traitor chapter 16

Diana glared at him, her jaw clenched. Truth serum was strictly forbidden by Imperial law. As potent as it was, it was also deadly, its toxicity so high that it was rarely used even in torture, as it killed its victims too quickly.

To use them all meant Leonhardt intended to kill Ruby, already weakened by blood loss. Even with her divine blessing, Diana couldn’t be certain how much more he could endure. More than ten vials of that potent serum would likely be too much for even someone as resilient as Ruby.

Should she abandon Ruby, just as this traitor wanted? He would likely use that as an excuse to dispose of him.

Panic rising, Diana tested the bars of her cell, but they remained firmly locked. Trapped like an animal, forced to be a mere spectator—the shame and rage boiled inside her. Fighting to control her breathing, she spoke, “One drop of truth serum should be enough.”

“Hardly,” Leonhardt scoffed. “He pretends to be a weak scribe, but you know better than anyone how tenacious his life is, what a powerful mage he truly is. He will have taken precautions. One drop will be useless.”

Was he suggesting Ruby had somehow blocked access to information, perhaps even inscribed a ward directly onto his mind to prevent himself from speaking, anticipating this very scenario?

Diana let out a sigh of disbelief. The absurdity of it all was staggering. Before she could formulate a proper retort, Leonhardt picked up the syringe. “One vial, then.”

He filled the syringe with the contents of an entire vial. He truly intended to use a full vial at once. The thick needle pierced Ruby’s skin, sinking into his arm. The plunger depressed, injecting the clear liquid into his veins.

Ruby’s head snapped up, his breath coming in harsh gasps. His pupils dilated as the serum took hold. A strangled moan escaped his lips as his veins bulged and his limbs tensed with the serum’s activating effects.

The moment the truth serum took hold, Leonhardt began his interrogation. “Name.”

“Ruby Scarlet,” came the immediate, involuntary response.

“Position.”

“Chief Aide and Scribe to His Imperial Majesty.”

Leonhardt smirked, watching Ruby’s forced confessions, a cruel glint in his eyes that betrayed the honorable knight he pretended to be.

“Were you aware of the treason plotted by Mone and myself?”

How could he ask such a question?

In the brief moment between Leonhardt’s question and Ruby’s drugged response, a wave of dread washed over Diana. Her heart pounded, her fingers turning icy. Suspicion was one thing, but hearing confirmation of betrayal was another. It was the difference between doubt and utter hatred. Depending on Ruby’s answer, Diana would have to cut him loose, just like Leonhardt and Mone.

“I was aware,” Ruby replied.

Leonhardt’s smile widened, revealing his teeth.

Diana released her grip on the bars and stumbled back, feeling as though the ground had opened beneath her feet. It was a sickening, repulsive, horrifying, and devastating feeling.

He knew.

But why hadn’t he told her? Had he learned too late? Had the events unfolded immediately after he discovered the plot? Or had he dismissed it as a baseless rumor?

Diana felt a pang of self-pity for even attempting to find excuses for him.

“How does it feel, Your Majesty, to lose a loyal servant so easily?” Leonhardt asked, his voice dripping with mockery. Diana wanted to spit in his smug face.

Instead, she tilted her chin up slightly, her eyes narrowed in a chilling glare, and offered him something else. “My Ruby would not conspire in such a vile scheme, even knowing of it.” A gentle smile curved her lips, masking her true feelings.

Leonhardt’s smile faltered. “Is that what you believe?”

Diana didn’t answer, merely observing his unease. Despite the crumbling of her faith in Ruby, she would not give Leonhardt the satisfaction of seeing her waver. Ruby’s crime, for now, was merely failing to report the treason, while Leonhardt’s crime was the treason itself, a crime punishable by death.

I cherished you so… Leonhardt, consumed by his petty jealousy of Ruby, needed to understand. Ruby wasn’t the only one blessed with divine power.

A burning rage churned within her, threatening to shatter her composure. Yet, her smile remained fixed, her true emotions hidden behind a carefully constructed mask.

“I will break him.”