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Sophie nodded slightly. “I’ll send someone to assist you. Have you already arranged for a coffin?”
Carmen responded, “Yes, I’ve purchased one. Ms. Spencer lent me some money, but I didn’t use it. The Lester family is providing a coffin for my mom. I didn’t agree at first, but I couldn’t refuse them. They’ve already prepared my mom for burial, and we’re just waiting for the funeral. I really don’t want to owe them anything.”
Sophie understood the Lester family’s coldness. They likely feared being implicated. But now that Melanie had passed, their worries were no longer relevant, which was why they were willing to help with the funeral.
“If there’s anything I can do to assist, just let me know, The Capital Guard will provide support,” Sophie offered.
“There’s one more thing. I’m now completely alone, and there are many disabled people here at Pearwater Convent. I want to stay and care for them. I just ask for a place to sleep and three meals a day in exchange,” Carmen said.
‘Sophie was more than happy to agree. “Alright, thank you for helping them.”
“They’re all suffering souls,” Carmen said softly. “Fortunately, I’ve trained in martial arts, so I can handle the hard work.”
The next day, Henry was to be executed, with Rafael serving as the supervising officer. The Capital Guard was responsible for setting up the perimeter and maintaining order.
Rafael had initially been reluctant to let Sophie attend. While Henry was despicable, he wasn’t the mastermind behind the chaos. Plus, the brutality of a beheading was not something he wanted her to witness.
But Sophie had already seen all kinds of cruel scenes. Even if Henry wasn’t the ultimate culprit, his self- serving actions and weakness had led to the suffering of so many. He was truly guilty of unspeakable crimes.
Thus, she insisted on going.
By early morning, the area outside the execution ground was packed with people. Since the execution was scheduled for noon, the Capital Guard hadn’t arrived early to manage the crowd, leading to a noisy scene. Vendors had even set up stalls and were selling their goods nearby.
The timid townsfolk wouldn’t come to watch, and children were strictly prohibited. Even if there wasn’t a ban, parents wouldn’t allow their children to attend.
Yet, there was never a shortage of onlookers, especially with the prince consort’s identity drawing larger crowd. After all, seeing someone of high status executed wasn’t an everyday occurrence.
Executions were generally more frequent in the autumn, as many death sentences would be carried out after the fall harvest.
At the appointed hour, Michael arrived with the Capital Guard to maintain order. They erected ropes to ‘mark the boundaries and ensured the crowd stayed behind the line.
Henry was still at the Supreme Court, as he hadn’t yet been brought to the execution site. Before heading to the gallows, the Supreme Court would offer him a lavish meal, allowing him to fill his stomach for the journey ahead.
At first, Henry wasn’t particularly afraid. But when the food arrived, he began to tremble uncontrollably. He lost his appetite and remained silent.
Peter, the Supreme Court’s representative, came to see him off and urged, “Eat. It’s better to be a well??ed ghost than a starving one.”
As soon as Peter said that, Henry nearly lost control of his bladder.
His hands shook as he picked up his cutlery, only to set them down again. He looked up at Peter and asked, “Is…is anyone from the Marquis of Grovehill’s’ family coming to see me?”
Peter said, “That name doesn’t exist anymore. None of the Kingsley family members came for you. I’ve told them before that they could visit you, but they’ve decided not to. They said you’re guilty of grave crimes and they don’t want to see you.”
Henry buried his face in his hands and began to sob.
Seeing this, Peter asked, “Do you have anything to say? If you can identify the mastermind behind this life.” plot, I could plead for leniency on your behalf, maybe even save your
Peter wasn’t willing to let this final opportunity slip away. Henry knew a lot, but was too afraid to speak. out, fearing it might Implicate his family.
Now that the Kingsley family seemed indifferent to his fate, it was a chance Peter could seize.
Henry stifled his tears, grappling with a fleeting Impulse driven by fear and anger. But he was already. accustomed to sacrificing for the Kingsley family??t was ingrained in him. He couldn’t turn against them.
Their absence was for the best. That way, they wouldn’t have any ties to him and wouldn’t be dragged down.
He picked up the cutlery and began to eat slowly. His hands trembled so much that he could barely hold them steady, yet he still managed to shove pieces of meat into his mouth.
Seeing this, Peter realized he wouldn’t be getting any information from Henry. Nevertheless, he pressed on, determined not to give up.
“If you come forward, Prince Rafael could plead with the king to pardon the Kingsley family. You wouldn’t have to die.”
“That’s impossible.” Henry-lifted his head, managing a wretched smile. “It’s impossible because I don’t know anything.”
Henry had to insist he knew nothing at all. To have knowledge meant becoming an accomplice. At that point, his life wouldn’t be the only one to be forfeited; the Kingsley family would face extermination as well.
In the end, Henry was going to die. Why drag everyone else into hell with him?
Peter fell silent, choosing not to push further. There was still enough time. So, he let Henry eat at his own pace.
Tears dripped onto the plate as Henry took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears and suppress the fear of death. But the dread still filled his heart, suffocating him.
Henry began to ramble, “None of this was what I wanted! If I could choose again, I would never have pursued Eleanor. My family may have been in decline, but it was still a marquis’ family. The foundation was still there??ow bad could it possibly get?
“I came from a scholarly background. I could have taken the national examinations. There wasn’t just one path before me. How could I have been so foolish? I was truly too foolish. I had such a bright future ahead. I could have married a virtuous woman, taken a couple of concubines, and had three or four sons and a few daughters. The marriage would have made my family stronger. Instead, I thought I was taking a shortcut, but I didn’t realize it was a dead end.”
The cutlery fell from his hands as his shoulders shook with sobs.
Peter picked them up for him. “Dwelling on the past is pointless. Action is what matters now. You can still share what you know. There’s still a chance to turn things around. If you keep silent, you’re sealing your fate”
Henry covered his face and cried for a moment before lowering his hands, wiping away tears and snot with his sleeve. After enduring torture, his movements were slow and clumsy, and he hunched over,
“No matter what, it’s still a dead end. There’s no way out.”
Peter had been around the court long enough to see all kinds of villains, many of whom regretted their choices when death loomed near. They would confess anything in hopes of buying a chance at survival.
But Henry, though not a great villain, had a startling clarity of mind. Even now, as he faced execution, he weighed the pros and cons. With his intelligence and calm demeanor, how could he have fallen prey to Eleanor’s manipulation?
At the end of the day, it all came down to greed.
At first, Henry may have resisted. Then, he was half??eartedly drawn in. Eventually, he found himself fully involved and pulling the strings from behind. He believed Eleanor to be the mastermind, thinking that playing the victim would shield him from blame.
But he was wrong.
Peter didn’t press him further, simply waiting in silence
Eventually, Henry stopped crying and lifted his head to ask, “If my head is cut off, will I die instantly?”
Peter replied dismissively, “I’ve never had my head chopped off, so I can’t say for sure. But I’ve heard from the coroner that when the head is separated from the body, there’s a brief moment of awareness??ike realizing your head has been cut off. Of course, I haven’t experienced it myself, so who knows if it’s true?”
“How terrifying!” Henry stared at Peter, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.
“You’re right. That kind of death is truly frightening, especially with so many people watching.”