Chapter 9: Ch 9. Poisoned Cup
Vylen immediately tensed at the outburst; he turned to look at Selena, who stood there calmly, not moving.
"My father’s in a rage; he might smash the room to pieces if he sees you. You’d better not come in; let me go in first and calm him down. You can come in later once things have calmed down," he whispered, his expression serious, and beads of sweat were already forming on his forehead.
Selena raised an eyebrow, looking at Vylen’s face, which seemed genuinely determined to protect her, as if he didn’t want anything to happen to her.
"My father is the hardest to deal with; he used to hate you terribly too. Let me deal with him until he’s calmed down. He’s angry now because he’s just received word from the Eldoria World Council that you won’t be executed after all."
Selena smiled cynically at this. Did he hate her that much? This world of the beast kingdom seemed rather intriguing too.
"He’s a danger to you—are you going to let me stay here whilst you go in alone, when you could die instantly?" asked Selena, making Vylen swallow hard. "There’s no need to worry about me when I’m facing him; he’s just an old man who needs a lesson."
"Vylen Roxy! What are you doing out there?! Come in at once! Now that you’ve become King, do you no longer respect your father?!" The old man’s voice rang out again in a shout, causing Selena to snort and step inside.
"Selena..."
Vylen moved to follow her, but Selena confidently pushed the door wider and stared at the man sitting in a chair made especially for him.
When the Old Fox King’s gaze met hers, Selena stared back impassively whilst the man immediately clenched his fists. An aura of hostility radiated clearly between them, making it seem as though they were locked in a battle through their eyes alone.
"Lord Father, why have you come?" Vylen spoke first, trying as hard as he could to prevent a row between Selena and her father. "Wouldn’t you rather spend your time hunting in the Forbidden Forest than come here?"
"Tsk!" The old man looked agitated, immediately averting his gaze from Selena, who was still smiling sardonically.
Selena’s vision, which had been upgraded to that of the Healer of Extinction—an organ possessing supernatural powers—allowed her to see the truly terrifying other side of the Old Fox King. His body was dark, as if flooded with a terrifying energy; his tail was also dark, and his gaze was cold and red.
Not to mention the stench of poison emanating from his body; Selena could not yet distinguish the types of poisons she could smell, but it was certain that they were all deadly poisons that he had personally created and collected.
"I came after hearing the news that you failed to kill this jinxed woman," the man snorted, glaring sharply at his son.
Roxyus Verfox—Selena’s gaze finally uncovered information about him. He had once been the Fox King and the father of Vylen Roxy, who had handed the throne over to his son when Vylen reached his teens.
Yet beasts usually have very long lifespans, which can even reach hundreds of years. Selena also saw him as a healthy man; apart from the pungent smell of poison emanating from his body—which only Selena could detect—all his internal organs were in perfect condition.
"Lord Father, Selena isn’t a woman who brings bad luck." Vylen refuted his father’s words, who immediately snorted. "She has risen with the power of the Goddess of Healing Extinction, so what happened yesterday was a mistake because we were careless."
Roxyus slammed his fist down on the arm of his chair, then pointed at Selena with a fierce expression. "Your mind has been poisoned by this woman! Do you believe her power as a healer of extinction has been awakened simply because she claims I was the one who poisoned you when you were a child?! Do you think that makes any sense?!" he shouted again, causing Vylen to furrow his brow.
How could his father possibly know? All this time, his father had been in the forest, and even this very morning, when Selena was being paraded off to face execution, his father was still deep within the Forbidden Forest.
Vylen was well aware of all his father’s activities and affairs, as he had placed one of his own men there as an assistant and confidant. But why, today of all days, did his father know about Selena’s accusations against him?
"You’re such a jinx—how dare you accuse me!" Roxyus pointed at Selena, his expression growing ever sharper and more terrifying. "You’ve got no evidence whatsoever! Don’t go acting all know-it-all and ruining our relationship!"
Selena saw a different side to him; the man actually looked like a frightened little puppy. The savage and terrifying nature he displayed in front of others was merely a cover for his fear.
"Am I lying?" Selena chuckled softly, looking very calm, which made Roxyus narrow his eyes.
Selena’s transformation was indeed immense; in the past, when he’d look at this frail woman, Selena would immediately hide or run away in fear, crying. Selena had never dared to retort, but now all this was rather surprising.
"Of course you’re lying! Damn it! On what grounds did you deceive the entire population of Eldoria by pretending to rise as the Healer of Extinction?!" snapped Roxyus, the veins in his neck visibly straining with emotion.
Vylen swallowed nervously, afraid his father would be harsh towards Selena. But when he glanced at her, Selena was standing there calmly, staring at Roxyus as he raged like a madman.
"Over the past few years, as the curse of extinction has befallen us, several beast clans have been unable to recover! They’ve vanished without a trace; there’s no cure that can restore them to their former selves. And now you’re telling me you’re a healer of extinction? Tsk, that’s just a figment of your imagination!" Roxyus ended his speech on a high note.
Normally, beastkin or ordinary beastmen—including some of the servants—would immediately start trembling and faint at the sound of that shrill tone.
But Selena merely shook her head gently, trying to shake off the lingering shrillness from her ears.
"Lord Father, don’t be like this... You don’t need to shout those words at Selena; her body won’t be able to bear it!" Vylen cried out without realising it, making his father even more furious.
"What have you given my son that makes him care so much about you?!" Roxyus shouted again, his eyes growing redder and his aura growing darker in Selena’s view.
The air, which had previously been fairly stable, was now beginning to mingle with the toxic substances emanating from this man’s body. The woman gave a small smile; the condescending look she gave him seemed to be enough to make him even more emotional.
"Stop playing around with your foul poison, Old Fox King. It smells utterly cheap," Selena said flatly, causing the man’s eyes to widen for a moment.
Vylen looked at Selena, secretly feeling relieved that she was still holding up fairly well, even though his father’s voice boomed—something an ordinary woman would have found hard to bear.
Selena used to be terrified and would often run away, crying, from the Old Fox King for that very reason. For they, as Foxes, were endowed with a piercing voice that seemed capable of shattering bones.
"You wretched woman! What do you mean? Don’t go around accusing me of using poison!" Roxyus retorted sharply.
"Oh, is that so?" Selena smiled wryly, gazing at his aura, which was growing darker like a storm. "A man who poisons his own son doesn’t like being accused of using vile poison? You’re such a hypocrite."
"Shut up! You wretched woman, stop meddling in my relationship with my son!"
"If you’re such a good father, why don’t you drink the water you’ve poured into that cup!" Selena shouted in turn, annoyed by Roxyus’s foul voice, which seemed to pollute the surrounding atmosphere.
Roxyus’s eyes widened, whilst Vylen immediately spotted the cup, inlaid with seashells, on the tray still lying on the table near where his father sat.
It was his father’s habit, whenever he came, to pour water for him, after which they would chat about the Fox Clan and suchlike.
Had that water always been poisoned all this time? The blood seemed to drain from Vylen’s face as he counted how many times he’d drunk it over the years.
"What did you say?!"
"Drink the water in that cup! Prove to me that you really haven’t been poisoning your son—you’ll be fine after drinking it. Come on! Do you dare to do it?"