Chapter 6

I stuffed the cat into her arms.

I said, "From now on, let it keep you company, Isolde."

Isolde accepted it, half-reluctant and half-willing.

She hugged the cat tightly, unable to let go, and grew much closer to me.

We talked for a while longer before I got up to leave.

The moment I walked out of the Moonlit Room, the smile on my lips turned cold and eerie.

Liora trailed behind me and asked in confusion, "Seraphina, why are you being so nice to her? And why did you give her such a precious cat?"

I didn't answer.

Instead, I looked at the sky in the distance and said with a hint of indifference, "Just wait and see, the real drama's about to begin."

The cat was definitely precious. But there was a secret.

Before it was given, a trader had soaked its claws in a special potion.

The potion was colorless and odorless. It wouldn't hurt people at all.

But if she got scratched by those claws, the wound would itch like crazy, fester, and never heal, no matter what she did.

Unless she had the antidote, one specially made for this.

But there was only a single dose of it in existence. And I was the one holding it.

Wasn't her pretty face the thing Isolde valued most?

Let us see, when her face was riddled with those nasty, festering sores, would Cassian still be so devoted to her then?

This game had only just begun.

As expected, in the next few days, Isolde showered the Persian cat, Snowball, with affection.

Wherever she went, she kept it in her arms.

Even when she was eating or sleeping, the cat was always with her.

I had my people keeping a close watch on the Moonlit Room.

Finally, on the afternoon of the fifth day, my chance finally came.

When Isolde was playing with Snowball in the garden, Snowball, excited as ever, accidentally left a scratch across the back of her hand.

The scratch was so small that she could barely see it.

She barely noticed it, simply dabbed at it with her handkerchief.

But in the evening, the real show kicked off.

A servant from the Moonlit Room burst in, frantic and out of breath.

She said, "Seraphina, something's wrong! Isolde's hand."

"Why are you panicking about?" I put my book down slowly, not in any hurry. "Just tell me what happened."

"Isolde's hand is all red and swollen, covered in little blisters. She says it's itching like crazy," the servant replied.

I nodded and said, "I see. Did you call for the physician?"

The servant replied, "Yes! The physician checked her over, but he couldn't figure out why. He just gave her some ointment to stop the itching, but it didn't help at all!"

"Alright," I replied, still calm and unruffled. "You can leave now."

After the servant left, Liora couldn't help but ask, "Seraphina, are we going to take a look now?"

I replied, "No rush."

I picked up my cup and took a small sip, saying, "We'll wait until Cassian arrives before we go."

I wanted to make Cassian see it for himself.

Let him watch as his precious Isolde was transformed, step by step, into something utterly unrecognizable.

Just as I expected, not long after, Cassian hurried back, worry written all over his face.

He didn't even bother to stop by the main hall. He went straight to the Moonlit Room.

After half an hour, the sound of porcelain smashing echoed from the Moonlit Room, followed by Cassian's rage-filled shout.

He yelled, "Useless! All of you are useless!

"You can't even handle a simple scratch. Why do I even keep you here!"

The moment had arrived.

I walked toward the Moonlit Room with Liora, keeping a steady, unhurried pace.

As soon as we arrived at the door, we saw several physicians being chased out, practically tumbling over themselves to get away.

Every one of them looked as pale as a ghost.

Then I walked inside.

Isolde was curled up on the bed, her tears streaming down her face as she cried her eyes out.

Her hand was swollen like a steamed bun, covered in broken blisters, pus, and blood mixing, looking horrifying.

Cassian sat at her bedside, gently wiping her hand while comforting her softly.

He said, "Don't be scared, Isolde. I'll send for the best doctors outside. We'll get you healed, I swear."

When Cassian saw me enter, he immediately frowned.

He asked coldly, "What are you doing here?"

I replied, "I heard Isolde wasn't feeling well, so I made a special trip to visit her."

I walked to the bedside, glanced at Isolde's injured hand, and covered my mouth in feigned shock.

I exclaimed, "Oh my god, how did it get so bad?

"Isolde, that wound of yours almost looks like you've been hit with some kind of nasty poison."

As soon as I said this, Cassian and Isolde's faces changed.

"Poison?" Cassian's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

I hurriedly waved my hand and replied, "No need to jump to conclusions, Your Highness. I'm only guessing."