Chapter 2

Every eye in the hall converged on me.

But I didn't look at any of them.

I walked straight to King Fenric and, using a private cipher, whispered the name—and my entire plan.

Surprise flickered in Fenric's eyes. After a moment of silence, he nodded.

"If you've made your decision… very well. I'll arrange everything."

Then he turned to Aldric, his voice ice-cold once more: "You will remain in confinement until you've reflected on your actions. Before the wedding, I don't want to hear of any more incidents."

A slow, satisfied smile crept across Aldric's face. The look he gave me said it plainly—I knew it. You'd give in eventually..

I didn't bother with him. My gaze drifted to the far corner of the hall.

There, half-hidden in shadow, stood a man dressed in black. The two horns on his head were slight and dark—nothing like the blood-soaked man who had fought to avenge me in my previous life.

King Fenric kept me behind for a few private words. By the time I emerged from the great hall, Aldric was still there.

And beside him stood a woman in white.

Lysara.

When she saw me, her eyes reddened just so, and she stepped forward.

"Seraphina… thank you. If my parents were still alive… they'd be so happy for us."

She reached up and dabbed at the corner of her eye. The performance was pitch-perfect—just enough sorrow to tug at one's heartstrings without tipping into melodrama.

Aldric immediately pulled her into his arms.

"Why are you thanking her?" He looked down at Lysara, voice gentle. "You're the only one I want to marry. She's the one who should be grateful. If it weren't for your kindness, I'd never have agreed to let her share the title of Queen."

But the moment he turned to me, his eyes held nothing but ice.

"Lysara's parents died because of you. She's been gracious enough to accept you—don't you think you owe her some Sacred Crystals as compensation?"

Years ago, Lysara's parents had found me and raised me as their own, caring for me with nothing but love—until an outing when a monstrous beast attacked, killing them both.

The shock had ignited the phoenix fire dormant within me, and ultimately led the Phoenix Clan to find me.

In my previous life, I had always carried crushing guilt toward Lysara over this. I yielded to her at every turn.

It wasn't until the moment before my death that she finally smiled and told me the truth—she had lured that beast there herself.

To kill me, she had murdered her own parents.

I stared at them in silence, then let out a cold laugh.

"You've given her plenty of Sacred Crystals already. That wasn't enough?"

Back when I loved him, I always wanted to give him the best of everything. Every Sacred Crystal I carefully selected and placed in his hands would inevitably appear in Lysara's chambers the very next day.

He clearly remembered this too. But there wasn't a shred of guilt in his eyes—only self-righteous indignation. "Those were nothing."

"Give your Soulstone to Lysara."

In that instant, the memory of him prying open my chest in my past life crashed over me like a tidal wave—

"Do you have any idea what it means to surrender a Soulstone?"

My voice dropped low. "Without my Soulstone, my spirit will wither completely. I could die."

Aldric's gaze darkened. "Don't be so dramatic. Besides, we're about to be married—what's yours is mine. Hand the Soulstone to Lysara, and I guarantee nothing will happen to you. If you refuse, then don't expect me to marry you!"

I fixed him with a stare. Killing intent surged through my veins, and my fingertips began to burn. Phoenix fire stirred beneath my skin, straining to break free.

Lysara's face drained of color, inch by inch. She began to tremble, her knees threatening to buckle.

Even Aldric's expression was going rigid. He straightened his spine, trying to resist, but fine beads of sweat gathered at his temples.

If I wanted, I could reduce him and that Magpie to ash in a single heartbeat.

But at the last moment, I forced the fire back down.

Death would be too easy for him.

I wanted him to watch himself lose everything.

"Seraphina!" Aldric recovered and lunged at me in a surge of humiliated fury, reaching for my throat. "How dare you—"

And then.

"Princess, King Fenric has sent me to escort you."