After several rounds of the open grounds, Heena paused and ca to a stop in front of the stables.
Seraphina was there, changing water buckets. Her stomach was slightly showing now—the pregnancy becoming more visible.
Heena looked at her as she dismounted and said cheerfully, "Ah! How are you, Lady Seraphina?"
There was a smile on her face.
Seraphina paused, turned to look at her, and greeted stiffly, "I greet Your Majesty."
Heena looked at her and said, "Well, you don’t look so great to . How are you feeling? Looking at you, you seem... well enough, considering."
Seraphina looked at her and said with barely controlled anger, "Of course, Your Majesty. You’ve thrown here to work in stables. But I have to ask you, Your Majesty—do the consorts know that you’ve thrown here?"
Heena paused, looked at her, then burst into laughter.
"Lady Seraphina, you’re quite naive, aren’t you?"
Seraphina frowned.
Heena spoke clearly: "Do you really think I could throw you here without anyone finding out if they wanted to know? Of course I threw you here, and everyone knows it."
Seraphina’s eyes turned furious. She looked at Heena and said, "Don’t be so arrogant, Your Majesty! If the people knew how you’re treating , do you think they would let you go unpunished?"
Heena looked back at her calmly and said, "Well, I don’t care. Maybe you’ve forgotten, but I am the ’only’ ruler of this empire. So it doesn’t matter what others think."
She continued, her voice becoming sharper:
"Secondly, just think about it. If we place everything on a scale—I, the only ruler of this empire, the only remaining royal bloodline, the world hero, the empire’s hero, the best knight, the strongest warrior. I won the scholar title at age fourteen. I’m the daughter of the previous emperor and empress who were beloved by their people. I’ve done extensive charity work—half my salary goes to charitable causes. I’ve mastered all types of arts. I love my people and care for them. After I beca ruler, there’s been no famine, no drought. So you can see I’m also considered a blessed child. I’ve also prepared grand resources for any crisis."
She looked directly at Seraphina.
"And then there’s the fact that I’m the one being ’cheated on’ by my husbands. If your truth cos out, I don’t think I’ll face any problems."
She gestured at Seraphina dismissively.
"Then we turn to you. A fallen lady who insulted the ruler. Who cheated. Who tried to take what belongs to the ruler. Yes, you did so charity—but mostly with ’my’ money that you sohow accessed, and that’s about to be exposed too. And you don’t have proper etiquette. Your manners are lacking. You’re not perfect in any art form. So, well, I can’t understand—what is anything good about you that’s better than , except you being a bitch and so idiotic n flocking around you?"
She tilted her head.
"In all senses, what is there to compare between you and ?"
Seraphina clenched her hands so tightly her nails dug into her palms. Her anger was rising to dangerous levels.
And Heena kept pushing. Kept mocking. Kept needling.
Because the truth was, she was watching Seraphina’s ntal state carefully. She wanted to push her just a little more. And a little more. Until she got what she ca here for.
After being mocked repeatedly, Seraphina finally snapped.
"Your Majesty," she said, her voice shaking with rage, "do you really think you’ll always be this lucky?"
Heena looked at her and said calmly, "Lucky or not, I don’t care. But I ’am’ much luckier than you, so you can keep dreaming. And as for being lucky—I’m also ’talented’. So take your jealousy and shove it."
Seraphina’s patience completely snapped.
She looked at Heena with hatred burning in her eyes and said, "Fine! Then let’s see, Your Majesty—if all your luck turns against you, what will you do?!"
In her mind, she shouted: ’System! I want all the cosmic attacks on her! I want to steal ALL of her luck!’
Her System appeared and was about to say, "That’s not possible—"
But Seraphina shouted internally: ’I’ll give my LIFE willingly for that power!’
The System, being greedy and false, appeared fully. It looked at Seraphina and said, "If you want, we can do it. But in exchange, you’ll lose all your luck as a protagonist."
Seraphina nodded frantically. "If I can take this bitch down, I’ll do it!"
The System nodded, and in a swift motion, began draining Seraphina’s protagonist energy.
As it turned to attack Heena—
Heena gave a sharp smirk.
Seraphina’s System suddenly froze, confused.
Before it could react, a net of pure energy crossed around it, trapping it completely.
Heena shouted in her mind: ’System! CAPTURE!’
In a swift motion, four auxiliary systems appeared around Seraphina’s System. An electrified net enclosed it completely. The System scread and struggled, but couldn’t escape.
Heena looked up and called ntally: ’Transmigration Officers!’
Two figures appeared—n wearing complete suits, their faces obscured. They looked down at the trapped System.
"Wild Lotus System," one officer said formally, "you are not registered in our official database. You have caused nurous illegal activities in this world. You are hereby under arrest. You must co with us."
They grabbed the struggling System.
Then they turned to look at Heena, nodded, and said, "Thank you for your assistance, Agent Heena."
Heena smiled and said, "Of course. It’s my duty, Officers."
They looked at her. "Your reward will be transferred to you shortly."
"Thank you, Officers," Heena said.
With that, in a swift motion, they vanished—taking the illegal System with them.
Ti resud.
Seraphina suddenly ca back to her senses. "Sister? Sister?!" she shouted in her mind.
But she couldn’t feel the connection anymore. The System didn’t answer.
Heena looked at Seraphina with a smirk and said innocently, "What happened? Did I not lose my luck just now? Actually, maybe I did. I don’t know."
Seraphina looked at her, her face pale. "You... you... I..."
She couldn’t say anything. Because she literally couldn’t admit that she’d just tried to use sorcery to steal the Empress’s luck. She had no defense. No rebuttal.
Heena turned to her knight and said in a cold, formal voice, "Lady Seraphina appears to have lost her mind. Take her to the royal physician imdiately and make sure she receives the best treatnt possible."
With that, she walked away.
The knight, of course, followed Heena’s orders, gently escorting the shocked Seraphina toward the dical wing.
After walking a safe distance away, Heena and her System burst into laughter.
The System looked at her and laughed, saying, "Host! You’re a genius! Brilliant! Outstanding! How did you even plan all of that?!"
Heena looked at the System and said, "When a person is too desperate, they’ll gamble anything to take down their enemy. And of course, I just gave her a push."
The System looked at her incredulously. "Push?! You didn’t give her a push—you threw her off a cliff! I was so confused when you said you were going to capture that System. I thought it was impossible! The only way to capture a System is when they’re either at their most powerful or most weakened state. But we couldn’t weaken that System directly!"
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