Chapter 250: 250
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
But she had no space to think about it right now, and Ophelia felt a bead of sweat trickle down her forehead at the nervousness she was feeling right now.
The thought that the smile seemed familiar dissipated before it even began to finish forming, something that she would regret later.
She was inwardly shaking with nerves, even as she tried her best to portray that she was unaffected.
She knew that her father emperor was a lot stronger than she was – than anyone in the palace right now, really, but he and all the guards had still been taken out by this person without a problem.
How could someone of such calibre come to assassinate the emperor?
The thing was, the emperor had not been blindly confident in his own ability.
Though the Rhys Royal Family ruled the continent, most clans and sects didn't really put their family in their eyes, seeing as they were only intermediate rank at best.
At best, they had a mutual beneficial relationship with the clans, no relation to sects, and ruled over the civilians.
While they appeared powerful, they were actually walking on a tightrope.
If they wanted to, they could be wiped out with a single thought, and those advanced rank that usually protected the family had been sent to the frontlines.
Was there ever a need for someone that wanted to make a move to wait until they were weaker to act?
The answer was no.
Any time they wanted, they could have already stormed in and slaughtered them without any effort, so why would they wait?
It was using this mentality that the emperor had sent away his men to the war.
According to his inside sources, the top power of the Neil Clan was only at the advanced rank.
Using enough numbers, it was indeed possible for them to win.
Unfortunately, the emperor had not thought of the possibility of the remainder of his kin killing him, which ultimately led to his downfall.
Prince Alistair was not a waste as they all thought, nor was he willing to take the abuse lying down.
The princess discreetly swallowed as her mind was working a mile a minute, thinking about how to survive this ordeal.
The servants were all too far away for her to be able to make any use of them, and Alistair and Alexander's whereabouts were unknown as of now.
Her older brother Frazer was on the frontlines of the war, so he couldn't help her either.
Ophelia's guard had been sent away by her late last night – annoyed as she had been – and she regretted it sorely now.
Unfortunately, she couldn't turn back time no matter how much she wanted to.
"Who are you?" Ophelia repeated again, and she narrowed her eyes at her father emperor's murderer, trying to buy time and information.
Unfortunately for her, Alec had no intention on talking to the haughty princess. He knew that she was trying to look for a way out, as her hand had been inching towards the door.
He wondered if he really thought that she was concealing it well. Her movement was rather large, but he still played along.
Still, he tilted his head as he feigned ignorance, reacting 'a beat too slow' as she flung open the doors and dashed down the hallway.
Unbeknownst to him, a grin naturally formed on Alec's face as he gave chase behind her.
He maintained a steady pace as Ophelia ran faster than she ever had in her entire life, desperately calling out for guards.
To her shock, however, all Ophelia ever saw were the casually strewn bodies of the guards that were supposed to guard the palace, so she unwillingly shut her mouth, instead trying her best to shake off her pursuer.
She bit her tongue in hate, cursing them for dying in such unsightly places.
If only she never saw the bodies, she would have been able to fool herself into thinking that they were still around somewhere to help her.
If they were going to die, then they should have done so neatly instead of blocking her way when she ran.
She heard the audible footsteps from the murderer behind her, and her lungs were burning as she heaved for breath.
The sounds of the footsteps were like a death siren ringing loudly in her ears, and Ophelia felt like screaming.
No! She didn't want to die! She still hadn't managed to make Alexander hers yet!
She ground her teeth even as the fear all but swallowed her whole, cursing out Alistair in her heart for taking what was rightfully hers.
She felt as if the world was crashing down around her.
How could her father emperor, the most untouchable man in the world, have been dealt with just like that?
She could hardly comprehend it.
When she tripped over a guard's strewn hand in her haste to round the corner, she all but felt her heart stop in her chest as she went down hard, rolling a few times in the process.
Yet, despite the pain that assailed her, she barely picked herself up and ran, the footsteps sounding even closer in her ears.
The harsh sound of her heavy breaths filled her ears, but even so, the only other thing she could hear was those loud footsteps.
Alec casually ran after the princess, trying to see where she was heading.
She was not running without a plan, and if he wasn't mistake, she was running with a sense of determination in her steps.
Still, the more she ran, Alec could make out that she was headed towards the empress' rooms, so he allowed her to continue running.
Unlike the emperor, Ophelia was just barely in the elemental rank.
Either because she never took up practice, or because she didn't have talent, he didn't know, but Alec didn't let his guard down.
While she was just a haughty and arrogant princess in his eyes, there was still a modicum of intelligence to the decisions that she'd made in his presence.
She was trying to take corners that would cause the average person to lose her if they didn't know where they were heading.
The palace had indeed been designed with that in mind, but unfortunately for her, Alec was more than familiar with the hallways that she'd gladly shown him.
When she tripped over the body, Alec didn't even have to adjust his steps since she'd picked herself up right away, and there was just the faintest approval that Alec felt – she wasn't willing to face death like that because of a little pain.
The empress' quarters were quite far away from the throne room – almost at the opposite end of the palace, and the place was originally blooming and full of life.
The numerous fauna and flora that bloomed in that empress' quarters was the most beautiful sight in the palace, and only an empress was allowed to stay there during the time of their rule.
Year round, the flowers were always in full bloom, maintained by both manpower and servants, so that the empress could enjoy them at her own leisure.
The number of servants that had to tend to the garden daily numbered in the hundreds, and it was maintained with both precision and practice.
Regardless of how beautiful it had been before this, now, there were only strewn bodies all around, some of them in pieces, some of them relatively whole, ruining the sight.
Alec recognized some of Dominique's work, and those that he didn't recognize he chalked up to Alistair and his men's work.
Still, there were no sounds of fighting, and the servant's quarters that should have heard the sounds of fighting were obviously trying to keep low and keep their heads down.
Ophelia had long since run out of breath by the time she reached her mother's place, but the sight there sent her into despair even more.
She had not been able to throw off her father emperor's murderer, but even this place didn't look like it was going to shelter her from the storm.
Still, she soldiered through and ran directly into the place, hoping that her mother's guards had been able to fend off the intruders inside.
She already knew that the murderer that was chasing her was taking it easy.
Not once did those footsteps falter, and they were loud enough to echo in her ears, and she grit her teeth with hatred.
How dare he play with her!
Yet, she didn't dare to slow her footsteps any, not taking the chance that he would just kill her once he got bored.
She knew that there was no way that she would win in a direct confrontation.
Ophelia burst into the rooms, but what she saw made her steps falter in her tracks, her eyes going wide.
Despite the presence of the murderer behind her, what she saw now was a lot more shocking to her than her immediate death.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
But she had no space to think about it right now, and Ophelia felt a bead of sweat trickle down her forehead at the nervousness she was feeling right now.
The thought that the smile seemed familiar dissipated before it even began to finish forming, something that she would regret later.
She was inwardly shaking with nerves, even as she tried her best to portray that she was unaffected.
She knew that her father emperor was a lot stronger than she was – than anyone in the palace right now, really, but he and all the guards had still been taken out by this person without a problem.
How could someone of such calibre come to assassinate the emperor?
The thing was, the emperor had not been blindly confident in his own ability.
Though the Rhys Royal Family ruled the continent, most clans and sects didn't really put their family in their eyes, seeing as they were only intermediate rank at best.
At best, they had a mutual beneficial relationship with the clans, no relation to sects, and ruled over the civilians.
While they appeared powerful, they were actually walking on a tightrope.
If they wanted to, they could be wiped out with a single thought, and those advanced rank that usually protected the family had been sent to the frontlines.
Was there ever a need for someone that wanted to make a move to wait until they were weaker to act?
The answer was no.
Any time they wanted, they could have already stormed in and slaughtered them without any effort, so why would they wait?
It was using this mentality that the emperor had sent away his men to the war.
According to his inside sources, the top power of the Neil Clan was only at the advanced rank.
Using enough numbers, it was indeed possible for them to win.
Unfortunately, the emperor had not thought of the possibility of the remainder of his kin killing him, which ultimately led to his downfall.
Prince Alistair was not a waste as they all thought, nor was he willing to take the abuse lying down.
The princess discreetly swallowed as her mind was working a mile a minute, thinking about how to survive this ordeal.
The servants were all too far away for her to be able to make any use of them, and Alistair and Alexander's whereabouts were unknown as of now.
Her older brother Frazer was on the frontlines of the war, so he couldn't help her either.
Ophelia's guard had been sent away by her late last night – annoyed as she had been – and she regretted it sorely now.
Unfortunately, she couldn't turn back time no matter how much she wanted to.
"Who are you?" Ophelia repeated again, and she narrowed her eyes at her father emperor's murderer, trying to buy time and information.
Unfortunately for her, Alec had no intention on talking to the haughty princess. He knew that she was trying to look for a way out, as her hand had been inching towards the door.
He wondered if he really thought that she was concealing it well. Her movement was rather large, but he still played along.
Still, he tilted his head as he feigned ignorance, reacting 'a beat too slow' as she flung open the doors and dashed down the hallway.
Unbeknownst to him, a grin naturally formed on Alec's face as he gave chase behind her.
He maintained a steady pace as Ophelia ran faster than she ever had in her entire life, desperately calling out for guards.
To her shock, however, all Ophelia ever saw were the casually strewn bodies of the guards that were supposed to guard the palace, so she unwillingly shut her mouth, instead trying her best to shake off her pursuer.
She bit her tongue in hate, cursing them for dying in such unsightly places.
If only she never saw the bodies, she would have been able to fool herself into thinking that they were still around somewhere to help her.
If they were going to die, then they should have done so neatly instead of blocking her way when she ran.
She heard the audible footsteps from the murderer behind her, and her lungs were burning as she heaved for breath.
The sounds of the footsteps were like a death siren ringing loudly in her ears, and Ophelia felt like screaming.
No! She didn't want to die! She still hadn't managed to make Alexander hers yet!
She ground her teeth even as the fear all but swallowed her whole, cursing out Alistair in her heart for taking what was rightfully hers.
She felt as if the world was crashing down around her.
How could her father emperor, the most untouchable man in the world, have been dealt with just like that?
She could hardly comprehend it.
When she tripped over a guard's strewn hand in her haste to round the corner, she all but felt her heart stop in her chest as she went down hard, rolling a few times in the process.
Yet, despite the pain that assailed her, she barely picked herself up and ran, the footsteps sounding even closer in her ears.
The harsh sound of her heavy breaths filled her ears, but even so, the only other thing she could hear was those loud footsteps.
Alec casually ran after the princess, trying to see where she was heading.
She was not running without a plan, and if he wasn't mistake, she was running with a sense of determination in her steps.
Still, the more she ran, Alec could make out that she was headed towards the empress' rooms, so he allowed her to continue running.
Unlike the emperor, Ophelia was just barely in the elemental rank.
Either because she never took up practice, or because she didn't have talent, he didn't know, but Alec didn't let his guard down.
While she was just a haughty and arrogant princess in his eyes, there was still a modicum of intelligence to the decisions that she'd made in his presence.
She was trying to take corners that would cause the average person to lose her if they didn't know where they were heading.
The palace had indeed been designed with that in mind, but unfortunately for her, Alec was more than familiar with the hallways that she'd gladly shown him.
When she tripped over the body, Alec didn't even have to adjust his steps since she'd picked herself up right away, and there was just the faintest approval that Alec felt – she wasn't willing to face death like that because of a little pain.
The empress' quarters were quite far away from the throne room – almost at the opposite end of the palace, and the place was originally blooming and full of life.
The numerous fauna and flora that bloomed in that empress' quarters was the most beautiful sight in the palace, and only an empress was allowed to stay there during the time of their rule.
Year round, the flowers were always in full bloom, maintained by both manpower and servants, so that the empress could enjoy them at her own leisure.
The number of servants that had to tend to the garden daily numbered in the hundreds, and it was maintained with both precision and practice.
Regardless of how beautiful it had been before this, now, there were only strewn bodies all around, some of them in pieces, some of them relatively whole, ruining the sight.
Alec recognized some of Dominique's work, and those that he didn't recognize he chalked up to Alistair and his men's work.
Still, there were no sounds of fighting, and the servant's quarters that should have heard the sounds of fighting were obviously trying to keep low and keep their heads down.
Ophelia had long since run out of breath by the time she reached her mother's place, but the sight there sent her into despair even more.
She had not been able to throw off her father emperor's murderer, but even this place didn't look like it was going to shelter her from the storm.
Still, she soldiered through and ran directly into the place, hoping that her mother's guards had been able to fend off the intruders inside.
She already knew that the murderer that was chasing her was taking it easy.
Not once did those footsteps falter, and they were loud enough to echo in her ears, and she grit her teeth with hatred.
How dare he play with her!
Yet, she didn't dare to slow her footsteps any, not taking the chance that he would just kill her once he got bored.
She knew that there was no way that she would win in a direct confrontation.
Ophelia burst into the rooms, but what she saw made her steps falter in her tracks, her eyes going wide.
Despite the presence of the murderer behind her, what she saw now was a lot more shocking to her than her immediate death.
But she had no space to think about it right now, and Ophelia felt a bead of sweat trickle down her forehead at the nervousness she was feeling right now.The thought that the smile seemed familiar dissipated before it even began to finish forming, something that she would regret later.She was inwardly shaking with nerves, even as she tried her best to portray that she was unaffected.She knew that her father emperor was a lot stronger than she was than anyone in the palace right now, really, but he and all the guards had still been taken out by this person without a problem.How could someone of such calibre come to assassinate the emperor?The thing was, the emperor had not been blindly confident in his own ability.Though the Rhys Royal Family ruled the continent, most clans and sects didn't really put their family in their eyes, seeing as they were only intermediate rank at best.At best, they had a mutual beneficial relationship with the clans, no relation to sects, and ruled over the civilians.While they appeared powerful, they were actually walking on a tightrope.If they wanted to, they could be wiped out with a single thought, and those advanced rank that usually protected the family had been sent to the frontlines.Was there ever a need for someone that wanted to make a move to wait until they were weaker to act?The answer was no.Any time they wanted, they could have already stormed in and slaughtered them without any effort, so why would they wait?It was using this mentality that the emperor had sent away his men to the war.According to his inside sources, the top power of the Neil Clan was only at the advanced rank.Using enough numbers, it was indeed possible for them to win.Unfortunately, the emperor had not thought of the possibility of the remainder of his kin killing him, which ultimately led to his downfall.Prince Alistair was not a waste as they all thought, nor was he willing to take the abuse lying down.The princess discreetly swallowed as her mind was working a mile a minute, thinking about how to survive this ordeal.The servants were all too far away for her to be able to make any use of them, and Alistair and Alexander's whereabouts were unknown as of now.Her older brother Frazer was on the frontlines of the war, so he couldn't help her either.Ophelia's guard had been sent away by her late last night annoyed as she had been and she regretted it sorely now.Unfortunately, she couldn't turn back time no matter how much she wanted to."Who are you?" Ophelia repeated again, and she narrowed her eyes at her father emperor's murderer, trying to buy time and information.Unfortunately for her, Alec had no intention on talking to the haughty princess. He knew that she was trying to look for a way out, as her hand had been inching towards the door.He wondered if he really thought that she was concealing it well. Her movement was rather large, but he still played along.Still, he tilted his head as he feigned ignorance, reacting 'a beat too slow' as she flung open the doors and dashed down the hallway.Unbeknownst to him, a grin naturally formed on Alec's face as he gave chase behind her.He maintained a steady pace as Ophelia ran faster than she ever had in her entire life, desperately calling out for guards.To her shock, however, all Ophelia ever saw were the casually strewn bodies of the guards that were supposed to guard the palace, so she unwillingly shut her mouth, instead trying her best to shake off her pursuer.She bit her tongue in hate, cursing them for dying in such unsightly places.If only she never saw the bodies, she would have been able to fool herself into thinking that they were still around somewhere to help her.If they were going to die, then they should have done so neatly instead of blocking her way when she ran.She heard the audible footsteps from the murderer behind her, and her lungs were burning as she heaved for breath.The sounds of the footsteps were like a death siren ringing loudly in her ears, and Ophelia felt like screaming.No! She didn't want to die! She still hadn't managed to make Alexander hers yet!She ground her teeth even as the fear all but swallowed her whole, cursing out Alistair in her heart for taking what was rightfully hers.She felt as if the world was crashing down around her.How could her father emperor, the most untouchable man in the world, have been dealt with just like that?She could hardly comprehend it.When she tripped over a guard's strewn hand in her haste to round the corner, she all but felt her heart stop in her chest as she went down hard, rolling a few times in the process.Yet, despite the pain that assailed her, she barely picked herself up and ran, the footsteps sounding even closer in her ears.The harsh sound of her heavy breaths filled her ears, but even so, the only other thing she could hear was those loud footsteps.Alec casually ran after the princess, trying to see where she was heading.She was not running without a plan, and if he wasn't mistake, she was running with a sense of determination in her steps.Still, the more she ran, Alec could make out that she was headed towards the empress' rooms, so he allowed her to continue running.Unlike the emperor, Ophelia was just barely in the elemental rank.Either because she never took up practice, or because she didn't have talent, he didn't know, but Alec didn't let his guard down.While she was just a haughty and arrogant princess in his eyes, there was still a modicum of intelligence to the decisions that she'd made in his presence.She was trying to take corners that would cause the average person to lose her if they didn't know where they were heading.The palace had indeed been designed with that in mind, but unfortunately for her, Alec was more than familiar with the hallways that she'd gladly shown him.When she tripped over the body, Alec didn't even have to adjust his steps since she'd picked herself up right away, and there was just the faintest approval that Alec felt she wasn't willing to face death like that because of a little pain.The empress' quarters were quite far away from the throne room almost at the opposite end of the palace, and the place was originally blooming and full of life.The numerous fauna and flora that bloomed in that empress' quarters was the most beautiful sight in the palace, and only an empress was allowed to stay there during the time of their rule.Year round, the flowers were always in full bloom, maintained by both manpower and servants, so that the empress could enjoy them at her own leisure.The number of servants that had to tend to the garden daily numbered in the hundreds, and it was maintained with both precision and practice.Regardless of how beautiful it had been before this, now, there were only strewn bodies all around, some of them in pieces, some of them relatively whole, ruining the sight.Alec recognized some of Dominique's work, and those that he didn't recognize he chalked up to Alistair and his men's work.Still, there were no sounds of fighting, and the servant's quarters that should have heard the sounds of fighting were obviously trying to keep low and keep their heads down.Ophelia had long since run out of breath by the time she reached her mother's place, but the sight there sent her into despair even more.She had not been able to throw off her father emperor's murderer, but even this place didn't look like it was going to shelter her from the storm.Still, she soldiered through and ran directly into the place, hoping that her mother's guards had been able to fend off the intruders inside.She already knew that the murderer that was chasing her was taking it easy.Not once did those footsteps falter, and they were loud enough to echo in her ears, and she grit her teeth with hatred.How dare he play with her!Yet, she didn't dare to slow her footsteps any, not taking the chance that he would just kill her once he got bored.She knew that there was no way that she would win in a direct confrontation.Ophelia burst into the rooms, but what she saw made her steps falter in her tracks, her eyes going wide.Despite the presence of the murderer behind her, what she saw now was a lot more shocking to her than her immediate death.
