Chapter 4

Anastasia POV

Mirav continued in a commanding tone, "Come. Move now."

I heard the girls gasp, and whispers immediately spread among them.

Some looked at me with obvious envy, while others stared in disbelief, as though they couldn't believe the King had summoned one of the new arrivals immediately after her arrival.

As for the blonde girl, she clenched her fists tightly, glaring at me with pure hatred. She looked as though she wished she could tear that dress off me and kill me herself.

I won't deny that I was nervous and perhaps even afraid, but I would never allow anyone to see my fear.

I am not weak, and I never will be. Even if I were going to die, I would die with my dignity intact...

Gathering my courage, I took a deep breath before saying sarcastically, "And to what do I owe this great honor?"

Mirav immediately recognized my mockery.

She stepped closer and whispered threateningly into my ear, "I don't know why you're this bold or where you get this courage from, but believe me, with that attitude, you won't survive here for long. That beautiful head of yours will be hanging from the castle walls before you know it."

Strangely, her threat didn't frighten me as much as she expected. Maybe because I had already lost everything worth losing.

I leaned closer and whispered back in a broken voice, "I... don't... care."

Then I lifted my chin arrogantly and muttered, "Now take me to your king."

Either I would die here or I would escape. So why should I fear these people?

She looked at me with obvious anger before saying, "You'll learn how to obey orders very soon."

Then she turned toward the door and continued, "Now move. The king wants to see you."

I followed her beneath the stunned gazes of the girls, whose eyes were wide with shock because of the way I spoke to Mirav.

As though they couldn't believe what they had just witnessed.

I heard whispers rising behind me, but I didn't turn around.

I didn't care what they thought. The only thing occupying my mind now was why the King had summoned me.

We completely left the Eastern Wing and headed toward the Southern Wing.

The difference between the two wings was obvious from the very first moment.

Numerous men stood lined up on both sides of the corridor, unlike the women's wing, where not a single man could be found.

All of them wore black uniforms.

Their hands were clasped behind their backs with rigid discipline. No one spoke. No one moved.

At the end of the southern corridor stood a room with a massive double door.

The two guards stationed outside examined us carefully. Their gazes were sharp, as though evaluating everyone who passed before them.

Then they opened the doors without saying a single word. A heavy sound echoed as the doors slowly swung open.

I stepped inside with Mirav following behind me.

The room was enormous. Bookshelves surrounded nearly every corner.

Hundreds… No, thousands of books. The hall resembled a vast royal library more than an office.

Maps were spread across several side tables, while documents and scrolls had been neatly arranged on the shelves. Everything was perfectly organized.

At the far end of the room sat a large desk. And behind it sat the King.

I walked forward one step at a time. Meanwhile, he remained seated at his desk, completely absorbed in his work.

He paid me no attention whatsoever. He didn't even lift his head to see who had entered. Calmly signing documents before him.

Even while seated, his height was obvious. His muscles were prominent. He was enormous in a way that immediately caught attention.

His broad shoulders seemed wider than the chair itself.

He never looked at me. Yet the aura surrounding him felt dark and terrifying...

He wasn't even looking at me, yet my chest tightened with every step I took closer to him.

I stopped roughly five meters from the desk. Mirav stood about a meter and a half behind me.

Mirav bowed deeply in respect. Her head lowered completely, and one hand rested over her chest in the highest display of reverence.

Then she moved closer to me and glanced at me from the corner of her eye, urging me to bow as well.

I could feel the warning in her sharp stare. As if she were silently saying, "Don't you dare cause trouble now."

Why the hell is everyone so obsessed with bowing?

I rolled my eyes in annoyance. Not wanting to take any risks this time, I reluctantly bowed...

Mirav spoke, "Your Majesty, this is the girl whom Nyxara, the Black Moon Seer, looked at before dying in such a strange manner."

So that was why he wanted to see me.

Unable to stay silent as usual, the words escaped my mouth automatically. "It's not as if I killed her with my eyes."

At that moment...His pen stopped moving.

He lifted his gaze from the stack of documents before him.

Our eyes met. The world around me stopped. A strange fear spread through me.

Even my heart began beating in a way I couldn't understand...

His eyes were as dark as the night itself, cold and sharp.

Terrifying, so terrifying that it felt as though they pierced straight through me, reading every thought in my mind without me uttering a single word.

The black hair falling across his forehead reminded me of the color of my own hair.

And the scar on his left cheek gave him a unique authority.

For a brief moment, I thought I saw something resembling surprise flash through his eyes. But it vanished immediately.

Then he stood. And I wish he hadn't. He was far larger than I had imagined...

But what was even more frightening was the way he walked toward me with that expressionless look on his face.

Don't come any closer. I almost shouted it. But the words became trapped inside my throat, refusing to come out.

Don't be afraid, Anastasia. Calm down.

He's just a man obsessed with women. Nothing more.

His body is just ridiculously huge. Damn it, what is wrong with my brain?

He stopped directly in front of me. Only a few inches separated us.

Despite everything I was feeling, I stared into his eyes defiantly.

Suddenly, he raised his hand while keeping his gaze fixed on me.

My body froze without my permission as I watched him step even closer.

Then he took a strand of my hair between his fingers.

The movement was strangely gentle. Yet every muscle in my body tightened instantly.

He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully and said, "Black hair."

Seriously? That was what he wanted to say? Black hair?

What the hell is wrong with my hair? Why does everyone seem shocked by its color these days?

I watched the strand slip through his fingers as though he were thinking about something.

Then he released it and looked directly into my eyes, unsettling me far more than I expected. "Which pack are you from?"

My expression instantly darkened with anger. I clenched my fists as I looked at him and replied with obvious hatred, "I don't have a pack anymore. They were all killed." The words came out sharp and bitter.

Without taking his eyes off me, he ordered, "Leave us, Mirav."

No. No. Don't go. Please don't leave me alone with this thing standing in front of me.

As foolish and irritating as she is, her presence is strangely comforting right now.

My thoughts screamed those words, but my face... Remained completely expressionless.

I continued returning his stare. A stare of pure composure.

My mind desperately searched for every possible way to get away from him.

Mirav bowed respectfully. "As you command, Your Majesty."

Then she headed toward the door. Leaving me alone with this giant beast...