*** I really don’t like this atmosphere   Standing emotionless at the center of the room, I keep eyes straight on the high seat in front of me with a poker face on while the head of the Council members whispered to each other as they occasionally throw slight glances at me, testing my patient. Nara and my stepmother sat not so far away from my spot, looking calm and -may I say- satisfied, which is stirred my anxiousness further at the way they kind of smiling to themselves,   The atmosphere keep on getting gloomier each time they look at me and I finally exploded, “if you have something to say to me then just say it” I hissed, startling almost everyone in the room as if they finally remember that I was in the same room as they are,   The head of the Council recomposed his flabbergasted looks before clearing his throat roughly, clearly disapproving my rudeness, “I’m sorry, the matter at hands are rather… inevitable” he fakely smiled and I just frowned, shaking my head before took a step forward,   “just cut out the bull already, you are the one that summoned me here, I belief you have clear out who's the perpetrator of my assassination, yes?” I ask to the point, disapproving whispers and gasps heard here and there from the Council members as I shrugs them aside,   “how rude”,   “how in the world this kind of brat became our heiress?”   “lack of mannerism, ungrateful bastard child”   I growled at the last sentence and glared at the person, it's no other than  Lady Son, she throw me a disgusted looks which countered with challenging glares of mine. How dare she   Opening my mouth to spat the curses that forming on the tip of my tongue, a loud, calming voice stopping me from doing so, “I believe, our JooYeon just can't wait to heard the result of the investigation, there’s no need to insult her in such way, Lady Son” SeokJin step forward as he put a calming hand on top of my shoulder before throwing a side glance at me, mouthing “behave”. That’s when I realize that I have a difficult time breathing as both of my fists balled in anger. My control start to slip out of my fingers for the upteempth time today,   Gritting my teeth, I look away and a snicker catches my attention. Nara smirked in triumph at me, fueling my anger even more. That , she definitely has something under her sleeves,   The Head of the Council examined me for a mere second before sighed as he sat up straight, “understandable, I’m sorry for delaying then” he said and I turn my attention back at him,   “just like how you all requested, we contact the Lee household in searching for a maid named Ahn SoHee” he gestured at my stepmother who still sat at the back of the room calmly and back at me. I just stood there holding my breath as he continued,   “therefore…” he pause.   Oh the suspense, why’s he so dramatic?! Just spit it out already! I’M DYING! And this is literally my life being at stake!   “there’s no maid named Ahn SoHee in the house to begin with”,   At this, my eyes grew wider, it felt like the whole world around me hollowed and the words keep ringing through my minds as I tried to process the entire sentences, trying to pull some logic from it,   It can't be, I remember clearly her nervous face, anguish that painted on her face that day when she ushered me away from the mansion, looking around like a scared cat as she tried to located the hiding threat that crept closer to where we stood, eyes b with tears,   “what?!” I snapped, slapping SeokJin’s hand off of my shoulder abruptly, earning all eyes on me as I keep mine in the old man sitting on the high seat above us, the Head of the Council staring back at me tiredly,   “that’s bull! She’s right there! I know her all of my life! In fact she’s the one who always tried to help me every single time that evil woman tortured me!” I pointed my finger at my stepmother in anger, another gasps heard as the said woman just staring back at me calmly. I can't help but noticed the victorious glint that flashed in her eyes. Just how in the world that I am the only one noticed that?!,   Did everyone in this room just miraculously goes blind or what?!   “she can't just disappeared in one night, can she?!”,   The Head of the Council sighed again as he massaged the bridge of his nose before answering, “we search everywhere but there’s no data of her JooYeon, why do you think the investigation been going this long?”,   “maybe it's because you're not tried hard enough!” I grab my hair out of frustration while NamJoon grab my arm from ripping out my hairs,   I glared, “you don’t tried hard to process this case because I was a bastard, are you? Because I’m an unworthy half-blood and you all just laughing at my misery even if it's my life that been threatened”,   Deep frown formed on the Head of the Council forehead at my accusation and I could actually see a vein popped as he hold back his anger, “enough Lee JooYeon!” he snapped, slamming his palms on top of the table and all people inside the room jerked in surprise at the man loud voice,   “you might be our future Queen but I’m not gonna have you accusing the Council all you want in any way! So hold that loose tongue of yours before I ordered it to be removed!”,   “we don’t mind a silent Queen on the throne as long as it keep you tamed” he added coldly before lean back on his seat as I having a hard time stay in control while my Reaper and Vampiric self roaring like crazy inside from the malicious threat that directed at me. Controlling freaks, aren't they?,   The Royals stay silent beside me as they still shocked from the event, couldn’t quite believe how the man just threatened me but I -being a stubborn girl I always been- waste no time to argue back,   “investigate again” I said, holding a staring battle with the Head,   “find Ahn SoHee, I’m sure she’s just hiding somewhere, scared for life”, I turn to glare at Nara and her mother who still stay put at the back after all what happened before them, as if they just watch a very interesting show. A show that going according to how they planned,   “child, look,” the Head began after a long pause but I beat him to it,   “please, just find her, if not for my sake, then for her, she’s one of your citizen” I began to plead at this and a flash of sympathy flashed through the man elderly face as he look at me,   “we can't,” he answered, I start to protest but he continued on,   “have you ever considered that all of this just occurred inside your mind? That this girl, this maid, was nothing but a fragment of your imagination that formed by the  horror that traumatized you that night?” he ask softly and I gaped slightly,   “look, I know how terrifying it is being hunted by some creatures that feel nothing but a thirst for killing thing, I swear to you that would never happen again, I’ll ordered the guards to intensify the custody in the palace from now on, even-“   I just stare blankly at him as he keep on saying his promises but I mute him out, trying to process what he meant before croaked out half in disbelief,   “are you saying that I’m crazy?”   Eyes settled on me at this,   The Head of the Council eyes grew wide for a second before he recollected himself and start shaking his head quickly -too quickly for my liking-, “what? No! Of course not! I just said that you might imagining things, it's understandable for you to react that way under such circumstance”,   “I ask, are you saying that I’m crazy?!” I hissed then look around at each faces in the room, my control tied to a thin string now and the realization that showing on the Royals faces not helping at all. I felt the familiar bitterness that I felt towards them came back in a horde. After all those acts they pull,   And here I thought if I trust them they would trust me back, I guess not, huh?   In all the pent up frustration, I bit my bottom lip hard and scoff, chuckling madly before turning the chuckles into a loud cackles, surprising all the audiences with my abrupt action then turn around to look at my stepmother and Nara,   “all according to plan, right?” I smiled bitterly,   “you even going as far as got rid of an innocent people, I guess I would never be free from all your torments”, my stepmother keep on her straight face before sighed and stand up from her seat, walking towards me but I took a step back, putting one hand out to stop her “no, don’t you ever get closer to me, you evil woman” I spat venomously, I saw a hidden smirk on her lips before she talk in her sugar coated voice,   “I know I’ve been too hard on you JooYeon, and I regret them now, I know that you’ve never accept me as your mother, I always know but you know all what I’ve done are nothing but for you, I promised your late father to take care of you, so I did, what I didn’t know that it messed you up instead”,   Take care of me   I frowned at the hidden meaning behind