The Queen's dreamlike procession appeared in grand fashion, then vanished just as quickly.
Like a delicate bubble under sunlight, resplendent and dazzling for a fleeting moment.
Just as you're drawn in by its beauty and want to admire it more closely, the bubble bursts into nothingness in the next second, leaving not a trace behind, making you wonder if it ever truly existed at all.
And those fortunate enough to witness that scene were only a handful of Beyonders in the hall.
The banquet continued peacefully. The vast majority of people had no idea what had just occurred.
They simply enjoyed the wonderful evening in this elegant and cheerful atmosphere.
Yet in the shadows, Silas was plunged into confusion.
The Queen's procession was extremely suspicious!
Mermaids, tin soldiers, Puss in Boots... He'd seen too many familiar figures in that procession.
It was almost like they'd stepped right out of fairy tales from his previous life!
Could the Queen also be a transmigrator?
This thought naturally surged through Silas's mind.
Should I try to probe her?
No, I must be cautious.
After all, she's far stronger than me. If I accidentally expose my uniqueness, it might not be a good thing.
Better to maintain the status quo and continue observing for a while longer. Though perhaps I could discuss this with Klein...
Silas mused silently.
The banquet continued.
As time passed, it entered the second half. The guests had finished enjoying the food and danced with several members of the opposite sex.
Feeling slightly tired, they began gathering in twos and threes by the sofas to chat.
"My apologies, please excuse me for a moment."
At the main seat in the hall, Sophia rose gracefully and smiled at the other princes.
"Please, feel free."
The princes naturally wouldn't be so tactless as to ask where she was going.
Instead, they responded courteously.
"Thank you very much."
Sophia maintained a polite smile.
Her gaze swept toward the lower area, easily spotting her tall guard holding forth among the crowd.
His face was flushed from drinking as he boasted freely about his valiant experiences, completely oblivious to the perfunctory and insincere responses of the Loen people around him.
What a fool...
Sophia thought with disgust. She didn't call him over, but instead turned and walked alone toward the powder room.
A golden statue stood in the pool, water flowing melodiously from its tilted bottle spout into the basin below, producing pleasant sounds that conveniently masked certain embarrassing noises that might occur in the powder room.
Sophia stood before the gold-rimmed washbasin, looking at her formally dressed self in the mirror, and couldn't help but sigh.
That sigh carried exhaustion and frustration.
In the mirror, her fiery red hair was neatly pinned up, her slender neck glowing with a snow-white, crystalline sheen under the lights.
But those beautiful eyes revealed emptiness and fatigue.
Sophia stood facing the mirror like this for over ten seconds before reluctantly turning on the faucet to wash her hands.
As if doing so would allow her to delay a little longer, to return a bit later.
Before long, she turned off the faucet and used the towel nearby to dry her hands.
As she was drying them, Sophia suddenly felt something was wrong.
It seemed like someone was watching her.
"Who's there!"
She whirled around abruptly.
The lavishly decorated powder room was completely empty, with only the fountain making sounds.
Yet Sophia still frowned deeply.
That gaze was still clinging tightly to her. Someone was watching her!
"Heh heh..."
She heard a soft laugh from behind her and spun around hastily.
When she saw clearly where the sound came from, her eyes couldn't help but widen.
In the mirror, the formally dressed red-haired young woman was staring at her, showing a cold smile full of malice.
That gaze came from her reflection!
"Someone, help!"
Sophia's hair stood on end. She cried out loudly while a ball of crimson flames immediately rose from her palm, blasting toward the mirror.
"Crash!"
The mirror shattered into countless pieces, scattering across the washbasin and floor.
Every fragment reflected her image. She could even see the metallic gleam of the gold and silver threads on her silk evening gown.
Sophia clearly saw her own terrified face in each fragment, but soon, that face was replaced by an expression full of mockery.
"No need to shout. No one can hear you."
The Sophias in the fragments all spoke at once, their voices overlapping and rumbling through the powder room.
Damn it!
I just happen to not have any mystical items on me!
Sophia cursed inwardly.
Out of consideration for national etiquette, today she'd only worn an evening gown and hadn't brought any protective items whatsoever.
"Whoosh..."
As if driven by an invisible force, the glass fragments floated up and fitted together, impossibly restoring themselves into a complete mirror standing before her.
"Let me go!"
Sophia discovered with horror that she suddenly couldn't move. At the same time, the eyes of her reflection turned a brilliant gold, staring directly at her.
"What are you trying to do!"
She shouted.
"What am I trying to do?"
The person in the mirror smiled, the golden light in their eyes growing ever brighter, dazzling, as if it would shine into the depths of one's heart.
She slowly reached out both hands and grasped her own throat.
"Ugh!"
Sophia involuntarily did the same. Her hands tightened around her own slender neck.
A powerful sensation of suffocation followed. She couldn't breathe and collapsed to her knees.
A pained expression quickly appeared on her beautiful face.
"Cough, cough..."
Her face turned purple-red, her eyes rolled back, as if she were about to lose consciousness.
Yet the force in her hands didn't diminish at all. Instead, it grew stronger until, after a crisp "crack," she lost her life and collapsed softly to the ground.
A few seconds later.
"Boom!"
Crimson flames suddenly erupted violently from her body, blasting in all directions throughout the powder room.
Fire and explosions immediately filled the entire space.
At the same moment, Sophia leaped up and rushed toward the powder room door.
"Help!"
She shouted at the top of her lungs, trying to attract the attention of others in the villa...
Sophia's eyes snapped open.
The powder room was empty, with only the statue fountain in the pool quietly flowing.
What's going on? Was I dreaming?
Her heart pounded wildly.
She looked around and found herself standing before the washbasin. Everything she'd just experienced seemed like nothing more than an illusory nightmare.
No, that's not right!
How could I possibly fall asleep while standing!
As if remembering something, Sophia quickly reached into the only hidden pocket in her gown and pulled out a crudely made yarn doll.
The doll's neck was broken, its head hanging limply to one side.
Someone really is trying to kill me!
"Splash, splash, splash..."
Just as she was about to flee outside, the water from the statue suddenly surged dramatically.
The pool water flowed over the edge onto the floor, rapidly flooding the entire powder room.
Sophia watched with horror as the water's surface became like a mirror, reflecting everything.
Her reflection in the water had eyes glowing with golden light, showing a meaningful smile.
"Who are you? Why are you trying to kill me!"
She shouted.
Her reflection in the water opened its mouth softly:
"My apologies. This is the choice of the era."
۞۞۞۞
~ Push the story forward with your Power Stones