Adeleine’s eyes shot wide open as her jaw hang in unbelief.

The crowd erupted into murmurs, pointing out the girl’s black hair, now that she was addressed to the crowd.

“How did she get inside? I thought the borders were strict.”

“It is. Maybe, she was sent here as a spy.”

“Hah! Do they think we were that stupid?”

There were series of questions and opinions being thrown here and there regarding on who the girl might be and what is her business in Adhelis; surely up to no good, they thought.

Adeleine, with shock and dread, sprang up from her seat. The metal chains tied to her hands and feet clink loudly at her sudden motion, adding to her discomfort at the restriction of her movement. She shook her head vigorously as her legs trembled, fear shaking up her entire body and her breath was hitched to her throat like she was being dragged down under the abysmal ravine at the bottom of the ocean.

She was staring at her death with wide eyes, silently hoping that when she opens them, she would be greeted by the worn dark oak planks of the ceiling back at her home. Sadly, that wasn’t the case no matter how many times she kept her eyes blinking, this nightmare was engulfing her bit by bit as if she was losing her mind.

Unwavering caramel brown eyes stared down at her with intensity, a noble air for a man in a silver knight armor. He confronted her with a stoned look which further sent Adeleine deeper into despair for what she had promised to her mother was to live, but now, she will be sent early along with her. It breaks her heart to see her mother filled with tears in her eyes.

Of course, what does she expect. She was nothing more than a pest, a black-haired woman—an enemy to Adhelis. It had always been this way.

“You or her?” Headmaster Verkel asked him like it was an offer, rather than a threat as if he fully knows that he would choose the former. The side of his lips turned up as the man made no sound and the two knights with him opened the carriage for the approaching head-guard.

Who in the right mind would chose over their life for a mere letherian to live? The thought of made the headmaster smile, ‘as expected.’

The poor girl turned her gaze towards his figure. He was the cause of how things turned out like this! How petty can he be for just one small misunderstanding? Was it the man, who was only doing his job as a guard, at fault? The headmaster was wearing a cloak for goodness’ sake, how was he supposed to know the tyrant’s identity?!

Yes, she thought. It was none other than the crazy bastard’s fault.

She locked eyes with the headmaster and her gaze hardened, forgetting the man behind who was after her life but aware that with every second counts is her falling to her impending execution. With gritted teeth, she clenched her fists and mustered up to gather her voice to what she was about to say. Her voice slightly trembled, but that didn’t discourage her from what she was doing, rather, she even raised her voice to show her will. Showing him that she’s not going to let herself rot.

“I will help you with anything!” It may sound like a desperate cry, but Adeleine’s willing to bargain with the monster. She was already suspected for it then why not use it to her advantage. “I’ll tell you information!”

There was a sudden pause in the atmosphere that made everyone stop with wide eyes. It’s hard to believe. They’ve been trying various methods to extract information from their enemy but only ended up with the remains of the enemy’s exposed undercover agent. It was almost too good to be true, which makes it all the more suspicious.

Everyone stood still. It goes the same for the headmaster, but compared to the others’ reaction, it’s quite faint. He had his fingers under his chin and his smile gone, assessing the situation carefully, however, it was replaced by another smile as soon as they were able to notice it.

The slight downturn of his lips was caught by Adeleine despite being it so fast. She hoped that he bit what she offered, it was a risky move, since she hasn’t really any important information nor she is a spy. But if he does, she’ll find a way to escape before they’ll know what’s up.

“Oh?” The tone of his voice held mockery that made her gulped the knot in her throat; it was deep, unlike the unnatural forced voice he had a while ago, and daunting. He, then, let out a low chuckle. “Tell me, did your ruler told you to say that?”

“No—!”

“Did you think that you could fool us?” It all started to fall. Adeleine could see his lips forming into a sadistic smile accompanied by a cold glint in his bright tangerine orbs as he scoffed. “Letheria disposed even its own people just the sake of secrecy.”

It was a foolish move, indeed. She hadn’t been out, exposed to the world all her life and to suddenly jump into a black hole, she clearly was just betting on her luck but now it had come back to bite her. Young and naïve.

Adeleine hung her head low, staring with eyes filled with astonishment. In the first place, she had it coming, it was like a toss-up—she either gets to survive or to die, but if there was one thing she was lacking, it was knowledge and exposure. If she had known, if only she had known, then she wouldn’t have suggested that in the first place. But there’s no worth in regretting now, it already had happened.

“Stop fooling around and open up the gates,” he ordered. People started to move, all of his previous commands were dropped and the head-guard look up to only be patted on the shoulders by the headmaster. “Keep up the good work.”

He turned to the carriage where Adeleine was kneeling on the cold metal floor like a broken doll, dead eyes staring off into the distance, silent and unmoving. It seems she knows what awaits her. Even if she managed to escape demise here, she surely won’t be once they pass this gate.

With the flick of the reigns, the carriage once again lurched forward, passing the large gates and pass the towering wall as the letherian girl awaits her fate.