Lisandra felt a slight unease as she watched Leroy and Icarus leave the banquet. When they returned, there was an exchange of glances between them, as if they were confirming something.Her brow furrowed deeper, a sense of something being off growing stronger. But there was no way she could ask Icarus to explain. Asking him to step out again during the banquet would be far too conspicuous. Anyone with eyes would notice something was wrong.Westhaven was on the brink of internal chaos, and Lisandra had no desire to stir up further conflict. She had come here to seek justice, but her real purpose was to stabilize Edmund's claim to the throne and ease the unrest among the people.When they had gone to the Southern Frontier to seek justice, they had already suffered significant losses—both men and resources. The heavy financial aid given to Sandoria had drained the national treasury, so the kingdom could hardly endure another costly war that would further harm the common people.If war
On Royal Street, the only sound was the clatter of horses' hooves and the occasional rattle of carriage wheels. There was nothing else to break the silence.Travis was expertly guiding the carriage. He was getting better at it with every passing day—after all, he was now the owner of a carriage.Violet sat inside the carriage with Carissa, resting her head on her friend's shoulder. Feigning weakness, she complained, "You all got to go inside, eating and drinking to your heart's content, while we were stuck out here in the cold wind. Thankfully, Lulu had us bring some meat and pastries from home. She even thoughtfully packed some coffee in a water pouch. If we hadn't had that, I might have passed out from hunger by now."Carissa chuckled. "It's truly a sin to leave you hungry, Ms. Spencer. After this is all over, we'll have to throw a feast to make it up to you."Violet didn't seem offended. Instead, she gave a playful smile and quipped, "You know me best. The one thing I can always
Heather lingered outside the room for a long while before slowly walking away, a deep unease settling in her chest. Ever since Harvey returned home, he seemed like a different person.There were also several unfamiliar faces in the estate. These strangers didn't seem to regard her at all, despite the fact that she was a princess consort. When they crossed paths, they didn't bow or step aside, walking straight past her as if she were invisible.-The sound of horses' hooves broke the stillness of the night, their rhythm jarring in the otherwise silent streets. The cobbled roads were deserted, with the capital's nightlife limited to the lively areas in the east and west cities, or along the river. The cheer and laughter there never reached the quiet of the southern district.As a horse neighed, then came to a sudden halt, the air seemed to hum with an unusual tension. The light from the lanterns on the carriage didn't reach far, and the moon was hidden behind the clouds, leaving the
Icarus hadn't even seen how Carissa dodged the strike. He only knew that his long blade had cut through empty air. When he focused again, she was still standing there, as if she hadn't moved an inch.The lanterns on the carriage cast two faint glows, illuminating Carissa's face, which seemed a little pale. Her expression, cold as frost in the biting wind, softened into a smile directed at him.The smile sent an immediate shiver down Icarus' spine. In fact, it wasn't just a shiver—it was a sharp, painful jolt.It took him a moment to realize what had happened. Her whip had lashed through the air, striking him across the face and tearing away the black cloth covering his face. He spun around in midair, swiftly covering his face again.He leaped to the top of a wall and turned around just in time to see the red whip, coiling like a venomous snake, wrap around the neck of the suicide soldier on Carissa's left. With a powerful tug, she yanked him into the air, her feet pushing off towar
When Lisandra returned to Concord Lodge, she realized that neither Leroy nor Icarus had come back. A sense of unease gripped her heart; she felt that something had gone terribly wrong.Her uncle, Leroy, was the most reckless and troublesome member of the Stellwyn family. It wasn't that he lacked ability—on the contrary, he was bold and skilled—but his arrogance and impulsive, reckless behavior often led him to act without thinking.Lisandra turned to one of the female officials, Penny Durham, and ordered sharply in a firm tone, "Bring Amos to me! Immediately!"Amos was one of Westhaven's Secretaries of State and also Leroy's brother-in-law. The two had been in close discussion throughout the journey, so he certainly knew what Leroy and Icarus had planned for tonight.After returning to his room, Amos had been waiting for news. He knew exactly what Leroy was up to. This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision. Everything had been carefully arranged. When Amos had last seen Leroy, the m
Knowing that victory was all but assured, and with Edmund's royal edict backing him, Amos straightened his back, his expression firm. He furrowed his brow and said, "Your Highness, such words are unflattering. To speak of the fall of Westhaven with such certainty—that's not something I expect to hear from you. To belittle your own country like that is beneath someone of your position. I don't think Mr. Stellwyn's actions are in any way misguided. "As I've said, it's a two-pronged approach. If they're willing to negotiate, we're prepared to talk. But if they refuse, war will be inevitable. Capturing the Hell Monarch's wife is a move akin to what Aurora did to the former crown prince. Should war break out, having the Hell Monarch's wife as a prisoner on the battlefield at Victory Pass will force the Sullivan family's forces to retreat. It'll be just like how Marshal Liam signed that humiliating treaty after Aurora captured our crown prince."Lisandra's fury ignited as she slammed he
By the time it was nearly midnight, the lights in Glimmering Tower were still on. However, a 'Closed' sign hung at the entrance.The private room on the third floor, once a peaceful drinking space, now bore a jug of wine and a few small dishes set out for snacking.Rafael had come without his guards, and Leroy had only brought a single attendant who stood by the door. The wine was half-drunk, and though the two men spoke of tomorrow's negotiations, neither revealed any crucial details.Leroy's goal was to keep Rafael here for as long as possible without sharing anything important. He suspected the operation had already been completed and their target had already been captured.On the other hand, Rafael seemed to remain blissfully unaware of the plan. Leroy's satisfaction grew as he thought about how easily they had lured the Hell Monarch away. People always talked about how difficult Rafael was to deal with, yet it had only taken a few well-placed words to get him to fall into Lero
Leroy snapped back to reality and bolted down the stairs in a frenzy.Several guards in uniform stood by the counter in the lobby on the first floor, speaking with the messenger who had come to report.Leroy's heart skipped a beat. When he had arrived, there had only been the shopkeeper and a waiter—no guards. When had they arrived?The messenger was none other than Michael, accompanied by three others. Upon seeing Leroy, his face twisted with fury."Mr. Stellwyn, what is the meaning of this?! Did you try to assassinate Commander Sinclair?" he snarled.Leroy glanced around; not seeing Carissa, a surge of anger flared across his face. "Impossible! Don't slander us with baseless accusations!"Icarus couldn't have failed! The plan had been carefully set—his group of over ten against only three people. There was no way it could have failed. And with Icarus' skill, even if they were prepared for him, they could only have prevented the mission from succeeding. They couldn't possibly ha
After Rafael had eaten a little of the hot food, they began discussing the day's negotiations.Carissa sat beside him, clearly taking advantage of her position. At least when she spoke out of turn or disagreed with Everett, she wouldn't receive the cold shoulder since she was sitting right next to Rafael."Has the king heard their terms? What did he say about it?" Jacob asked. "Davis reported to him. When he returned to the Diplomatic Affairs Department, he relayed the king's stance. The borderline can't be compromised, but everything else is open for negotiation. We're not bound to the conditions they've proposed. We can offer alternative compensation. That's the king's directive."Everett thought for a moment before speaking, "Not yielding on the borderline means forcing Westhaven to acknowledge the treaty Aurora signed. If they deem the treaty invalid, the borderline should revert to the previous one. But the border dispute has been going on for years. Considering they took adv
Rafael shot a glance at Kyle before striding in. "Sage Everett, why are you making Kyle hold a pot over his head again? With so much going on, I was hoping he could help me out more. If he's always busy being punished, he won't be able to."After hearing that, Everett said, "Then, he's excused from punishment."Outside, Kyle and Winona realized they had found their support.Winona stepped in to report, "Sage Everett, we've swapped out all of Harvey's gold and silver for fakes. Now, all the chests are filled with stones.""I see. Have they discovered it?""When they stopped to rest in a small grove, we knocked them out. When they wake up, they might inspect the chests and will likely figure it out," she answered. "Did you send anyone to keep following them?"Winona wanted to roll her eyes. Was that really a question? Of course she had sent someone. She wasn't a rookie. After all, she was the one who founded Skywing Spire!But since Kyle was still out there holding a pot over
After seeing Zoey off, Carissa and Violet returned to the council hall.Most matters had previously been discussed in the large study, but since Everett had arrived, he insisted that important matters be reported in the council hall. He would remain in the hall from morning until night, listening to everything that was brought before him.Rafael hadn't returned yet even though the negotiations had concluded hours ago. It was likely that he was still in discussion with the delegation about tomorrow's talks.Once Carissa finished reporting the day's findings to Everett, he gave a conclusion everyone was already aware of."It's a case of silencing witnesses—tracing the killer leads nowhere."Kyle spoke up, his voice thoughtful, "Sir, is it possible that Aurora never had to speak with the Westhaven people at all? That someone else already reached out to them and is just focusing all the blame on Dominic?""But Harvey has already fled," Carissa replied. "I doubt Leroy would trust him
Leila had heard that Zoey was investigating the servants in Valor Estate, but she had no idea what it was about. When she was brought in, she wore an expression of complete confusion.It wasn't until Zoey questioned her about having coffee with a friend from her hometown the day before Rebecca's funeral that Leila realized what was happening. She quickly dropped to her knees and confessed, "Madam Zoey, that day, the person I had coffee with was a close friend of mine. She's a maid at Lester Estate. She mentioned she'd be returning to our hometown and asked if I had any messages for my family. She also invited me to go shopping for some gifts together..."Having been questioning for a long time, Zoey grew a bit impatient. She interrupted and asked bluntly, "Did she ask you to pass on any messages to Aurora that day?"Leila thought for a moment, then replied, "Yes, she asked me to tell Madam Aurora that Mrs. Lester would also be attending Madam Rebecca's funeral.""Did she give you
Once Carissa arrived at Silverstone Estate, she quickly briefed Zoey on the situation. Zoey immediately said, "This involves General Sullivan, so not a moment can be wasted. I'll go immediately."Since Barrett had been taken to the Ministry of Justice, Viola had been on edge. She had even returned to her family for help, hoping they could pull some strings on Barrett's behalf. However, Zoey outright refused."This is a matter between kingdoms," Zoey had said. "What could a woman like me possibly do to change anything?"Still, Zoey had made inquiries. She learned that while Barrett was detained at the Ministry of Justice, he was being given special treatment and hadn't suffered any undue hardship.Zoey shared this information with Viola, but it did little to calm her. She complained incessantly, saying she had worked so hard to see Barrett appointed as commander of the Nightsteel Guard, only for him to end up in prison because of Aurora. She even blamed Natalie for arranging the m
After the Westhaven envoys left the Diplomatic Affairs Department and returned to their lodgings, the Starhaven negotiators remained behind and continued discussions about the next round of talks.Jeremiah was involved in the conversation, his voice calm but firm. "If we're going to compensate with grain, we can't offer such a large quantity. Last year, there was a poor harvest and the military wages were insufficient. If we give them 3,000,000 bushels of grain, we're essentially funding their war efforts. We can compensate, but it can't exceed 300,000 bushels."He paused, then added, "Also, His Majesty insists that we cannot make any concessions on the border issue."Having delivered his points, he left the room. From the way Rafael had been conducting the negotiations, Jeremiah felt confident in the direction they were heading.Meanwhile, at the Ministry of Justice, Barrett requested a meeting with Patrick.After his conversation with Aurora the previous night, Barrett had bee
Lisandra spoke first. She believed Starhaven had violated the agreement between the two kingdoms, which was to not harm civilians or execute prisoners of war. The slaughter of civilians and the brutal treatment of a war prisoner during wartime were actions that would outrage both man and god. Similarly, the massacre of the Sinclair family by Westhaven's spies was a grave mistake."We seek peaceful negotiations, and for that to happen, both sides must acknowledge these facts. Only with that understanding can we proceed with talks for peace between our kingdoms."Once the translator relayed her words, both Rafael and the negotiating officials from Starhaven agreed with her.Thus, the negotiations officially began.Westhaven put forward five conditions. Firstly, Starhaven must issue a formal apology to the people of Westhaven for the lives lost. Second, Starhaven was to pay compensation of 10,000 gold coins.Third, compensation of 3,000,000 bushels of grain was to be delivered to
Leroy was seething with frustration. Today's negotiations had been his opportunity to take the initiative by demanding accountability and making unacceptable conditions, then declaring the talks a failure. After that, he would return to Westhaven and declare war.Yet now, not only had he been unable to follow through with his plan, the negotiations had also shifted into a disadvantageous position. To make matters worse, his niece, the grand princess, was looking down on him. The humiliation gnawed at him.Jeremiah, who had been sitting quietly to the side, felt a sense of resolve settle over him as he watched the proceedings. If they could negotiate peacefully, that would be ideal. The massacre in Fawnrun City was Starhaven's fault, and they were willing to offer apologies, compensation, and make amends—but only if given a chance for peaceful negotiations.Westhaven had distributed the case files regarding the Fawnrun City incident, which contained numerous firsthand accounts from
The confession was written entirely in Stellish, which Westhaven envoys couldn't fully understand. The two interpreters read it aloud in Westic for them.Icarus took full responsibility for the plot, explaining that his motive stemmed from Hector's past victory of Westhaven, which had resulted in the deaths of many Westhaven soldiers. He also harbored a deep grudge against the Sullivan family, particularly Carissa, whose grandfather, Dominic, had guarded Victory Pass for many years and fought in countless battles. Consumed by hatred, Icarus had seized the opportunity to strike at Carissa when he came to the capital, hoping to vent his anger.Even after hearing the confession, the Westhaven envoys didn't seem any less tense. Regardless of their stance, this meant the attempt on Carissa's life was tied to Victory Pass.The Westhaven envoys couldn't help but respect the Hell Monarch for his straightforwardness in not bringing this matter to the negotiating table directly. Instead, he h
