Chapter 92 Sophie Orders, Direct Execution
When Peter finished speaking, the whole room erupted in shock.
He lifted his shirt, and the noble ladies quickly raised their fans to look away.
However, Cressida only needed one glance to see the wound on his abdomen from a dagger.
The edges of the waterlogged, pale cut had flesh slightly turned outward, revealing the bright red blood inside, dripping rapidly down from his wound.
All the nobles present gasped.
"It's just a boat race, how could someone do something so vicious!" Marshall said angrily.
Sophie even took Juliet's hand and quickly walked out of the box.
Her well-maintained face was filled with suppressed anger.
"Who did this? Did you see?"
Peter shook his head: "The boat flipped, and as soon as I fell into the water, I felt someone holding me down, stepping on me. I tried to react, but then they pulled out a dagger and stabbed forward! I saw with my own eyes that they were wearing the uniform of the yellow boat team, there's no mistake!"
If Peter hadn't known martial arts, he would have been seriously injured already.
At that moment, an anxious voice called out: "Is my son alright?"
Everyone turned to look - it was Peter's father, Marlon Nguyen, who had come in person.
Marlon, who was always strict in judging cases, also frowned when he saw Peter's injury.
Peter's mother Giselle was ill, which was why she hadn't attended today, but Giselle and Sophie had been good friends since girlhood, with a deep friendship.
Sophie, seeing Peter injured, flew into a rage.
"Odette, come and see this for yourself!"
Odette walked over with her maid's support. Even with this incident, her demeanor remained elegant and noble.
After just one glance at Peter's wound, Odette frowned: "How could there be such scum? Don't worry, Sophie, I'll summon those rowers right now and have Mr. Nguyen identify them."
Unexpectedly, a young guard rushed up at that moment and dropped to his knees.
"Your Highness Sophie, Queen Odette, the red boat - two rowers have drowned!"
Everyone was shocked.
Last year, Sophie and Odette's boats had also collided and capsized, nearly causing deaths.
This year, two people actually drowned?
Sophie's eyes widened in anger: "How could this happen!? All the rowers are excellent swimmers!"
The young guard trembled and replied: "We pulled the fallen rowers and drummers ashore, but unexpectedly found two rowers wrapped in cloth. By the time we got them out, they were already dead."
Odette was frightened and patted her chest, saying: "My God, how could this happen!"
Peter clenched his fists, anger flashing in his eyes.
"After I fell into the water, I also saw the drummer from my boat being stepped on, held underwater. Is this really a boat race, or a premeditated massacre!"
Marshall scolded: "Stop talking nonsense!"
For a moment, the scene became tense, everyone fell silent, each with their own thoughts.
Miguel and Yosef's gazes both fell on Cressida at the same time.
But Cressida calmly kept her eyes lowered, making it impossible to read her thoughts.
When Yosef looked away, Miguel still couldn't help but stare at the spot below Cressida's collarbone, near her shoulder blade.
That bit of visible scar became more and more striking to Miguel.
It made him, who usually had excellent composure and was extremely calm, want to immediately confirm whether it was from that arrow through the heart.
Odette tried to calm Sophie down.
"Sophie, this is a boat race, injuries are unavoidable. This incident troubles me too. How about this - I'll provide the funeral expenses, alright?"
Sophie looked at her: "Odette, this isn't just about two lives lost."
Peter said: "I heard something similar almost happened last year. If we don't stop it now, future boat races will only get more chaotic."
Yosef's tone was ominous: "Mr. Nguyen, you're talking too much."
Cressida's heart tightened, feeling that Peter was drawing too much attention today. If he caught the eye of someone as despicable as Yosef, he might face danger.
But Sophie said: "I think Peter is right. If we don't punish severely after lives are lost, it's really unacceptable."
Odette was about to say something when Sophie held her hand.
"Odette, mistakes in the boat race are minor, but if word gets out that we two are at odds, that would be serious." Sophie tried to persuade her earnestly.
Odette's expression remained unchanged, only asking: "Then how does Sophie want to handle this?"
Sophie coldly glanced at the river nearby.
Those rowers from the yellow boats who had been pulled out were still sitting on the riverbank gasping for breath, clearly exhausted.
"Kill them, as a sacrifice to the river." Sophie's tone was authoritative, brooking no argument.
No one in the room spoke.
Odette seemed to have a headache. She opened her lips, but finally could only nod: "As Sophie wishes."
Sophie waved her sleeve, ordering her maids to give each family of the condemned rowers ten thousand dollars in compensation.
Just like that, twenty-five lives were easily taken.
A team of guards holding swords left the ship with heavy steps.
All the nobles leaned on the railings to look down. Cressida stood behind them, also glimpsing through the gaps as the guards went straight for the rowers wearing the yellow boat uniforms.
Swords rose, blood flowed - those rowers fell to the ground before they could react.
Some rowers tried to run but were caught by the guards and had their throats cut on the spot.
Cressida had killed many people on the battlefield. She knew one thing well.
Under power, everyone is an ant.
Sophie's killing of the rowers was beyond Cressida's expectations. She hadn't expected that someone on Odette's boat would actually dare to make a move underwater.
But to fight to the death over a boat race, to compete so fiercely, showed that the conflict between Sophie and Odette had intensified.
In the court, the forces of Marshall and Yosef were fighting fiercely, and countless people had already been sacrificed in between.
Cressida could predict that if she showed even the slightest inclination to side with either Sophie or Odette, the other side wouldn't let her go and would pursue her relentlessly.
Thinking this way, Miguel, who was currently lying low and hiding his strength, became even more suitable for Cressida.
Cressida was lost in thought when suddenly she felt a hand reaching from behind, about to touch her.
She quickly grabbed the person's wrist and looked up sharply, only to see Miguel raising an eyebrow at her.
Everyone was up front, watching the rowers in yellow boat uniforms being punished.
The slight commotion they made in the back didn't attract the attention of those in front.
Cressida immediately withdrew her hand.
She lowered her head: "Your Highness Miguel."
Miguel reached out and adjusted the hair ornament on her head.
"Why are you so nervous?" His voice was slightly low, making it sound even colder.
Cressida didn't answer, and Sophie had already turned around.
Cressida and Miguel tacitly separated, neither looking at the other.
The killed rowers were immediately thrown into the rushing river.
Sophie was in a good mood and sat down with Odette, inviting everyone to the boat banquet.
Rose and Clio, however, had no appetite.
Isaac was among the killed rowers - he had been accidentally caught up in this trouble and killed!
Why was Cressida's luck so good?
Rose said in a low voice: "Mother, this is getting difficult."
Wouldn't Yosef take his anger out on them?
Just then, Cressida's voice came from nearby: "Rose, what's getting difficult?"
Rose's face turned pale. She turned around to see Cressida standing behind them with a teapot, though she didn't know when she'd gotten there!