Chapter 19

Miu’s POV

Right after Lena spoke, she grabbed my hand and pulled me away.

So fast I barely had time to react.

Behind us, I heard the murmurs ripple through the people of Tungsten—soft at first, then growing uneasy.

“Is something the matter?”
“Perhaps the Queen is against all this…”
“Will Miss Miu be alright—”

BANG.

The door to the service court slammed shut.

The sound echoed violently through the corridor, making my heart jolt. Lena didn’t slow down. She continued dragging me across the palace hallways, her grip firm, unyielding.

But my thoughts weren’t with her.

They were with them.

The people I’d just begun to reach. The fragile trust we’d built—now shaken again. I could almost see their faces in my mind, the way hope had hesitated, the way fear returned so easily.

They’ll think they were wrong to believe me.

Why would she do this—so suddenly?

My chest tightened.

Did I say something wrong?
Did I… confirm what she was already suspecting?

This isn’t good.

Every instinct in me screamed it. The air felt heavier with every step she pulled me forward, my pulse pounding in my ears.

No.

I can’t let this end here. Not like this. Not after everything.

Please…

My throat burned as I swallowed hard, my thoughts spiraling into a single, desperate plea—

Help me… Mother…

“Ahh!” I yelped as Lena suddenly shoved me to the ground. The cold stone floor scraped against my hands, and I gasped, scrambling backward instinctively.

A sharp swish cut through the air, and my heart leapt into my throat. Something metallic gleamed in the dim hallway light—her hand gripping it with deadly precision.

Before I could even process, the tip of a sword hovered inches from my face. My breath hitched. She had yanked it from the armored soldier display by the corridor wall.

The clanging echo of the blade sliding free seemed to magnify the weight of the silence that followed.

Her eyes—sharp, unrelenting—locked onto me. Every flicker of movement, every shallow breath I took, she caught. Her suspicion radiated off her in waves, suffocating and cold.

She had reached the point where she didn’t trust me—couldn’t trust me—not even to stand near her without steel between us.

“Who…” Her voice cracked, a flare of fury underneath, “…are you?”

I froze. My mind raced, trying to find the right words, a safe response. Not too eager, not too defensive. Every instinct screamed at me to flee, to dodge, but there was nowhere to go.

“You cannot be just a common person,” she spat through gritted teeth, taking a deliberate step forward. The sword in her hand trembled only slightly, but the danger was absolute. The tip inched closer, each millimeter a quiet threat.

Stay calm, Miu… I told myself. One wrong word, one false move, and it’s over

“You… You’re not only good at talking. You sound… educated. Nearly like a noble. You can be threatening and gentle at the same time. And you obviously know how to lead people.”

Her eyes narrowed, and she took another deliberate step closer.

“Tell me…” Lena’s gaze burned into mine, sharp enough to cut glass. “Is this a scheme from Ducaines? Did they plant you inside the palace?”

I froze. A spy? The word echoed in my head. She thinks I’m here to betray her.

“Reveal yourself, now!” she barked, thrusting the sword forward. The tip hovered just an inch from my face. My pulse raced.

I blinked, forcing myself to stay calm—or at least look like it. “…Is that,” I said slowly, staring straight into her fierce eyes, “really important to you right now?”

Her brow furrowed. “What?”

I swallowed, anger and frustration bubbling up. “…Is that more important to you that you dragged me out there in front of all those people?!” I snapped, my voice shaking even as I tried to sound steady.

For a heartbeat, she hesitated. Her hand wavered. That tiny pause—just enough for me to hope I’d bought myself a moment.

“You must know… how much those people fear the palace. Fear you. And you must also know how vital it is to help put aside that fear and regain their faith in your authority.”

I let my words hang in the air, letting them settle like dust in the hall.

Now comes the hardest part—a truth wrapped in a lie. The one thing that’s hardest to catch.

“But if you must insist… perhaps,” I said slowly, letting my jaw tighten, “I wasn’t really just a mere normal person.”

Her eyes narrowed. Her lips pressed into a thin line, waiting for me to finish.

If she wants the truth… then she’ll get it.

I lifted my chin, forcing calm over the storm of my pulse. Not everything. Just enough to make her pause. Just enough to keep her guessing. This is the game now.

“Because I was… a noblewoman,” I said, forcing my voice to stay steady, even as my hands trembled slightly.

“I was supposed to be hastily married off to some old duke in one of the central cities when the war broke out. My father… he was a neglectful lord up north, loyal to the late King Arthur. The geezer duke promised him protection from the rebellion in exchange for me as his wife. Apparently, he took a liking to me.”

I swallowed hard, keeping my gaze on Lena. Her sword still hovered near my face, but she was listening. That was what mattered.

“When I arrived at his mansion, we were married the next day. Instantly. But he… he was furious that I refused him on our wedding night. I constantly denied him—day and night. And to punish me, he treated me like a servant. Made me work, humiliate me…” My jaw tightened.

“And when I couldn’t keep up because I wasn’t used to doing chores, he’d beat me. Again and again, until one night, I finally found the courage to run from him… from everything. I refused to let him touch me. I refused to be his prisoner.”

I lowered my head, the memory clawing its way back into my chest—the night I was taken by the Ducaines.

“But instead of finding help,” I continued, my voice quieter now, “with my luck… I ran straight into them. The Ducaines” A bitter breath escaped me.

“They took a liking to my face too. So they—” My throat tightened. “They sold me. Night after night. As an escort.”

I forced myself to keep speaking.

“Every time their VIPs tried to touch me, I ran. Every single time. But they always found me again.” My fingers curled into the fabric of my skirt. “And Marcus… he would make sure I paid for it. All night. Every escape had a price.”

I lifted my head and looked back at her.

“For years, I begged for help,” I said. “Every time I got away, I knocked on doors. Ran to the guards. Pleaded with the authorities.”

A hollow laugh slipped out. “But to them, I was nothing. Just a troublesome girl. A hopeless one. Someone easier to ignore than to save.”

My vision blurred before I realized what was happening. Warm tears slid down my cheeks, silent and unstoppable.

“So…” My voice trembled despite my effort to steady it. “…that is why I want to help those people. The pain. The struggle. The endless despair.” I swallowed hard. “I know all of it. Firsthand.”

My fingers dug into my chest, as if I could reach inside and tear the ache out of me, crush it before it consumed me whole.

“But if that’s what makes you suspect me…” I moved my body forward—slow, deliberate—and leaned in until the cold tip of the sword pressed against my skin. I tilted my neck, resting it there.

“…then do as you wish.”

The words came out quiet, almost calm. “I have nothing more to say.”

A sharp sting flared as the blade bit into flesh. I clenched my teeth, refusing to cry out, refusing to retreat.

“I have no other way to prove myself except my story,” I continued, my voice shaking now despite myself. “You’re the one holding the sword. All I can do… is trust your judgment.”

I closed my eyes.

Warm blood slid down my neck—fresh, unmistakable. I leaned into the blade, surrendering to the moment, to her decision, to whatever fate she deemed I deserved.

And for the first time in a long while, I waited—without running.