The Abandoned Chess Piece

Inside the Grand Mansion of Lalia, it was as magnificent and bustling as ever.

They certainly had reason to celebrate. After all, not only were there frequent reports of victories at the front, repelling the invading army of Kudel, but they had also captured Black Road, the underground vanguard that had once been considered a forbidden zone, in one fell swoop. Although these reports paled in comparison to those from the Magic Empire, for these nobles and royalty, victory meant celebration, and celebration meant feasts. Feasts meant time for them to enjoy themselves... As for how many civilians outside would die, no one cared at all.

As the newly appointed Grand Duke of Lalia said, "No matter how many of my people are sacrificed, they will be reborn... and we can help them."

Of course, this rule was not without resistance. Many of the former Grand Duke's subordinates expressed anger and unease about the new Grand Duke of Lalia's actions, believing it to be self-destructive. In just six months, Lalia's tax rate had increased more than tenfold, and just recently, one-tenth of the country's population had died because they could not survive the harsh winter. Moreover, the threat from the Magic Empire remained, yet the Grand Duke of Lalia repeatedly rejected Kudel's requests for a ceasefire, severely and devastatingly damaging his foreign trade routes.

However, these dissenting voices did not last long. Grand Duke Lalia eliminated all those who dared to oppose him and completely seized control of the entire duchy. He indulged in debauchery, neglecting all matters except foreign wars. Moreover, this new grand duke was notorious for his womanizing; hundreds of young women served him day and night in his harem alone. Not to mention, he even married his own sister and her best friend as his principal wives. These were unprecedented and almost unparalleled feats.

However, now, no one dares to raise any objections to the Grand Duke's actions.

No one dares to do that.

Because everyone knows that the most terrifying person is not the current Grand Duke Lalia, but the woman behind him.

"Hoo hoo hoo... To power, to women, to myself, cheers!"

Gazing at the night outside, Weijia chuckled softly and raised her glass.

Once upon a time, she was just an ordinary noblewoman, one of those sycophantic dogs. But now? She was a queen, the most powerful woman in the Duchy of Lalia. No one dared to defy her, for all who had, including her own father, were dead. No one could stop her, no one could oppose her; all who dared to question her would die.

Men conquered the land with their weapons, while women conquered men with their bodies.

"It's just as lively as ever today, Your Highness."

As Weijia spoke, she reached out and placed her hand on the chin of another naked woman beside her, lifting her head.

Those once bright and intelligent eyes could no longer reflect any light. Under Weijia's meticulous manipulation, the pure and kind princess was no more. Now, lying here was merely a doll with desires and demands only for love. She was deeply poisoned, beyond cure. The woman she had once envied now lay here, like an idiot. This feeling filled Weijia with extraordinary excitement. The girl who had once been high and mighty, who had relied on her and treated her as her best friend, was now her pet. This feeling was simply wonderful.

Gazing at the expression on the face of the woman she once hated, Weijia felt an unusual excitement and satisfaction. She no longer needed to play the princess's friend; now, she was her master. Without her, the princess wouldn't even be able to live to see tomorrow's sun. She was just a doll, a prop for pleasure...

"Snort!"

Weijia put down her wine glass and slapped the princess hard across the face. Even after such treatment, the princess showed no reaction. Her soul had vanished long ago. What lay there now was merely a doll, a soulless object to be played with and used for venting, not a human being. She would never again be the high and mighty being she once was; now, she was nothing more than a toy to be played with and discarded.

Everything is going smoothly. So far, the plan has gone flawlessly. With the help of that powerful figure, she successfully seduced the most powerful man in the country, turning him into her captive and slave. He has fallen hopelessly in love with her body, oblivious to everything else. Now, he is her pawn, and she is the most powerful ruler of the country!

Thinking of this, Weijia reached out and gently stroked her lower abdomen.

And... she is about to...

"It seems you're doing quite well."

Just then, a voice she would never forget came from behind Weijia.

"Angela."

Weijia hurriedly turned around, lowered her head, and stared at the ground. She dared not look up, nor could she, for standing before her at this moment was the very person who had given her everything. She clearly remembered how she had obtained the power to make men fall for her, and who had given her the opportunity to live to this day and become who she was. That immense power filled her with fear and submission.

However, this is not enough.

It wasn't just obedience and fear, but also a hint of... resentment.

"You've come in person, is there anything I can help you with?"

They're both women, so why should I listen to this little girl? She once possessed power—power that made me unable to hold my head high. But now, I possess it too—power and status. Why should I still bow down to this little girl?!

What's the matter?

Angela a cold laugh, staring at the woman bowing her head before her, seemingly completely unaware of her inner thoughts.

"You should know better than I do, or are you treating me like a fool?"

"..."

"Answer my question."

"Yes, Angela."

It seems there's no way to avoid it.

For the first time, Weijia felt a chill in her body. Although the castle was very warm, she felt cold sweat breaking out on her back, and her body even trembled slightly. She knew that she would face such questioning sooner or later after giving that order, but she did not expect this moment to come so soon, leaving her almost no time to prepare.

But now, there's no going back.

"Please forgive my presumption, Angela, but the entire continent is currently attacking the Magic Empire. If we don't take any overt action, we might arouse suspicion, and at that point, we might very well..."

"What might be possible?"

Angela snapped open her fan, holding it to her lips, her eyes cold and ruthless.

"Are you an idiot? A piece of trash? Or a fool? The Federation has been completely destroyed by us. Kudel has no strength left. Who would bother Lalia? Dideyasi? Or Xialuo?"

"... However, Lady Angela, the situation is not actually as you think..."

"I did not come here to hear your explanations."

Angela said, swiping her finger across the screen.

Weijia felt an immense force rushing towards her, and then she was slammed against the wall. An irresistible force pulled her limbs, turning her into a "T" shape.

"You lowly bitch, do you really think that neither I nor your master have noticed your ambition?"

Seeing Weijia's panicked expression, Angela smiled coldly and walked forward slowly.

"Why attack the Dark Elf? Indeed, you told the truth, to make the people of the continent believe that you are fighting against the great empire of our master. You are not wrong in that respect. However, you have concealed the most important part. I dislike disobedient pawns, and our master hates useless people who bring him trouble. Do you understand?"

"... I... I don't understand what you mean, Angela. I have always been loyal to you... Please believe me, I absolutely did not, I absolutely did not..."

"Don't deny it."

Angela stretched out a finger and shook it slightly.

"If you deny my conjecture, it's tantamount to denying my intelligence, and an insult to me. You should understand what you've done, what you intend to do, and what you're prepared to do. Stop wasting time with this pointless nonsense. Let me finish for you... Lalia will take a stance against the Magic Empire, and then you will become part of that Magic Empire... At that time, will you ask me for more crucial information to ensure Lalia's irreplaceable position in the new alliance? And ultimately? What are your ambitions? Bitch? To become the ruler of the continent?"

"..."

"It seems you've forgotten that if it weren't for the pity of me and my master, you wouldn't be in this position, you wouldn't be wearing such luxurious clothes, and you wouldn't be living in this comfortable castle. Perhaps I should throw you into the slums so that those men who haven't seen a woman in so long can 'release their pent-up desires.' What do you think?"

"... Angela..."

As Angela spoke, Weijia's face grew increasingly ashen.

"Please don't do this, I beg you, I don't want to do this, it's the Grand Duke, he insists on attacking those Dark Elf, I couldn't stop him at all..."

"Isn't it your mission to completely control the Grand Duke of Lalia?"

Weijia's pleas for mercy did not stop Angela.

"If you haven't completely controlled Grand Duke Lalia by now, then what use is a piece of trash like you to your master and me?"

"... No, no, no... I'm not..."

"Let me guess why you have such audacious thoughts, you bitch."

At this moment, Angela had walked to Weijia's side. She looked at the face filled with despair and fear, and placed her right hand on the girl's slightly protruding belly.

"Although I can never truly understand what it's like to be a mother, as the saying goes, a woman who has become a mother always has more courage... right?"

"It was my fault! It was my fault! Angela, please, I was just driven by greed. I didn't mean to betray you. Please, spare me, please, Angela. I don't want to die, I don't want to die. I will never do such a thing again. Whatever you ask of me, I will do it for you. Please, don't kill me, don't kill the child in my womb. I will never do it again, I will never do it again..."

Hearing this, Weijia finally broke down completely. She didn't want to die, she didn't want to die tragically here, and she especially didn't want to lose her child—her only support, and she wanted her child to become the king of Lalia! He couldn't die here, and neither could she!! At this moment, Weijia finally realized the price her cleverness had brought her. She had originally thought that Angela wouldn't care about such things, after all, she had already fulfilled her task and mission perfectly, but she hadn't expected that even such a small action would bring her such disaster. At this moment, for the first time, Weijia began to regret, regretting that she shouldn't have made this foolish decision, or perhaps, she also regretted... never getting involved with this terrible girl in the first place.

But now it was all too late. She could sense that Angela was serious; she was absolutely determined not to let herself live past the end of the night.

"How ugly."

Hearing Weijia's pleas for mercy, Angela narrowed her eyes.

"What an ugly human being! You are such lowly trash, not worth saving. You are not even one ten-thousandth as good as Catherine. Although you are both women, the difference is too great. You are only fit to be a bitch, not a woman, not a human being. Your mistress and I have no need for trash, much less any trash that might cause trouble..."

As she spoke, Angela stretched out a finger and touched Weijia's abdomen.

"The collection of essence... You've worked hard. This is the only thing you've done right... Now, I will complete the final task."

"What... what are you going to do? No, no, don't do this..."

Upon realizing Angela's meaning, Weijia's face instantly turned pale. Only then did she understand why Angela had asked her to seduce Grand Duke Lalia.

"Master needs test subjects, and besides, you are the mother who has shared a bed with two generations of men, so the chances of reversion to ancestral traits should be quite high... I hope you won't disappoint me."

As she spoke, Angela's fingers easily slipped into Weijia's abdomen, and then slowly pulled downwards.

"Ughhhhhhh!!!"

The intense pain caused Weijia to let out a heart-wrenching scream, and blood gushed from the wound, staining the expensive carpet red.

"No!! No!! Don't!!!"

"Even if you scream your lungs out, no one will come to save you."

Angela's fingers didn't stop; they mercilessly tore open the girl's abdomen, and then her small hand reached into the wound and grasped something.

"No, no, please, don't, don't do this..."

Upon witnessing this scene, fear overwhelmed the pain for the first time. Weijia, pale-faced, stared at Angela's hand. She could feel what Angela was doing—a situation she absolutely did not want to imagine. But now, she had no chance to resist... What could she possibly do?

"Useless trash, you have no right to demand anything."

Angela replied with a cold laugh as she withdrew her hand.

In her palm, a newly formed fetus was twitching slightly. Blood enveloped the still-developing body, protecting the fetus from immediate death.

"Don't worry, if your child is as useless as you, you'll be reunited soon."

"No, no, don't kill me, Angela, don't kill me, don't..."

That's all Weijia has to say.

The next moment, she began to cough violently, blood spilling from the corner of her mouth and splattering onto the ground. Under the influence of an unseen force, the wound grew larger and larger, slowly moving upwards from her lower abdomen. Soon, her internal organs, no longer able to be contained by her body, spilled out of the wound. The intense pain drove the girl's body to a frenzy, trembling erratically. Then, Weijia raised her head, her eyes almost vacant, and looked one last time at the still-growing infant in Angela's arms... before stopping breathing.

"The trash has been cleared away, and the recycled materials have been received."

Gazing at the dissected corpse on the wall, Angela smiled and closed her folding fan.

"However, sometimes, destroying evidence is also important."

Then, she snapped her fingers.

"Bang!!"

With a loud bang, Weijia's body suddenly exploded into pulverized flesh and blood, falling to the ground. Only his intact head jumped up in the air before rolling to the ground, still bearing the expression of resentment and fear, as if it were a final reflection of its master.

"Well... goodnight, bitch. Your purpose ends here."

The cold night wind blew into the room once again, and then Angela's figure disappeared into the dark shadows.