MURMUR. CHATTER.
The royal throne room—usually still and half-empty—was packed today.
Every seat on both sides was filled, except the throne itself.
On the right: the Se White families.
On the left: the Fe White families.
Whispers moved between them like static.
Tension flickered in the air like a storm waiting to break.
All because of one thing:
The Queen had summoned them without warning.
"Why do you think Her Majesty gathered everyone, Commander?"
A man whispered to the officer beside him, dressed in a dark blue uniform.
"...Hmph. I don't dare guess Her Majesty's intentions, unlike you, Mr. Royal Strategist," the commander replied, voice low and careful.
"Well," the strategist muttered, smirking faintly, "I heard a rumor. That the mortal who died—Amelia Brown—was behind Red Death. Maybe that's why we're here."
The commander's gaze shifted across the aisle to the Se family.
"You know it," the strategist continued. "It was your men who arrested the judge's son. Overdosed on Red Death. Nearly died."
Both men turned their eyes to the bloated figure at the front of the Se section—his massive belly nearly competing with the throne itself.
Honorable Judge Se White.
'Honorable, my foot,' the commander thought, jaw tightening.
"I suppose we're thinking the same thing," the strategist murmured. "The Judge reeks."
The commander gave a slight nod in agreement.
"The whole case surrounding his son felt off," he added. "He didn't try to defend him or reduce the sentence. Just sent him to hell and closed the mortal's case like it was nothing."
"True," the strategist said, leaning forward. "But you know what stinks even more?"
The commander glanced at him again.
"If the Judge really wanted to get rid of his son," the strategist whispered, "he could've let him die when he overdosed. But instead, he saved him… and didn't send him to a local cell—he had him thrown into High Prison."
He smirked.
"Suicide isn't rare. What, twenty or thirty cases a year? So why does only this one end up in that hell?"
The commander narrowed his eyes—but before he could respond—
THUD. THUD. THUD.
A royal guard near the front stomped the butt of his weapon against the floor three times. His voice rang out:
"Bow to Her Majesty, the Great Immortal Queen of Eden—Selena Re White!"
All eyes turned.
At the great doors stood Selena, crimson-haired, bathed in waning sunlight.
"WE BOW TO YOUR MAJESTY!"
The Fe families bowed perfectly.
The Se families hesitated—but followed.
All except one man.
Judge Se White.
She could execute him for it, Selena thought coldly.
But he'd just say his body failed him.
I have no power, even though I'm Queen...
Is it because I've ruled only ten years—equal to half a day to an immortal?
But there was no anger in her heart.
No emotion showed on her face.
She climbed the steps in silence—
And sat.
THUD.
The guards tapped their weapons again.
The families rose and sat—
All except the judge, who stayed seated in defiance.
"Shall we begin?" Selena asked calmly.
The assembled men exchanged glances.
"Ah… you must be wondering why I gathered you all," she said with a gentle smile.
"This meeting has three agendas."
Everyone leaned in.
"First—Red Death, the drug currently spreading through the streets."
The royal strategist's mouth twitched.
"Second—the murder of the mortal girl, Amelia Brown."
The commander's lips thinned.
"And third… the most important."
She paused. Her gaze scanned the room like a scalpel.
"I have received news..."
"That there are traitors among us."
Uproar.
Gasps. Accusations. Whispers. A surge of chaos.
But at the center of it all, the Queen remained still.
Unshaken. Silent.
Her eyes were calm—still carrying the flicker of hope from earlier in the garden.
We might finally have found a way out...
Mother.
A chubby hand rose from the Se side, breaking her thoughts.
"If I may, Your Majesty," Judge Se White said calmly, "I think it is best not to believe gossip from common people."
The others quieted at his words to the Queen.
"Gossip?... Ah..." Selena gasped softly.
But her next action made every head lift.
She stood from the throne—
And descended the steps.
Step. Step. Step.
Her steps were gentle.
But they were cold.
"Does the Honorable Judge of Eden assume that when I said I had received news… it was gossip?"
She spoke calmly—
But her words stung like ice.
"Is it because I'm seventeen, surrounded by men older than time?"
"No, My Majesty. What I meant was—" the judge began.
"Or is it because I grew up without parents?" she said, briefly eyeing the commander to her left.
He wouldn't dare, the commander thought, seething as he caught her unspoken accusation.
The judge's pupils widened.
Now the Fe family turned, following her gaze—
Their eyes hardening as they looked at the judge.
"Or... is it because I'm a girl?"
Selena turned back.
"No, that can't be it. Not when the Se family has been led by women for over two centuries."
She laid the bait.
And the room bit down—hard.
The Se family stirred awkwardly.
The Fe family now eyed the judge with suspicion.
'That worked like a charm,' the royal strategist thought.
Now both factions were leaning away from him.
'She used the commander's tension to sway the Fe,
Used her gender to sway the Se.
What a terrifying woman.'
'Even if she's a fledgling—an eagle is still an eagle.'
But when he looked at the judge's face—
His brow furrowed.
So did Selena's.
'It's not working.'
The judge, though slightly surprised by the turn, remained calm.
Unshaken.
And then he moved.
He stood. Bowed low—his belly compressing awkwardly.
"I apologize for my impudence, My Queen. Please grant me any punishment you see fit."
Selena's mask almost slipped.
'Whoever is backing this man... is powerful enough to challenge me.'
Silence.
'Will she punish him?'
'Can she afford to?'
'Will the Se family turn?'
'What if his backer steps forward?'
'I made a mistake.
I pushed too hard.
I was naive.'
Selena took a quiet breath.
"I will excuse this one time. There won't be a next."
She turned.
Climbed back to the throne.
Step.
And sat.
"Let's quit the politics for a moment," the Queen said plainly.
Eyes widened.
"What do you mean, My Queen?" the royal strategist asked carefully.
"I mean let's forget the illusion of power for a moment," she said. "Let's speak plainly."
Silence.
'To address these facts is to take power from them,' the strategist thought.
'And she just did it in one sentence.'
"Commander," Selena said, turning to the massive man on her left.
"Yes, My Queen," he said, rising slightly and bowing.
"You led the investigation into Amelia Brown's death, didn't you?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Who was she?"
"...Pardon?"
"I asked—who was she?"
"...A mortal, My Queen."
"Hmm. Quite a few fights happen in the mortal lands, and many mortals kill each other. So why did you treat her case differently? Why investigate it personally?"
He nodded once.
"I ask your permission to speak freely, My Queen."
"You may."
"At first, I treated it like any other case. Mortals die. They reincarnate. So I sent men to check if she'd returned in a new body."
"They found nothing. No one by that name. No signs of reincarnation."
"That's when I knew something was wrong."
The room quieted.
"Her last known location was on the property of the judge's son—Desmond Se White."
Eyes turned toward the judge—
Then back to the commander.
"Her body was... mangled. Blood vessels burst. Heart torn from her chest. Drenched in blood. A real death."
"She didn't reincarnate. She was truly, permanently dead."
"Hmm. But could she have changed her name and vanished?" the Queen asked.
"I thought so too, Your Majesty. But mortals usually reincarnate near their bodies."
"I checked the surveillance footage. No signs of her leaving."
Selena nodded slowly.
"What was the cause of death?"
"It was a recently popular drug among the immortals known as Red Death, your majesty. We found empty tubes near her body. Red crystals around her mouth confirmed it."
She turned.
"Why is this drug so popular?"
"Um—"
"If I may, Your Majesty..."
A woman from the Se family stood.
Selena nodded.
"You may, Minister of Medicine."
The woman stepped forward.
"This drug—Red Death—appeared five years ago. At first, we ignored it. But then, immortals began reporting something strange."
"Nightmares."
"Nightmares?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. But not normal ones. Waking nightmares."
She paused.
"Each one had a different dream... but they all shared one thing."
"They died."
"Every single one… dreamed they died." Her words made the eyes present to narrow into slits.
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