Chapter 174: A grand scheme

Words : 1099 Updated : Oct 13th, 2025

Chapter 174: A grand scheme The priestess was still squatted on the floor. Abrielle was puzzled, wondering who the hell the priestess was talking to. "The queen will be mad if she sees you run along now and leave." The priestess cautioned that Abrielle was plunged into deeper confusion soon; she felt something running over her leg. It was an actual mouse. She almost screamed but bit her lips to hold it in. The priestess chuckled lightly, "Who are you talking to, your holiness?" A soft voice asked, drawing both Abrielle’s and the Priestess’s attention. It was the lady in waiting. She approached the priestess with a frown etched between her brows. "No one in particular. The weather is a bit chilly." The priestess made up an excuse, getting up on her feet. The lady nodded then turned away. "Hurry up, the queen is waiting. We have important things to do after this." the lady in waiting grumbled walking away. The priestess clicked her tongue, annoyed at someone who obviously wasn’t Abrielle, and then walked away. Our little Villainess was more puzzled. Did they not see her standing against the wall? There was no way she had turned invisible. Abrielle moved away from the wall, her confusion written all over her face. "I am sorry for taking a long time. I had to close the window." Abrielle heard the priestess apologize to the queen. Abrielle moved from the window to hide within the shelves but her legs suddenly stopped moving when her eyes fell on a polish jar. Her gaze stuck on a polished jar illuminated by the soft candle lights. There was no reflection. She stood in front of the jar, but there was no reflection. To confirm her doubt, she walked towards the window where the image of shelves was reflected, but there was no image of her. She was invisible; her eyes went wide in realization; she had no idea she could make herself invisible. "Do you know how hard it was to kill his mother? The relief I felt after she died during birth." Eleanor chimed in and reminisced about good times. Abrielle was struck, Eleanor had a hand in Cedric’s mother’s death. "I know the poison was very expensive, and I had to steal some artefacts from the temple in Vesper. Mikhail is really strict about that knowledge." The Priestess answered, confirming everything. "Yeah, but thanks to the poison, the mother died, but the bastard became immune from the womb." Eleanor spat, remembering her multiple attempts to kill Cedric. She wasn’t evil per se but wanted to protect her children. Lucian would not shine as long as Cedric was there and he would continuously compare himself to him. She was married off as a princess to the king. Her pure royal blood is the only one deserving of being the next ruler, not a monster with unknown roots. Not to forget the brutal rule of succession, it was an unwritten rule, but when the battle started, only one man could stand. "The Nightshade family is a problem thanks to their control in the temple because of their talent in magic and limitless knowledge of elixirs and poisons." The priestess mentioned, Abrielle wondered if this was where the idea to usurp the Nightshade family started. "They are indeed an issue and Cedric seems close to that priestess that roams around Lucian," Eleanor muttered her voice trailing off as she thought of something "What if I use the Nightshade family against Cedric, and in the end, they destroy each other? Killing two birds with a single stone." Abrielle’s breath hitched once she heard Eleanor, her palms getting sweaty it felt like she was about to hear something extremely important. "Jacinta, has the king been giving any information about the poisoning at the tea party concerning the culprit?" She asked the lady in waiting, who was a brunette with amber eyes, duller compared to the sharp gold eyes possessed by Cedric. "No, Your Majesty. Although the king demands you send the report. I am certain he has no idea Astrid is behind it." Jacinta answered. Then a soft smile graced the Queen’s lips, her eyes glimmering with mischief. "Perfect; we will send the report immediately after the winter prayer is over, and the trial will be held after the spring festival." Everyone was puzzled, including Abrielle, who knew despite Eleanor being a vile woman, she loved her children in her own twisted way and would never send Astrid to trial, which might end up with treasonable charges leading to a public prosecution. "You want the princess to go to trial. The crime is the same as treason." The lady in waiting gasped stunned and confused. Eleanor chuckled, getting up from her seat and walking to the closest window to her. She pulled the curtains open, letting the moonlight shine inside, and then smiled brightly. She was a genius. "What are you saying? From my memories and what I was told Abrielle is the one behind the poisoning. It is so sad that the lovely holy lady from the Nightshade family will die, and her husband can’t stop it because he is too occupied with the sorcerer’s investigation, and come on, it is treason." Eleanor dramatically exclaimed against the bright window. "You want to frame the princess after she saved you because you know the Nightshade family will stop at nothing to destroy Cedric if their daughter dies. " Jacinta gushed a bit, taken back from the queen’s ruthless plan. "Hush," the queen shushed Jacinta, placing a finger on her lips. "I am not framing anyone. Abrielle wanted to kill me for reasons best known to her and she will meet her end when the blade cuts off her head. I can’t wait for it to come into place. That way, Astrid will be redeemed and be under my control for saving her head." Abrielle went cold, she was always scared of Cedric killing her and forgot how evil other characters were. There was no escaping. How was she going to save herself? She didn’t want to die and there was no one to save her. She stepped back. "Mama," she said, wishing to hold her mother, which was impossible. A lone tear rolled down her eyes, which were golden in colour. As soon as it touched the marble flooring, a thick flame suddenly burst out like an explosion, pushing Abrielle backwards with the waves. She hit her back against the wall, her face white as a sheet, to see a wildfire suddenly blazing up, engulfing the shelf.

Chapter 174: A grand scheme

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