Aurora sent a servant to collect the dishes from Martina's residence, but he returned empty-handed. When the servant inquired about them, he was told that no one had seen those dishes. This already worried Aurora, but it didn't matter, she could always claim it was a trap and blame someone else.
After bathing, she dressed elegantly enough; tonight was her turn to dine with the emperor. This time she couldn't fail, she had to seduce him. He had treated her very well and spent the most time with her. Soon the emperor's secretary arrived to escort her to the main palace. Upon arrival, he left her waiting in a room, as the emperor was still occupied. Aurora waited, trying to be patient, but more than an hour passed and the emperor didn't come to see her. Just as she was thinking of going to look for him, the doors opened and the maid led her to the dining room, where the emperor already was. She took her seat after a bow.
"Dining with you is always an honor; you cannot imagine how happy I am this evening."
The emperor ignored her words, dedicating himself only to eating when served. Aurora frowned, but began to eat.
"I heard that a new concubine has arrived, they say she is from a fallen kingdom. Is that alright with you? It won't give you a benefit."
"I didn't choose her for the benefit her kingdom might provide me."
Aurora was stunned to hear the emperor's words. Had he chosen her? That was impossible, he had never chosen a concubine before; all were chosen by the court ministers.
"Y-you chose her? But why? She has nothing special to give you benefits..." She had stood up after the complaint.
The emperor looked up at her, his eyes showing a murderous instinct that sent a chill down the girl's spine.
"I-I apol...ogize...majesty..." she sat back down.
"I owe you no explanations, but the value that Martina Bennett possesses is a value you could never reach, not with all the money in the world." He smiled slyly at her.
Aurora clenched her hands at the emperor's words, undoubtedly being humiliated, but no, she couldn't give up now. The dinner ended quickly and the emperor went to his room. Aurora claimed she forgot something in the emperor's palace and ran back, followed by her maids. Upon arriving, they told her she couldn't enter again, but she sought a way to pass and ran to the stairs in search of the emperor's room. Caleb heard the voices of his guards and suddenly, Aurora entered and locked the door.
"M-majesty, I apologize for this, but I truly love Your Majesty and wish to be with you." Aurora showed an expression of sadness with teary eyes.
As the emperor stood near the window, Aurora ran to embrace him. When she wasn't rejected, she moved back a little and removed her dress, revealing a transparent nightgown.
"I-I really wish to be with Your Majesty, even if you don't love me, I want to demonstrate how much I love you."
Caleb remained silent, staring intently at Aurora, unable to believe the audacity of this woman. He grabbed her arm, so she thought she had managed to tempt the emperor, but there was a knock on the door.
"Majesty, it's urgent." It was the secretary. "Lady Bennett has been poisoned and is very ill."
Hearing this, Caleb noticed that Aurora trembled slightly, but he dragged her by the arm out of the room, while she complained. Upon reaching outside the residence, he threw her, causing the girl to fall on the grass. Her maids quickly approached to help her.
"Majesty...please...I..."
"Get her out of my sight, just seeing her disgusts me..."
Everyone present heard the emperor's cruel words. Aurora could see how everyone was watching her, even hearing a giggle or two of mockery.
"Zack, let's go to Lady Martina's residence."
Zack, Caleb's secretary, followed him while Aurora was taken away from the emperor's palace, furious. He had scorned her, but she ran to see Martina. It was unfair, she had been a concubine for a long time, a newcomer couldn't have more attention than her.
In Martina's residence, she was on the sofa, drinking a liquid the doctor had given her, while he told her she must drink that medicine for three days to cleanse her system completely, assuring her that she was lucky to be alive, as the poison was very strong. The doors of that room opened, surprising everyone present to see that it was the emperor, who approached looking at Martina, who didn't seem like someone who had been poisoned.
"What happened?" the doctor asked.
"Lady Bennett received a very strong dose of black poison; if it weren't for her resistance and mana, she would be dead."
"Have they found the culprit? When was she poisoned?"
"Majesty, everything here is rigorously prepared; the doctor can check everything if he wishes," said the head maid.
"So be it. What else have you eaten? Did you eat anything outside the palace?" he asked Martina.
"No, only what is served here... oh! And a slice of cake that Lady Nicols brought this afternoon..."
Caleb stared intently at Martina, who didn't seem to be holding back, so he ordered them to look for evidence on the cake plate. A maid soon brought the plate with the portion that hadn't been eaten, and the plates were clearly Aurora's, as on one edge, it had the shield of her kingdom. The doctor checked the portion, confirming that yes, it contained poison.
"If my lady had eaten the other portion, she wouldn't have been saved," mentioned the doctor.
Caleb smiled briefly, unintentionally, already having an excuse to get rid of that girl. She thought she was clever and was stupid enough to ruin herself.
"Everyone withdraw, Lady Martina will come to my palace."
Caleb offered her his hand and Martina accepted, standing up, but before taking a step, Caleb picked her up, leaving, while Zack collected the evidence and asked everyone to keep silent about what happened until they were called.
In the emperor's palace, everyone was surprised to see him arrive with Martina in his arms. He immediately ordered a bath to be prepared for her and took her to his room, leaving her on the bed.
"I believe you are taking a lot of trouble for this humble concubine, Majesty."
Caleb held her chin and made her look up.
"I only take advantage of opportunities, just like you..."
Martina only smiled slightly, already knowing that the emperor was more astute than he seemed. Caleb let her rest in the room and went to another. The next day, Aurora was taken from her residence by the palace knights, complaining about the treatment she was receiving, but was taken to the throne room where she was made to kneel.
"Concubine Aurora Nicols, you are accused of attempting to assassinate concubine Martina Bennett."
"What? I didn't..."
"Yesterday afternoon, concubine Nicols brought a dessert to the affected party. The remaining dessert was analyzed by the royal physician, who determined that it contained black poison. The accused cannot deny, there are witnesses who saw her in the residence and delivering those desserts, whose plates bear the shield of her kingdom," mentioned Zack.
"Majesty, it's a farce...I'm being accused unfairly...that woman surely wants to see me out of the palace..."
"The evidence is clear, Lady Nicols, you were the only one who visited the palace," Zack replied.
The emperor only observed in silence, something that Aurora knew was not good; he had already ensured that she was guilty.
"Why Lady Nicols? I truly believed you were sincere." Martina was sitting on the right side of the room.
"I haven't done anything, don't believe her...I've been here for years and she just arrived."
"You committed a crime and will be given a sentence," added Caleb.
"Majesty please, I'm your concubine..."
Caleb gave the floor to Zack, who dictated that attempted murder is punishable by life imprisonment, but as the crime was against one of the concubines, the sentence will be execution. Hearing this, Aurora insisted on her innocence.
"The execution will be carried out when the notification reaches the kingdom of origin of concubine Nicols..."
Aurora was dragged out of the court, while the ministers couldn't believe that someone like Aurora would try to assassinate the newly arrived concubine. Three days later, the king, Aurora's father, arrived at the palace, angry about the information he received and demanding that his daughter be released, that he would not allow such slander. Everyone in the court was silent, while the emperor maintained his serene face.
"The evidence was clear, Princess Aurora is guilty," mentioned Zack.
The king felt offended to know that it was not the emperor who was responding to him.
"Do you know what it means if you execute my daughter? I will move all my influences to destroy this country," the king threatened.
"You are going too far, Majesty, a war? Your daughter is guilty, we all saw the evidence here."
"So what? My daughter is worth more than that woman, her kingdom has fallen, she is no longer royalty, she has no benefit to you."
"You are mistaken about that, I have more benefits than yours, Majesty..."
The room fell silent, each step that Martina took, resonated in the room due to her heels; the king looked at the woman who dressed elegantly, but also sensually.
"What no one knows, is that I allowed my kingdom to fall, I myself handed my father over to the enemy and in return, the witch of shadows gave me power." Martina raised her hand.
A flame formed around her body, even Caleb was surprised to see her.
"If you want a war go ahead, I will make sure your army burns in hell."
The flame grew around Martina, everyone could see how the girl's black hair was turning blonde.
The cold atmosphere of the room soon felt warm, the king was scared by that power shown by the blonde, but more so when he heard that she knows the witch of shadows. Since the defeat of Ceoli, it was known about the shadows that devoured part of his army and he personally knows the woman who controls those shadows. He traveled to Klen and when he was surrounded by bandits, it was that woman who controls the shadows who saved him and when he wanted to force the king of Klen into a marriage with the prince, upon refusing, he threatened with a war, but during his return trip, the woman of shadows attacked and threatened him, undoubtedly she was a woman to be feared.
"I-I...I understand, I accept the punishment that will be given to my daughter..."
The king had no choice but to withdraw, being in the presence of that woman was like being in the presence of the witch of shadows. The ministers and Zack were surprised by how quickly the king fled, while the emperor still in silence showed a smile when observing Martina.
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