Drop... drop...
Raindrops fell onto Irene's forehead while she remained completely unconscious.
Slowly, she opened her eyes.
"Umm... huh..."
She gasped softly as she tried to comprehend what was happening around her.
She tried to move her body, but pain surged through every part of it, as though her bones and muscles had all been shattered at once.
She was certain that she had opened her eyes, and yet... she could not see a thing.
The darkness was pitch-black, so thick that for a moment, she began to doubt whether she could see at all.
"No... Where... am I?"
She gasped again.
Then, she cautiously began moving her hands, feeling around her surroundings as she tried to figure out where she was.
After a great deal of effort, she tried to get up.
"Ah... This can't be happening."
That was when Irene realized that she was trapped inside the carriage.
And because of the complete darkness surrounding her, she realized that she must now be buried beneath the rubble.
She began searching the area with her hands, feeling around for anything she could reach.
But the only things she found were the portion of food Sally had given her and two bottles of water.
Irene opened one of the bottles and took a drink to quench her thirst, but suddenly stopped.
She realized that she was in a situation where she had to conserve every single drop of water.
She tightly closed the bottle.
Then, she began feeling around for the food.
There was not very much of it.
"Since there isn't a single sound coming from outside, I must be buried quite deep..."
She fell silent for a few moments before continuing in a quiet voice:
"I don't even know if night has already fallen..."
She raised her head slightly, as though trying to see through the impossible darkness.
"Maybe it will take days to get me out of here."
Then another thought crossed her mind, one far more cruel than the first.
"Or maybe... everyone already thinks I'm dead..."
Silence filled the darkness.
Irene remained motionless for a few moments before a hot tear rolled down her cheek against her will.
She immediately raised her hand and wiped it away.
Then, she lay down on the ground.
The cold was intense, and her clothes were almost completely damp from the moisture that had seeped into them.
She closed her eyes.
"Mother..."
It was a word Irene whispered without thinking.
And she remained lying there, surrounded by the darkness of the rubble and her solitude, until she gradually drifted off to sleep.
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"My Lord... My Lord!"
"What is all this commotion so early in the morning?"
Lucas was sitting and beside him was two knights in his office when one of them suddenly burst into the room.
The knight spoke while struggling to catch his breath:
"My apologies, Your Highness, but we've received some terrible news... Princess Irene is in danger."
Lucas rose to his feet immediately, concern appearing on his face.
"Speak!! What happened to the princess?"
The knight hesitated for a moment before saying:
"We received a message stating that Princess Irene has gone missing in a landslide, after her carriage fell from a mountain cliff..."
A look of shock appeared on Lucas's face.
Thump.
Thump.
His heartbeat gradually began to quicken.
He stared at the knight as though trying to comprehend the words he had just heard.
Then he said, as though he refused to believe what had reached his ears:
"What did you just say?"
One of the knights stepped toward him.
"Please, calm down, Lord Lucas. The message does not prove that anything has happened to the princess. We have to hope that she is safe."
But it was no use.
Lucas's entire body had gone rigid, as though he could no longer hear anything being said around him.
The knight grabbed him by the arms, looking at him with concern.
"Pull yourself together, Lucas! Your wife is in danger right now. We need to move quickly before the situation gets worse!"
Lucas finally looked at him, as though he had regained consciousness.
Then he immediately moved, speaking as he walked briskly:
"Prepare all the necessary supplies and send them to the site immediately."
"Yes, my Lord."
Everyone began moving quickly.
Lucas mounted his horse and rode off at full speed, followed by two knights.
The wind struck his face, but he paid it no attention.
There was only one thing on his mind.
"Please... hold on until I get there"
Those words continued to echo in his mind.
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In just one day, the news spread throughout the kingdom like wildfire.
By the morning of the second day, the news had reached the royal palace in the capital.
Violet rushed into her mother's room.
"Mother!! Is the news about Irene true?"
Elizabeth replied calmly:
"Yes. The news has been confirmed, and your father headed to the royal palace as soon as he heard."
Violet said anxiously:
"Oh, my God... No! How could this happen to Irene? And how could my brother even allow her to return alone in the first place? I'm really scared... What if something happened to her?"
Silence filled the room for a few moments.
Then Violet cried out:
"Mother!"
Elizabeth raised her eyes toward her.
Surprised by her mother's calmness, Violet said:
"Wait... Why are you so calm? Aren't you worried about Irene?"
Elizabeth replied loudly:
"And what do you want me to do for her? Your father is sending support there. That is enough!"
A look of astonishment appeared on Violet's face.
"Mother? What is happening to you?"
Elizabeth replied:
"What are you talking about?"
Violet continued, doubt beginning to creep into her mind:
"Mother... There's no way... Do you really believe those rumors that have been spreading about Irene?"
Elizabeth fell silent.
Then she continued drinking her coffee as though she had heard nothing.
Violet sat directly in front of her mother.
"Why aren't you answering? Am I right?"
She quickly shook her head.
"No... Impossible. You know very well that there's no way Irene could have done those things."
Elizabeth set her cup aside before replying in a cold voice:
"And what makes you so certain? She hasn't even been among us for a year, and we barely know anything about her."
Violet's eyes widened.
"MOTHER!! Of all people, how can you say that?! Didn't you love Irene as a part of our family?!"
Elizabeth replied, anger beginning to show in her voice:
"I accepted her as my son's wife despite everything, without a single condition. But she... repaid our kindness by stabbing my son's honor and the honor of our entire family! We are now the laughingstock of the entire kingdom!"
Violet quickly said:
"They're nothing but baseless rumors! The rumors about Irene existed even before she came to the kingdom. Why would you suddenly believe what people are saying about her, and of all times, now?"
Elizabeth replied:
"Because I confirmed the news myself!"
Violet froze.
"What?"
Elizabeth said:
"Yes. I went to the royal palace myself, and the head housekeeper told me that she had personally seen the Crown Prince with your sister-in-law on a date inside the palace. Then they went to his chambers together that night!"
Violet gasped.
"That... That's impossible..."
She tried to think of another explanation.
"Maybe it isn't what it looks like. Perhaps it was just a misunderstanding and—"
Elizabeth shouted:
"Come to your senses!"
Violet trembled at her mother's shout.
Elizabeth continued, her anger finally exploding:
"Do not forget that your sister-in-law is descended from the Metzney bloodline! Her mother seduced the king even though she was nothing but a servant, and then she ran away... Perhaps we were also deceived by her innocent face, just as her mother deceived the King of the Kingdom of Eskard!"
Her agitation grew even stronger.
"Not once in my entire life has anyone dared to manipulate me! I nearly lost my mind when I discovered the truth about her!"
Tears welled up in Violet's eyes.
"I don't believe you, Mother... This is impossible."
Elizabeth stood up, her face flushed and her eyes filled with tears, as though she too was on the verge of crying.
She spoke in a trembling voice:
"Your sister was right She deceived us all... Perhaps what is happening to her now is punishment—a fitting consequence for her heinous act."
Violet raised her hands and covered her ears before shouting:
"Stop! Enough! I don't want to hear such cruel words coming from you of all people!"
Elizabeth replied coldly, despite the tears gathering in her eyes:
"This is the bitter truth. Go back to your room now."
Then Elizabeth walked out, her eyes filled with tears, leaving her daughter Violet behind, consumed by her tears.
To be continued....
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