CHAPTER 314: SURVIVE

Even before Uva was done speaking, a deep sense of pity bloomed in her chest for Violet. She couldn’t help it.

The moment Lady June spoke her name with that signature dismissiveness, Uva felt an overwhelming compassion for the girl—even though she still didn’t fully understand how someone like Lady June had discovered Violet’s identity as a witch. That mystery lingered in her mind like a thorn, sharp and impossible to ignore.

But none of that mattered right now.

No matter how much pity Uva felt for another person, especially someone like Violet, her first priority was herself. Survival. Escape. Submission. She stayed bent at the waist, bowing so low that her forehead nearly touched the cold, polished floor of the hall.

The stone beneath her skin pulsed with residual magic, a silent reminder of whose domain she stood in. Her limbs trembled slightly, not just from fear but from the sheer pressure that radiated off Lady June like invisible chains, locking her in place.

"Lord Cain loves her! That’s interesting to know, but at the same time also annoying," Lady June said at last, releasing a long sigh that filled the space with an odd mix of amusement and irritation. Her voice carried the kind of false calm that masked a far more dangerous storm beneath.

Uva flinched, her breath catching as the conversation took a sharp turn.

"Isn’t he dying?" Lady June asked, her tone eerily casual, but her gaze sharpened like the edge of a ceremonial blade. It fixed on Uva with such intensity that Uva felt her skin prickle, each word digging into her flesh like a curse.

The question itself was dangerous—but what frightened Uva more was the implication behind it. It meant Lady June was being fed information. Specific, detailed information. From someone close to them. From somewhere within the mansion. Somewhere she shouldn’t have access to.

Uva’s stomach knotted tightly. That cold realization brought with it a wave of nausea. Who was telling her these things? Who else did she have eyes on?

"I—I don’t know," Uva stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "He’s sick, but... he doesn’t seem to be dying."

She kept her head bowed, hiding the flicker of guilt that crossed her face as she carefully avoided mentioning the vial of blood she still had hidden away. The vial that could, in the wrong hands, doom Lord Cain entirely.

It was already bad enough that she was betraying him by cooperating with Lady June—but handing over that vial? That would be the final nail in her own moral coffin. That would be the thing she wouldn’t recover from.

"Hmmm... I don’t care about him."

Lady June’s dismissal came with such finality that it made Uva’s chest tighten. She felt like her heart had stopped mid-beat, unsure if the statement meant she wouldn’t interfere with Cain, or if she was simply stating his life held no value to her anymore.

"Violet, right... such a mundane name," Lady June murmured under her breath, barely audible, but the contempt in her voice was unmistakable. She spoke as if tasting something bitter.

"I want to meet her. Set up a meeting," she said suddenly, her voice snapping into a tone so commanding it left no room for protest or delay. It wasn’t a request. It was an order dressed in velvet.

"Yes, Your Highness!" Uva replied immediately, her head still low, body motionless. She didn’t dare let herself feel anything but relief. If it meant she could walk away from this encounter with her life intact, she’d arrange a dozen meetings. She’d walk Violet straight into the lion’s den if she had to—though guilt stabbed at her the moment the thought crossed her mind.

"Also..." Lady June said, her voice now a whisper laced with menace. "Paint me in a good light."

Uva’s breath caught again. The unspoken threat was loud enough to rattle her bones.

"Make me look like an angel... and nothing less."

Lady June’s tone was so icy that even the air around them felt colder. Uva nodded rapidly, too frightened to speak, showing with every trembling motion that she understood the weight of the expectation placed on her.

"I’ll do more than that," Uva thought silently, promising herself she would weave whatever story Lady June required—even if it meant twisting the truth into something grotesque and unrecognizable. Her only goal now was to survive.

She remained on her knees, her head pressing harder against the floor, forehead beginning to ache, as she waited for some signal that she could rise. Waited for the tension to lift, waited for the danger to pass.

But Lady June wasn’t finished.

"Concerning Lord Cain... you won’t be able to solve his problem even if you wanted to," she said.

Uva froze again, blood draining from her face.

"I formulated the potion myself and created the method to diffuse the cells and help them coexist."

There was pride in her voice now, raw and unmistakable. Not arrogance. Pride born of genuine skill and the knowledge that no one else could rival her.

"If anyone could do it, it would be no one else but me!"

And Uva didn’t doubt her. Not even a little. She had tried her own methods, her own remedies, had burned the candle at both ends trying to stabilize Cain’s condition—and all of it had failed. Her magic had only made things worse. Her understanding was simply not enough.

"Yes, Your Highness," she whispered quickly, trying not to tremble. She wanted to appear composed, attentive—anything but rebellious.

"I’ll give you a few days. I’ll be around. Bring her out and we’ll all talk like friends."

That word—friends—twisted in her gut like a cruel joke.

"You know better than to allow anything to go wrong," Lady June added as she stepped forward, moving past Uva without even looking at her.

Uva lowered her head even more, trying to appear invisible. The moment Lady June was a few steps away, she released a long, quiet sigh of relief that she hadn’t even realized she was holding.

"I understand, Your Highness," she said, barely able to form the words.

She didn’t dare lift her head yet. Not while she could still feel the lingering trace of Lady June’s presence in the air. Her fingers curled into the hem of her cloak, knuckles white.

A part of her wanted to beg. To plead with Lady June to remove the restriction she had placed within her body, the one that cut her off from her own magic, her own power. But she knew better.

Witches of the Coven were taught one thing above all else: survive.

No one would come to save her. Not even Lady June, who had all the power in the world. Especially not Lady June.

Even if Uva begged, she knew the woman wouldn’t so much as lift a finger.

And yet, she was still expected to obey. Still expected to carry out these impossible orders, with no help, no power, and a ticking clock.