Sophie White sat dazedly on the ground, not even noticing when Lily Evans left the prison cell.
Panther stared blankly at Sophie White. "Miss, do you hear it? All these cries—they're from the families of those children who died. Their children were taken from them for no reason. What did they do to deserve this? Miss, it was us—we're the ones who did wrong. We truly did wrong!"
"Panther, stop talking! We didn't do anything wrong, nothing at all! The one who's wrong is Lily Evans, that witch!" Sophie White screamed at Panther, her voice crazed.
Panther's voice was hoarse. He struggled through the darkness, finally reaching the bars, where he could see Sophie White across from him.
"Miss, I heard everything Princess Consort said just now." Panther's voice was raspy, his face streaked with tears. "Miss, we—we did wrong! Master spent his whole life protecting the people of Jin, but we killed so many innocent children. How is what we did any different from treason?"
"No! I was forced!" Sophie White suddenly shouted at Panther, agitated. "It was all that witch Lily Evans who forced me! If not for her, how would I have ended up like this? And what about her—she's not clean either! She drinks human blood, and her bastard child does too! I did it all for Prince Alexander, to get rid of those two monsters. What did I do wrong?"
Panther looked at the hysterical Sophie White and cried out, "Miss, no matter what, we shouldn't have harmed innocent children! Listen, just listen to the sounds outside, the crying..."
Panther paused, and the prison cell fell silent. Only the sound of crying drifted in through the high window.
The crying was heartbreakingly mournful, as if lamenting and pleading. Just one listen was enough to make one's heart ache unbearably.
But it wasn't just one person crying—it was a whole group, all weeping together.
Sophie White heard the crying and froze.
Panther stared blankly at Sophie White. "Miss, do you hear it? The crying—all of it comes from the families of those children who died. Their children were taken from them for no reason. What did they do wrong? Miss, it was us—we were the ones who did wrong. We truly did wrong!"
"Panther, stop talking! We did nothing wrong, nothing! The one at fault is Lily Evans, that witch!" Sophie White screamed at Panther, frenzied.
But this time, Panther could no longer listen to Sophie White.
He muttered to himself as he tore a large piece of black cloth from his clothes, covered his face, and tied it behind his head. "Master spent his whole life saving the people of Jin, but I lost my mind and killed so many of Jin's children. How can I face Master in the afterlife? Master, Panther has failed you—I didn't persuade Miss, and for that, I deserve a thousand deaths! Panther will now die to atone for my sins!"
With a loud bang, Panther slammed his head into the wall. Blood spurted from his skull, and his body collapsed heavily to the ground—dead on the spot.
"No, Panther, no!" Sophie White stared at Panther's corpse, covering her face as she screamed, "Don't die, don't leave me! Uncle Panther! Don't go! Don't leave me, Susan!"
But Panther was already gone, his body lying in a pool of blood, his face covered with black cloth.
Sophie White sat on the ground, her screams finally fading. She stared at Panther's corpse, then suddenly dug her nails fiercely into the dirt beneath her. "Lily Evans, it's you! You drove Uncle Panther to his death! You killed the only family I had left in this world. I won't let you off—I want you to die a miserable death!"