The sound of the metal door unlocking reverberated through the small, dimly lit prison, breaking the silence that had consumed the space for days. As the door creaked open, a sliver of light pierced through the darkness, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the despair.

For the past few days of who knows how long, I had been trapped in this suffocating prison, my mind plagued by a relentless inner voice that incessantly complained about the wretched conditions.

The stench of the place, the cramped and narrow space, the absence of a bed or any semblance of comfort - all of it weighed heavily on my spirit. Insects, like cockroaches and worms, would occasionally emerge, adding to the torment.

But it wasn’t just the physical discomfort that tormented me. My stomach growled loudly, a constant reminder of the hunger that gnawed at me. A few days may seem like a short time, but in this desolate place, it felt like hell. I found myself shedding a year’s worth of tears.

"Corianne, His Majesty ordered to set you free. You can return in your room in the palace," the guard said, his facial expression stern. Am I still hallucinating or did this peasant simply addressed me with my name? What an impudent bastard!

“You sure have the audacity to call me by my name. I won’t let this pass so you better watch your tongue or I’ll have that cut off,” I warned, but the guard kept a stoic expression, not showing a single hint of intimidation.

“I’m afraid you have no authority to do that. His Majesty told all the palace servants that you can no longer be addressed as queen or treated as one. Your title has been stripped off. All your servants were forced to drink poison yesterday, so there’s no one to serve you. It’s nothing personal. So please, just follow His Majesty’s orders.”

That insolent little rat! How can my own son do all these to me? Did he completely forget that I’m his mother, and he owes everything to me?

It’s not hard to tell that he disowned me, and I must do the same – he’s no longer my son, but a monster with a crown on his head.

The guard led me back to my old room – a room that made my mouth drop open because most of the things that I had in my room are gone. I was only left with a single bed with a small desk next to it, a closet, a bathroom, and the old floor-length mirror fixed on the wall. The room was no longer magenta with gold embroidery, but plain white all over the place.

The red carpet was gone, leaving nothing else but a bare, marble floor. Even the chandelier was removed, and the only thing that can give light would be the candle on the desk, and the light of the sun from the windows when the black curtain gets swiped.

Am I hallucinating again because of hunger? Please, someone, wake me up from this nightmare.

“So, did you like your newly refurbished room? At first, I wanted it to be black but someone said that it would be depressing, and that I should be considerate about your mental health,” Evrart said, and I turned to back to see the monster leaning on the doorframe.

His eyes have black bags under them, his eyes are quite red. His exhausted aura simply gives the idea that he didn't get enough sleep recently. On the contrary, his lips rose into a devilish smile as if he's enjoying seeing me look in a terrible state.

“I bet you’re hungry and you want to take a bath. Of course, I'll let you do as you wish. I'll send someone to bring the food here, and take a bath while waiting. You look and smell disgusting. It's funny because the great queen of Eurhyia is now rotting alive. How tragic.” I shot him with an icy look as an answer instead of saying anything reckless. I have to refrain from provoking him to avoid being locked in prison the second time around.

“Where’s Marius? I want to see my son,” I requested, trying hard to sound monotone.

“Your son? Am I not your son?” he chuckled, mocking me. “Marius thinks you’re dead.”

"W-What?" I stuttered, weighing his words in my head. It can't be. Did Evrart go that far?

He closed the door behind him and lazily leaned his back on the wall, his arms crossed. He didn’t look like a dignified king at all, but simply a man who went mad, harvesting the consequences of his actions.

“The day after you went to prison, some nobles proposed for me to find a wife, the next reigning queen of Eurhyia. They looked for you, but I said that you’re very sick. They acted as if they cared, but it's obviously because they want to climb up the social ladder," he scoffed, his eyes partly filled with disappointment.

"It's not surprising that people desire to have power. That seems to be a common trait among many. Have you made a decision on who to choose?"

Normally, I would feel a sense of guilt about harboring such ambitions as well. However, my current focus is solely on securing food and regaining my own stability.

Evrart glared as an answer. “Why do you care? There's no need for you to know that. In a few days, the whole kingdom will know that you're dead. A funeral will be held of course, but the coffin won’t be open. That’s why from now on, you can’t step out of your room. Nobody else can know that you’re alive.” Without letting me react, he stepped out of my room and slammed the door shut.

──•~❉᯽❉~•──

I let out a sigh as I finished bathing – though the soap wasn’t fragrant, it surprisingly made me feel fresh and clean. It feels odd to bathe without anyone assisting me, but this is still better than being in prison. The moment I stepped out of the bathroom, I saw a tray placed on my bedside desk – a tray with cottage pie, fish and chips, roast beef with wine sauce, and potato soup.

My stomach let out a growl as if it had just remembered how hungry I was. These foods aren’t normally served for royals aside from the roast beef, but at least this should be enough for me to feel full.

The sun sunk into the horizon before I knew it. I had no idea what time it is because Evrart removed the clock that used to be in my room.

I laid myself on the bed and stared at the white ceiling, clueless about what else should I do now that I can’t step out of my room.

My heart still refuses to accept my current reality, but it’s better than rotting alive in prison.

A few minutes later, a sudden burst of red light emanated from the mirror, capturing my attention and prompting me to rush towards it in curiosity. I gazed intently into the mirror; my eyes fixated on my favorite part of the room.

To my astonishment, a swirling vortex of light materialized on the mirror's surface, revealing the silhouette of a woman on the other side. She possessed long, fiery red hair, piercing blue eyes, and a mischievous smile etched across her face, giving her an almost devilish allure.