INSTALL
Chapter 8
It seemed Leopold had also realized the bitter truth.
He had once exacted vicious revenge on me for the sake of a child that wasn’t even his. He had murdered his own unborn children.
He looked up, panic–stricken, eyes searching the crowd for me. Regret and anguish filled his gaze.
In my past life, I had never understood why Sophia hadn’t screamed for help when Leopold had “forced” himself on her.
I once believed she had kept quiet out of fear of ruining her reputation.
But now, it was clear–she had already been pregnant, and Leopold had simply been her carefully chosen scapegoat.
“Haha!” A noblewoman couldn’t help but laugh. “The Chancellor’s quite lucky, isn’t he? He marries the mother and gets the son as a bonus. Two for the price of one.”
Leopold’s face turned bright red with shame.
No man in the world could bear such humiliation. Enraged, he lunged forward and wrapped his hands around Sophia’s throat
“Sophia! You lied to me!”
“You said you were virgin! You said you gave me that drug because you loved me!”
Sophia’s eyes rolled back as he strangled her, her legs flailing helplessly in the air.
She was seconds from death when several bystanders rushed in and tore them apart.
Sophia collapsed, coughing violently on the ground like a half–dead dog gasping for air.
”
too. Don’t act like your hands are clean!”
Alice into it
Gasps swept through the onlookers. Was this truly something they were supposed to hear?
Leopold spat on the ground. “Lies! You shameless whore! You were the one begging for it–weren’t you the one who insisted Alice join us and serve you together?”
Maryanne’s eyes rolled back again. Her body swayed twice, then she violently spat out a mouthful of blood.
The crimson splashed across the pristine white gown Sophia had just changed into–an ironic stain.
“Mother!” Sophia shrieked, throwing herself at Maryanne’s side. “Don’t scare me!”
“The child… whose is it?” Maryanne asked with great difficulty.
But Sophia didn’t dare speak the truth. She could only shake her head repeatedly.
“Please don’t ask.”
At that moment, the court investigator who had been sent out to investigate finally returned.
Seeing Maryanne’s collapsed, disheveled state, he hesitated, unsure if this was the right time to report his findings.
“Speak,” Maryanne growled through gritted teeth.
She no longer cared for appearances. Today, she had lost all dignity. All she wanted now was the name of the scoundrel responsible—so she could destroy him and send Sophia far away. Eventually, the people of Caerwynd would forget.
The court official, face flushed and trembling, bowed deeply and forced out the truth.
“I… I could not determine the identity of the father. But two months ago, the princess was seen cavorting at a brothel… with ten male prostitutes. At this point, there’s no way to tell who the child belongs to.”
Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Ten. What astonishing stamina.
“You disgrace! If I had known it would come to this, I should’ve strangled you the day you were born!”
Maryanne vomited blood again, mouthful after mouthful of it.
With the last of her strength, she slapped Sophia hard across the face.
And then… fell completely still.
