As Nichs was paraded through the streets, the weight of his downfall crushed him entirely. His sanity fractured and he screamed curses at the people, using them of ignorance and foolishness.


    He raged at the masses, iming they had been deceived by the court, that they had mistaken a foolish king for a wise ruler. He imed that only he was the true sovereign-the one destined to bring justice and prosperity.


    His hoarse cries were drowned out by the roar of the crowd. The people shouted for his death, calling for him to be torn apart. They said that the execution by Torso Cleaving was far too merciful. They demanded he be cut into pieces and slowly tortured to death, as punishment for his evil deeds.


    On the other hand, Yuvan stayed silent the whole time. Inside, he was filled with resentment and hatred for Nichs. He believed that if Nichs hadn''t turned his people against him, he could have seeded. Nichs was like a poisonous snake, hiding in the shadows. When Yuvan didn''t know, it struck, and that strike was deadly.


    Because of Nichs, Yuvan was no longer just a rebel. He was now a fool-a fool who had destroyed his own empire. Everything he worked so hard for was handed over to others, and the people who turned against him had sent him to the king''s army.


    The disgrace would be Yuvan''s for all time. His name would live on in history-not as a great ruler, but as a traitor. He would be a man who lost everything and earned only contempt and mockery. He had worked hard his whole life, first for power and second for fame, but it all ended up being for nothing.


    When he was dragged to the execution tform, his whole body was shaking uncontrobly. As he took onest look at the world, all he saw were eyes filled with hatred and mockery.


    He suddenly burst into tears.


    What had he worked so hard for all these years? For the so-called great cause, he never did anything as he wished. He couldn''t let himself indulge in love-every marriage and concubine was just for his gain. When he met a woman he liked and wanted to be reckless for once, that led to the betrayal of Wayne and his subordinates.


    In the end, Yuvan had nothing.


    Through his tear-filled eyes, he caught sight of a woman in the crowd-Violet. She was stunning in her purple attire, full of energy. Her presence was simr to Carissa''s, but she was livelier, more carefree, and full of joy.


    Unfortunately, the look she gave him was filled with disgust and hatred.


    Blood stained the execution tform as the remains of Yuvan writhed in agony, half of his body still alive. He screamed in a pitiful, broken voice. He wed desperately at the ground, dragging himself forward, leaving behind twisted trails of blood.


    It waste autumn, and the cold set in with a biting chill. Rain began to fall, gradually intensifying. It


    washed the bloodstains from the tform like a small stream trickling down the sides.


    The rain only deepened the cold. Autumn had arrived in full force, and the air grew bitter.


    During the siege, some of the rebellious soldiers had escaped, infiltrating the homes of the citizens to rob and kill, leaving a trail of innocent victims in their wake.


    Now, seeing the rebels meet their end and witnessing their suffering before execution helped ease the pain and anger the people had been carrying.


    The corpses of the traitors were strung up on disy at the execution site, their bloodied remains exposed to the elements. The rain fell, slowly washing away the blood, but the faint red stains remained. As the crowd slowly dispersed, it signified the end of the rebellion.


    Carissa stared at Nichs, hanging on the execution tform. His face was unrecognizable. There had been a mishap when he was executed, and the executioner had to strike him 18 times before his body was severed.


    The pain drove him mad, and he wed at the ground, scratching his face until it was a bloody mess.


    None of the charges against


    Nichs were rted to the Sinir


    family''s massacre. It wasn''t even


    mentioned. The massacre had to be


    pinned on Westhaven, for it had been used as leverage in


    Starhaven''s negotiations with them.


    In truth, it had been spies of Westhaven who had carried out the killings, not Nichs. If it hadn''t been the Sinir family, it would have been the Sullivan family.


    But no matter the truth, the hatred Carissa felt for Nichs remained deep and unyielding. Even seeing


    his dismembered body couldn''t quell the fire of her resentment.


    Violet stood beside her, holding an umbre to shield them both from the rain. She said softly, "Don''t worry. Death isn''t the end for him He will be cast into the deepest circles of hell, tormented day and night by the fires of damnation."


    Carissa wiped her face, unable to tell whether it was rain or tears mingling on her skin. She felt something lodged in her throat, and she couldn''t say a word.


    She wanted to say that no matter how terrible Nichs'' end was, the people he had killed would nevere back.


    She stood there for a long time until Adrian arrived through the rain. He wrapped her in his arms and sighed heavily. "Crazy girl,e home. You don''t have to be so obedient anymore."


    Carissa buried her face in her mentor''s chest and cried out loud.


    She had once been the crazy girl from Meadow Ridge. But no matter how wild she had been there,ing home had always meant she would return to being obedient.