Chapter 35: Ch 35. A Brief History
Selena smiled at the look on Vylen’s face—as if he’d swallowed a lump of dirt—upon hearing that truth. His own father couldn’t even tell the difference between good people and bad.
"Actually, it’s not entirely your father’s fault," Selena said, causing Vylen—who had been feeling a bit weak upon hearing that truth—to look at her. "It’s truly unexpected that just when someone needs a shoulder to lean on, others will always look for an opportunity. Unfortunately, your father used to lose control because of that powder, so he unconsciously followed Briella’s orders to put the poisonous powder into your food or drink. At first, the amount was very small, but eventually the effects grew stronger, causing you to suffer frequent pain every night as the poison ate away at your heart."
Selena stopped reading and looked at Kav, who was still there.
"Is that all? This interrogation report isn’t complete yet—go back and interrogate her again. Ask why she wanted to kill Vylen Roxy, where she got this powder and the toxic black light from—dig up every piece of information you can get. Interrogate her nonstop; stop only when she’s willing to answer everything deemed useful," Selena ordered, and Kav nodded obediently.
After the man left, Vylen approached Selena with unsteady steps. "So my father was influenced because the powder he gave him made him addicted?" he asked weakly.
Just thinking about it gave Vylen a headache—how could his father have been so careless? What made him trust and use something given to him by a complete stranger?
"You could say that. The effects are addictive and might even cause pain if not consumed in the specific product she prescribed. This kind of thing is pretty common in the world of poison experts; they’ll threaten people with time and their lives to make them obey," Selena said, then sat down in a small chair at the wooden table in front of her.
Vylen let out a heavy sigh. "I have to look into this too—investigate my father’s assistant and find out how they even met, and why my father trusts her! My father is an arrogant and cruel man; he always looks down on anyone without rank or position in Eldoria. Who is that woman, and what did she do to make my father obey her at their very first meeting?" Vylen growled, his face still filled with disbelief.
Selena looked up, smiling calmly. "A few days ago, your assistant said he was going to investigate how your father managed to poison you. Try asking him—he might already have some answers," Selena said, causing Vylen to look at her.
"Has Coxy already taken matters into his own hands?"
Selena opened a box containing the medicinal ingredients she’d asked the fox servant to bring. "Yes, he’s quite loyal and wants to help you. Maybe he’s already found something—if you’d like, you can ask him and share with me whatever information he’s gathered," Selena said, causing Vylen to nod in agreement.
"All right, I’ll go see him now."
Selena watched Vylen leave, clearly struggling to keep his composure in the face of what he’d just heard. It was quite concerning; after all, the man was a king, and his father had once been a king as well. To see him in this state now, addicted to something that endangered his life, was something Vylen simply couldn’t accept.
"Selena... Are you going to stay here?" Jhon asked as he approached, causing Selena to look up.
"Yes, King Phoenix should go take care of your business too. I’m going to open some of these boxes and examine the materials inside. You won’t be able to handle the effects once the lids are opened if you stay here. So you’d better just leave," she told him bluntly.
Jhon smiled slightly, approached Selena, and asked gently, "Do you need anything? I can help you get it before I go," he said, causing Selena to look up again.
Selena even stopped moving, just to look into the Phoenix king’s eyes and smile cynically.
"Why are you being so nice? I’m actually surprised."
Jhon smiled shamelessly. "I’m just a proud man, not a man without self-respect."
"Oh, is that so?"
Jhon smiled and nodded, but Selena just sighed. "I don’t need any help here—I have my servants who can do whatever I need. Besides, this is a matter involving the Fox King; he’s the one who should be helping me. Thank you for helping me find Briella—your help goes no further than that," Selena said casually, resuming her task of gathering the herbal ingredients to make the medicine.
"But, Selena—"
"Ember Root is what you need to focus on today. You’ve neglected it for long enough; if that plant dies, you’ll die too." Selena cut him off so quickly that Jhon clamped his lips shut. "Tonight, the fire in your heart will flare up again. Will you choose to waste your attention on me here, or make sure the Ember Root doesn’t wither, King Phoenix? I’m only warning you once; the rest is up to you."
Selena completely ignored him after that, leaving John feeling somewhat panicked yet heavy-hearted; he immediately left Selena’s room and hurried back to his palace.
"Your Majesty, I’m a bit worried seeing you speak to the Phoenix King like that. Wasn’t that a bit too harsh?" Vee, who had just arrived, set a glass of drink down on Selena’s table.
Selena sniffed one of the herbal leaves before answering. "They didn’t show any mercy when they intended to behead me; now that they’re the ones begging for my attention, why should I keep being the one who’s afraid?" she asked casually, causing Vee to nod in agreement.
"That’s true—as long as you can still oppress them, you have nothing to fear. After all, the five kings who are now your husbands are notorious for being cruel and arbitrary, Your Majesty. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been directly cursed with extinction by the gods," said Vee, causing Selena to look up.
"Just how cruel are they, as far as you know? Can you tell me? Perhaps this is related to the issue I’m currently handling," said Selena, causing Vee to kneel beside her and settle into a comfortable sitting position before speaking.
"I don’t know much, and I can’t say this is 100% true. But there have been countless incidents over the years that they were responsible for. For one, there was a high-ranking family in the Fox clan who were found guilty decades ago. They were sentenced to death, and all their descendants were executed without honor; there were even some ordinary Fox citizens who were severely punished for offenses ranging from minor to serious," Vee explained, recounting what she knew.
"A high-ranking family in the Fox clan?" Selena repeated to confirm.
Vee nodded. "That’s right, Your Majesty. A high-ranking family of the Fox Clan—you could say they contributed significantly to the development of the kingdom and the Fox Clan. That’s why they were highly respected back then, and the family held considerable authority," she explained, helping Selena begin to understand.
No wonder they were capable of such dangerous acts—backstabbing or being a thorn in one’s side is, after all, more often done by those closest to you.
"What exactly did they do to deserve the death penalty? Is the death penalty really that easily carried out in Eldoria? Can it even be imposed on a high-ranking royal family?"