Dimitri and Sorayah soon got ready and made their way out of the Imperial Palace discreetly.
They both crouched behind the thick trunks of towering trees, watching intently as Arata’s grand carriage rolled past, heading towards the sacred temple.
"So, we’re just waiting for Mira to strike now?" Sorayah whispered, her voice barely audible due to the pain she still carried in her throat. "Besides, won’t the Empress Dowager and the royal officials find fault with you? Today is the day Lupien’s body is being carried to the royal tomb, and yet you, as his uncle and the Beta Lord, didn’t attend it."
Dimitri’s expression didn’t waver. His voice was calm but filled with veiled disdain. "The Empress Dowager and the officials have more pressing matters than breathing down my neck. Besides, the new Alpha Emperor...whoever sits on that throne is forbidden from visiting the royal tomb on the day of burial. It’s considered an omen, a bad one. Doing so is like inviting misfortune to take root before even claiming the crown. They know this, and they also know where their hopes lie. All eyes are on me...they want me to ascend as the Alpha Emperor."
"I see..." Sorayah murmured, the wheels turning in her mind, though discomfort still colored her features.
Before either of them could say more, shadows moved like wind through the temple’s courtyard. Men clad entirely in black...assassins...rushed into the sacred building, and within seconds, the cries of pain and terror echoed sharply through the air.
"It is done," Dimitri said coldly, a dangerous smirk creeping onto his lips. "Mira didn’t come herself. She’s still in the palace, attending the ceremonial procession of the late Alpha Emperor to the royal tomb. But she sent her assassins, as expected."
Without hesitation, Dimitri grabbed Sorayah’s hand, his grip firm and determined, and began leading her swiftly toward the temple.
"What’s going on?" Sorayah asked, startled, stumbling slightly as she tried to keep up with him. "Do you really need to see their corpses with your own eyes to believe it? Why are we going there?" Her voice trembled with a mix of confusion and pain, sounding like a soft buzz in Dimitri’s ears, but he didn’t respond. He kept dragging her along, his eyes sharp with purpose.
Upon reaching the blood-stained entrance of the temple, Dimitri suddenly paused, then flicked his wrists. Several small, razor-sharp knives hidden within his sleeves flew out with deadly precision. They found their marks in the necks of the assassins. These assassins had spared Arata and her lover, instead choosing to slaughter the defenseless temple priests before killing their original targets.
"I thought you didn’t want her to see your face," Sorayah said, confusion deepening in her eyes as she watched the grim scene unfold.
Dimitri ignored her words. His gaze locked onto Arata, who lay sprawled on the floor. Her body was twisted painfully, her stomach pressed against the cold ground, and the lower part of her gown was soaked with blood.
"Your Highness!" screamed Arata’s personal maid as she bolted from her hiding place, desperately trying to reach her wounded mistress.
But she never made it.
With a swift, merciless motion, Dimitri slashed the maid’s throat. Her blood sprayed in a violent arc, staining Dimitri’s mask, splattering across Arata’s horrified face, and splashing onto the temple floor and walls like a crimson storm.
"No!!!" Arata shrieked, her voice raw with terror. Her entire body shook as if gripped by a storm, and she writhed in pain, trying to inch herself away.
"Let her go, Your Highness!" bellowed Arata’s lover, who was now being held down by Dimitri’s soldiers. They had arrived moments ago, their presence overwhelming, their faces grim.
"You knew about this..." Arata finally whispered, her voice trembling as she turned her blood-streaked face toward Dimitri. "You knew I was having an affair... you bastard!"
Before the weight of her accusation could settle in the air, the guards restraining Arata’s lover stepped forward. With cruel precision, they yanked off his shorts and tore away his shirt, leaving him completely exposed and vulnerable.
"He’s not even that impressive," Dimitri said coldly, his eyes narrowing as he walked toward the trembling man. "Yet, he managed to satisfy you enough to get you pregnant. Fascinating." His voice was venomous, laced with mockery.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Dimitri raised his gleaming sword high, the metal catching the flickering torchlight. And then...he brought it down in one swift, brutal stroke, severing the man’s manhood completely.
A heavy thud echoed as the severed flesh hit the temple floor, followed by a spray of blood that painted the walls, the ground, Arata’s face, and even Dimitri’s mask.
A guttural scream tore from the lips of the dying man as he writhed in unbearable agony. The sound of his wailing, joined by Arata’s sobbing, filled the air with horror.
But Dimitri was far from done.
With deliberate malice, he picked up the severed manhood and, using his sword, began slicing it into small, mangled pieces. Then, with a gesture, one of his guards brought forth a snarling, hungry dog.
The beast lunged forward and began devouring the pieces hungrily, its jaws crunching through flesh and blood alike.
Even Sorayah, who had witnessed many cruelties in her life, could no longer bear to look. She turned her head sharply, eyes squeezed shut. But Dimitri wouldn’t allow it.
He reached for her face, forcing her to look.
"Open your eyes," he ordered coldly. "Watch how I deal with traitors....those who dare to betray me."
Sorayah’s heart pounded painfully in her chest as she locked eyes with him. There was no remorse in his gaze....only a chilling satisfaction.
"Let go of my lover, Your Highness!" Arata cried out, cradling her bloodied stomach as tears poured from her eyes. "Fine! You can kill me, but will you really murder me while I carry an innocent child in my womb? What will people say when they learn I died this way? What will happen to your reputation?!"
"I don’t care," Dimitri growled, his voice ice-cold. "Not about you, not about that bastard child, and not about the fool who dared to defile what belongs to me. I assumed you both had a hundred lives, seeing how bold you were. But clearly, you’re not even ready for one."
With that, he turned once more to the bleeding, crying man, who could barely breathe from the pain. Dimitri drove his sword through the man’s throat, silencing him forever.
"No!!!" Arata begged, crawling on the floor, her hands trembling, blood dripping from her fingertips. "I hate you bastard!!!"
And without waiting another second, Dimitri raised his sword one final time and slashed Arata’s throat. Her body collapsed to the floor with a sickening thud, a pool of blood rapidly spreading beneath her.
Sorayah stood frozen, her lips parted in horror, her throat dry. She swallowed hard, unable to speak, as Dimitri calmly pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his blood-stained blade with practiced grace.
He’s brutal, she thought.
"Let’s get out of here," Dimitri said, slipping his sword back into its sheath. He reached for her hand and led her out of the temple without looking back.
Outside, his men were already prepared. They held bundles of dry firewood, each bundle wrapped in cloth soaked with oil. Without hesitation, they hurled the firewood into the temple’s windows and entrances. Flames caught instantly, spreading fast.
Within moments, the temple was engulfed in flames. Smoke curled into the sky, and the heat radiated in violent waves.
"Now it’s just an unfortunate accident," Dimitri said with a smirk, his voice smooth and calm. "The temple caught fire, and the Beta Lord’s concubine just so happened to be inside. No one will trace a thing."
Before Sorayah could respond, Dimitri scooped her into his arms and lifted her over his shoulder.
"What’s wrong again, Your Highness? I can walk," Sorayah protested, squirming slightly.
In response, Dimitri delivered a sudden, sharp smack to her buttocks, causing her to gasp. A shock ran up her spine.
"Just stay still. We’ll be back at the palace soon," he said, his voice low and commanding.
*****
Hours later, back at the palace...
As Dimitri carefully laid Sorayah on the bed....
"Your Highness!" the guard shouted, his voice thick with dread from outside. "The temple... the one where Concubine Arata went to pray for you and her unborn child...it caught fire! The entire structure collapsed. We... we couldn’t recover her body. Everything was reduced to ashes."
"What?!" Dimitri roared, his eyes widening in exaggerated shock. He bolted upright as though the news had come as a complete surprise.
Without a second thought, he tore off his outer garments, leaving only his trousers. Bare-chested, he stormed out of the room.
Behind him, Sorayah....now with her hair disheveled and wearing only a thin white inner gown... hurried after him, her heart racing.
"How could that happen?!" Dimitri yelled, grabbing the guard by the collar. "How did a temple just... catch fire?"
"We believe it was due to the offerings, Your Highness," the guard stammered, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "The fire used for the sacred offerings may have gotten out of control."
Just then, a eunuch entered from the Empress Dowager’s manor. He walked with dignified steps, holding a sealed decree high above his head.
"Greetings, Beta Lord," the eunuch said with a deep bow. "I come bearing a decree from Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager."