Living As the Villainess Queen (Web Novel KR)-Chapter 407.1

With the sudden appearance of King Akil, the Anikas exchanged glances, their eyes darting to Sabina. The queen of the Delano Kingdom froze, her unexpected reunion with her husband catching her off guard. Feeling the scrutiny of her peers, her expression hardened.

Like the other Anikas who had married the king, Sabina had left the kingdom for the Holy City after giving birth to a child. Years had passed since she had settled there. Among the Anikas, some feared and resisted the kings, while others were more indifferent. Sabina belonged to the latter group.

As a child, Sabina had dreamed of a warm, loving husband and a simple, happy marriage. However, her marriage to the Concord King had shattered those dreams. King Akil was distant and aloof, creating a barrier between them. He was not the kind and gentle man she had envisioned.

Even when she told him she would go to the Holy City, King Akil had offered no objection. During her time there, she had heard rumors of his visits during the dry season, but they had never met. She concluded that she was merely a means to an end for the king.

I'm a failure, she thought. Her humble background, her mediocre Ramita, and now her failed marriage had left her feeling worthless. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

While it was common knowledge that the relationships between the king and his Anika wives were strained, Sabina found it humiliating to display such a distant connection in front of her peers.

Sabina felt a pang of panic when she realized Akil's gaze had landed on her. Instinctively, she turned, searching for someone nearby.

"There you are. Thank goodness, Queen," Akil said, his voice filled with relief.

Sabina blinked in surprise, her eyes widening. Akil then addressed the bewildered Anikas.

"You must leave the Holy Palace immediately. It may collapse soon. Follow the warriors and evacuate at once."

As soon as Akil finished speaking, the Anikas let out screams and collapsed to the ground in fear.

"No, it won't happen right away. Please calm down… What are you doing? Help them up," Akil urged, his voice rising.

Flustered, Akil gave instructions to the warriors. Sabina watched the scene, a small laugh escaping her lips. There could have been a more gentle way to phrase it, but mentioning the imminent collapse had understandably frightened them. Her eyes met Akil's again. She stood still, watching as he approached her and offered his hand.

"Let's go. We can proceed with the next step only after the Queen is safe."

What could the next step be? Sabina wondered as she took his hand.

"Alright," she replied.

For some reason, her husband's usual lack of kindness and explanation didn't bother her as much today.

Queen Cordelia of the Dicus Kingdom watched the two, her eyes filled with a bitter smile.

The Anikas followed the warriors in an orderly line down the corridor, exiting the Holy Palace. Had the warriors simply appeared and instructed them to leave, the Anikas might not have obeyed. However, the king's direct order had a powerful effect. Everyone moved quietly.

Most of the warriors had gone to search for other Anikas, leaving only two to guide this group. This is why no one noticed when an Anika at the very back discreetly slipped away down a different path.

Having quietly left the line, Cordelia ran to her bedroom.

I can't leave that behind, she thought.

She had a passion for collecting various flowers. Not only store-bought flowers, but also nameless wildflowers found in the wild.

Since fresh flowers didn't last long, she pressed and dried them, creating preserved specimens that she inserted into a notebook. Every night, before falling asleep, she found great joy in admiring her collection. So, when she entered the Holy Palace, she brought her precious notebook with her. It might seem insignificant to others, but to her, it was her most prized possession.

***

Casting a spell in the Anikas' sanctuary would be the ideal location. Originally restricted to Anikas only, the sanctuary was now unoccupied due to the summoning of all Anikas to the Holy Palace.

The sanctuary was still part of the Holy Palace, separated by a wall with its own entrance. This made it convenient for priests and knights to come and go without arousing suspicion. Kasser marveled once again at the monster's cunning intelligence.

As soon as he entered, the knights instinctively charged towards the intruder. Kasser swung his sheathed sword in a wide arc. There was no need to unsheathe it—the Praz-infused force became a blade that struck the knights.

Some knights crossed their arms defensively, while others were hit directly and stumbled backward. Observing their reactions, Kasser narrowed his eyes.

"Inquisitors, huh," he muttered.

Ordinary knights would have been writhing in pain from such a blow. Even an Inquisitor, no matter how strong, shouldn't be able to endure it so easily. Kasser had exerted considerable strength in that strike. Even a warrior would have struggled to counter it.

Inquisitors were known to be the strongest among the knights, but they were far from the level of warriors. Their arrogance stemmed from the authority of the Holy Palace, not their exceptional strength.

An abnormally strong Inquisitor. Kasser had a suspicion.

"So, this is one of those Inquisitors that monster tampered with," he thought.

He recalled the knights who had invaded the kingdom some time ago and were blown to pieces. It seemed they, too, had consumed the strange seeds given by the monster.

"Your Majesty, Fourth King. This is still technically part of the Holy Palace. No one can enter without the Holy One's permission," one of the knights said, adjusting his weapon. Another knight whistled, signaling for reinforcements.

In an instant, a group of about fifteen or sixteen knights gathered. Out of the 99 knights, it was said that there were between fifteen to twenty Inquisitors. Most of the strongest Inquisitors had been gathered here, fortified with the seeds, making the defense exceptionally tight.

As Kasser observed the surrounding knights, his mind briefly wandered.

King Akil would be disappointed, he thought.

Akil had repeatedly stated that all Inquisitors were his to handle. If King Akil were here, he would probably be joyfully dancing with his sword. The most update n0vels are published on novel⸺fire.net