Transmigrated as the Villainess Princess - Chapter 88

Chapter 88: What?

Ahcehera sat across from her third brother, Abrixien, the cold iron table between them casting long shadows under the dim light of the prison chamber.

The air was thick with tension, laced with the faint scent of damp stone and metal.

She studied him carefully, the brother she had barely known, the one who had been absent for fifteen long years. Her voice was calm but firm. “Where have you been all these years?”

Abrixien leaned back slightly, his sharp features unreadable, yet there was something distant in his golden eyes, a ghost of the past that still haunted him.

“Wandering across the Andromeda Galaxy,” he answered at last, his voice tinged with something close to exhaustion.

Do you lack an ambition to serve the kingdom?

“For the first eleven years, I had no true destination. But then… I met someone.”

What then? A fairytale love story? Ahcehera narrowed her gaze. “Who?”

Abrixien hesitated. For a man who carried himself with unwavering confidence, the moment of pause was telling.

This would be a story about two destined people, right?

“Carmela.” He exhaled the name like a breath he had held in for too long.

So it’s a woman, and I might know what’s next.

Ahcehera noticed the way his fingers twitched slightly against the table, as if even the memory of the woman unsettled him.

“At first, we despised each other.” He let out a low chuckle, but there was no humor in it.

I knew it! So this is the development of enemies to lovers.

“She hated my guts, opposed me at every turn. But somehow… she became the most important person in my life.”

Ahcehera remained silent, letting him continue.

His next words came slowly, deliberately. “Something happened between us. It was… an accident, a mistake.” His gaze darkened. “Or at least, that’s what I told myself back then.”

The tension in the room thickened. Ahcehera could already predict what he would say next.

“We spent a night together.” His voice dipped lower, rough with the weight of the memory. “And by the time I realized what she meant to me… it was too late.”

Ahcehera’s eyes flickered. “What happened?”

A shadow passed over Abrixien’s face. “Pirates attacked the city we were staying in.”

A place where pirates can attack?

His jaw tightened. “Everything was in chaos. We were separated, and forced to run in different directions.”

Tragic…

“I searched for her, fought through waves of enemies just to reach her, but by the time I got to her last known location, she was gone.”

A muscle in his jaw clenched. “The only message I received from her afterward was that she had escaped successfully.”

So they had communicated after the chaos. Why did he delay finding her?

His voice grew colder. “And that she had reunited with her cousin.”

Ahcehera felt her stomach drop slightly at the implication. “Her cousin?”

“Khaterine.”

Silence stretched between them. The name hung in the air like a venomous whisper. Of all people, why her? Are you sure?

Ahcehera’s expression remained unreadable, but her fingers curled slightly against the cool surface of the table. “So that’s why you took Khaterine out of military detention.”

Abrixien met her gaze without flinching. “Yes. I needed information about Carmela. I thought Khaterine would have some answers.”

Ahcehera tilted her head. “And did she?”

Abrixien let out a slow breath. “No.”

For the first time that night, his carefully controlled composure faltered, just slightly.

Ahcehera studied him, her purple eyes gleaming under the flickering light. She did not trust Khaterine. But more than that, she did not believe in coincidences.

Something wasn’t right. Ahcehera’s eyes darkened as she stared at her brother, her fingers tapping rhythmically against the table.

The cold air in the prison chamber was thick with unspoken tension.

“You do realize what you’ve done, don’t you?” Her voice was calm, but there was an undeniable weight behind it.

Abrixien met her gaze without flinching, but a flicker of something, defiance, regret, or perhaps both, flashed in his silver eyes.

“I did what I had to,” he said simply.

Ahcehera let out a slow breath, her patience thinning.

“No, what you did was aid a detainee in escaping from a high-security military facility. Do you have any idea how reckless that was?”

Abrixien’s jaw tightened. “I was only trying to find Carmela.”

“And in doing so, you have jeopardized your own standing, not just as a prince, but as a citizen of Sirius.” She leaned forward slightly, her voice lowering.

“It’s not just about you, Abrixien. You’ve dragged the empire’s military forces into your personal affairs, and for what? A woman whose whereabouts remain unknown? A woman who, for all we know, might have chosen to disappear?”

His hands clenched into fists on the table. “You don’t understand…”

“Then make me understand.” Her voice was sharper this time.

The silence between them stretched. Abrixien exhaled heavily and shook his head. Ahcehera studied him carefully before sighing.

“Look, I’m not saying I don’t believe you. I know what loss feels like. But your actions have consequences, and I can’t allow you to continue down this path recklessly.”

She straightened, her expression unreadable. “I’ll take over the investigation.”

Abrixien blinked, caught off guard. “What?”

“I’ll be the one to find out what really happened to Carmela.” Her tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.

“I have resources, far more than you do right now. And I can interrogate Khaterine in a way that won’t compromise my position or the empire’s security.”

Abrixien looked as though he wanted to argue, but he knew his sister well enough to understand that once she had made up her mind, there was no changing it.

“And what if I refuse?” he asked, though his voice lacked conviction.

Ahcehera’s lips curled into a faint, knowing smirk. “Then I’ll ensure that Father learns about your little stunt tonight.”

Abrixien cursed under his breath. “Damn you, Ahcehera.”

“You’re welcome.” She stood up, brushing the dust off her pristine uniform. “Now, I suggest you go back to Father’s meeting and pretend none of this happened. Leave Khaterine to me.”

Her brother hesitated, his frustration evident, but after a long moment, he nodded reluctantly. “Fine. But if you find out anything about Carmela, you tell me first.”

Ahcehera tilted her head. “We’ll see.”

With that, she turned on her heel and strode toward the exit, her mind already racing with possibilities.

Khaterine knew something.

And Ahcehera intended to make her talk.