Aurora had lost consciousness.
+15 BONUS
Liam kept choking her, dragging her back and forth between life and death. At the same time, he slashed her with a knife on her body and face. Also, he had cut off one of her ears.
As Barrett carried her out, she remained unaware of her rescue, still in a state of unconsciousness.
However, it was clear to everyone that Aurora wasn’t wearing any pants. Many had also seen the pool of blood beneath her, revealing the horrors she had endured.
Barrett’s expression was livid. He finally understood why Carissa had insisted that he only bring his trusted aides up the mountain.
He shot a fierce, resentful glance at Carissa. Until Aurora told him the truth herself, he refused to believe Liam’s accusations. He was unwilling to accept that Aurora had indirectly caused the death of Carissa’s family.
Seeing his eyes, Carissa saw only a coward. She ignored him, and proceeded with the rescue efforts. Soldiers entered the cabin to carry out the remaining prisoners. The hut had originally been warmed by charcoal, but the Westhaven troops had extinguished it before leaving. The fact that the prisoners were still alive, though still screaming in agony, was a testament to the residual warmth keeping them from freezing to death.
Some people spontaneously removed the cotton–padded lining from their own uniforms to dress the prisoners before descending the mountain.
Upon returning to Simonton City, military doctors were summoned. Barrett personally tended to Aurora, scrubbing away the stench from her body and painstakingly removing the excrement from her mouth. Several times, he nearly vomited from the nauseating task.
He dared not inspect the wound between her legs closely, and simply applied some oint…ent indiscriminately. The rest of her injuries were carefully treated.
The word “slut” had been carved into her face. Barrett steeled himself, and used a heated iron brand to burn it away. He would rather disfigure half her face than leave that mark.
Aurora had awakened during the treatment, her mouth continuously cursing and denouncing the cruelty of the Westhaven troops. Her bitter tirade ceased only when Barrett pressed the hot iron against her face, causing her to scream and tremble uncontrollably.
“Barrett!” Aurora called hoarsely. Her eyes were filled with pain, and the foul odor of her mouth still made one want to gag. “Why are you destroying my face?”
“There’s a foul word branded on your face. Do you want to live with that mark for the rest of your life?”
Barrett’s eyes were cold and terrifying.
“Those beasts! Those vile dogs! Aurora cursed vehemently. “Liam Tudor, I will not rest until you’re
dead!”
+15 BONUS
Barrett grasped her chin, leaned in, and stared into her eyes. “Tell me, did you destroy villages in Fawnrun? Did you kill innocent civilians?”
At that moment, Aurora was consumed with rage and anguish. In response to Barrett’s interrogation, she screamed, “I regret it! I should have razed all the villages there, not just the three I destroyed!”
Barrett swayed slightly, his eyes filled with horror.
“Did you really do that? And what about the abuse of the prisoner? Did you do the same–castration and endless beatings?”
“Not just that!” Aurora’s eyes were filled with malevolent fury, almost bordering on madness. “I had his face carved up slowly, forced him to endure being urinated on, and fed him excrement. I used every method to torture him to make him reveal his identity! Now, I regret that I was too lenient!”
“So it was because of this prisoner that Liam hastily established the border and signed the treaty with you,” Barrett said in an icy voice, his demeanor chilling to the core.
Even someone as dense as him could piece together the identity of the prisoner.
Liam’s desperation to make concessions, his eagerness to sign the treaty with Aurora, and his avoidance of returning to Victory Pass to negotiate with Dominic–it all pointed to the fact that the prisoner was likely Liam’s nephew and the previous crown prince of Westhaven.
It was no wonder the Westhaven troops would appear and fight on the Southern Frontier battlefield.
Everything made sense now.
The border dispute was a significant issue that both kingdoms had contested for years, but Liam had rushed to sign the peace treaty.
Barrett should have suspected there was something wrong from the beginning.
He had been tasked with burning the supply depot in Fawnrun City. By the time he rushed over to Aurora’s side, the peace treaty had already been signed, which showed just how anxious Liam had
been.
