traitor chapter 15

White petals drifted down in the central garden of the Imperial Palace. Her birthday banquet was in full swing. White wine sparkled in glasses raised high around the vast table where her closest aides, ministers, and nobles sat. “To Her Majesty’s long life and the eternal glory of Cellurgias!” they cried in unison.

Ruby alone remained silent, his distaste for such formalities evident. He half-heartedly raised his arm, lips twitching, before slipping away from the table, gauging the opportune moment.

His vacant seat, the one beside the Empress, was swiftly claimed by Mone, who beamed as if the world were hers with this small victory. Her voice, soft and melodious, filled the air with a constant stream of pleasantries. Then, abruptly, she paused, turning her head. A flicker of amusement, laced with disdain, crossed her face. “It seems he dislikes the duty, yet lingers.”

Diana followed Mone’s gaze. There, beneath the archway leading to the flower garden, stood Ruby. As if he’d been watching all along, their eyes met the moment she turned. A blush crept up his neck as he dipped his head and turned away, his silver hair shimmering in the breeze that swept through the passage.

“How pathetic,” Mone murmured, a hint of mockery in her tone.

Diana remained silent, her eyes fixed on Ruby. He stood in the shadows, shunning the vibrant spring scene, despite his spring-like appearance. His gaze, lingering on her, betrayed a longing he quickly tried to mask by dropping his head when their eyes met. Every gesture spoke of this unspoken yearning.

What is he longing for?

Diana knew Ruby disliked crowds and noise, especially formal gatherings like banquets and social events. She recalled the time she’d been forced to take him to an eight-hour banquet in a foreign land; he’d been sick afterward. Knowing this, she had allowed him to leave the table as soon as the toasts were made.

So why does he linger, his gaze drawn back to this place?

A sharp question pierced her thoughts, but she pushed it aside, forcing her attention back to the festivities, deliberately ignoring the feeling of his gaze on her back.

Whatever you are hiding, if you do not reveal it, I have no reason to acknowledge it.

Thud. A heavy, door-like sound echoed, and the tilting floor righted itself. The memory ended. Diana realized that each shift of the labyrinth violently disrupted her memories. Nausea welled up inside her. She swayed, reaching out to steady herself.

Clang! Cold metal met her hand with a jarring sound, preventing her fall. Her palm pressed against a grid of iron. Bars.

Her mind snapped into focus. A prison this time? She took a deep breath, the metallic scent of blood still heavy in the air. Ruby was still with her, which meant this was still the torture chamber—a small cell within it.

As she grasped her surroundings, the lights flickered on. The debris from the collapsing floor vanished, replaced by a single, working light that illuminated the center of the chamber.

Her hand, gripping the bars, turned white. Diana bit her lip, taking in the scene before her.

Under the harsh, pale light, Ruby was strapped to a torture chair, his limbs bound, head lolling to one side, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The chair was turned towards her, as if to ensure she had a clear view of his suffering.

Leonhardt emerged from the shadows, his hand resting on the back of the chair. In stark contrast to Ruby’s battered state, he appeared impeccably composed. He pulled a table closer, retrieving a silver case from his uniform pocket. He placed a thick-needled syringe beside it, arranging the various torture instruments on the table with deliberate care.

He opened the silver case, revealing rows of small vials filled with clear liquid, presenting them to her. “You know what these are.”

Diana’s brow furrowed. The clear liquid in the silver-capped vials—truth serum. Leonhardt’s intentions were clear. He meant to extract the truth from Ruby by force, in a way she knew would be agonizing for him.

“If you give up on this scribe quickly, one vial will suffice. If you continue to deny me, I will use them all.”