CHAPTER 179

CHAPTER 179


Reika's POV

The moment Archer said that, I started having cold feet while feeling hot inside, shivering, and sweat even broke out on my forehead. I tried to wrap my head around the fact that the Ileus from earlier… the same one who literally kissed me and told me he couldn't wait to marry me, might not actually know about the dagger.

But then, on the other hand, I couldn't help but feel that Archer might be right. That was the only explanation for the fact that the dagger was missing. He must have been acting clueless to fool me. He would make me feel relaxed while keeping an eye on me and wherever I tried something again, he would catch me in the act this time.

I parted my lips several times but no words came through. I just squeezed my eyes shut, took a deep breath in and out to calm my raging nerves.

“I think you're right, Archer.” I did not even bother to argue with him now. “So what should we do?” I was confused as fuck and I didn't have the slightest idea what to do.

I couldn't sit or stand still. I just sprang to my feet and started pacing around restlessly. My hands pressed down on my throbbing forehead.

Archer was silent for a while. “For now, I don't think it is advisable for us to do anything. I think we should lay low and watch him closely to see if he really knows something or not.”

I shook my head, a bitter laugh bubbling in my throat. “But you know we can't afford to do that, Archer. If we delay any further than this, everything will go wrong. We are going to lose our family members. Daisy and Ray… their little one.” My voice cracked with fear. “All their lives depend on this mission.”

“That is true… but then, what should we do? At this juncture, I don't think we have any other choice than to wait for now. If we do anything irrationally, we might even risk losing our own lives too….”

“Knock. Knock.”

A soft sound echoed against the door.

My chest split open as Archer and I both maintained fear-filled glances for a while.

“Who do you think is there?” he whispered.

“You think it's Ileus?” I whispered back, my pulse roaring loudly in my eardrums. “Maybe he has come to get me? Do you think we should open the door?”

“Of course, we should. You forget this is his palace and he has the keys to whichever room.”

I panicked. “Oh Goddess…”

“Calm down, Reika.” Archer placed a steady hand on my shoulder. “Whatever happens, we are in it together. I will go get the door now.”

I tried to hold the side of his uniform, but he gently pulled my hands away from him.

Another knock came, sharper this time, as he moved towards the door slowly. While I prepared myself… already summoning my powers to strike Ileus and his soldiers, though I felt extremely weak again….

Archer opened the door. He did not open it fully before I heard him talking to the person.

“The Commandant is asking for you,” the person, whom I assumed was a junior soldier, said.

Only then did I let out a sigh of relief and release the powers that seemed to be eating away at me every second.

“Okay… I will be right behind you,” Archer responded, before closing the door and leaning against it, also catching his breath.

After a while, he pushed himself off the door and walked up to me. “See… I need to go now, Reika. You should calm yourself down and get some rest because you look like you will pass out any second from now. I will come later when I close, and I promise that we will sort this out, okay?”

I nodded even though I knew I wouldn't be able to calm down. But then… he needed to get back to work, otherwise things would become even more suspicious.

“I understand.”

He stormed out of the room afterward.

Once he left, I lowered myself back onto the bed and pressed my hand to my face.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Why does it feel like my powers are draining out of me?

I did not know how long I remained there but after a while, I stood and walked into the bathroom to freshen up because I reeked of arousal now.

Back in the room, I dressed in a beautiful floral dress and then lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling and trying to think about everything that happened last night over and over again.

A part of me wished that I had misplaced the dagger somewhere but no matter how hard I thought about it, the scene of me putting it in the drawer never left my mind.

After a lot of thinking, exhaustion set into the deepest part of my bones and even though I was scared, restless, and frustrated as hell, my eyes drifted closed into a deep slumber….

Hours later, I woke up still feeling very exhausted after having a strange and confusing nightmare.

In the nightmare, I saw my previous self… the Reika with the brown eyes and brown hair staring at my new self… the one with the silver eyes and hair. No words were exchanged. Just both of them staring at each other for a long time until the dream faded.

I pushed myself off the bed and leaned against the headboard. My brows narrowed in confusion as I wondered what exactly the dream meant.

“Oh Goddess…” I murmured, raking my fingers through my hair…. and when my hair fell over my face, my breath seized. Completely.

My brows knitted in confusion as I stared at my hair. It was no longer silver; it was brown. Exactly like my old hair.

Immediately, my fingers started trembling and as I pulled out more of the hair packed in a bun, it was brown.

What the hell was happening?

I did not know where the sudden energy came from. I jumped to my feet, moved towards the full-length mirror in the room and my eyes widened in horror and terror at the reflection standing before me.

I no longer had silver eyes or my flawless face. I had brown eyes and my old, pale skin.

How… how did I get my old appearance back?

I couldn't stop the guttural growl that ripped from my throat… it echoed through the room and before I knew what was happening, guards and maids were knocking on the door.

“My Lady…” a masculine voice called out, concerned with a trace of fear. “Are you okay?”