I tried to move forward, but my father-in-law's soldiers pinned me down. My usually gentle brother glared at Maria with fierce anger. "Maria, you seduced my brother into a secret marriage and now you pretend to care? I don't need your help."

My father-in-law kicked Maria aside, and in a flash, steel gleamed. My brother's blood sprayed onto Maria as she weakly crawled toward him, trembling.

I fought my way free from the soldiers, rushing to my brother's side and clinging to his lifeless body, my voice hoarse as I called his name. Applause echoed from above as the second prince approached, grinning and patting my father-in-law's shoulder. "Master Garcia, you've done well. When I take the throne, I'll make sure to reward you with a higher rank and title. ."

Tears streamed down my face as I held my brother, my hands shaking uncontrollably. At that moment, I swore I would not rest until I had my revenge. My heart was so consumed with pain and anger that I barely noticed what was happening around me.

Later, I knelt before the king, my fingers trembling. He sneered and said, "Christopher, your father-in-law's act of killing your brother hasn't eased my suspicions. I was curious to see how he would handle this situation."

"To my surprise, your father-in-law showed genuine loyalty, willing to sacrifice his own honor to save your life and let you mature."

I swallowed the blood in my mouth, remembering how Maria had called me to the study to clear up the misunderstanding. She said we needed to be honest with each other. When I arrived, I heard my father-in-law admit that he had betrayed me to gain power.

I pounded on the door frame of the study until it splintered, consumed by rage. I didn't even notice Maria's shocked and tearful state. In front of them both, I made a harsh vow, "Master Garcia, you've crossed the line. If you leave me alive, I'll rise to power over the Garcia family's corpses. Neither you nor Maria will escape."

With that, I stormed out. From then on, Maria didn't speak a word to me. Every night, I went to her room, grappling with the urge to strangle her, but my resolve faltered at the last moment.