Chapter 31: Ch 31. Briella?
It was only at night that Selena could eat in peace and bathe comfortably, when there were no problems she had to deal with on her own.
She gazed calmly at her reflection in the mirror, then closed her eyes and let Vee gently comb her hair.
"Your Majesty, you look so tired." Vee’s soft voice made Selena smile.
This girl, who served as her maid, did indeed have a soft and gentle voice, but she was quick on her feet and could do whatever Selena needed without being told. This included massaging Selena’s head while combing it, which made Selena feel more relaxed.
"Quite a lot has happened today, Vee. To be honest, I’m tired—one day here has turned out to be quite a hassle," Selena said softly, enjoying the massage on her scalp.
Back in the human world, she’d also be pretty tired after a full day of cleaning the house, cooking, and serving that insolent husband of hers. But it turned out things were just as hectic here—it seemed the title of Queen wasn’t just an empty title.
"I’ll make you some soothing soup so you can sleep better."
Selena smiled. "No need—I don’t want to sleep just yet. I still have to review the reports from Kav and Kev; I want to see what they’ve uncovered after interrogating Amena Cots for half a day," she said, causing Vee to nod in understanding.
The sound of a knock on the door disrupted Selena’s tranquility. She sighed, opened her eyes, and turned her head.
What’s going on tonight? All Selena wanted was to sit quietly in her room without being bothered by those five annoying husbands of hers.
"Go on, open the door."
Vee nodded, quickly walking over to the door and opening it.
"Your Majesty, King Phoenix? What brings you here?"
Vee’s voice sounded polite as she greeted him, letting Selena know who had arrived. While continuing to brush her hair, Selena stayed where she was and listened.
"Is the Queen asleep yet?"
"Not yet."
"Report my arrival; tell her I need to discuss something important with her."
Selena sighed; it seemed she wouldn’t be able to sleep peacefully tonight either.
"Your Majesty, King Phoenix requests permission to enter your room."
"Let him in," Selena replied listlessly once Vee had finished her report.
"Please come in, Your Majesty. The Queen has given her permission..."
Jhon smiled and stepped inside as the door swung open wider. But then the door closed again, and only after he’d entered did Vee realize the man was carrying a food container.
"Selena, I brought you a healthy late-night snack."
Selena looked at him in the mirror, then muttered softly. "King Phoenix, you really shouldn’t bother doing something a servant could do. You’ll lose your dignity," she replied expressionlessly, but John just smiled and approached her.
"I don’t feel that way," he replied, taking Selena’s hand and the comb she was holding. "Let me comb your hair."
Selena narrowed her eyes, but she let the man do as he pleased. John gently combed her hair, occasionally glancing at Selena’s face, which looked beautiful in the mirror’s reflection.
"I remember you used to like longan briefly simmered in pure mountain water," Jhon said, breaking the silence as Selena ignored his gaze. "I brought some for you—it’s sweet and refreshing."
Selena looked at him and then smiled slightly at the corner of her lips. "Are you the Jhon Nix I met last night? One of the five men who are my husbands and who intended to have my head cut off at the Eldoria court?" she asked, making Jhon swallow hard but immediately smile.
"Yes, I’m still the same guy."
"Oh, I thought you were possessed—I’m pretty surprised that such a haughty and cold man would suddenly show me this kind of attention," she retorted sharply, but time and again, John kept smiling.
"I was a fool these past few days, but now I’ve come to my senses. That’s why I’m trying to make it up to you now," Jhon said softly, smoothing out Selena’s hair after he’d finished combing it.
Selena snorted in annoyance, then stood up and walked over to the table. She noticed the bowl of food Jhon had brought earlier, but paid it no mind and instead opened some notes Kev and Kav had taken after interrogating Amena.
"What’s that? An interrogation report?"
Selena muttered without speaking, staring at what was written there and furrowing her brow. Some of the information there was enough to make her realize that Amena wasn’t just an ordinary girl from the cat group.
"What’s got you frowning like that?" Jhon asked, trying to glance at the contents of the interrogation notes.
Selena looked at Jhon and shook her head slowly. "I understand now—it turns out Amena is just a pawn. She’s not the main character, as I’d initially suspected; she was sent here because the time had come. Someone knew I’d acquired the Extinction Healer ability, so they sent Amena when Roxyus Verfox couldn’t reply to the letter," Selena said, then picked up the letter lying there.
"A letter from whom?" Jhon slid his chair closer and read a few lines of the text.
"It’s time to make a move. Why haven’t you sent me a reply? Have you poisoned your son? Reply to me immediately!—B."
"B? Who is this B?" Selena raised an eyebrow while Jhon stared straight at her.
"Can you read?"
Selena looked at him, her eyebrow still raised. "What do you mean?"
Jhon shook his head slowly. "As far as I remember, you weren’t very good at reading. The Eldoria Court Council found you rather late among a pile of ordinary wild beasts, and there wasn’t enough time to teach you everything. It’s just surprising that I see you can read the contents of this letter," said Jhon, his astonishment still evident.
Selena clicked her tongue softly, looking back at the letter as she spoke. "It’s just a coincidence—my reading skills have improved since the extinction-healing power I possess awoke. I didn’t even realize I could read all this," she replied nonchalantly, but Jhon wasn’t entirely convinced.
Selena had changed a great deal, though she didn’t seem to mind it at all. In fact, Jhon quite liked Selena’s current attitude—her bluntness, firmness, courage, and authenticity.
The Selena of the past had been too stiff, timid, weak, and prone to tears. If her extinction-healing ability had indeed transformed Selena into who she is now, Jhon certainly had no objections.
In fact, he’s very intrigued, because a woman with a strong and assertive attitude like Selena’s is exactly the kind who deserves to be the queen of the five beast kings. She can stand on her own two feet and rule without fear—that’s the kind of queen who’s good for the palace’s well-being.
"B... A poison expert—do you know anyone like that in Eldoria?" Selena asked, snapping Jhon out of his thoughts and causing him to look directly at her.
In fact, the man had been staring at her the whole time, but his thoughts had been elsewhere.
"B... A poison expert?" Jhon asked, glancing at the notes.
"Yes, Amena said that woman is a poison expert, and Roxyus Verfox always asks her for poison. Besides that, I’m quite suspicious of one thing about that old man," Selena said, causing John to look at her.
"What are you suspicious of? You can tell me—maybe I can help."
Selena stood silent, her face calm but deeply thoughtful. "Summon the Fox King here, along with Kav and Kev."
Vee nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty."
Selena let out a soft sigh, realizing that tonight, after all, she wouldn’t be able to rest peacefully. She leaned back, while John had already grabbed a bowl and spoon and smiled at Selena.
"Eat first—thinking requires nutrition, too."
Selena glanced at him briefly. She had actually wanted to refuse, but the sweet scent of longan wafting from the bowl piqued her interest.
"I can do it myself," said Selena, taking the bowl from Jhon’s hand as he prepared to feed her.
"All right, eat in peace while you wait for the Fox King to arrive."
Selena didn’t answer; she scooped up a longan and put it in her mouth, smiling as she savored the sweet, crisp sensation of the fruit.
Jhon smiled too, seeing that Selena’s expression had brightened after eating it. As he gazed at her beautiful face, an unusual flutter slowly washed over him, making him enjoy staring at her for a long time.
"I know you like this—it just so happens I have an orchard full of sweet fruits like this. The Phoenix Clan eats fruit, so if you want any kind, just let me know. I’ll try my best to find it for you," Jhon said softly, but Selena didn’t answer.
"Selena, were you looking for me?" Vylen entered, followed by Vee, Kav, and Kev.
"Hmm, have a seat." Selena set down the bowl, which was nearly empty, then looked at Kav and Kev.
"Your Majesty the Queen, the Old Fox King hasn’t said much yet. Even though we’ve given him the antidote you prepared earlier to extend his life after he drank the poison he brought yesterday. But it seems the Old Fox King is in a rather unstable condition right now. The dense aura within his body is growing stronger—it’s as if someone is controlling him remotely," Kev reported politely but firmly.
Selena nodded slowly. "Just as I suspected, the Old Fox King wouldn’t have poisoned his beloved son without there being something behind it," Selena said, causing Vylen to look at her anxiously.
"What do you mean? My father’s okay, right?"
"I can’t say he’s fine, because he’s under the influence of someone who’s given him a pretty powerful potion," Selena said, then looked at Kav and Kev. "What else did you find out?"
"Nothing, Your Majesty. No matter what we asked him, he wouldn’t answer, but earlier I heard him mention the name Briella. I don’t know who that is, though."
"Briella?"