Dominance of Veiled Heart
Chapter 4 (Part 1)
After Lea and Rowena helped me dress and taught me things I have to remember, we exchanged quiet goodbyes. I had no idea if I'd see them again, but they said I would be heading to the prince's palace, where women are rarely seen, so I guess I could not see them again.
My life was a mess. I'd just wanted to buy shoes, but now I was in a life-or-death situation, forced to disguise myself as a man and prepare to meet a prince who terrified me. What did he need from me anyway?
"Please come inside," a person who looked like a butler said, gesturing to a door that loomed with an ominous aura.
'My instincts screamed at me to avoid this door, but...' I took a deep breath, trying to steady my thoughts, but they still swarmed like restless insects. Inside, the prince was sitting at his desk, discussing something with two people who looked like some kind of officials.
One of the attendants guided me to another room where I anxiously sat on one of the sofas. The room was luxurious, filled with gold-crafted ornaments, but I didn't have the guts to admire it. I was so nervous, like I was being interviewed by a CEO for the first time—except this time, my life was on the line.
My hands clutched to my double-layered clothes, my chest feeling both stifling and oddly secure. For someone who hated bras, this was so uncomfortable!
I automatically stood up when the prince entered the room, like a soldier meeting his superior. I couldn't believe my reaction just now.
"I believe I don't have to explain why you're here," the prince said upon entering and sat in front of me. I remained silent because I had no idea why.
You better explain, I'm not a mind reader.
The prince waved his hand, signaling one of his attendants, who moved towards me and placed a decorative container in front of me. He then opened it to reveal what looked like an ancient scroll made of fabric cloth with a soft yet dry texture—something you'd expect to see in a museum.
I blankly stared at the contents of the scroll, its mysterious symbols gazing back at me as the attendant carefully opened it and then left the room.
What's this? A code? Sudoku?
Panic seized me as I stared at the scroll—a chaotic mix of letters, symbols, and numbers. It was a cryptic puzzle, a blend of ancient and modern scripts that seemed impossible to unravel.
"This is a secret scroll that my historians have already decoded," the prince declared, his voice still cold and commanding. His eyes gleamed with a sinister intensity as he clasped his hands, leaning slightly forward, daring me to falter.
"I need to test your skill to see if your life is worth saving and if you possess what it takes to stand among them."
'This is why they say it's not good to lie about your skills…' I scolded myself.
"Ha…Ha, this looks very... interesting," I stammered, cold sweat trickling down my spine.
"What will happen to me if I can't decode this... your Highness?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
"Death," the prince replied, his smile cruel and devoid of warmth.
The single word hung in the air, sharp as a blade, sending shivers down my spine. I internally cried out in despair.
It's no use—I'll die here…
No!! Let's at least try to understand this. You can do it, girl! Think of it as a puzzle.
Grabbing a quill and paper with a shakly hands, I began scribbling anything that made sense, but...nothing made any sense at all.
What should I do? The prince's piercing gaze bore into me, a silent, oppressive force that made the air heavy and my thoughts scatter. I froze. The weight of it pressed down on me, locking my limbs in place. Desperation clawed at my mind, urging me to act, yet leaving me paralyzed.
"Hey, Could you leave?" I blurted out, instantly regretting the informal tone. His eyes narrowed dangerously.
"I mean, would you kindly give me some space to think, Your Highness? I can't focus with you watching me so intently."
"…"
"Just a few minutes, please. If I haven't made any progress by then, you can do as you wish with me." I gripped the pen tightly, my breath hitching as I awaited his response.
"Very well," he said, his voice dripping with cold authority. I exhaled in relief, but before leaving, he placed an hourglass on the table, the sand already beginning to fall.
"I expect good results," he warned, before turning and exiting the room.
My heart raced as the sand slipped away. Panic clawed at me, but I forced myself to breathe, gripping the quill like a lifeline.
The letters on the scroll blurred, twisting in and out of focus as I struggled to make sense of them. My hands trembled with every stroke of ink, each second slipping away like grains of sand in an hourglass. The pressure was suffocating.
I racked my brain, trying to connect the symbols to latitude or longitude, but nothing fit. I even considered a Da Vinci Code-style cipher, but it didn’t match—or maybe I was grasping at straws too soon. Frustration clawed at me. I didn’t know. I didn’t know anything.
Just when I was on the brink of giving up, my eyes caught it—a glimmer. A pattern. Something different that stood out amidst the chaos of symbols and numbers. My pulse quickened. Could it be like that? There’s no way... right?
I decided to try another method—something so absurd no one would ever think to use it. But I had to try everything. My hands moved frantically, piecing together fragments, and then it appeared: the word “Life.”
I froze, staring at the unexpected word. My heart pounded in my chest. Hope flickered to life, fragile but fierce. My pulse raced as I scribbled faster, my cramped hand ignoring the pain as more pieces began to fall into place. The chaotic symbols started to align, forming the faint outline of meaning—a small flame of possibility in the surrounding darkness.
But just as clarity began to emerge, the sound of footsteps echoed through the corridor. The prince returned. His cold gaze met mine, and my stomach twisted—like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over my last shred of hope
"Time's up." My heart sank.
I had failed. The final grains of sand fell, sealing my fate.
And that's the moment I knew—I fucked up.
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