The Villainess Wants To Retire Chapter 16: The Fire Testament

His eyes swept the chaos of ink and parchnt, then fixed on . The contempt on his face was as sharp as the sword he once drove through my heart.

And gods, it stung all over again.

He did not waste ti with greetings. He never did.

"Why are you keeping the court waiting?" His voice was as cold as the steel he favored, already dipped in disdain before I even answered.

I did not look up. My quill scratched against parchnt as I marked another line across a map. "Did I not send a ssage?"

"You did." His jaw tightened as he repeated my words, mocking them. "That they should decide amongst themselves and bring their conclusions to you. Do you have any idea what you an by that?"

"Perfectly," I murmured, dipping my quill again.

"Your presence is not optional, Eris. The Pyrosanct ceremony... its rites, its order... everything depends on you. You are the Queen. You cannot simply—"

I let his voice wash over , little more than wind scratching at stone, until sothing in his tone sharpened.

"—and instead you would rather surround yourself with... this?" His hand swept toward my table, maps and scrolls scattered like the aftermath of a siege. His eyes narrowed. "Is this another one of your ways to garner attention from ?"

That earned my gaze. Slowly, I lifted my head and t him with a calm so practiced it unnerved even . "If I wanted your attention, Caelen, refusing to attend a eting would not be my thod."

His brows pulled tight. I let my mouth curl into a smirk I knew he hated. "We both know I have far more effective ways."

The twist of contempt on his face was almost satisfying. Almost.

He exhaled sharply, already giving up, already turning for the door. "Do whatever you want, Eris. You always do."

But I wasn’t finished. "You and your lover, if she wishes, may preside in my absence."

He froze mid-step. The silence between us thickened, and when he turned back, there was sothing like confusion in his eyes. Perhaps even suspicion.

I tilted my head, feigning innocence. "You heard . Now let be."

For once, he obeyed without further venom, though the weight of his stare lingered long after he closed the door.

I leaned back, a quiet chuckle slipping past my lips. To hand him power so easily... it would eat at him more than any insult.

The door shut behind Caelen, and silence folded back over like a cloak.

I sat for a long mont staring at the maps, ink stains blooming across my hands, and then it struck ... the truth burned clear as any fla: it would not be enough to vanish. If I wanted freedom, I would need to strip myself clean of every chain. The throne. The crown. Even him.

And there was only one way to do that. With a snap of my fingers,

"Send for High Keeper Dareth," I told the nearest servant, my voice low, steady. "Tell him the Queen requires his presence. Tonight."

The man scurried off as though flas licked at his heels.

When the chamber was mine again, I reached for the blade on my desk. A quick slice across my palm... sharp, shallow, deliberate. My blood dripped into the ink, and I stirred them together until the red darkened the black. The Fire Testant. No decree bound the realm more tightly.

I wrote slowly, savoring each stroke of the quill:

On the day of Pyrosanct, before gods and n, I, Eris Igniva, release the fire that binds to this throne, this empire, and this man. Let Caelen Caldrith carry the embers. My reign ends where his begins...

More words bled into the parchnt like veins of fla. And with every letter, my smirk grew sharper.

Much later,

The chamber door creaked. I did not lift my head. I felt his presence before he dared to speak... Dareth, the High Keeper of Pyronox, robes rustling, breath trembling.

"Y-Your Majesty—"

I silenced him with a raised hand. "Quiet."

Dareth stood rigid, sweat beading his bald head, his lips shaping prayers he was too afraid to voice.

I picked up the scroll and extended it to him. He took it with shaking hands, eyes skimming the words, and his face went pale. He nearly dropped it. Then he bowed so deeply I thought he might fold in half. Relief poured off him in waves; I could all but hear it in the frantic rhythm of his breath.

"I intend to relinquish my bond as Queen," I said, my tone even, final.

He dared to lift his gaze. "Your Majesty, is this truly—"

"Do not question ." My voice sliced like a blade. "You will hold this testant until the grand ceremony, when it shall be read before all. Until then, your tongue will remain still. Should I sll the faintest hint of rumor, your head will be on my plate before the hour passes. Do you understand?"

His body trembled as he bowed again, clutching the scroll like it was fire itself. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Good."

I turned back to my maps, dismissing him without another glance.