<div> Cassandra jolted awake from her deep sleep.
 The floor of the bedroom trembled slightly. The tremor had caused the chandelier to sway gently and knocked over the wine bottle by the window. With half-closed eyes, she tried to determine whether it was an earthquake or just an echo of a dream lingering in her sleep. But a second later, the loud thud she heard cleared her mind completely.
 THUD!
 Something… No, someone was fighting in Neonidas' study.
 Cassandra sat up quickly, her bare feet touching the cold marble floor beneath her thin nightgown. Her heart pounded as she rushed out of her room, hurrying towards the large wooden door at the end of the corridor.
 The door to Neonidas' study was shut tight, but the clash of metal and the sharp, rapid movements echoing from within signaled a deadly struggle inside. Cassandra didn't hesitate.
 Just as her hand reached for the doorknob, she heard footsteps behind her.
 Solara, Yuanna, Celeste, Elenora, and… Neonidas' sister, Zalira. The sound of the mansion's guards' armor clanking followed close behind them.
 All the women were still in their nightgowns, but the traces of sleep had vanished from their eyes. Panic flickered in Solara's gaze; Yuanna was breathing fast but steady; Celeste's brows were furrowed; Elenora's hand rested on her dagger. But Zalira was different. She hadn't panicked for even a second, standing tall—yet her eyes betrayed her fear.
 Cassandra had arrived first, and she was the one to open the door.
 The scene behind the door was enough to shake everyone's world for a few seconds.
 Neonidas stood, his powerful muscles tense. His shirt was torn to shreds, with small trails of blood seeping from the gashes. Yet his gaze was sharp—like a predator's, unwavering and unyielding.
 <div style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px;text-align:center">
 </div>
 </div> A corpse lay before him. But this was no ordinary corpse. The assassin's sword, forged from sharp light magic, still glowed in midair, and across from it, a severed head had rolled onto the floor. Its eyes were wide open, lips slightly parted—frozen in the inescapable reality of death.
 The room still carried the thick scent of blood and the sharp stench of burned flesh. Dark stains splattered on the walls spoke of the brutality of Neonidas' strikes. His chest rose and fell steadily as he clenched his left hand. A few drops of blood trickled from his arms, landing on the marble floor.
 Cassandra's breath caught in her throat. Her eyes trembled as they fixed on Neonidas' bloodied silhouette. The women behind her also froze. A moment of silence… and then Solara stepped forward.
 "Are… you okay?"
 Neonidas lifted his head, his golden eyes glowing with light magic as they locked onto her. He was tired, but he stood firm. His voice was deep and steady.
 "He came to kill me. But he wasn't very successful."
 Zalira eyed the severed head on the ground. Slowly, she crouched down, studying the assassin's face. "Do you know who he is?" she asked, venom dripping from her voice.
Visit ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com for the 𝑏est n𝘰vel reading experience. "No," Neonidas replied, "he was skilled enough that I didn't get the chance to interrogate him."
 Zalira flipped the severed head over. Even before death's coldness settled in, the assassin's face had been expressionless. Clearly, he was accustomed to facing death. But now, his lifeless eyes stared into nothingness—far from keeping any secrets. Other than the fact that the body belonged to a woman, there was nothing notable about it.
 "That's not important right now... Neonidas' wounds matter more," Cassandra suddenly interjected, her voice trembling slightly.
 Neonidas inclined his head slightly at Cassandra's words, but there was no sign of pain on his face. His eyes remained on the corpse, studying it carefully, as if he still considered it a possible threat. Then he raised his hand, pulling aside his torn shirt to examine the wounds beneath. They weren't deep, but they weren't just surface scratches either—sharp, meticulously inflicted cuts.
 Yuanna immediately stepped forward, kneeling silently as she pulled out a small vial from her belt. As she uncorked it, a faint herbal scent filled the room. She hesitated for a moment.
 "These wounds… they're poisoned."
 One of the guards immediately ran to call a healer. The others, seeing that there was no immediate threat, stepped back to give Neonidas and his family space.
 As Yuanna's words echoed in the room, tension rose within everyone. Poison. For Neonidas, it was nothing new—but the fact that his enemies didn't seem to realize this was intriguing. Cassandra's hand instinctively went to her chest, her heart still racing.
 But Neonidas showed no expected reaction. Not a flicker of shock, fear, or concern. The darkened edges around the wounds indicated that the poison was trying to spread, but his body wasn't responding.
 <div style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px;text-align:center">
 <div></div>
 </div> Yuanna had a small potion that she always carried with her. This potion was good for many things, and one of them was poison. Yuanna carefully dripped the potion onto the wound—yet nothing happened. Normally, it should have at least slowed the poison's effect, but Neonidas' skin showed no reaction.
 Silence stretched, intensifying the tension.
 Finally, Neonidas exhaled lightly, shaking his head as if dismissing the issue.
 "The poison is useless. Don't bother."
 Yuanna frowned. How could such a powerful poison…? Then it dawned on her.
 Neonidas' body was not that of an ordinary man. Killing him through conventional means was probably impossible.
 Zalira knelt on the bloodstained floor and examined the assassin's face more closely. Her fingers traced the cold features as she pressed her lips into a thin line, the shadow in her eyes deepening.
 "This woman is no ordinary killer," she said, her voice cutting through the room like a sharp blade. "Her stance, her scars, her muscle structure… She's a trained assassin. And clearly not a cheap mercenary. Someone invested years into her."
 Neonidas rolled his eyes, still inspecting the gash on his chest. "Well, whoever invested in her, they should've known it wouldn't match the investment put into me."
 Zalira shot her brother an irritated glare, but she knew he wasn't a fool who thought himself invincible. He was always on guard. If this situation had truly warranted concern, he would have been the first to recognize it.
 Yuanna was still studying the dark ring forming around the wound. "The poison has no effect, but that doesn't mean we should underestimate the attacker," she murmured.
 Zalira lifted her head at Yuanna's words, her eyes narrowing with a calculating glint. "Should we take this as a message?" she asked, her voice cold and sharp.
 Neonidas wiped away the scattered blood around his wound and let out a quiet chuckle. "If it was a message, then the one who tried to deliver it is now lying headless on the floor," he said indifferently. "But I imagine they'll try again."
 Solara was still staring at him with concern. She knew Neonidas was resilient, but the presence of a poison he was immune to… This was no ordinary assassination attempt. "How do you know the poison is ineffective?" she asked, her voice carefully softened, but the doubt in it was clear.
 Neonidas glanced at Solara but didn't meet her gaze directly as he replied, "Because I don't feel it."
 It was a simple, brief, and straightforward answer. But it didn't satisfy most of those in the room. Solara furrowed her brows, Yuanna continued to analyze the faintly glowing liquid around the wound, and Cassandra remained silent—but for her, this little information was enough.
 <div style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px;text-align:center">
 <div></div>
 </div> Because Cassandra knew the truth.
 Neonidas had revealed a secret to her months ago—or rather, she had been forced to learn it. His body was different from that of an ordinary man. Poisons did not affect him. But the number of people who knew this was extremely limited, and Neonidas had no intention of exposing his secret.
 Knowing this, Cassandra decided not to give Yuanna or Zalira a chance to press further. She stepped forward and gently grasped Neonidas's arm. "There's no need for further examination right now," she said in a soft yet firm voice. "If they were trying to send a message, this will be their last mistake. But you need to rest, Neonidas."
 Neonidas turned his head slightly toward her. Cassandra's blue eyes shone with unmistakable concern. He took a slight step back from her touch, but the determination in her gaze amused him. He inclined his head slightly, accepting her words.
 Zalira watched this interaction, making no effort to hide her dissatisfaction. But Cassandra's words made sense. They would find out who had sent the assassin—right now, Neonidas's condition was the priority.
 Solara let out a slow breath. "If you feel anything… even the slightest change, you'll tell us immediately," she said, her voice unintentionally softening.
 Neonidas simply nodded.
 At that moment, one of the guards entered, followed by a healer in a white robe. "Your Majesty," the guard said with a bow, "I have brought a healer."
 But Neonidas shook his head. "There's no need," he said indifferently. "The wounds are minor. They'll heal on their own soon enough."
 The healer did not dare to argue, but Yuanna and Zalira frowned. Cassandra closed her eyes for a brief moment, letting out a quiet sigh. Neonidas's stubbornness was legendary, and forcing him to do anything was nearly impossible.
 Zalira finally looked down at the corpse once more. "I will find out who this woman belonged to," she stated with certainty. "But if this is only the beginning, we need to take precautions."
 Neonidas smirked, but there was no warmth in it. "Nothing will happen to me, but considering Celeste and Elenora are suspected to be pregnant, their safety must be prioritized above all. However, I'm not confident that any of the guards can truly ensure their security. So from tonight onward, all the women will stay in my chamber, and the bedroom will be redesigned accordingly."

Chapter 125: Assassination Attempt

Cassandra jolted awake from her deep sleep. The floor of the bedroom trembled slightly. The tremor had caused the chandelier to sway gently and knocked over the wine bottle by the window. With half-closed eyes, she tried to determine whether it was an earthquake or just an echo of a dream lingering in her sleep. But a second later, the loud thud she heard cleared her mind completely. THUD! Something… No, someone was fighting in Neonidas' study. Cassandra sat up quickly, her bare feet touching...

Reincarnate as the Villainess's Husband

Chapter 125: Assassination Attempt

Reincarnate as the Villainess's Husband - Chapter 125: Assassination Attempt