My entire body froze the moment the door slammed shut behind me.
For a few seconds, I couldn’t even think.
I rushed toward the door and began banging on it desperately.
“Help!
Somebody help me!”
My voice echoed throughout the room.
I pounded against the door again and again, hoping someone would hear me.
Hoping someone would open it.
But nobody came.
Minutes passed.
Then more.
After what felt like half an hour, I finally stopped.
My arms ached.
My throat felt dry.
And the room remained silent.
I slowly turned around.
My eyes landed on the Queen Mother’s desk.
More specifically…
The open drawer.
I swallowed nervously.
“Well…
if I’m trapped in here anyway…”
Maybe whatever had caused all of this was hidden inside.
Slowly, I walked toward the desk.
Every step made my heart pound harder.
The room felt colder than before.
As if someone was watching me.
I reached the desk and stared at the drawer.
Then, gathering what little courage I had left, I placed my hand on it.
And suddenly—
CREEEAK.
The door behind me opened.
I nearly jumped out of my skin.
I spun around immediately.
And the moment I saw who was standing there, my blood ran cold.
The Queen Mother.
And Aurora.
Both of them stood at the doorway.
Watching me.
My mind went blank.
I looked at the drawer.
Then at them.
Then back at the drawer.
Oh no.
No, no, no, no, no.
This wasn’t what it looked like.
At least…
I hoped it wasn’t.
The Queen Mother’s expression darkened.
Her hand tightened around the door handle.
Beside her, Aurora slowly stepped forward.
A smug smile appeared on her face.
“See?” Aurora said sweetly.
“Didn’t I tell you, Mother?
Leaving her alone here was a bad idea.”
She glanced toward the desk.
Then back at me.
“I mean, just look at what she’s doing.”
My eyes widened.
I opened my mouth to explain.
But before I could say a single word—
The Queen Mother’s voice thundered through the room.
“WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON HERE?!”
I flinched.
The Queen Mother’s eyes locked onto me.
“What are you doing in my room?”
I immediately stepped away from the drawer.
My entire body was trembling.
“W…w…well, Mother, I…I swear it’s not what you think,” I stammered.
“It’s not what it looks like.”
Before I could continue, Aurora cut me off.
“Then tell us, Seraphina,” she said calmly.
“What exactly does it look like?”
I opened my mouth.
Nothing came out.
How was I supposed to explain this?
I didn’t even know how I had ended up in this situation myself.
Before I could gather my thoughts, the Queen Mother pushed past me.
So easily.
As if I wasn’t even there.
She walked straight to her desk and pulled open the drawer I had just touched.
The moment she looked inside, her expression changed.
Her eyes widened.
For a second, she simply stared.
Then her face darkened.
My stomach dropped.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Slowly, she looked back at me.
The look in her eyes made my blood run cold.
I glanced toward Aurora.
She was casually leaning against the doorway.
Watching.
Smiling.
As if this were nothing more than a performance created for her entertainment.
But then again…
Why wouldn’t she enjoy it?
Aurora loved seeing me in trouble.
She loved watching my life fall apart.
Sometimes it felt as though making me suffer was her favorite hobby.
I looked away from her and back at the Queen Mother.
“W…w…what’s wrong?” I asked nervously.
“I swear, Mother, I didn’t do anything.”
My voice shook.
“I didn’t steal anything.”
But before I could say another word—
SLAP!
A sharp pain exploded across my cheek.
My head snapped to the side.
For a moment, the entire room went silent.
I slowly lifted a hand to my face.
My cheek burned.
The Queen Mother’s hand was still raised.
Her eyes were filled with anger.
No.
Not anger.
Disappointment.
And somehow, that hurt even more.
“How dare you,” she said through clenched teeth.
The room seemed to grow colder.
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
The Queen Mother’s expression darkened even further.
This time, when she spoke, her voice was filled with fury.
“How dare you steal from me and think I wouldn’t find out?”
I flinched.
Her words struck harder than the slap.
“Thank the heavens I listened to Aurora when she warned me that leaving you alone was a bad idea.”
She pointed toward the desk.
“You have now gone from being a disappointment…”
Her voice became colder.
“…to being a thief.”
The tears I’d been holding back finally escaped.
I couldn’t even defend myself anymore.
My hand remained pressed against my burning cheek as tears rolled down my face.
Slowly, I turned toward Aurora.
She was still standing at the doorway.
Watching.
Smiling.
Mocking me.
And at that moment, a thought crossed my mind.
Aurora did this.
I was certain of it.
There was no way this was a coincidence.
She had somehow planned everything.
The flickering lights.
The open drawer.
The missing scroll.
Everything.
Just as I was trying to gather my thoughts, the Queen Mother spoke again.
“Your punishment will be decided today.”
My eyes widened.
“The punishment for stealing an ancient and powerful scroll.”
My heart stopped.
A scroll?
That’s what was missing?
The Queen Mother’s gaze hardened.
“And it will be decided publicly.”
I stared at her in disbelief.
“In front of everyone in the kingdom.”
The room spun around me.
No.
No, no, no.
This couldn’t be happening.
I immediately dropped to my knees.
“Mother, please!”
I crawled toward her and grabbed her feet with trembling hands.
Tears streamed down my face.
“Please don’t do this.”
My voice cracked.
“I’m innocent.”
I tightened my grip.
“Please…
just listen to me this once.”
“Please let me explain.”
For a brief moment, I hoped she would finally hear me.
That she would look at me.
That she would see the truth.
But she didn’t.
Without a word, she pulled her foot away and shoved me aside.
I fell onto the floor.
The Queen Mother turned around and walked out of the room.
The sound of her footsteps slowly faded away.
Leaving only two people behind.
Me.
And Aurora.
The moment the Queen Mother disappeared from sight, the smile Aurora had been hiding slowly spread across her face.
And somehow…
That smile terrified me more than the punishment waiting outside.
The moment the Queen Mother left, Aurora stepped further into the room.
A smile spread across her face.
Slowly, she began walking around me.
Then she started mocking me.
Using an exaggerated voice, she mimicked my words.
“Mother, please just listen to me this once.”
She clasped her hands together dramatically.
“Please let me explain.
It’s not what you think.”
She burst into laughter.
Pointing at me as if I were the funniest thing she had ever seen.
“Hahahaha!”
Tears continued to fall from my eyes as I remained on my knees.
Aurora leaned closer.
“So tell me, Seraphina.”
She tilted her head.
“Did you enjoy the show?”
Her smile widened.
“Because I don’t know about you, but I’m absolutely loving it.”
I said nothing.
My eyes remained fixed on the palace’s marble floor.
Aurora crouched down in front of me.
To my surprise, she gently wiped the tears from my face.
“No, no, no, Seraphina.”
Her voice softened.
“Don’t cry.”
She brushed a strand of hair away from my face.
“Crying doesn’t suit you.”
Then she pulled me closer.
I didn’t resist.
I was still trying to process everything that had happened.
Aurora rested my head against her chest and gently stroked my hair.
“But do you know something, my lovely sister?”
Her fingers moved through my hair.
“I enjoy seeing you cry.”
My body stiffened.
“I enjoy seeing you suffer.”
A chill ran down my spine.
Aurora’s smile grew darker.
“You see, Seraphina, I made a promise to myself.”
She leaned closer to my ear.
“A blood oath.”
My eyes widened.
“An oath that I would make you wish you had never been born.”
Her voice was almost a whisper now.
“And do you know how I’m going to do that?”
She laughed softly.
“By turning your life into a living nightmare.”
The moment those words left her mouth, something inside me snapped.
I shoved her away and quickly stood up.
My hands clenched into fists.
I was furious.
No.
I was beyond furious.
“So it really was you.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Of course it was.”
I shook my head.
“So my suspicions were right.”
I stared directly at her.
“Adrian was telling the truth.”
Aurora slowly stood up.
A smirk appeared on her face.
“You are absolutely right, dear sister.”
She began pacing around the room.
“I was the one who made Adrian attack you.”
She smiled proudly.
“I blackmailed him using his own venom.”
She shrugged.
“And that’s only the beginning.”
My anger continued to grow.
“I was also the one behind the flickering lights.”
My eyes narrowed.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the silver earring.
“So this belongs to you.”
Aurora glanced at it and nodded.
I noticed immediately that her left ear was missing an earring.
The final piece of the puzzle.
I shook my head in disbelief.
“One day, Aurora.”
I pointed at her.
“You will pay for everything you’ve done.”
She rolled her eyes.
Then, without a hint of shame, she reached into her bag.
My breath caught.
Slowly, she pulled out a scroll.
The missing scroll.
The Queen Mother’s scroll.
“You know,” Aurora said casually, “out of everything you just mentioned…”
She held the scroll up.
“You forgot the most important part.”
A smug smile appeared on her face.
“I was the one who stole the scroll.”
My hands trembled.
“And I was the one who framed you.”
She stepped closer.
“So honestly?”
Her smile widened.
“I enjoyed every second of it.”
She moved even closer.
“And I’d gladly do it again.”
That was enough.
Before she could say another word—SLAP!
My hand struck her face.
The sound echoed throughout the room.
Aurora’s head snapped to the side.
For the first time that night, she looked genuinely shocked.
Then her expression twisted into pure rage.
But before either of us could move—
A voice spoke from the doorway.
“What exactly is going on here?”
Both of us froze.
Slowly, we turned around.
And standing at the door…
Was the Queen Mother.
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