Episode 131- Murder on display

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Before anyone could question why the air was suddenly warping as if it was ripping the oxygen to shreds, a loud blow of explosion hit their ears!!

BOOOMM!!!

The loud explosion was followed by a terrifying echo of an anguished demon. Because of the piercing shriek and the tremor in the air, their hearts couldn't help but shudder in fear.

Eugene, who was hugging Aernest tightly to her body, could feel Aernest groaning and shaking in pain, “Ughh” She instinctively hugged him tighter.

The Crown Prince stared at the passageway they came from and stared at it with wide eyes, “What... What’s that? An explosion?!” Though he was baffled at the moment, he knew that they would have been caught in the blast if they had gone in the other passageway!

“.....” Duke Marleigh frowned deeply as he pushed the children behind him, ‘One wrong move and everyone would’ve…’ his gaze darkened and he didn’t dare finish his thoughts.

They were lucky because unlike the terrifying sound and the ripple in the air, everyone was clear of any harm. Because everyone had chosen to go left or straight ahead, they weren’t caught up in anything and no one was hurt.

“....For real, what on earth is going on?” Crown Prince Nexiel stood up abruptly and frowned. Despite the fact that this palace was his home, he felt as if he only knew 10% of what went on here! What was up with the abrupt blast, anyway? The Crown Prince was not only confused but utterly dumbfounded at this moment!

“Young Miss? Eldest Miss? Young Master? Are you alright?” Aedelak squatted beside the three and she grabbed Euria’s shoulders to check her condition from head to toe.

Euria breathed out heavily and with a confident voice, she replied, “...My... My eggs are fine!” Her eyes were wide as she counted her eggs one by one using her palms to feel the bumps of the eggs on her stomach.

“....” Aedelak blinked and smiled, “That’s good, Young Miss!” Whatever makes Miss happy, makes her happy.

Euria turned to Aernest and shook him on his shoulders lightly when she noticed that he wasn’t speaking, “Brother?” There was a hint of concern in her voice.

Aernest clutched his headphones tightly and with his eyes still tightly shut, he replied, “I’m... I’m good..” His ears hurt a little, but he wasn't in any difficulty. Even so, he couldn't help but shiver at the thought of being too late to put his headphones on! He was so close to busting his ears again!

Eugene nodded and exhaled in relief. She didn’t know what she would do if Aernest hadn’t protected his ears on time, ‘If something were to happen to Aernest’s ears now, it would have been a disaster.’ They were in an enclosed place with no external help.

Eugene couldn't help but think back to three years prior when Aernest's eardrums had ruptured severely and he had bled excessively from his eyes, nose, and mouth. It was an image she didn't want to see again, especially now that she was slowly recovering from alexithymia.

Duke Marleigh kneeled in front of Aernest and asked, “Are you sure you are alright?”

Aernest nodded quickly to indicate that he was truly fine. Though his headphones had completely blocked out what Duke Marleigh and everyone was saying, he could understand what they were saying through their worried expression and their lips. He had picked up his lip-reading skills during his recovery from surgery.

Crown Prince Nexiel glanced at Aernest’s group before sighing and staying observant of the situation.

Dea patted Con on his back as he got up, “We almost went straight to heaven..”

Con nodded, “Young Miss saved us unknowingly…”

“Let us move quickly. Staying here won’t do anyone any good.” Duke Marleigh urged everyone to move along quickly as they headed to the forbidden room.

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“It’s here…”

Crown Prince Nexiel pointed to the room in front of them and sighed. The room's entrance appeared normal, and he had no idea how many more surprises were waiting for him inside the room. Frankly speaking, he felt that he would come out of the room and turn into a new person.

The two hidden guards stepped forward and entered first. They swat through the room quickly before giving everyone the okay to enter.

The room that greeted them was unlike its horrible name. Instead of appearing to be a room full of terrible secrets, the room appeared to be an artistic space. This was the thought of Crown Prince Nexiel, Aedelak, Con, Dea, Euria, and Hal. To them, this room looked like someone’s workshop. Someone who loved building stone figures.

In this room, there were at least a hundred finely carved figures in the form of stones on display. All the sculptures were of a young female. Some carved figures had clothes that were draped over them, and some were bare, rid of any clothing.

To Crown Prince Nexiel, Aedelak, Con, Dea, Euria, and Hal, this room was beautiful, but to others like Duke Marleigh, Eugene, and Aernest, who knows about the stone hand, this room was nothing but dreadful and ugly. To them, this was nothing but murder on display. It was spine-chilling and scary to know what these sculptures were made from.

This wasn’t art. This wasn’t cement or concrete. These figures were young human beings.

Human beings.

The hand that the soldiers had recovered from the lake matched the figures in front of them. From color to texture, to material. There was no doubt that the hand was linked to the stone figures in front of them.

Eugene turned to Crown Prince Nexiel, “Your Highness, Crown Prince. Is the Royal Lake truly connected to the lake where Zene knights train?” If the Crown Prince’s answer was yes, how the hand just randomly appeared in the lake would make sense.

Crown Prince Nexiel turned to Eugene with an expression of confusion, “Huh?” before replying, “Ah, yes. It’s connected.”

Eugene closed her eyes and took a deep breath, “Haa…” She didn’t know what to feel at this moment. Her brain was muddled with so much information that she couldn’t process what was in front of her.

Duke Marleigh, “Are there any more stone figures, Your Highness?” There was something in him that prompted him to ask this question. Perhaps his instincts were sure that there are more victims.

Seeing the serious look on Eugene and Duke Marleigh’s face, the Crown Prince thought deeply before replying, “Yes. I’ve seen people relocating stone figures inside the Royal Palace and also many being transported out of the Royal Palace.” Though he didn’t know what was going on, he felt an unsettling feeling inside him.

‘Transported out and moving around…’ Eugene was in deep thoughts. Before she could say anything else, Duke Marleigh and two of the guards moved in front of the children, as if shielding them from an incoming enemy.

And true to the tension that was slowly rising in the room, men from who knows where barged into the forbidden room.

Duke Marleigh and the two guards held their swords up to the enemy and prepared to fight!

One enemy looked flabbergasted and he shouted, “What? Why are they still alive?”

Eugene frowned as she looked around, ‘Still alive? Were they the ones that caused that explosion?’ She stepped forward and stood in front of Euria and Aernest.

Truthfully speaking, the situation was bad. There were 10 enemies in front of them whereas they only had 3 adults who were capable of fighting. The rest… everyone knows. It was a complete disaster!

“... It matters not. We will kill them now.” another person replied with a low chuckle.

Everything was still as if time had frozen. No one knows who attacked first or who began the fight but suddenly Duke Marleigh, the two guards, and the enemies were full-on clashing with one another. Swords were flicking left and right as the children stepped backward.

“Always stay behind us.” Duke Marleigh warned as he guarded the children against the enemies.

In the room, all you could hear were heavy breathing and the sound of metal clashing with each other. The fight sent sparks flying around in the room.

Aernest grabbed Eugene and Euria, “Look.. Look for a place to hide!” His eyes were filled with fear as he shook the twins.

“There! Go look there!” someone shouted. Dea who heard this quickly rushed over to the curtain and pulled it apart.

His eyes were big and he shouted, “There, there’s a door!”

Eugene nodded and raised her voice loud enough to get Duke Marleigh’s attention! “Duke!”

Duke Marleigh heard everything and he nodded without turning back, “Go hide!”

With his permission, Crown Prince Nexiel, Eugene, Euria, Aernest, Aedelak, Con, Dea, and Hal quickly rushed over to the hidden door.

“Naive!”

One enemy managed to escape Duke Marleigh’s blindspot and aimed his sword towards the children.

Eugene, who was closest to the enemy, was pushed out by Euria who screamed in horror, “AHH!” Unconsciously or not, Euria began to attack the enemy with her baby eggs! She managed to hit the approaching enemy who had never expected such a blow, especially from an egg!

“AH!”

“EGG ATTACK!” Euria shouted as she kept throwing her precious babies at her enemy!

Eugene quickly grabbed Euria and together they rushed to the hidden room! She didn’t manage to see what happened to the man and only felt relief once the door was closed.

“Dangerous.. Too dangerous” Eugene pounded her chest that was racing from fright! If Euria hadn’t pulled her out of the way, she might have been injured! Thank god for Euria’s reflex!

For the first time, she felt grateful to Duke Rodriguez for his flexibility training! To think that getting hit by apples would improve one's reflex so much!

“Scary! Scary!” Euria shook her head as she leaned against the doorway!

Everyone's hearts were racing like they'd consumed something poisonous. The adrenaline surging through their nervous system was the only reason they were able to react so quickly now. If not for that, they wouldn’t be here in one piece!

“Haa… Haa… Ha…”

Just as they felt some form of relief, an unfamiliar voice spoke out.

“Children…?”

The voice made everyone jolt from shock as their eyes followed the direction of the voice.

Eugene blinked! She was not prepared for another attack! Eugene’s eyes slowly widened into one of shock as she stared in front of her.

Women. There were many women with similar appearances to one another in this room. Some were standing, and some were sitting. The women, like the children, were frozen in place with a shocked expression on their faces!

“Why are there children?” another woman spoke.

“Did you get lost?”

“Are you lost?”

“....” Eugene blinked. On the day they arrived in Zene, they were greeted with a harem of males belonging to the King. And now, they were greeted with a harem of women?! What in the world was going on!! This place was a harem in every sense of the word!

‘Were… Were the King’s preferences not males?’ Eugene exhaled loudly and suddenly realized, ‘Ah, how else would the Crown Prince be conceived.’ and then suddenly realized again, That’s not right. This is Kal's palace!’

Hal took a step back at that same moment. He took a long, slow step back until his body slammed into the door.

The noise brought the children’s attention away from the group of women to him. Immediately they realized that something wasn’t right. There was no color on Hal’s face and he looked as if he had seen a ghost.

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