Chapter 11: Testing the Waters

An awkward silence spread through the cell. Rhode coughed and looked away, unable to face Hongye’s devastating accusation. He turned back to Elia, who was still huddled in her chair.

“Well… Princess, please continue.”

Elia had listened to their frank exchange without quite understanding what Hongye meant, but she straightened at his question. “By early winter last year, our food supplies were nearly gone.” Her eyes reddened and her voice caught. “Then the First Prince’s army suddenly arrived at the border. His quartermaster told us that, to protect elven territory, they had to requisition the last of our winter supplies and half our dried food. If we refused, we’d be defying an imperial military order.”

Rhode tapped his knee, piecing it together. “The Second Prince emptied your pockets with a special construction tax. Then the First took half your winter food for his army.”

“That wasn’t all.” Elia sniffed, anger entering her voice. “The Second Prince’s merchants opened a black market on the border and sold that same grain back to us at outrageous prices. Many elves even had to sell themselves to raise the money.”

The whole scheme lay before Rhode. It wasn’t even complicated intrigue; it was robbery, plain and simple. The two princes had joined forces to drive the elves into a corner.

“My second brother used policy to squeeze you into rebelling, and my eldest could send in troops and seize your land with a legitimate excuse.” Rhode clicked his tongue. “That’s ugly. The empire couldn’t even be bothered to pretend otherwise.”

Hongye added coldly, “To the people at the top, elven territory is a piece of meat they’ve fattened up and can slaughter whenever they please. Who cares how the meat feels?”

Selena watched from the dark corner, her gaze fixed on Rhode. She had seen his genuine contempt when he understood the scheme, and his obvious embarrassment when the maid complained. That hardly matched the stories of a bloodthirsty, brutal wastrel who thought only of sex.

Could this Third Prince be someone she could talk to? He had even exposed his brothers’ schemes in front of prisoners of war. As Selena weighed the situation, a possibility emerged: his undisguised dissatisfaction with his brothers might be the lifeline they needed.

“Your Highness sees clearly.” She straightened and let her loose garment slip from her shoulder without covering herself, looking directly into Rhode’s eyes. “Since you understand the trap, may I ask… did you go to such lengths to take us from the tribunal merely to listen to the complaints of people bound for the gallows?”

Under her direct gaze, Rhode instinctively pressed back into his chair. Though she was no longer trying to seduce him, the presence of a woman who had lived for centuries made his weakened body recoil.

“Mind your words, Your Majesty.” He adjusted his gaudy robe and tried to look like a spoiled aristocrat. “Everyone knows what sort of man I am. Of course I took you for my amusement! What, did you expect some righteous magistrate come to clear your names?”

Hongye nearly remarked on how proud he sounded.

Elia’s face turned pale again. She covered her chest with both hands and shifted uneasily, afraid the unpredictable prince might suddenly start undressing.

Selena coughed loudly inside the cell. The sound made Elia jump, reminding her of the queen’s repeated instructions. *I have to do this,* she told herself.

She drew a breath, lowered her hands and attempted to imitate Selena’s enticing manner. The smile she managed was meant to be charming, but her voice shook. “Y-Your Highness… if you truly want amusement… Elia could…”

She tried to wink, but nerves turned it into a twitch. Pale and close to tears, she looked like a frightened creature forced onto a stage. “I… I can learn whatever you like, as long as it pleases you…” Her hands twisted the hem of her skirt as she recited the words she had just learned.

Rhode had been sitting back with his legs crossed, ready to watch, but her attempt left him speechless. She was terrified and trembling, yet trying so hard to play a seductress. There was nothing practiced about her; instead, she looked painfully endearing.

His heart skipped a beat. After years of overtime and an early death in the modern world, he couldn’t bear to see someone so miserable—especially a pretty young woman struggling to please him.

He was still deciding whether to comfort her or tease her when a sharp sneeze broke the strange atmosphere.

Elia clapped a hand over her mouth and curled in on herself, her already flushed face turning redder. The dungeon was cold and damp, and her torn dress offered no warmth. After so much fear, she hadn’t been able to suppress the sneeze.

“S-sorry, Your Highness!” she said, flustered and close to tears, her voice clear again. “I didn’t mean to… I’m just cold.”

It gave Rhode the perfect escape. He sighed inwardly; another moment of watching her awkward efforts and he feared he might lose his head.

“Enough! Stop making those ridiculous faces. They’re annoying.” He waved impatiently and turned to Hongye, tapping the chair’s armrest. “Tell the guards to bring some food. Hot food!”