“True protagonists always make their entrance last!”
Everyone was witnessing such an exquisitely crafted doll for the first time.
Because its face was identical to that of Queen Eliana, without a single flaw to be found.
Everyone held their breath, not daring to make a move.
However, the moment Lady Reina saw the doll, her expression changed dramatically.
Among all those present, perhaps she was the only one who had seen such a finely detailed doll before.
Because in a city in the neighboring country, there was extensive research on dolls, even utilizing them to fulfill daily life and work requirements.
During the last magic research seminar, someone had proposed diversifying the use of dolls and distributing them to various countries.
But such a proposal was not passed.
Because many among them knew that within the cult, there were people researching this technology.
However, compared to sophisticated robots, they preferred to desecrate the corpses of the deceased!
The dolls they created were even indistinguishable from the original person!
If one didn’t touch them personally, it was impossible to tell the difference.
She stared at Eliana on the stage, or rather, the Eliana doll.
She could tell that this must have been created using forbidden power!
“Joseph, you’ve truly gone mad! How could you hand over Eliana’s corpse to the cultists!”
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall erupted into chaos!
Everyone looked at the doll on the stage with disbelief.
If what Lady Reina said was true, and that doll was indeed created by the cultists…
Didn’t that mean their King was colluding with the cultists?
This was a country that deeply despised and rejected cultists, yet now, their leader had committed such a heinous act, plunging them all into panic.
Exposed by Reina, a clear flash of panic crossed Joseph’s face.
This reaction was also noticed by Jessica.
She couldn’t believe that her own birth father would hand her mother’s remains over to those wicked fiends!
Not only that, he was even using her mother as his guard.
Such defilement caused Jessica’s brain to instantly freeze.
He had never been a good husband, nor even a good king!
Did he even realize that if his dealings with the cultists were exposed, the entire nation would be destroyed? No one would trust a country that had engaged in transactions with cultists!
All of her mother’s hard work would be ruined by him!
“You… what nonsense are you spouting! This is just a doll!”
“Do you think I would lie about something this important? Do you know? Even the technology of Clarta couldn’t create such a perfect doll. Only those cultists who use black magic would transform a human corpse into a doll.”
Lady Reina’s words once again confirmed this fact to everyone.
Instantly, everyone took a step back, their faces clearly displaying panic, anger, and fear.
They could no longer acknowledge Joseph as their king!
“Joseph Louis! I’ll kill you!”
Jessica roared in fury.
The sword in her hand instantly burst forth with scorching flames, while her hair flew wildly due to the immense magical power surging through her body!
She couldn’t understand. Her mother had loved him so deeply, had meticulously governed this country for him for so many years, only to end up as a doll in the end!
What did all those years of love mean in his eyes?
She took a step forward, and in the next moment, a dazzling streak of fire flashed through the air.
However, the crimson blaze was steadily blocked by a curved sword the moment it reached Joseph.
Those hollow eye sockets held no warmth, yet the cascading silver-white hair seemed to retain traces of Jessica’s memories of her.
“Mother…” Her voice shattered into a trembling sob, the tip of her sword beginning to shake.
The sacrificial runes on the doll’s neck glowed with an eerie blue light. The body that should have been resting peacefully in the royal tomb now had twisted mechanical joints rotating at its limbs. Each faint sound of metal grinding felt like it was twisting her heart.
Selina watched this scene, unable to suppress the upward curve of her lips.
She had waited so long just to witness this moment between Jessica and Eliana.
What a touching scene of mother and daughter reuniting. How utterly disgusting!
“Your Majesty, look, your own daughter is raising her sword against you. I think it’s time to flip the table.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Joseph stared blankly at the woman beside him.
Just moments ago, she was the woman who loved him deeply, but in the blink of an eye, she had become someone he couldn’t comprehend.
“I mean, admitting your cooperation with us cultists isn’t something to be ashamed of.”
As soon as the words fell, Selina tore off her outer garments, revealing her original attire to everyone’s view.
Wild and seductive were her defining traits.
A spiked whip hung at her waist, her ruthless gaze fixed on Reina.
Reina’s face no longer held any trace of a smile, replaced instead by an icy coldness.
She had considered that Joseph might be brainless, but she never expected him to be so foolish as to keep a cultist by his side, and even intend to marry her!
If this marriage had actually been finalized, the entire empire would surely have been doomed!
What would remain would be the suffering of the common people, becoming targets for the cultists!
“The destruction of Caucasus City was your doing, wasn’t it!”
Reina snapped her fingers.
A huge magic circle instantly appeared above the two of them.
In that instant, a giant rock fell from the magic circle.
But Selina easily shattered it into fragments with her whip, scattering them across the floor.
“Of course it was. They provided excellent nourishment for our research. Look at Queen Eliana, her vitality now is all thanks to their contribution.”
Selina waved her hand.
Assassins appeared simultaneously around the palace, along with several Royal Knights wielding greatswords.
Those Royal Knights had vacant eyes, their souls seemingly already invaded and occupied.
They attempted to attack the house retainers but were quickly subdued by Lore.
Lore shook his hand, his expression having shown little change from the start, as if uninterested in all of this.
At the same time, the sky above the entire imperial capital was covered in a crimson hue, a vast magical power descending to envelop it all!
Seeing this, Reina’s expression changed drastically!
Familiar with black magic as she was, how could she not see it? These bastards intended to replay the tragedy of Caucasus City right here in the imperial capital!
To use a sacrificial magic of such a large scale, sacrificial markers must have been set up around the empire.
But if they had truly done so, someone would have surely noticed.
Reina stared intently at Joseph.
It must have been this bastard’s doing.
She even suspected he was aware of the events at Caucasus City as well!
“Lady Reina, it’s time to make a choice. Will you fight me here, or will you save these ignorant, foolish commoners?”
Selina let out a sharp, piercing laugh.
But before her laughter could continue for long, a suddenly appearing flying sword came crashing down right on top of her!
Selina scrambled to the side, her gaze fixed intently on the man who had remained silent all along.
Henry was stretching his muscles as he walked towards her.
“Auntie, did you forget about me?”
“The true protagonist always makes their entrance last!”