Chapter 17: Husband and Wife in Double Rows
The chilling sensation seeped into Maureen’s soul like an invisible tide, wrapping and stinging every cell, even more so than the frost flowers on the morning dew, making her feel colder and more bone-chilling.
Facing the Silver Dragon Queen, Maureen couldn’t help but feel utterly powerless and weak.
The queen’s eyes seemed to possess the power to cleave souls. Those deep, gem-like silver eyes, even when obscured by the fluttering silver hair in the wind, still emitted a dazzling brilliance, revealing an inviolable dignity and power. Like snow-covered peaks, silent, stern, and difficult to climb.
Maureen’s efforts to shrink back couldn’t help but make her feel pathetic.
Her knees instinctively trembled, as if announcing that the last trace of resistance had been mercilessly extinguished, the hoarse leather boots rubbing against the gravel ground, emitting faint but helpless sounds.
Her survival instinct was ruthlessly strangled by the queen’s aura, like a fragile snow lotus hesitating at the edge of fate.
At that moment, her body movements were stiff and sluggish, as if every fiber was being pulled taut, like a puppet being pulled in hell. The chains of bondage seemed to clink on every joint of hers, the puppet’s smile already shattered, replaced only by deep sorrow and ashes of death.
With each step closer, the queen’s oppression seemed to freeze the air, making Maureen feel as if she were in a graveyard on a winter night, silent and desolate.
The surrounding flowers seemed to have lost their color, only trembling gray shadows swaying in the wind. And the anger in the queen’s eyes was like a shooting star falling from the night sky, terrifying yet irresistible.
She fell to her knees with a thud.
If she were to continue to resist, it seemed that the pressure would break her spine.
Her hands propped on the ground, cold sweat dripping down her nose and chin, she breathed heavily, her eyes full of terror. She seemed to have already foreseen her fate— No, there was no need for foresight.
Ten minutes ago, when Shirley approached her, she had made it crystal clear, the fate of a traitor— only a dead end.
The delicate tip of a high-heeled shoe appeared in Maureen’s field of vision. She dared not lift her head, her remaining strength barely enough for breathing, let alone lifting her head.
The next moment, the fabric rustled against her skin, and the queen slowly crouched down in front of her.
She extended her slender fingers, lifting Maureen’s chin, forcing her to look at her. Maureen’s teeth chattered, her trembling pupils seeming to shatter.
Though the queen’s expression was neutral, the anger and disappointment in her eyes were undeniable.
Maureen thought there might be some ‘incomprehension’ in her gaze. Betrayed by a maid she had been with for more than ten years, wouldn’t she be curious about the reasons behind it?
After a brief self-inquiry, Maureen quickly understood the answer to this question: The Silver Dragon Queen had no need for understanding.
The truth was exposed, the betrayal revealed, and the queen’s attitude towards Maureen was only anger and disappointment.
“You just now…”
Her cold voice was like piercing ice, sweeping over Maureen.
“When you spoke of disposing of me, you didn’t feel the slightest bit of guilt, did you?”
“Your Majesty…”
“Do you still think you have the right to call me Your Majesty?”
“…”
“I was about to give birth at that time, it was the birth of a new life in the Silver Dragon clan, and yet you chose to betray us. Do you know, Maureen, if it weren’t for my husband, you wouldn’t have just killed me and my daughter at that time, but also countless Silver Dragon kin.”
The reason why Rosvitha felt angry, to put it simply, was indeed because of these two points.
Firstly, due to the nature of reproduction, not only for Silver Dragons but for the entire dragon race, the birth of a new life is something to be cherished, especially in the case of viviparity, which is of utmost importance. Secondly, Maureen’s treason would result in the large-scale death of Silver Dragon kin.
Constantine’s power is undeniable, Anna can be considered a strong individual below the level of Dragon King, but in front of Constantine, it would still be like an ant facing a cart.
So what Rosvitha said was not an exaggeration at all. If it weren’t for Leon at that time, the Silver Dragon clan would have ceased to exist by now.
Of course, Rosvitha also understood that Leon’s intervention and the safety of the Silver Dragon clan had little correlation. He intervened to protect his daughters and… her.
Well, this matter can be discussed later. The urgent matter is to deal with the traitor in front of her.
“I won’t dispose of you immediately, Maureen. Do you have any intelligence here that I don’t know about? And do you want to tell me now?” Rosvitha asked.
Maureen clenched her fists, feeling the warmth of Rosvitha’s fingertips, gathering the courage to meet her gaze.
“I have nothing to say to you, and neither does Shirley,” she replied.
At this, Rosvitha was momentarily stunned, then she actually let out a cold laugh.
Maureen was puzzled by this laughter. What was so funny?
“My husband told me, ‘Know people by face, not by heart.’ A seemingly ordinary and obedient girl, yet everywhere full of schemes,” Rosvitha said.
“Even now, you’re still thinking about dragging your accomplice Shirley down with you, Maureen.”
“Shirley is the same.” These simple five words exposed the dirty heart beneath Maureen’s harmless appearance.
From her perspective, Shirley had been quite considerate towards her. After all, when she attempted to escape, Shirley even thought of taking her along—although she got caught. But even if Maureen hadn’t tried to escape, she probably wouldn’t have been able to avoid the internal investigation after tonight.
Yet, in the final confrontation, she attempted to drag Shirley down with her, completely denying Shirley the chance to “redeem herself.”
Did she think Rosvitha couldn’t figure it out?
Anyway, it didn’t matter.
Because—
“If you turn around now, you’ll find that your dear Shirley sister isn’t kneeling here like you are.”
“W-What…”
Maureen turned her head and was startled to find Shirley still standing there, coldly staring at her.
“Shirley, you! —You deceived me?!” After a brief moment of astonishment, Maureen angrily questioned Shirley.
“Does a traitor have the face to be angry about someone else’s deception?” Shirley replied calmly.
“You…”
Maureen wanted to rebuke these despicable people.
But such words should never come from a traitor’s mouth, no matter what.
It’s simply absurd.
But someone spoke up for her. The voice of the queen’s husband came from behind the trees.
The dark-haired man emerged from behind the tree and said slowly, “You might think our methods are somewhat unethical, even shameless, but this isn’t about following laws and regulations. As long as we can catch you, the traitor, what does it matter if we use the most ruthless means?”
Mr. Casmode understood the essence of this statement deeply: under certain circumstances, one must choose corresponding methods.
He wasn’t a police officer who needed an arrest warrant from above to catch a murderer; similarly, catching an undercover agent didn’t require following the process of ‘clues → evidence → deduction → confirming identity’. In other words, regardless of whether it’s a black cat or a white cat, as long as it catches the mouse, it’s a good cat!
“But how did you know it was me…” Maureen asked the question that every undercover agent and traitor would ask when exposed.
Leon found this question quite familiar because Victor had asked a similar question when he was exposed. However, he was willing to give this traitorous lady a simple explanation.
“Remember the day of my wife’s—uh.” He paused, feeling that his words didn’t sound quite right, so he quickly corrected himself.
“Remember the day of my wife’s childbirth, when you came to the bedroom to inform me and said that a certain path behind the mountain was safe, but I only casually probed with the birthday blessing spell at the time, and it led to an ambush of the Crimson Flame Dragon on that path?”
Maureen’s thoughts went back to that day. Indeed, before launching the attack, she had received instructions from Constantine to lure Rosvitha to the path behind the mountain. And she had diligently followed this command.
But what she hadn’t expected was that this usually gentle dad prince, who seemed only to care for his children, actually understood the art of warfare so well, being cautious while also noticing Maureen’s abnormalities.
“So it was… like this…” Maureen said.
“Of course, just based on this alone, we can’t be a hundred percent sure that you’re the traitor,” Leon said.
“T-Then when did you… when did you become certain that I… I was a traitor?” Maureen asked.
Leon pretended to ponder, then replied seriously, “Ten minutes ago.”
“Ten minutes ago…” Maureen felt her intelligence had been greatly insulted.
That’s how ‘fishing law enforcement’ worked. After all, they didn’t need to follow the so-called ‘regulatory process’. And Leon wasn’t just doing ordinary fishing law enforcement; he was bold and cautious in his actions.
Choosing to send Shirley to fish in the middle of the night was intentional. Even if Maureen wasn’t the traitor, it wouldn’t alert the real traitor.
But now, it seemed General Leon’s judgment was very accurate.
Rosvitha released her, then stood up and looked down at her from above.
“I’m not interested in why you betrayed me. Because my husband told me, at the moment a traitor makes their choice, all reasons become meaningless. Of course, another thing he said also makes sense.”
“A traitor must not be spared.”
Rosvitha glanced at the head maid.
“Anna, lock her up in the dungeon and prepare for her disposal on another day.”
