Chapter 87: Complicated Hatred
The crown prince sank into a dark red velvet-covered couch in the queen’s lavish drawing room, his posture both regal and casual as he swirled the ruby-colored wine in his glass. He accepted the drink from one of the queen’s maids with a curt nod, though the tension in the air made it clear he found little pleasure in the moment.
Behind him stood a line of young maids, their heads bowed low as if trying to make themselves invisible. Beads of sweat glistened on their foreheads, betraying their unease.
None of them dared to look up, their discomfort palpable in the heavy silence of the room. They longed to flee from the oppressive atmosphere, but the crown prince had deliberately refrained from dismissing them.
He didn’t want to be the sole witness to the grotesque events unfolding beyond the tall double doors of the queen’s chamber.
’She is at it again,’ Kai thought bitterly, his lips curling into a grimace as a loud, unmistakable moan pierced the suffocating stillness of the drawing room.
It was the same sordid scenario that had played out countless times over the years.
Behind those gilded doors, Queen Althea was undoubtedly indulging in yet another one of her depraved orgies, entertaining the noblemen who had pledged unwavering loyalty to her.
The queen’s methods were as cunning as they were revolting. With the "special services" she provided, it was no wonder those men remained steadfastly loyal. They were bound to her not by honor or duty, but by lust and manipulation.
Kai clenched his jaw, the bitter taste of disgust lingering on his tongue far more than the wine he sipped. He despised all of it—every aspect of her twisted rule, every whisper of scandal that tainted the air of Erelith’s court.