Chapter 110 ALL THAT LOVE WAS A LIE

Chapter 110 ALL THAT LOVE WAS A LIE
\- MELISSA -

Her eyes widened. Her hands remained suspended in the air. One foot tilted mid-step.

At the same exact time, the drums stopped.

The entire palace fell into a silence so deep that even breathing sounded loud.

Then she slowly lifted a finger.

And pointed at Luca.

“Is that the boy?”

She spoke in an ancient wolf dialect. One I knew far too well. My eyes narrowed on her immediately.

Something in my gut twisted. This was intentional. She wanted me to understand her. She wanted me to follow every second of this ritual.

All this is about me.

That was what her eyes seemed to say.

But because I could be wrong, I stayed careful and made no assumptions.

“Then bring the boy.”

Her voice echoed across the silence. Luca rushed to me immediately. I carried him in my arms and stood up at once.

It’s time.

I can’t wait any longer.

My eyes scanned every corner rapidly; Searching, calculating. At first, there was no escape route. Then I spotted it. An empty guard post leading into the wooded area beyond the palace.

if Luca ran —

then maybe he could escape from there.

“Baby.”

Luca sprawled against my shoulder.

“Do you still remember the fast feet your father taught you?”

He nodded.

“Good. Now when I run, you follow me. I want you moving as fast as you can. Faster than you’ve ever run before. Understood?”

“What about you?” he whispered, burying his face into my shoulder.

“I’m right behind you.”

He hesitated. Then nodded again. I squeezed him tightly while descending the stairs of the platform.

No one followed me. No one stood beside me. I was alone.

I walked carefully, watching every angle around me at the same time.

I had already calculated the perfect place.

The perfect moment.

In my head, I counted down silently.

‘Twenty… Eighteen… Sixteen… Ten… Eight… Seven...Three, two, one.’

I bolted.

Everything blurred.

For one second, everyone remained frozen, unable to understand what was happening because of how suddenly I moved.

I sprinted past the lanterns and straight toward the empty guard post.

Only then did people finally understand what I was doing.

Shouts exploded behind me.

But it was too late.

I had already reached the gate.

My lips tore into a smile.

I was almost about to celebrate—

when claws suddenly dug into my back.

“Ah!”

I drew in a long breath and waited for her to do it.

I knew I had twisted her in the right places.

And now, she was definitely going to sink like a toy doll.

“You really think you are anything special?” Alicia sneered. “Do you think you are here because Frederick is still in love with you?”

She snickered.

I didn’t spare her a glance.

That only made her angrier.

“You really are full of pride, aren’t you?” she hissed. “Well, I will see how inflated your pride will be when the ritual ends. You fake stupid witch.”

I stayed quiet.

Alicia leaned closer.

“I am really looking forward to the look on your face when you realize that everybody and everything you’ve ever loved and lived for are all lies.”

Her lips curled.

“Everyone, including your darling—”

“ALICIA!”

Lancaster’s yell exploded across the festival grounds and into both our ears.

I restrained myself.

But Alicia nearly jumped right out of her skin.

Shouting his name, she flung her head in his direction immediately.

“Go.”

Lancaster’s voice was cold.

Alicia didn’t move.

She looked betrayed and confused all at once.

Without warning, Lancaster grabbed her arm and yanked her out of her seat.

He dragged her across the platform and practically banished her from the high table without caring about all her begging, snapping, crying, and cursing.

Then he returned to us.

He gestured for Luca to sit where Alicia had been sitting instead.

“It’s awkward having the boy on your lap,” he muttered.

I didn’t even look at him.

I kept my gaze forward like I was deaf.

My scream cut through the air, though it was muffled by a hand covering my mouth. I couldn't fight it. Every flinch sent piercing shocks of pain ripping through me. I stayed stiff, tears pooling in my eyes, as I watched Lancaster drag Luca with him.

Luca cried. He kicked Lancaster, and he bit him. Lancaster, vexed, swung his hand at Luca, slapping him so hard that my ears rang from the sound.

“Stop!”

I yelled at Lancaster, but my voice was muffled by the hand that gripped me.

Luca and I were separated. The person hurled me to the center space where the priestess stood, and I was knelt before her. Then the claw pulled out of me, creasing across the walls of my back. The thrust wasn't deep, but the pain still broke out a loud cry from my lips.

“Wait!”

I spoke as loud as I could, managing to stop him.

“Luca, baby, look at me. Look at me.”

I called out to my son. He turned. His eyes were full of fear and tears.

“Just do what he tells you to, okay? I'm right here. You'll be fine. It should be over soon.”

He started crying harder.

“Mother, I'm scared.”

My heart sank deeper when he said those words.

“I know, baby.”

I wiped the tears in my eyes.

“But you have to trust me, okay? You will be okay. Just do what he says, okay?”

Luca bit his lip, and he let Lancaster drag him off and hand him haphazardly to the priestess.

The priestess took Luca's hand and cut his finger lightly. I winced, although I wasn't the one she cut. I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth, anger twisting my features.

I told him I would kill him if he hurt Luca. But he still did it. He still fucking did it. I'm going to kill him. I can't take it anymore. I'm going to kill everyone here.

My eyes twitched with rage. Inside me, something was unfurling. Clawing. Loosening from its chains. But I didn't fight it. I let it break free little by little, my rage feeding it.

The priestess mixed Luca's blood in a bowl, and then she asked Lancaster to cut his own. Droplets of his blood fell into the same bowl.

It was at that moment that it dawned on me exactly what he was doing.

The priestess wasn't trying to praise the goddess over the issue. She was testing to see if Luca was his son.

Something's wrong here. Terribly wrong.

I could feel it already.

Luca looks like his son. Why is she doing this? What the hell is he planning?

“That was a surprise, right? Didn't think your secret would be revealed here.”

The voice whispered in my ear. It was so familiar, but I didn't believe it. I couldn't. There was no way she could be here. It's impossible.

My whole body began to tremble. My eyes widened as I turned my head slowly.

My gaze met the face of the shield maiden, her lips curled into a smile. She snorted.

“Hello, Lissa. Oops, I meant Melissa.”

“Jane?”

I said her name like I couldn't believe she was really standing before me.

Jane laughed.

“I'd save that look on your face for last if I were you. The show hasn't even begun.”

“You traitor. He's your son. How can you be so cruel? Mutheran will…”

“Will do what, huh?” I stared at her, my mind failing me. She clicked her tongue..

“Mutheran, you mean father,” she leaned over and whispered. “Why would she do anything when he planned everything?”

She stepped back, her fingers covered in my blood. She stood with her hands akimbo, watching me with glee.

My mind failed me. Tears pooled in my eyes. Inside me, my mind was conflicting, fighting and trying to believe she was lying, but every ounce of me somehow knew she was telling the truth.

Mutran really did all of this.