Lyra's words cut through me, and I shut my eyes in despair.

She took my silence as proof she had uncovered the truth. With a wave of her hand, she forced me back into my true form and dragged me to her chambers.

…

"Hey, wake up. You didn't really think it was over, did you? That little scene earlier was just an appetizer."

I blinked groggily awake to see Lyra standing over me. Her chin was tilted high, and she was brimming with excitement.

A shiver ran through me. My lips parted, but no sound came out.

Sweat beaded along my forehead as I realized the truth—I wasn't just bound, but silenced by a spell.

Lyra smirked at my futile struggle, clearly entertained. She lifted a pale, elegant hand and gestured. "I need two guards here. Since this carp has such a reputation for craving men, I'll let her enjoy herself one last time before she dies. Call it mercy."

The catfolk attendants who had just been rewarded chuckled, flattering her endlessly. "Thank you for the generosity, Your Ladyship!"

An elderly maidservant, watching from the side, couldn't bear it. She stepped forward and said in a trembling voice, "Your Ladyship, she's still His Majesty's consort. This isn't right. You may have his favor, but doing such a thing would be dangerous."

My head was heavy, and my vision blurred. Yet, I turned toward her, gratitude filling my eyes.

Lyra paused and considered, then laughed lightly. "You're right, Mary. Two isn't enough. Make it four. His Majesty won't punish me. Just the other day, he promised me a luminous pearl from the Sea of Dusk as a gift."

Her tone brooked no argument.

My body went cold, and all strength drained out of me.

The four chosen guards stepped forward. Their eyes were gleaming, and their tongues were sliding across their lips as they stared at me like prey.

I could do nothing but clutch my stomach with both hands.

One sneered. "Forgive us. But don't worry, we'll treat you well."

They closed in and then forced themselves on me, crushing me under their weight.

A single tear slipped from the corner of my eye.

I forced myself to block out what they were doing, clinging to one thought over and over—nothing mattered but protecting the child.

With the last scrap of my power, I sealed my womb in a protective spell, holding the life inside steady.

Meanwhile, the whispers of the other maids around me kept seeping into my ears.

"The High Priest said His Majesty would never have an heir. How dare she claim her illegitimate child belongs to him? No wonder Your Ladyship is so furious."

"Exactly. She deserves this."

I didn't know how long it went on, but just when I thought I was about to die, they finally stopped.

Lyra stepped closer, her disdain plain on her face. "Tsk! How filthy. This is the price of infidelity. Do you understand?"

I bit down on my lip, refusing to say a word.

"What's the matter? Still defiant?"

She sneered and slapped me hard across the face, then forced me back into my true form. "Bring me a blade!"

At Lyra's command, someone quickly handed over a gleaming kitchen knife.

She clutched me tight, dragging the blade slowly across my body. My protective scales peeled away one by one under the steel. Blood soaked my skin as she smiled with pride, slicing until my flesh was raw and mangled.

"Next comes the oil, right?" she mused, casting me a sidelong glance.

The catfolk attendants obeyed without hesitation, rushing to heat a cauldron of oil until it hissed and sent up waves of scalding steam.

Weakness consumed me, as though I were tumbling into a bottomless pit. I couldn't protect the child anymore.

I lay in a pool of blood, barely clinging to life as I stared at the boiling oil set before me.

Mary gasped and grabbed at Lyra's arm. "My Lady, please, enough!"

Two catfolk attendants dragged her back, while Lyra brushed off the plea with a careless wave.

"Don't fret, Mary. She won't die. I just can't stand that pitiful look on her face, as though the whole world has wronged her. It's just a little scarring, nothing more. His Majesty won't blame me. After all, the Vixen Clan is my shield, isn't it?"

Mary sighed and said nothing more.

Lyra seized the pot and flung the oil across my face.

A hoarse, guttural scream tore from my throat.

Drops of scalding oil splattered onto Lyra, making her curse as she stepped back. Then, she started to savor the sight of me writhing in agony.

The pain burned straight through my chest; it felt as if my face were melting away. My eyes were swollen shut, and the searing heat was unbearable.

The catfolk attendants licked their lips, drool glistening as the rich scent of carp flesh filled the chamber.

"How hideous," Lyra drawled, sticking out her tongue with a playful smile.

"Well then… It's time we deal with the illegitimate child in your belly. You've guarded it so fiercely that I almost hate to ruin the fun."

She laughed as she leaned over my nearly lifeless body. One swipe of her claw tore my abdomen open.

"Oh? You even placed a protective spell? But that's such a flimsy trick. How pathetic!"

The ripping pain jolted me back to awareness. I watched through tears as she yanked a lifeless, fully formed fetus from my womb.

"Wow! What a heavy little thing!" she said with a mocking laugh.

"Your lover would be thrilled to see this."

Her shrill laughter echoed until a figure cloaked in imperial yellow stepped through the doorway.

"Lyra, what are you so amused about?"