Chapter 158:
Makenna’s POV:
“An assessment?”
I was taken aback. Why had we suddenly been asked to undergo an assessment?
Alice nodded. Her expression was one of severe discomfort, as though she was battling a headache. “Only the sex slaves who pass this assessment will remain in the palace to participate in the upcoming hunting event. Those who fail will be expelled from the palace.”
“Expelled from the palace?” I felt a squeeze in my heart.
“Yes.” Alice continued in a serious tone. “It’s rumored that those who fail won’t just be expelled—there will be harsher punishments.”
She looked up at me earnestly and continued, “If the king finds a sex slave displeasing, her family and friends might suffer too. Makenna, we have to pass this test.”
Frowning deeply, I asked in bewilderment, “Why is there suddenly an assessment?”
Up until now, no one had spoken of any assessment during our training sessions.
Alice chuckled bitterly. “Actually, this is somewhat because of you, Makenna.”
“Me?” My eyes widened in astonishment. “How does this involve me?”
Alice explained, “You’re the only sex slave who has caught the princes’ attention. The king wants to keep those who can charm his sons. After all, our role is to bear the princes’ children. He won’t keep us if we can’t garner the princes’ favor.”
Her words plunged me into a deep quiet, and a wave of sadness swept through me.
Alice was right. We had been brought here as mere vessels for childbirth. Our autonomy and self-respect were secondary to producing babies for the princes. A heavy silence fell over us, and the air turned solemn.
Lily’s eyes moved back and forth between Alice and me. She then said, “It’s alright. Both of you are capable. I’m sure you’ll make it through the assessment.”
While Alice might have been fretting about failing, my thoughts were elsewhere.
𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥 𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝕠𝕟 𝓰𝖺𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀․𝗰𝗈𝗆
Perhaps… this assessment could be my opportunity to flee the palace.
I had made too many enemies here, including Kristina and Bryan, the pervert.
Now that I had completely offended Bryan, I doubted he would let me off easily. My best bet was to seize this opportunity to run away. Once outside, I would be free from the palace’s confines. In the vast world, Bryan would no longer be able to touch me.
Alice hinted that my family could suffer repercussions too if I failed.
I scoffed at the thought. Recalling the actions of my father, my stepmother, and the ugly faces of Frank and Jessica, I found myself almost eager to see them face troubles.
Did they not always claim we were family? I wondered if they would maintain that façade by then.
If things played out as I hoped, leaving the palace would allow me to enact my revenge, effectively killing two birds with one stone.
I took a deep breath to center myself and then turned to Alice. “Do you know what they will test us on in the assessment?” I inquired.
Alice replied, “There are supposed to be three parts. The first part tests physical strength—only the strong can bear children. The second part measures intelligence—only the clever can have clever children. The third part…” Alice suddenly paused, hesitating.
I asked eagerly, “What’s the third part?”
With a worried frown, Alice continued, “The third is to assess our bodies’ ability to conceive.”
