed coldly and waved his other free hand. Soleia watched with blatant disbelief as Ricard’s blood sword seemed to lose its shape, before reforming again― only this time, the tip was pointed in Ricard’s direction.

"This... This cannot be!" Ricard spat out, his eyes wide with disbelief. "You are just a bastard, you cannot possibly get your hands on this royal blood to control! This is my sword, made with my blood―"

"And now it’s pointed at you," Rafael interrupted smoothly. As though in unison with his words, the sword rotated calmly in the air, its sharp edge pointing at Ricard’s mouth. With his body immobile, his mouth was the only thing moving a mile a minute.

"He’s awfully noisy," Soleia said. "I think he should be gagged, the same way he did to me."

"He gagged you?" Rafael asked, his expression turning colder in a second.

Ricard snorted, trying hard not to look intimidated. "I had done what any man would do. Who needs a woman who screams and argues with them all day long―"

With a crook of his fingers, Rafael sent the sword flying back straight at Ricard’s mouth, causing him to choke at the sudden intrusion. Then, Rafael gave a mischievous smirk.

He pulled out the bloody sword, only to transform it into the shape of a man’s phallus, before shoving it back down Ricard’s mouth.

"My brother, you make a great sword-swallower," Rafael exclaimed. "I always knew you had it in you."

Soleia couldn’t restrain herself at his comment; she let out a bark of uproarious laughter.

"There, peace and quiet at last, don’t you think?" Rafael exclaimed, preening at the way he made Soleia laugh. "We can now enjoy the moonlight. Tell me, sweetheart. What other indignities did my brother inflict on you?"

"Other than the displeasure of his company, he did fling me to the ground a couple of times," Soleia said, a finger placed on her chin. "Oh, he dangled me over the ocean while holding me by the waist, threatening to drown me."

"I see," Rafael said.

And without further ado, he grabbed Ricard by his limbs using his powers, and then flung him up and down with great vengeance. A crater soon formed on the ground from the force of his blows.

"Brother! If you can’t handle this, let me know and I’ll stop," Rafael said, in a mocking tone.

If Ricard could use his mouth, he would be screaming in pain from the blows. But since his mouth was occupied, Rafael considered it tacit consent and continued to slam him against the ground.

Soleia watched with wry curiosity. How much could this man endure before he died? But then she was starting to feel weaker, so she hurriedly told Rafael to stop playing with his food.

"Just end him," Soleia said. "I don’t want our baby to be exposed to his presence for a moment longer than they have to be."

"Very right, my dear," Rafael nodded. "That is why you would be an amazing mother. Pruning the family tree to rid our baby of annoying relatives is such a labor of love."

Then he addressed Ricard. "Since you dangled Soleia by the ocean and threatened to drown her, don’t blame me for taking a leaf out of your book."

Ricard was then dangled, head first, on top of a bloody sword. His limbs were splayed apart, while his mouth was still occupied by that vulgar mouthpiece. He cursed, but no one could make out the words in his mouth.

"Can’t hear you, sorry," Rafael said with a shrug.

Ricard twisted his neck with great desperation in an attempt to free himself, but it only made him look like a worm on a fishing hook. Soleia could only shake her head.

How the tables have turned. She never thought she was a vengeful woman, but certain people deserved their just desserts.

"Would you like to do the honors?" Rafael asked.

"Kill him," Soleia said evenly.

"As my lady commands," Rafael said. With one last crook of his fingers, Prince Ricard, her tormentor, had fallen onto a blood sword so similar to his own. He let out a muffled cry. The sharp tip pierced through his skull with a sharp crack, and his body grew still.

Just for good measure, Rafael extracted the bloody phallus from his brother’s mouth and then decapitated him in one quick motion.

"There. It is done," Rafael said. "Soleia, how do you feel?"

Soleia hunched over and retched all over their shoes.