Her once elegant, smooth silver hair was now red and disheveled. Her sapphire eyes were now streaming with flowing tears. Her magnificent white gown—embroidered with gold in every corner and adorned with jewels—was now dyed, soiled, and tainted with her own blood. The precious face she had cared for was now bruised and damaged by the hands of her once-friend and her beloved man.
"Charles... h-how could you do this to me? You promised you would always love me, but why would you do this?" she muttered, her breath fading.
A mocking sigh escaped the girl outside the cell. "You're really stupid, aren't you?"
"J-Jennifer... w-what... are you saying?"
"Remember this?" Jennifer pulled an item from her pocket and presented a golden seal.
"T-that's Father's seal... why do you have it?" The girl in the cell broke into a horrifying scream that caused her to vomit blood.
Jennifer let out a cruel laugh. "Didn't you know? Of course you wouldn't, because you're ignorant. Remember when you drowned? You foolishly accused your fiancé of pushing you into the lake, but was it really his fault?" She laughed again, tears streaming down her hideous face. Her black hair was pinned in a bun with a crown resting on her head.
"Seriously..." She wiped her eyes, still chuckling. "To tell you the truth, it was all me. I'm the one who pushed you into the lake. It was your fiancé who foolishly saved you when you drowned. Didn't you remember?"
What? But it wasn't... I mean, he didn't tell me... I didn't know. I was mistaken.
"Jennifer, step back. Don't come closer to that ugly thing!" Charles strutted forward and wrapped his arms around Jennifer from behind. He was now clothed in the finest noble attire—a dark velvet coat with silver embroidery—with a crown on his head.
Charles, my love... but why is he embracing Jennifer? I don't understand this. And why is he wearing Father's crown? And Jennifer too?
"Charles, what are you doing? Why are you wearing Father's crown?" Sabrina asked, her voice trembling.
He let out a dismissive snort. "This? This is my reward for killing your father, for destroying my rival—the duke's son, Alexander, your fiancé—and lastly, for executing the traitor, the rebel who killed her own parents. It's you, my dear Princess." He mockingly snickered at her.
"You killed Papa? And Alex? Why? Why... why did you kill them, Charles?" Tears and blood mixed on her face as she sobbed. "You love me... didn't you say? But why are you like this, huh? Please tell me this is all a misunderstanding... please..."
She begged him. Her silver hair was now soaked with her blood. The wounds on her back were splitting open further. The whip marks stung. A stab wound in her waist throbbed. Countless slaps had bruised her face. Her breath was running out. Her sight was growing blurry.
Charles leaned closer to the bars, a wicked grin on his face. "Do you want to know what his last words were? He said, 'I love her more than my life. I'll do anything for her, even if it costs my life.' Those were Alexander's last words before he bled out from the torture I personally carried out."
No! No! Please... please someone help me. Please tell me this is all a dream. Please, I beg you... I beg you... Sabrina's cries echoed through the cell, her voice breaking.
He raised a finger as if remembering something. "Ah! Before I end this here..."
Before she knew it, two ruby balls came rolling toward her. Though it was dark, she could clearly identify them.
"N-no!" she screamed as she picked them up. Undoubtedly, they were really his. They were his eyes. Her fiancé's eyes. Alexander's eyes. Charles truly had no mercy—he had gouged out his eyes.
No... Her breath hitched as another sob tore through her chest. No... It's all my fault. I... I did this to you. If only... if only I had believed you back then, this wouldn't have happened to you and my parents. If only... if only...
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