On the 10th day of the month, less than three months before the Emperor of Verticulas' birthday celebration and less than two weeks before the completion of the new barrier seal, it was a supermoon night for Irelina. It was also a supermoon for Dianthus, allowing her to discreetly open the cryptic portal and use the dark magic incantation of dilitírio thanátou of phosporos against Irelina. 

Irelina changed her clothes and put on her nude, laced nightdress while Ella arranged her bed. As everyone prepared to rest for the night, Zeddrick scribbled his late-night signatures on several reports and petition letters.

While Devin, sitting on the couch checked the reports from the South mercenaries regarding weapons to be sent out to the North in the next few days. 

Standing in the dim center of an enigma sigil symbol, Dianthus pricked her left pointer finger and pinched it. Three droplets of her blood stained the emblem on the floor. It evaporated into a red mist as her diabolic eyes widened and her smile grew wicked. She began the incantation of dilitírio thanátou of phosporos. 

Poor Irelina, you’ll meet your death soon. You should have known your place, you ugly little thing. Dianthus cackled aloud.

The flooring beamed. A purple lightning strike emerged from the sigil and formed a vine-like stem. It pointed at her like waiting for a command.

With the portentous incantation sound, she commanded, “Kill, Irelina Mercius.” The red vines became invincible and slowly crawled out of the cryptic portal, passing through the palace hallway to the outside of the emperor’s palace without being noticed by the guards strolling the premises. 

Ella was combing Irelina’s hair as she smiled. 

“Your hair is smooth as ever, Lady Irelina. Do you plan on cutting it?” 

“I like it that way. I will keep it longer like Mother.” She smiled and added, “Tomorrow, the regent will visit to talk about the emperor’s birthday celebration,”

“Then I will prepare some refreshments.” Ella smiled and added, “By the way, are you going to the emperor’s party? I heard it would be lavish and full of well-known aristocrats and music.”

“I’m not sure. I don’t think my presence is needed there. And you know, the false rumors about me having a ruined face have already spread outside the palace. I don’t even know what I look like. I don’t want the emperor’s special day to become a laughingstock because of me.”

“My lady, please don’t say that. You’re the purest and most beautiful of them all.” 

“You flattered me. But, I am fine, Ella. Besides, I’m glad that you’re with me.” 

Ella smiled and remembered something. “Right! I just realized that the emperor’s birthday is also your coming-of-age day.”

Ella put the hairbrush on the table. Irelina felt a sudden emptiness in her heart. Ella was right—she turned 18 on the same day as the emperor’s birthday, thinking, But what is there to celebrate when mother and father are no longer here? And, so, I will not look forward to it.

The red vine-like stem entered underneath the door of her room and crawled through her leg without her noticing it. It went inside her nostrils without causing her to feel irritated. 

“Ella, it’s getting late. You’d better go to sleep. I will see you tomorrow.” 

“Yes, my lady. Good night.” 

Irelina stood from her chair. The first three steps, she stopped. And when Ella was about to leave the room, she felt an eerie throbbing in her heart. Then, she felt something dripping out of her nose. She wiped her nose and saw the blood on her fingers. She trembled out of shock. Her stomach began to cramp, trying to relieve the pain. She gasped for breath. 

“Ella—” She called. 

Ella turned sideways, holding the doorknob. 

“Yes, Lady Irelina? Do you need something before I go?” She wondered as Irelina stood still, holding her stomach. 

“Call…call for…help— '' she coughed a profuse amount of blood and fell sideways on the floor.

“Lady Irelina!” In her fear, Ella ran towards her.

“Stop! Don’t come any closer.” Irelina exclaimed.

Ella was scared.

“Just—just go and ask for help. Now—!!!” Irelina groaned in pain and vomited blood again.

“Yes!”

Ella hastily ran out of the room. She began shouting for help in tears. Irelina crawled back and tried to get up using the left leg of the table. The moment she balanced herself on the table, her siren eyes glowed. Behind her black veil, she locked eyes with the supermoon. A vision appeared of Dianthus's creepy smile, looking at her from a dark place surrounded by the purple mist. Then Dianthus walked away and disappeared from the mysterious spiral portal. 

Slowly, Irelina’s arms started to turn plum. She felt a stabbing sensation in her heart. Again, she fell sideways on the floor and curled up, gripping her nightdress. She was severely in pain. She felt like her bones were randomly smashed by a hammer. With cold sweats on her forehead, she shivered with the unexplained agony. What was left was her strong sense of handling the internal torture, which kept her conscious while waiting for help to arrive. 

“Die, Irelina. DIE!!!” Dianthus evil laughed as she stepped out of the portal. She felt so refreshed after committing such a vile crime. 

The door banged and opened. Ella, Regent Robina with her servant, and three palace guards were shocked to see Irelina on the floor, covered in her blood, as she kept twisting and twitching to reduce the pain. 

“Irelina!” The regent exclaimed. 

“Lady Irelina!” Ella cried. 

The regent commanded her guards, “What are you staring at?! Go to the Emperor's Palace and ask for the Palace Doctor. Hurry!!!” 

One of the guards used his transport spell to reach the Emperor's Palace while the other two stood watch outside. But Irelina’s resistance to the pain was about to aggravate.

“I—can’t take it any longer…” Her tone was weak and faint.

For they were unable to see what was happening behind the black veil. Irelina’s siren-golden eyes slowly began to turn red. The red vines collided with her golden pupils. She waited in vain, trying to stop an ordeal that she didn’t know what was happening inside her body. 

The Palace Doctor, Medicius Aurelius, arrived sweating and carrying his leather medical bag. He was surprised to see her lying on the floor, barely breathing and almost bathed in her blood. He hastily came closer to her aid, but as he was about to touch her, Irelina’s left hand reflexed and unconsciously smacked his right hand. He retreated backward with a stunned face. 

Irelina was unconsciously and steadily in a lazy heel-sitting position while the blood dripped from her lateral mouth. Medicius kneeled closer to her. His peculiar green eyes let him briefly see her face behind the black veil.

His eyes widened in disbelief to see such an innocent and pure face despite the trauma she was in now. He could not see her eyes because her eyelids were gazing down. But, at that moment, he was in awe by her countenance to the unbearable pain. 

“I’m Medicius Aurelius, the palace doctor. I know you're in severe pain, so please let me help you.” His tone was calm.

With her distorted voice, she gasped for breath to neutralize the pain and the blood that overflowed inside her throat. She mumbled while she looked on the floor. 

“I’m—sorry. Please—please call Ella.” 

“Ella,” Medicius called out calmly while the regent felt restless in the background.

“Yes?!” Ella wiped her tears away.

“Could you please help me put her to bed? We might lose her if we don’t hurry.” Medicius said.

“Yes!” Ella hastily went beside Irelina and helped her get up.

“Lady Irelina, can you get up?” 

Irelina just nodded and tried to get up. She coughed blood again and was about to faint. Ella laid her gently on the bed, and Medicius was about to reach for her veil.

“No! Don’t touch it!” Ella warned. 

Medicius was astounded, but instead, he opened the medical bag and put out all his healing potions and syringes. He also gave instructions to the regent’s servant.

“We’re losing her! Please get me a bowl of warm water!”

“Ah, yes!” The servant complied and hastily ran out of the room. 

“What is happening to her?! She was just fine earlier,” Regent Robina’s tone was worried. 

He checked her pulse. “She has been poisoned.” 

“What?! Who on earth did this to her?!” 

The regent called out to the guards, “You! Make sure no one comes into this palace until I say so. And no word shall come out from this room. Do you understand?!”

“Yes, Your Highness.” The guards agreed.

The regent’s servant came carrying a bowl of warm water and placed it on the bedside table. Regent Robina then told her servants to leave and never to speak about such an incident in her palace. 

“Remember, if any of this incident reaches outside of my palace wall, be ready for your tongues to be ripped.” 

“Yes, Your Highness.” The servant said, leaving the room while the guards watched her go. 

Irelina was barely conscious when Medicius injected her with the vitality potion and then injected her other arm with a sedative to somehow relieve her suffering. 

“Lady Irelina,” Ella mumbled and was worried stiff.

Ella could not hold back her tears while watching the person she had served for over ten years, thinking, Who would do such a cruel thing to Lady Irelina?

And for a while, they had to wait and see if the potion worked on Irelina Mercius. 

Dianthus Aechmā, 1st Concubine, illustrated by ZCSAERIN.