Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Mate
Chapter 137: Visions...

Chapter 137: Visions...

Jasper exhaled as he scanned the insane number of bottles stacked in front of them. "Alright, so let’s say we’re lucky enough to come across the right one." He crossed his arms. "How do we even know which is the poisoned bottle?"

Evelina hesitated, glancing at her hands before letting out a slow breath. "Well... I have a... uh... an ability," she admitted, rubbing the back of her neck.

Jasper arched a brow. "An ability?"

She nodded. "When I touch certain objects, sometimes I can see—" She paused, searching for the right words. "—memories attached to them."

Jasper blinked.

Then blinked again.

"...I’m sorry, what?"

Relia snorted. "Oh, I like this reaction."

Evelina sighed. "I don’t really know much about it but I call it my golden finger ability. Sometimes, when I touch something, I can see pieces of its past—who held it last, what happened near it. It doesn’t always work, and the visions are... unpredictable."

Jasper gave her an incredulous look before shaking his head. "That is either the most useful or the most terrifying thing I’ve ever heard."

Evelina smirked. "Depends on how you look at it."

Jasper pointed a finger at her. "Does anyone else know about this?"

"Just the prince."

Jasper raised a brow. "Not even Jasper, your favourite palace manservant?"

Evelina chuckled. "Nope."

Jasper clutched his chest dramatically. "Wow. The betrayal. The sheer lack of trust."

"Do you want me to find the bottle or not?"

Jasper sighed and gestured toward the bottles. "Fine, fine. Do your vision-y thing."

Evelina rolled her shoulders before stepping forward and reaching for the first bottle. The moment her fingers brushed against the glass—

**********

A loud laugh, rough and carefree. The scent of roasted meat filled the air. A man—no, a guard—clinking glasses with another.

Wine sloshing over the edge. A toast to something Evelina couldn’t quite hear. Then—the bottle tipping over, rolling under a table. Forgotten.

Evelina pulled her hand away with a sharp exhale.

"Anything?" Jasper asked.

She shook her head. "Just some guards drinking. Nothing useful."

Jasper snorted. "Shocking."

Evelina grabbed another.

***********

A maid’s hands, carefully wiping the bottle’s surface. She muttered about how the royals wasted good wine. She lifted it, inspecting it under candlelight before setting it down gently into a crate.

Evelina’s fingers twitched.

Nothing.

Evelina reached for another bottle, her fingers curling around the cool glass. A steady inhale. A slow exhale. She let the vision pull her in.

*************

A woman laughing softly. The sound of silk sheets moving. The smell of expensive incense mixed with a richer scent—wine. A deep, familiar voice, soft and inviting.

"You’re too bold," the King murmured.

Evelina’s stomach tightened.

The vision became clearer—his hands moved down a woman’s back as he pulled her close, and she giggled while whispering something playful in his ear. The bottle was left behind on the table next to them, with moisture collecting on its surface.

Suddenly, a servant entered quietly, keeping their head down, and picked up the empty bottle before disappearing back into the shadows.

Evelina yanked her hand away, blinking rapidly.

Relia smiled as she spoke, "Hmmmm... that one looked interesting."

Evelina frowned, her mind reeling.

"The King," she said slowly, still processing. "And... a woman."

Jasper’s expression remained unreadable, but she didn’t miss the flicker of amusement in his eyes.

"Well, that’s not exactly shocking." He leaned in slightly. "Who was she?"

Evelina hesitated before shaking her head. "I don’t know. I didn’t see her face clearly."

Jasper smirked. "If it was Lady Moira, then that’s old news. If it was someone new—" He gave a low whistle. "Then we may have just stumbled upon palace gossip gold."

Evelina shot him a glare. "Focus."

Jasper chuckled. "Hey, you’re the one digging up royal bedroom secrets."

Evelina sighed, brushing her fingers over another bottle. "Let’s just move on."

She reached for the next bottle.

Another vision.

The sound of glass clinking. The strong smell of cinnamon and herbs. A careful hand swirling liquid in a bottle, eyes focused. Candlelight flickers softly over golden hair. A thick drop, thicker than wine, falls into the bottle and vanishes immediately.

Evelina’s breath hitched.

Selene.

The bottle wasn’t poisoned.

It was drugged.

The memory flickered—Selene’s lips curving into a satisfied smirk. The bottle being set on a silver tray. The soft murmur of a servant’s voice asking where it should go.

"Don’t worry. I’ll handle it myself."

The vision dissolved.

Evelina let go of the bottle with a shaky exhale.

Relia huffed. "Ohhh. So this was when she concocted the plan that backfired on her."

Evelina swallowed.

Their first time.

The night that changed everything.

She clenched her jaw. So that’s how it happened.

She hadn’t known the details, but now? Now, she saw it play out with perfect clarity.

Jasper tilted his head. "That was a longer one."

Evelina exhaled through her nose. "Selene."

Jasper straightened. "Do tell."

Evelina’s fingers tapped against the bottle. "It’s nothing you should be bothered about."

Jasper blinked. Then, slowly, a grin spread across his lips. "No kidding?"

Relia snickered. "Oh, I would love to rub this in her face."

Evelina ignored her wolf and set the bottle aside. "Still not what I’m looking for."

She reached for another.

And another.

And another.

Vision after vision flooded through her.

A noble spilling his drink on his robes.

A servant sneaking a sip before setting the bottle on a noble’s tray.

A clumsy maid dropping one and scurrying away before she could be caught.

None of them were from the night of the poisoning.

None of them were what she needed.

And yet, she kept going.

The strain began to set in.

Her temples throbbed.

Her fingers twitched.

Sweat beads began to gather.

Her head felt heavy—too heavy.

But she couldn’t stop.

Not yet.

She reached for another—

And her vision blurred.

A splitting pain shot through her skull.

She gasped, barely catching herself against the crate.

Jasper’s hands were suddenly on her shoulders, steadying her. "Alright. That’s enough, milady."

Evelina clenched her jaw, shaking her head. "I need to keep going."

Jasper frowned. "But Your Highness—"

"I can’t stop," she snapped. "Not with a deadline on me."

Jasper exhaled, watching her carefully.

Then, softer— "For all we know... the bottle might not even be here."

The words struck something deep inside her.

Her breath slowed.

Her chest tightened.

She had no guarantee that the bottle hadn’t already been removed or destroyed.

And yet—

She still had to try.

Even if it meant breaking herself in the process.