After a long, heavy awkward silence, it was Asher’s voice that finally broke through. His tone was calm, but one could feel the weight in it. He spoke quietly with his words meant for Janine alone.“Janine…” he called softly.Everyone’s eyes shifted to her. Then Asher took a slow breath, and though his face was still hard as stone, his voice was gentle because he knew the kind of pain his next words might stir.“Did he…?”He paused right there while the rest of the question hung in the air. Everyone around, including Morgana and the guards, felt the shift. It was a sensitive thing to ask, especially in front of people but he needed to know. He needed to hear it from her so he could decide, right there and then, what kind of punishment Rowan deserved.Then his eyes shifted to Morgana, as if silently asking if Rowan had actually laid hands on Janine. But Morgana gave a small shake of her head and Asher understood right away. He knew that look. It meant she didn’t know either. There was

In that heartbeat of a moment, Morgana’s sharp eyes darted to where the assassin had closed in on Asher, and what she saw left her stunned.The assassin, who had vanished in a blur a moment ago was now completely still and frozen in place like some invisible force had locked his body. His weapon was still halfway drawn, but he wasn’t moving an inch.It was unnatural because no assassin, especially not one from the Forty-Mercy, had ever been stopped mid- silent Severance. It was a death move that never missed. And yet… here he was. Motionless.Morgana’s heart pounded. She was so sure the assassin’s blade would’ve struck Asher by now. She had braced herself for it, but nothing happened. In the midst of her uncertainty and confusion, her eyes flickered to Asher, and that’s when she saw it.Two of Asher’s fingers were pressed against the side of the assassin’s neck, almost like he had poked something there.Morgana’s eyes widened, and a soft gasp escaped her lips as it hit her what had ju

At that moment, the assassins saw the ruler approaching from a distance, and they panicked. Being a banned group in Drakmont, they knew what would happen if they got caught. Without wasting time, they grabbed their paralyzed leader, disappeared into the shadows, and vanished before the ruler could get any closer. Their signature exit was clean, soundless and unseen as always. Meanwhile, Rowan, after throwing his little threat at Asher, was expecting him to freak out. In his mind, he pictured Asher dropping to his knees and begging for forgiveness before his father arrived. He was used to people fearing him and doing whatever he wanted.But what he hadn’t prepared for was the sharp, stinging pain from the cut he gave himself. Being a pampered prince, he wasn’t used to pain or discomfort of any kind. The cut burned like fire and the blood kept flowing, and now he was clutching his bleeding hand with his other one, hoping Asher would start pleading so it’d feel like his pain wasn’t for

Right after Rowan’s outburst, his father didn’t waste time. His voice came sharp and angry as he snapped, “If you mess up, you should take responsibility for it, you idiot!”The truth was, the ruler’s anger wasn’t entirely about punishing Rowan for what he had done, and he wasn’t even lashing out because he suddenly wanted to discipline his son. No, what really had him worked up was fear. Fear of Asher.At that point, he couldn’t afford for the Supreme General to get truly angry or feel disrespected, because if got disrespected and decided to turn against the palace, the consequences would be disastrous. So while he shouted at Rowan in front of everyone, it was his own twisted way of pulling him out of the fire before Asher completely destroyed him.While still boiling with frustration, the ruler snapped again. “You crazy bastard, why is it that everywhere you go, there’s always trouble? You never learn!” His words echoed through the quarters and one could tell this wasn’t just a fath

When Asher finally reached the queen’s quarters, the sight of the place made him glance around. The whole place was decorated to match royalty. The walls were decorated with gold patterns while expensive curtains hung by the windows, and the air carried a soft, expensive scent of rare herbs and flowers. Inside the inner chamber, there was a wide vestibule that demarcated the room. In Drakmont, it was tradition that no man, except the ruler, could go past that point. Any male visitor had to stop there and speak without ever seeing the queen’s face. It was a way to show respect and protect the women of the royal family. Asher wasn’t surprised by this. It was normal in Drakmont. But what did surprise him was how quiet the place was. The area was usually busy with guards standing watch and servants moving around, but today it was completely empty. No one guards at the doors. Not even one in the hall. Everywhere was deserted. While he was coming to the quarters, he had asked a few s