Chapter 426: The Spy 3
Manna’s lips quivered as her gaze darted between Marx and Princess Amaya. The hall had fallen into an eerie silence, the weight of the accusation pressed heavily in the air, thick with unspoken dread. Servants, guards, and palace staff stood frozen in anticipation, their eyes flicking between the accused and the accusers.
"I... I don’t know how to prove my innocence, Sir Skylar," Manna stamred, her voice barely a whisper. "All I did was feed the pigeons like I do every morning. I have never seen any capsule, nor do I know anything about it!"
Marx stepped forward, his piercing blue eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her shrink. His voice was calm, deliberate. "Then why did you look at Liza just now?"
Manna’s breath hitched. A flicker of panic crossed her face before she quickly averted her gaze, realizing her mistake.
Liza was Manna’s best friend.
Princess Amaya’s sharp eyes flicked to Liza. The young woman stood rigid, fists clenched at her sides. A faint sheen of sweat glistened on her brow.
Liza swallowed hard, her voice steady but not her hands. "Why would she look at ? I have nothing to do with this."
Marx exhaled through his nose, tilting his head slightly. He raised his wrist, tapped a command on his sleek, high-tech watch, and a holographic projection flickered to life.
The hall held its breath as the footage played—Liza, earlier that morning, preparing the bird food. A subtle movent. A small, dark capsule dropped into the grain. And then—she was gone, re monts before Manna arrived.
Gasps rippled through the gathered servants.
Liza’s face drained of color.
Princess Amaya’s expression darkened. "Liza, do you have anything to say for yourself?" Her voice was calm but carried the unmistakable weight of authority.
Liza’s mouth opened, then closed. Her breathing quickened. Then—without warning—she bolted.
The sudden movent caught everyone off guard for a heartbeat. But Marx was faster. He lunged forward, seizing her wrist in an iron grip before she could get far. Liza thrashed against his hold, wild with desperation.
"Let go of !" she shrieked.
"Why run if you’re innocent?" Marx’s voice was a lethal whisper.
Liza’s chest heaved, her eyes darting frantically. And then—her lips curled into a chilling smile.
"You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourselves into," she murmured, her voice dripping with sothing too triumphant for a woman cornered.
Then—before anyone could react—her teeth clamped down.
A sickening crack.
Her body convulsed violently. Foam bubbled at her lips. Her eyes rolled back.
And then—she crumpled to the floor.
Dead.
A heavy silence crushed the room.
Princess Amaya’s fingers curled into fists. "A suicide pill," she murmured, her voice like steel. "She was prepared to die rather than be caught."
Marx exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple. "Whoever orchestrated this... they’re far more dangerous than we thought."
A crackle sounded in his earpiece. Ren’s voice, tight with urgency: "Uncle Marx, we have a problem."
Marx stiffened. "What is it?"
A pause. Then Ren spoke again, his voice deadly serious.
"Another ssage was intercepted. And this ti... it’s not just about the Princess."
Marx’s blood ran cold. "Then who else?"
Silence.
Then Ren’s next words sent a chill down his spine.
"The assassination order... it’s for you."
Marx was not surprised. It was not the first that an assassination was ordered against him.
anwhile...
Though Manna swore her innocence, the palace guards still escorted her out. That sa morning, she was sent back to Albanya, her fate now out of her hands.
At the sa ti, another servant—one from Anishton Estate, the very one who intercepted the ssage—was apprehended.
Like Liza, she bit down on poison before the Maharlikan guards could lay hands on her.
Marx clenched his fists. This wasn’t the work of the Dark Phoenix. Their thods were ruthless, but not like this.
Soone was moving in the shadows. Soone powerful.
Later that morning...
Despite the chaos, Princess Amaya enjoyed a peaceful breakfast with Marx. It had been too long since they’d shared a al together.
So of her favorite dishes had changed. She was no longer fixated on fried chicken.
Marx sighed.
"Your security chief reported everything to the King and the Crown Prince. The Palace’s Security and Intelligence Group is already vetting every servant working here," he said, placing cut fruits on Amaya’s plate.
"Your Daddy Ibarra has summoned us to Asteria Palace," he added.
Princess Amaya lifted a brow. "Did he ask why you disappeared for two years?" She finished a plate of cut fruits.
Marx smiled. His Aya still had a big appetite.
"No, not yet. He just sent the ssage through the security chief."
"Then let’s go after breakfast."
Elsewhere... A Hidden Tunnel at the Border of the three countries.
In a dimly lit room, the glow of computer screens cast eerie shadows on the stone walls.
A man in his late twenties, thick glasses perched on his nose, lood over a group of teenagers.
His voice cracked like a whip. "What do you an you lost your contact at Anishton Estate?"
The boy nearest to him swallowed hard. "M-Master, the last ssage we got said the Princess will visit Albanya in three weeks. She’s arriving on a Saturday."
The man’s lip curled into a grin—but instead of making him look pleasing, it only made him more grotesque. A shiver ran through the four teens, hunched over their laptops.
"At least there’s good news," he muttered. "Have you confird why she’s going?"
"Yes, Master. She’s attending the birthday of Princess Tamara’s firstborn son."
A new voice—thin, hesitant. "M-Master... two of our spies were caught."
Silence.
The man’s gaze snapped toward the speaker.
The teenager flinched. "One in the Maharlika Palace... the other at Anishton Estate."
"What?" The man’s fist slamd onto the table.
The wooden legs gave out. A laptop crashed to the floor.
"But they committed suicide before they could be interrogated."
The tension in the room held like a breath.
Then—the man’s shoulders relaxed. He exhaled a slow, satisfied breath.
"Good," he murmured. "No information was extracted."
He turned toward the glowing screens, his glasses reflecting the data scrolling across them.
"Continue monitoring Princess Amaya. I’ll be heading to Ra-Iya," he said, his voice dripping with sothing ominous.
"My master will be very pleased to hear that the Princess will be in Albanya."
And in the dim light, his smile sharpened into sothing far more sinister.
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