Chapter 208: Trapping Turtle in a Jar

The success rate of doing this was very high. If things had gone wrong, the one to fall that day wouldn't have been Constantine, but rather the Silver Dragon Queen herself.

But now, it was all over. Constantine's head had already been chopped off by Leon and was hanging at the border of the Silver Dragon territory.

Since only that isolated undercover agent remained within the clan, what was there for the couple to fear?

It was just a matter of putting in a little more effort and staging a classic 'trapping a turtle in a jar' scenario.

Speaking of trapping turtles in jars, this couple was quite adept at it.

After all, if it wasn't the husband catching the wife, it was the wife catching the husband, they were well-practiced in this game~

After a brief teasing, Rossweise asked, "So, do you have a way to expose this undercover agent?"

Leon's eyes flickered as he pondered for a moment. Instead of directly answering Rossweise, he smiled confidently and countered, "What if I told you I already know who the undercover agent is? All that's left is to make her confess. Would you believe me?"

The queen frowned slightly, asking suspiciously, "Are you serious?"

"Of course. When have I ever lied to you?"

"Hah, as if you haven't lied to me enough?"

"My dear dragon, you need to distinguish between harmless white lies and—"

Rossweise waved her hand, unwilling to listen to his excuses, "Alright, alright, I'll live in your so-called harmless lies. Happy now? Now, tell me, who do you think the undercover agent is?"

———

[Late at night, Silver Dragon Sanctuary, Maids' Resting Quarters]

Shirley agilely climbed in through the window, landing soundlessly.

Once inside the corridor, she bent down cautiously, scanning both sides vigilantly.

After confirming she had avoided the patrolling guards' schedules, she carefully made her way deeper into the maids' resting quarters.

Tonight, she was dressed in a form-fitting black night suit, her graceful figure outlined perfectly, and her long brown ponytail swayed gently under the moonlight.

Shirley was the best vanguard scout trained by the Queen of the Silver Dragons, so this level of infiltration was a breeze for her.

Using the faint moonlight from outside, Shirley examined the nameplates on each door.

Finally, she stopped in front of a particular room, having found the name she was looking for:

[Maureen]

An unremarkable little maid in the maid corps.

Shirley didn't have a particularly good or bad relationship with her, they were merely acquaintances who exchanged nods.

Normally, Maureen would address her as "Sister Shirley" out of respect for her seniority.

Standing at Maureen's door, Shirley once again ensured no one was around before gently knocking on the door.

A muffled sound came from inside, it was clear that Maureen was still awake.

Yet, she did not immediately respond. Instead, she waited a few seconds before cautiously asking, "Who is it?"

Shirley lowered her voice, "It's me, Shirley."

Light footsteps sounded from within.

CLICK—

The door lock moved, and the door was pulled slightly open.

But only a crack, revealing one side of Maureen's face.

She wasn't particularly beautiful, just plain-looking. Her expression seemed somewhat tense, not like someone who had just woken up.

Maureen's eyes flicked quickly over Shirley's face before she averted her gaze and murmured softly, "Sister Shirley, what brings you here so late?"

Shirley crossed her arms, her eyes cold, her tone even colder, "Constantine is dead. There's no reason for us to stay here any longer. With fewer patrols tonight, we should escape while we still can."

Maureen's body stiffened slightly, clearly frightened by Shirley's sudden statement.

She quickly turned her head away and mumbled, "Sister Shirley, what are you talking about? I… I don't understand."

Shirley let out a mocking chuckle, "Didn't Constantine tell you? Hah, not that he had the chance. Did you really think that old bastard would only send you alone to the Silver Dragon clan to gather intelligence? If you get caught, you're as good as dead."

Upon hearing this, Maureen bit her lip tightly, her hands subconsciously clenching the hem of her dress into fists.

After a brief internal struggle, she finally mustered the courage to look up at Shirley, "Sister Shirley, I really don't understand what you're talking about. I won't tell anyone about this conversation tonight, so you should go back. I… I need to sleep."

With that, Maureen tried to close the door.

But Shirley was quicker, slapping her palm against the door.

Bang!

The sound startled Maureen, making her shrink back in fear, "S-Sister Shirley…"

"I got word that Rossweise and Leon are about to conduct a thorough investigation of the entire Silver Dragon clan. You and I both know that in dragon law, the fate of a discovered spy is nothing but death. If we don't leave now, there will be no second chance."

"I… I…", Maureen hesitated, panic evident in her eyes.

"Tomorrow morning, Anna will gather all the maids and Silver Dragon guards for questioning and investigation."

"Maureen, are you absolutely sure that in all these years, you haven't left any traces while passing on intelligence? Are you certain no one has noticed anything?"

Shirley pressed forward relentlessly, her tone quickening, "Even I can't be sure. That's why I plan to flee tonight."

"Running away means we still have a sliver of hope. But staying here… once we're exposed, we're dead. Don't you understand that, Maureen?"

"I know you might be clinging to a sliver of luck, hoping that if you're caught, Rossweise will spare you out of past sentiment. But we can't bet our lives on luck or someone else's mercy."

"Our lives… can only be safe in our own hands," After finishing, Shirley placed a firm hand on Maureen's shoulder, "I'll be waiting at the back of the sanctuary. You have ten minutes to decide. If you don't show up, I'll leave on my own. Whether you live or die, that's your choice."

With that, Shirley turned and left the hallway, climbing out of the window once more.

The sound of her footsteps gradually faded away.

Standing at her doorway, Maureen felt an icy chill creep through her body.

That chill… was fear.

———

Ten minutes later, at the back of the sanctuary, beneath a cherry blossom tree, Shirley finally saw that delicate figure approaching.

Maureen walked carefully, her tail slightly curled, eyes warily scanning the surroundings.

Only when she was close to Shirley did she let out a relieved sigh.

"Have you decided?", Shirley crossed her arms, tilting her head.

"…Yes, I've decided."

Maureen said, "If I stay here and get caught, I'll be dead for sure… Besides, Constantine promised me before—if we successfully eliminated Rossweise, I would get a share of the Silver Dragon territory. But now that he's dead, there's no reason for me to stay."

Her tone was flat, and when she mentioned 'eliminating Rossweise,' there wasn't even the slightest fluctuation in her voice.

As if it were as ordinary as asking, 'Have you eaten breakfast?'

Shirley raised an eyebrow slightly, "How long have you been following Rossweise?"

Maureen thought for a moment, "More than ten years, I guess."

Following a diligent, fair queen for over ten years, yet still choosing to betray her for an empty promise.

Shirley didn't dwell on the thought.

After all, her mission for tonight was complete.

Just as Maureen was about to grab Shirley's hand and leave, Shirley took a step back, shaking off her grip.

Maureen froze slightly, "Sister Shirley, you…"

Before she could finish speaking, the once-dark night suddenly lit up with bursts of dragon fire.

A group of people holding torches emerged from the cherry blossom grove.

At their center stood Rossweise.

Silver hair, silver tail, a trailing long dress, eyes as cold as ice, and a face like a frozen sculpture—everything about her exuded the majesty of a queen.

The moment Maureen met those imposing dragon eyes, her mind went completely blank.

Cold sweat instantly covered her entire body, and her ears buzzed incessantly.

LUB! DUB— LUB! DUB—

Her heart pounded heavily in her chest, each beat sounding painfully clear to her own ears.

At this moment, it felt as if all her senses had been heightened to the extreme by nervousness, shock, panic, and fear.

Even the air she inhaled felt like a blade cutting through her lips.

"Ross...weise..."

The chilling sensation that seeped into Maureen's soul was like an invisible tide, enveloping every cell of her body, piercing and biting colder than the ice flowers on morning dew.

Facing the Silver Dragon Queen, Maureen felt an overwhelming sense of powerlessness and weakness.

The queen's eyes seemed to possess the power to cut through the soul. Those deep, gem-like silver pupils, even partially veiled by her flowing silver hair, still emitted a dazzling sharpness, radiating an aura of inviolable dignity and strength. Like a snow-covered peak—serene, aloof, and impossible to scale.

Maureen's instinctive retreat made her feel utterly pathetic.

Her knees trembled involuntarily, as if declaring that the last vestiges of her resistance had been ruthlessly crushed. The muffled friction between her leather boots and the gravel ground produced faint yet helpless sounds.

Her survival instincts were mercilessly smothered by the queen's presence, just like a fragile snow lotus hesitating on the cliff of fate.

At that moment, her movements became stiff and sluggish, as if every string in her body had been tightened, turning her into a marionette being pulled apart in the depths of hell. The chains binding her soul seemed to jingle at each joint, the puppet's once-smiling face now shattered, replaced only by deep sorrow and despair.

With every step the queen took forward, the oppressive force in the air seemed to solidify, making Maureen feel as though she were standing in a graveyard on a winter's night—silent and deathly still.

The surrounding flowers had lost all color, reduced to mere gray shadows trembling lightly in the wind. The fury in the queen's eyes was like a falling star from the night sky—terrifying yet inescapable.

With a heavy thud, Maureen fell to her knees.

Had she continued to resist, that pressure might have snapped her spine in half.

Her palms pressed against the ground, cold sweat dripped from her nose and chin, falling one drop at a time. She gasped for air, her eyes filled with sheer terror.

She could already foresee her fate—

No, there was no need to foresee it.

Ten minutes ago, when Shirley came to find her, she had made it abundantly clear—the only fate for a traitor was death.

A pair of exquisite high-heeled shoes appeared in Maureen's field of vision.

She didn't dare to look up. Even breathing took all her remaining strength, let alone raising her head.

The next second, the rustling sound of fabric rubbing against skin echoed in her ears. The queen before her slowly crouched down.

She reached out her slender fingers, hooked them under Maureen's chin, and forced her to lift her head.

Maureen's teeth chattered violently, her pupils trembled as if they were about to shatter.

Though the queen's face was expressionless, the fury and disappointment in her eyes were unmistakable.

Maureen had thought there would be at least some trace of confusion in her gaze.

After all, being betrayed by a maid who had served her for over a decade—wasn't she even a little curious about the reason behind it?

But after a brief moment of self-questioning, Maureen quickly realized the answer— The Silver Dragon Queen had no need to know.

Her betrayal had been exposed, her identity revealed. The only things the queen had for Maureen were anger and disappointment.

"You just now..."

═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═

patreon.com/ZenonTL

🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.