“Aaaa!”
“Hmm?”
Seeing me let out a strange cry, Cesar tilted his head to the left, looked bewildered and then chuckled. Those clear eyes looked down at me without any warning. The more I looked, the more I felt like I was crazy.
I mumbled, making an excuse for someone I don't know.
“C-Cesar saved someone.”
“Yes, save people.”
I don't know if he understood what it was, but Cesar smiled brightly and snuggled into my arms. The weight of his body collapsed on me, Cesar's signature scent wafted through my shirt, passionate and pleasant.
The warmth, the weight, and the scent, all of it was strangely lovely. So I also wrapped my arms around him tightly. We just hugged each other for a long time in silence.
Cesar lightly licked my earlobe and neck a few times then rubbed his cheek against mine. For some reason, he seemed so happy.
I gently stroked the hair on the back of his neck and said:
“Thank you, Cesar.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Every time I'm in danger, the person who saves me is always Cesar. I am now clearly aware of that fact.
"If it weren't for Cesar, we would have been in big trouble. Thank you very much."
"YES."
I stroked his soft hair while confessing my thoughts.
The dream I just had was a sign that Tue Nhan Thien Menh showed me. On the night of the full moon, I will be tragically murdered by Mercedes.
Just remembering the scene of my death makes my spine go cold and I shiver.
But I remembered Richard's words.
‘Destiny can change. However, changing your destiny also means going against the law of cause and effect, so you will have to pay the price of pain.'
He said the future is always changing. So even though I foresaw my death, I could still change the situation.
“Destiny can change.”
It's impossible on my own, but with the help of Richard, Delfina, and most importantly Cesar, it's not impossible.
But there is one thing that bothers me.
It's true that Mercedes has been with Cesar for a long time. I wanted to ask him:
“Cesar, what do you think about Mercedes?”
Cesar blinked his clear eyes.
“Merche is the nanny.”
“Yes, that's right.”
Merche is the informal name of Mercedes. I don't know whether using his own hands to corner the person he was so close to calling by that name was the right thing to do or not.
I have no one trustworthy enough to share my concerns with, and I have no other choice to stop Mercedes. So I at least need to know what Cesar thinks about this. After all, she raised him like a mother.
So, I told him in a calm and clear voice.
"Cesar, listen carefully. Mercedes is a bad person, she killed someone."
“Bad person?”
“Yes, murder is a very evil thing.”
Not to mention Elda, who intended to kill me, but the previous Prince Consort candidates were all innocent people. She murdered them.
Cesar looked at me and said:
“The girls died…….”
His expression became serious. Could it be that he also understood this situation? I nodded decisively in response.
“Yes, those girls died at Mercedes' hands.”
At that moment, I did not miss the fluctuation in his red eyes. I can feel it. Surely Cesar is well aware of the situation.
I looked straight into his eyes and continued:
“And now, she's planning to kill me too.”
“I don't want Ren to die.”
Cesar immediately exclaimed with determination. His eyes became darker, shaking violently. I breathed out softly and said in a strong voice:
"So we have to stop her. Can you do it?"
Cesar looked at me and nodded vigorously.
“Will protect Ren.”
Hearing those words, my nose stung. Just that is enough. I raised my finger to the corner of my mouth and gently rubbed it.
“Thank you, Cesar.”
"YES."
I quickly rubbed his head and stroked his forehead hair. A little stronger than usual. Cesar said he would protect me. That alone is enough to make me feel confident.
A feeling of completeness rose in my chest. I have faith that everything will be okay. The warmth spreading throughout my body gives me strength. The previously mixed emotions have now become clear.
All preparations have been completed.
Today is that day. The day the moon was full in the sky. I started a final check in the bedroom at Luc Ngoc Palace.
Cesar and Richard had been waiting at the appointed location for several hours.
“Then confirm again.”
I messed up my hair, then turned to advise Delfina.
“After I get out, if Mercedes comes after me……”
“Yes, I will go find Her Majesty the Queen immediately.”
“Thanks to you, Delfina's role in this is very important.”
Even if Delfina goes to call the Queen, it is unlikely that she will come in person. But even so, we need to gather as many people as possible. This plan requires the presence of a crowd. They would all be witnesses, and the more eyes watching, the safer I would be.
“Yes, please be careful Your Highness……”
Delfina looked at me with a tense and worried expression. I nodded to reassure her.
Holding a cloth bundle in my hand, I walked out of the Emerald Palace.
The weather today is unusually cold. A creepy, gloomy night. Even though I couldn't feel it, I knew Cesar and Richard were watching me from afar.
So it'll be fine.
“Chip.”
And in my chest there is Ave with me. According to Richard, this smart chick will quickly sense my danger and let them know.
Ave has that ability. The last time Elda pushed me into the water, it was Ave who warned them of danger.
“Thank you.”
I gently caressed the chick lying quietly in my pocket.
Everyone is trying their best to help me like this, I can't let things go wrong. Trusting in them, I continued to move forward.
The place I went to was the place that Tue Nhan Thien Menh had guided, the place that now had a deep relationship with me - the lakeside.
Here, tonight, I will be tragically murdered by Mercedes.
No, that was the future I foresaw.
But even though I foresee death, I can still change the situation.
So now, I am here to fight against fate.
I held my breath, lay down on the ground and started digging. Even though I tried to suppress my emotions, goosebumps still arose and the hair on my neck stood up in fear.
It felt like Mercedes could rush out at any moment, just like in a dream.
No, maybe it's all just my paranoia. But the chill kept surrounding me. The feeling like someone was pulling my hair made me want to turn around and look, but I had to restrain myself. With just one mistake, the plan can go down the drain.
Time passes both quickly and slowly. My heart was beating so fast that I felt like it was about to jump out.
This waiting is terrible. It seemed like there was a sound of stepping on grass somewhere. Is it my imagination or is there really laughter ringing in my ears? Even though I had planned in advance, fear still invaded my mind. I remembered Richard's words.
'Don't be afraid of illusions, what matters is the power to see through nature.'
My death hasn't happened yet. I'm still living and breathing. I still exist here. I kept repeating those words in my head.
That's right, destiny can always be discovered with one's own strength.
At that moment, the air suddenly became cold. Is this what people call murderous intent? The sound of footsteps stepping on the grass rang right in my ears.
“Chip.”
Ave let out a small cry.
Here we come.
I took a deep breath and shouted loudly:
“Mercedes, you're there, right!”
Immediately, rustling footsteps rang out along with someone's presence. A dark shadow appeared from the bushes.
Tonight the full moon is bright. Her cold face was clearly visible under the moonlight. Looks exactly like Yaksha.
“……How do you know?”
“I thought you were coming to kill me.”
"It seems like you already know? But it's too late."
I turned around and looked straight into her eyes. His cloudy eyes were streaked with blood of excitement and tension. Just by looking at her, I knew she was no longer normal. She hid her hands behind her back, clearly holding a dagger.
“I know what you did.”
I slowly stood up.
"No wonder you keep digging everywhere. Yes, what do you know?"
"Prince concubine candidates. Elda. And now you're planning to kill me too, right?"
Mercedes laughed softly. The strange laughter made fear cover my whole body. The air was as tense as a piano string.
“Yes, what if I'm right?”
Mercedes tilted her head and slowly approached. I took a step back.
"Why did you do that? The prince concubine candidates, they are all innocent people."
"What's innocent? They're all guilty!"
Mercedes started muttering incomprehensible words.
"It's their fault. Dare to be so daring towards my Cesar, Cesar... Cesar is my son. Dare to let Cesar come into contact with those women... tainting him. It's you... Yes, you must be eliminated. You must not be left alive. I know people like you..."
While muttering, Mercedes pulled out the dagger hidden behind her back and rushed straight towards me.
“Yes, die, you cruel bastard!”
Bang! Along with a sharp sound, the blade stabbed into my side.