Chapter 16

In truth, compliance never sat well with me, even in my past life. Docility only emboldened others, making them believe they could mistreat me with impunity.

“I’ve tempered my temper, that much is true,” Odelliana muttered, frustration lacing her voice. “What’s so great about being queen? Only two years after being crowned, and I’ve become an expert at enduring”

“Damn you, you lunatic!” a man roared, agony twisting his face as Odelliana’s dagger found its mark in his arm. But instead of meeting the frightened eyes he expected, he saw a venomous glint, like a serpent poised to strike. He faltered, gaze dropping to the crude dagger embedded in his flesh. 

His pride was wounded more than anything else, having been struck by a woman with a dagger that wasn’t even a proper weapon. Enraged, he yanked the dagger out of his arm.

“Insolent wretch!” he snarled, raising his hand to strike. The blow never landed. His imposing form lurched, confusion clouding his features. Panic fluttered in his chest.

What’s happening? he thought, a strangled sound escaping his lips. The pain escalated, a white-hot inferno replacing the initial sting. It pulsed through his veins, an agonizing fire spreading from the wound.

“Ugh… wh-what the…” the man sputtered, his sturdy legs buckling beneath him. He crumpled to the ground, his breath turning into a strange, metallic rasp.

“Did you think I’d be so foolish to enter a place like this unprepared?” Odelliana scoffed.

Decades of struggle had forged Odelliana’s spirit. Her frail body might be a limitation, but her cunning mind, honed by relentless survival, wouldn’t be bound by it. A mere thug wouldn’t outsmart a seasoned warrior.

“You see me as weak, easy prey,” Odelliana continued, a bitter edge to her voice. “Even in my prime, I faced such underestimation. It’s a mistake my enemies often made. Their complacency kept me alive.”

She paused, taking a measure of the fallen man. “Who would’ve thought? A hulking brute like you brought down by a ‘cripple.'”

A dagger, the perfect weapon for a woman lacking strength. Poison, the ideal partner for a body incapable of delivering a killing blow. A potent dose, readily available at the market, coated the blade, designed to cripple with the slightest scratch. 

Odelliana’s body, while limiting in daily tasks, proved far more effective than Lelusha’s at disarming foes. “This may have seemed a mundane encounter,” she said, “but fate wasn’t on your side. Even the meekest lash out when crushed. There are people in this world who won’t just passively endure the violence you wield.”

“Don’t be too angry,” she continued, a cold edge to her voice. “It’s self-defense, after all. In the end, it’s the death you brought upon yourself.”

She fought for her life, he fought with reckless abandon, and paid the ultimate price.

Seizing the unexpected opportunity, she couldn’t risk outside interference. News of the hefty bounty on her head reaching Matthias meant he wouldn’t hesitate to follow. I should take Matthias, she thought, thank him as my benefactor, and ask Blair to come with us to the mansion. Since he saved Blair’s sister, Blair wouldn’t refuse to take him in. Then I can keep him close as my servant.

Flyers plastered across Anatolia should have ensured this fool wouldn’t be the one collecting the hefty price on her head. That task, rightfully, belonged to Matthias.

“Save… me…” The man’s grotesque thrashing, akin to a fish out of water, sputtered to a stop. His demise was a pathetic, empty spectacle.

Odelliana sucked in a ragged breath, brushing dirt from her clothes and wiping the sticky blood from her face. Dizziness washed over her. The adrenaline spent, her body refused to budge. Her hands, used with desperate strength to plunge the dagger, throbbed with a dull ache – likely sprained. Every roll on the rough ground left a dull, persistent sting on her exposed skin.

“Damn it all,” she spat, a bloody glob of resentment escaping her lips.

A gut-wrenching scream ripped through the silence. Odelliana whipped her head towards the sound. “Brother!”

A group of familiar faces – the very boys who’d tormented Matthias the previous night – materialized. They huddled around the lifeless body, spewing curses and howling in fury.

Odelliana, seizing the opportunity, attempted to flee. However, her battered body, already weakened, refused to cooperate. To her misfortune, the boys’ mourning for their fallen leader was short-lived.

Their eyes, burning with vengeful fury, locked onto a single target. “You bloody witch! You killed my brother! I’ll tear you apart!” The largest boy roared, snatching a hefty sword from the corpse and charging at Odelliana.

Just as the massive blade threatened to cleave her in two, a figure abruptly interposed, diverting the attack. Odelliana’s eyes widened. A broad back filled her vision, framed by ebony hair like a midnight sky. The boy, his approach silent and swift, held her attention. With a crude dagger snatched from the ground, he parried the blow of the giant sword.

In a lightning-fast counter, he disarmed the attacker and closed the distance. A ruthless thrust of the dagger found the boy’s neck, severing the carotid artery. The victim, unable to even emit a scream, crumpled lifelessly, blood erupting like a crimson geyser. Matthias, now stained crimson, stared down at the fallen boy.

Is this life any different from the previous one? The thought flickered across Odelliana’s mind, quickly dismissed. No matter the changes, the beast slumbering within human fear remained constant.

He turned slowly, wiping blood from his face with a grimace. Then, in a surprisingly gentle voice, he spoke. “I should have killed them all before this.”

The boy standing amid the carnage remained eerily composed, posture ramrod straight. It was a surreal image – a figure drenched in blood, yet exuding an air of almost priestly dignity.

“Leave the rest to me,” he said.

Odelliana felt a strange bewilderment. This cold, ruthless side of Matthias, the one mirroring the “him” she knew, clashed with the amiable demeanor he’d displayed just half a day ago. This Matthias felt like a stranger.

Slowly, Matthias turned his head, gaze fixing on a single point. “Do you want to continue?” he asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

The boys, fear now a palpable presence, trembled under his calm stare. The stark difference in skill was evident, their will to fight utterly shattered. Yet, they remained frozen, neither fleeing nor engaging him.

With no answer forthcoming, Matthias did something that sent a fresh wave of horror through Odelliana. He gently, or so it seemed, placed his foot on the leader’s head and pressed down. The seemingly light pressure crushed the already lifeless face beneath it.

The remaining boys, faces drained of color, finally reacted. They turned and fled in a panicked scramble.

As the tension bled away, leaving only the echo of the ordeal, her strength deserted her. Her body, pushed to its limit, crumpled, no longer able to hold itself upright. A hand, unexpected and strong, suddenly encircled her waist, effortlessly holding her up. 

The scent of Matthias – a comforting mix of dewy grass, damp earth, and the metallic tang of blood – washed over her. Strangely, amidst the acrid war smell, his unique aroma muted the nausea. And so, Odelliana found herself cradled in the young boy’s arms amidst the bloodbath for quite some time.