Chapter 60: Ch 60. Selena Grece’s Control

There was a long silence after Axov’s final words. Briella looked heartbroken as there was nothing she could do to refute their defense.

Did her father really do that? No, not just her father—even her mother and brother were involved?! Damn it, how is that possible?!

Axov and Azvia watched her—now unable to protest—and both let out sighs of relief almost simultaneously. Then they both turned their gaze back to Selena and Vylen, who had been silently witnessing everything from the start.

"Your Majesty, that is exactly how it happened," said Axov, bowing his head with sincere humility. "It’s only natural that the girl doesn’t know all the details clearly—she was very young at the time. You can’t blame her for rashly making accusations and causing a commotion; she was just a little girl seeking justice. But the justice she sought, she’ll never be able to obtain, because ultimately, it was her parents who were at fault."

Vylen let out a soft sigh; he even clutched his head as if to stave off a headache. This caused Axov to bow his head, while they could still hear Briella’s sobs.

"Your Majesty, please bring this trial to a close. The case was closed long ago by the Old Fox King; reopening it only stirs up painful memories that must be relived." Azvia chimed in, bowing her head deeply. "I also do not wish to disturb the Old Queen’s rest in the afterlife; please put an end to all of this. For the greater good."

Vylen looked at Selena, not knowing what to say. But since the two foxes in front of him were waiting for a response to what they had said, Vylen finally sighed and prepared to speak.

"For the common good? Do you mean the good of the two of you?"

Selena’s outburst left Vylen speechless; he looked at Selena again, who this time was staring intently at Axov and Azvia, who were kneeling in front of them.

Swallowing hard, Vylen grew slightly worried—judging by Selena’s tense posture—that she might resort to violence, just as she had with Briella. He remembered that Selena hadn’t exactly been patient after gaining the power of the Healer of Extinction, and he had no idea how this trial would end.

"What do you mean? By ’the common good,’ I mean the well-being of His Majesty the King, the Old King, and the Old Queen. We don’t want this painful matter to be brought up again; it will only weigh heavily on their hearts," Azvia said politely, as if she understood best.

"Very wise—truly befitting a doctor," Selena commented, making Azvia smile.

"Of course, I’m doing this solely for the Fox King’s well-being and for their health. If they dwell on this too long, I’m afraid they’ll become stressed from excessive sadness," Azvia said politely and gently, but Selena merely snorted.

"If I were the Selena I used to be, I might have believed your words 100 percent, but unfortunately, I’m no longer the foolish Selena Grece you can manipulate at will. So, your acting is pretty good, Dr. Azvia. It’s just that you picked the wrong opponent today," Selena said flatly, staring at her with her characteristic condescending gaze.

Azvia unconsciously swallowed hard as she met Selena’s piercing gaze, which felt as though it were gnawing at her very being. Not only that, she felt as if something had entered her eyes, ransacking their contents in search of information about the true reality within Azvia.

This caused her to clench her own hands, then close her eyes and gently shake her head to ward off that strange sensation.

However, Azvia felt that whatever was in her eyes and was wreaking havoc in her head just wouldn’t go away. It made her shake her head even harder, occasionally jerking it from side to side in agitation.

Axov, seeing his sister’s behavior, stared wide-eyed and even grabbed her arm in a panic.

"Hey, what’s wrong with you? Azvia, hey?!"

Vylen began to stare in shock, glancing at Selena with a frightened expression, but the woman who was his wife was sitting there casually as if she hadn’t done a thing. Selena had indeed been sitting next to him the whole time; she hadn’t even done anything except ask questions and speak up.

But how could this have happened?

Briella, who had been crying in despair, instantly stopped crying upon seeing Azvia’s behavior. The female doctor, well-known among the foxes, looked panicked as she kept shaking her head. It was as if she were trying to dislodge something stuck inside her, even though nothing like this had happened just moments ago.

"Azvia? Snap out of it! What’s wrong with you? Why are you shaking your head over and over?! Hey, Azvia?!" Axov shouted, growing even more panicked.

The thing was, his sister seemed to be getting more and more panicked, her breathing and voice betraying a fear that made it impossible to understand what she was trying to say. She covered her eyes, rubbed them several times, and seemed to be trying to get something out, but nothing happened, and nothing appeared to come out of her eyes.

"Your Majesty... Please help my sister," Axov said with a panicked expression, continuing to hold his sister, who was becoming increasingly disoriented. "Your Majesty, what’s happening? Why has my sister become like this?"

Vylen swallowed hard, staring at Selena, who was now smiling slightly. The woman leaned back calmly, staring at her fingernails as if she were completely uninvolved.

Yet Vylen knew that Selena must have done something earlier—that was why his mother’s former personal physician was now in a state of panic and unfounded fear, constantly shaking her head as if possessed.

"Your Majesty, why are you just standing there?! Please help my sister—something’s happened to her, and this isn’t normal..." Axov said frantically, even letting go of his sister, who seemed to be getting worse by the second.

"Your Majesty, please... Please remember my younger sister’s service to the late Old Queen... Please help her—she’s my only younger sister... Please, Your Majesty..." Axov pleaded as he began to prostrate himself repeatedly. "Please help my sister..."

Vylen glanced briefly at Azvia, then looked at Selena, who was sitting in chains. However, his attention was diverted when Axov nearly climbed onto his throne to grasp his feet and continued pleading for his sister’s life.

Fortunately, he failed, as Coxy immediately swatted his hand away.

This made Axov even more panicked; several times he could be heard banging his head against the floor, begging for help while humbling himself.

"Your Majesty, please... Please save my sister... I’ll do anything, as long as you save her first," Axov said again, this time his voice softer as if he were holding back tears. "Please, Your Majesty..."

"I can’t do anything; I don’t even know what happened to her. You should have asked Queen Fox for help; she understands matters like this best because she is the Healer of Extinction—the goddess and the senior figure among all doctors and poison-makers in Eldoria," Vylen said quickly, even pulling his leg away just as Axov was about to kiss or hug it.

The man’s younger sister was still in a pitiful state; this time, Azvia even seemed to be losing her mind. She was laughing to herself, crying, panicking, and trembling with fear while clutching her head and rubbing her eyes repeatedly.

Vylen swallowed hard again, but to maintain his dignity, he remained calm and looked at Selena, who seemed very satisfied. His wife had indeed changed completely—she was like a different person.

The Selena who had once been oppressed and mistreated was now completely gone, as she was instead engrossed in watching a panicked female fox who was on the verge of losing her mind. ℴ

"Your Majesty, I beg you, save my little sister..." Axov crawled toward Selena, his face filled with panic and tears. "Your Majesty... Please listen to your conscience... My little sister—please save my little sister..."

Selena crossed one leg over the other, staring at Axov, who was kneeling and nearly prostrating himself, his voice hoarse with fear.

"I beg for your help, Queen," said Vylen, trying to sound calm, though when Selena turned her gaze toward him, he was already covered in goosebumps. "H-he said he’d do anything if you saved his little sister."

Selena gave a small smile, glancing at Axov, who looked "tense" for a moment but then continued to whine—after all, his sister came first, even if the world were to end.

"Okay, I’ll accept that promise," Selena said casually, then leaned in until her face was close to Axov’s. "Are you stupid? Why are you crying? Isn’t your sister the best doctor in Feralis? The former personal physician to the Old Fox Queen and also a senior doctor?"

"She should’ve handled plenty of cases by now—she was even the first to declare that the Old Fox Queen died from the effects of Fox Claw Poison. But look at her now," Selena said, pointing at Azvia, who was starting to look like a madwoman. "Your sister has also been poisoned now—by the Fox Claw Poison made by the Northern Region House. Why panic? Go treat her; she can’t possibly fail, can she?"

Axov froze; his whimpering stopped, his hands trembling as his body stiffened completely with fear. When he looked up, Selena was standing right in front of him, smiling meaningfully.

It meant that this woman could kill him right then and there, regardless of his status.

"Go ahead and cure yourself right now, Great Doctor Azvia. If you succeed, then I’ll believe that the Royal Advisor killed the Old Fox Queen, and I’ll close this case—and I’ll also sentence Briella to death."