The Ruby Oath: Redemption by Darkness

Chapter 2-1:

Chapter 2-1: Plotting in the Night

In the shadow of the Ottoman Empire, Edmund is a ghost that lingers in the dark corners of the world, out of reach of the people. His power is like that of a cursed prince, controlling time and the fate of his enemies. He can make time stand still for him, leaving his enemies in endless confusion and helplessness. As he moves through the night, he glides like a shadow, and his enemies can only feel a cold chill but can't catch a glimpse of his physical form.

Under the moonlight, Edmund stood among the ruins of the old castle, holding a ruby. In the dim light, the ruby shines with a faint red glow, reflecting the flame of vengeance in his heart. Ever since Evelyn's tragic death at the stake, hatred has haunted him like a viper, tormenting his soul day and night.

"Leah ......" he murmured in a low voice, his eyes like ice blades, "

Finally, you will see the plot is revealed, and I will make you pay for it with my hands."

The voice was low but full of determination, like Hamlet's prince, who swore vengeance in the darkness.

Meanwhile, Leah stands before the altar in a distant church, her fingers stroking the cross, her mouth reciting a prayer of devotion, yet a dark spell lurks within each word. Her followers—Marcus, Leonardo, and Agnes—watch her with endless reverence and fear. In Leah's hands, faith has become a tool for hiding black magic.

"Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name ......"

Leah's voice echoed in the empty church, and when she touched the holy water with her finger, it immediately glowed with an eerie light.

The believers received the blessing with devotion, not realizing that black magic had already tainted the water. As the ceremony progressed, Leah drew the believers’ souls quietly; Leah celebrated a grand and mysterious at each religious festival mass, where devotees willingly immersed themselves in holy rituals and became part of her dark power. Her true power comes not only from these rituals but also from her secret black magic. Late at night, in the church's basement, Leah stood in the center of a giant pentagram, holding an ancient grimoire and chanting a low incantation.

"In dark knees, we seek light; in faith, we seek strength."

The light from the sigil spread out, the pentagram gradually lit up, and a powerful force filled the air. Marcus, Leo, Nardo, and Agnes surrounded her, and KnoLeia's magic controlled them and the entire Jesuit order.

Leah's power grows. Marcus is in charge of the Church's wealth, Leonardo is in charge of the military, and Agnes worships Leah fervently. They have their agenda but are all loyal to Leah's power.

In the aftermath of the war, Edmund walks calmly through the wilderness of pain and death like a statue of a night guard. His hands are quick and organized, cleaning the wounds and stitching the torn skin of each fallen soldier. He uses the herbs in his hands, honey, buckle, and honeysuckle, to gently apply to rotting wounds to reduce inflammation and pHe boiled water with mugwort. Let those with high fat drink it to lower their temperature. He knew that someone filled every corner of the land with the scent of plague, a silent war that only calmness and wisdom could fight!

Princess Elie stood quietly, looking around the chaotic camp. Her eyes held a hidden concern, but her voice had a fragile innocence:

"Sir Edmund," she said in a low, clear tone that cut through the clamor and wailing,

"Will these herbs ...... really cure the plague? "

Edmund didn't answer right away as he focused on bandaging a soldier's bone-deep wound. His technique was skillful and careful. After a few moments, he looked up, his gaze as sharp as a razor blade yet soft in Elie's presence.

"Herbs have their power."

He said calmly, "honeysuckle clears the heat, and ligustrum soothes the pain. But the plague is a greater enemy, perhaps more cunning than its opponents on the battlefield. To defeat it, we need more time and more attempts."

Elie's brow furrowed as she watched Edmund's handiwork and the sheen of the herbs. She pondered as if she had seen a similar entry in her books. She murmured, "I have read that licorice and echinacea also have strong disease resistance.

" There was a flash of confusion in her eyes, and then, with a touch of childish doubt, she continued,

"But Sir Edmund, why are you so persistent in rescuing these people? They may never thank you or remember your name."

Edmund stopped him, and a hint of surprise swept across his gaze, followed by a faint smile like a warrior who had long since seen through the complexities of human nature. He looked down at the soggy herbs as if meditating on the land, then looked up at Elie, his tone becoming slightly heavy:

"Gratitude? Gratitude is the most unreliable currency in this world, Princess. Power and fame, wealth, they are all more tangible than gratitude. But every life has value - whether people recognize it or not. I save them, not for their gratitude, but for the souls that have passed away innocently, no longer in vain."

In the twilight of the camp, Elie's heart shook by Edmund's words; she had never seen a man who could face life, death, and humanity with such depth. She realized that beneath Edmund's coldness lay a more complex emotion, a sense of duty that was very different from the hypocrisy she had seen at court. She lifted her head and moved closer to Edmund, her tone much more vital:

"If that is your goal, I will help you. I have dabbled a little in herbs, so perhaps I can help."

Edmund cast a slight sideways glance, revealing a hint of imperceptible approval. He remained silent for a moment, nodded, and then replied in a low voice, "Your knowledge and courage may be more valuable than you realize, Princess Elie." His voice was a whisper in the night, tinged with hope and a shadow of unease.

Bryan's heart was like a burning volcano, the lava of jealousy surging through his chest. He watched every eye contact between Elie and Edmund, every smile a knife in his already hateful soul. He couldn't accept it - except that the calm, powerful Edmund had taken Elie's attention, and he couldn't bear that her eyes, which shone only on her, were now occupied by another man. Edmund's fearless demeanor and unshakable determination made Bryan feel even more insignificant and powerless in front of Elie.

"What are his qualifications?"

Bryan's thoughts were like a bolt of lightning across his heart. His fists cleared and cinched, and his nails dug deep into his palms, but they did nothing to ease the pain.

"What makes him so desirable to her?"

The moment Elie approached Edmund, Brian's sanity crumbled. Anger ignites his already weary heart, and he's determined to erase this rival from his world and take back the woman who is rightfully his by any means necessary.

It was a stormy night, and Bryan was utterly drunk in a sea of jealousy. His steps were staggering, his eyes were dazed, and his mind was confused. Without realizing it, he broke into a dark room with the smell of rotting herbs in the air and a vague sense of the corrosive effects of black magic. He couldn't see much of the place, only that the air was as thick as lead, weighing him down. In his blurred vision, he saw a slender female figure, and she looked like Elie in the darkness.

Brian's hands trembled, the effects of the alcohol making him unable to distinguish between reality and ill; his fingertips traced over her cold skin, the overflowing desire in his heart burning the last vestiges of his sanity to the ground. His voice was low and hoarse.

"Eli ......"

He breathed; desire consumed his last shred of sanity, his lips eagerly pressed against her neck, greedily feeling her slightly trembling response. At this moment, his heart was filled with a twisted satisfaction, as if he had finally reclaimed the woman he'd longed for, even if there was still a shred of doubt deep inside. But now, he could no longer distinguish between reality and illusion.

Instead of speaking, she stepped forward and slowly slid her hands up Bryan's chest, her fingertips carrying incredible cool seduction between touches. Her hands wrapped around him like vipers, her soft but cold palms pressing against his hot skin. Her breath was close to his ear, carrying an irresistible herbal scent, like a darkness that tempted one to fall.

"Do you think I'm Elie?" Leah's voice was cold and full of deadly seduction.

Bryan's heart sank so hard that his entire body felt as if pinned in place. His body stiffened, his eyes widened, and a sudden wave of fear instantly struck him down. That voice and it, it wasn't Elie. His hand involuntarily retracted from her body, and the dismay and uneasiness deep inside his heart surged like a tidal wave. At this moment, the gentle illusion he thought he held in his hands shattered into pieces, and he stepped back eagerly, trying to escape from this nightmarish vision......... His voice trembled, the words stuck in his throat as if choked by an invisible force.

"Do you think that I am Elie?"

Leah's voice was low with a teasing smile. Her words were like a cold blade that instantly cut through Bryan's illusion. His body stiffened, and an uneasy tremor immediately filled his mind. This voice was not Elie.

He stared at Leah before him, her eyes no longer soft but glowing with a cold and horrible light. Leah's face was freezing in the dim candlelight, and her smile seemed to suggest some trip of infinite evil and possessiveness. Bryan's throat was dry, his breath shortened, and he tried to speak but found his voice choked with fear.

Leah's laughter grew lower as her fingertips continued to travel over Bryan's skin, every inch of her touch a cold punishment. The look in her eyes was that of a hunter enjoying the dying struggle of his prey. Her fingertips slid lightly over Brian's skin again, this time deeper, more aggressive. Her hands were like poison, seeping into his body, making him unable to resist. Brian's body trembled slightly as if in a fall from grace.

"The woman you desire will never belong to you." She whistled in his ear, her voice full of icy mockery, "And you belong to me now."

Bryan's heart raced as a boulder pressed him, and his throat was so dry he couldn't make a sound. His legs were almost weak, his body trembling as he backed away, but the fear inside him prevented him from truly escaping. He couldn't understand who the woman in front of him was. He tried to fight back but found his body was already out of control as if he was in an abyss from which he could not break free.

Leah's smile grew even more sinister as she wrapped her hands tightly around Bryan, her movements teasing and brutally cold.

"Do you think that you can have her love? You're too pathetic and ever to touch her."

Her fingers slid over his cheek, slow and provocative, the cold touch penetrating every fiber of Brian's being. His soul was torn apart, plunged into a frenzy of desire and shame. Each touch of hers was like a fire burning through his senses, plunging him deeper into degradation.

"Beg me." Her voice flowed into his ears like venom, carrying an irresistible seduction.

"I can give you everything," Leah's voice was as slow and compelling as a viper's whisper, "if you serve me."