Chapter 192
Knock, knock.

Dillaina, who had been deep in conversation, suddenly froze. Duke Haiman did the same. He set down his now-cold teacup and nodded subtly to his guard. Despite having ordered that no one disturb this important meeting, here they were.

Both of them gripped the hilts of their swords at their waists and moved toward the door.

“What is it?”

“I am Chiellonia from the Administrative Department. I have come to deliver an order passed at the Assembly to Lady Dillaina.”

“An order?”

Dillaina muttered under her breath and stood up without realizing it. Wasn’t the Prime Minister’s Assembly meant to handle palace affairs? Why would an order be directed at her? She was puzzled and uneasy. Arsène, watching his mother’s expression closely, whispered,

“It would be better if you moved somewhere more private to hear it.”

This was a meeting where she and Duke Haiman had just begun to align their plans for the future. If suddenly an unfavorable order from the palace came down on Dillaina, it could spell trouble.

Dillaina nodded and excused herself to Haiman and Melania.

“Please excuse me for a moment.”

“Not at all. Don’t worry about it.”

Arsène smiled gently and followed his mother.

Chiellonia, an official from the Administrative Department who primarily delivers the Emperor’s commands, bowed slightly, holding a golden letter. Since the Emperor was frozen in stasis, this order must have come from the Prime Minister acting with delegated authority.

An order not from the Prime Minister’s authority, but from the Emperor’s. Dillaina took a deep breath and stepped forward.

“Follow me. We shall receive it in the antechamber.”

Creaaak.

Once inside the antechamber, Dillaina turned gracefully to face Chiellonia, as if to say, “Well then, let’s hear what this order from the Assembly is.”

“It is an order to partially restrict your parental rights over Prince Jin.”

“…!”

Chiellonia delivered the message cautiously, and Dillaina’s expression hardened instantly. The arrogance in her lifted chin fell, and the knuckles clutching her dress turned white. Her shock was palpable, but Chiellonia continued reading the letter without emotion.

—It has been determined that the main culprits disturbing the royal family are Marib and Prince Gale. This constitutes a crisis for the royal household. Therefore, regardless of the circumstances, entrusting Prince Jin’s custody to others was a clear mistake.

“…!”

—Accordingly, at the request of Prince Jin himself and the Assembly attendees, some of Dillaina’s parental rights are to be temporarily and indefinitely restricted. These include rights concerning protection and status, property management, and authority to issue orders—nine main clauses in total. Any other rights affecting the prince’s custody will be restricted immediately.

Rustle.

Chiellonia finished reading and bowed. She noticed Arsène staring at her intently, and for some reason, he seemed to be smiling, making it awkward to meet his gaze.

Dillaina, trembling uncontrollably, finally shouted,

“This cannot be!”

“Please remain calm, Lady Dillaina.”

“Jin is—Jin is my son! Who, by what authority, can strip me of my parental rights? This is—this cannot be! Call the Assembly at once! Order a reconvening!”

“I’m sorry, but you cannot contest this.”

“Where is the Prime Minister now?!”

How could someone who knew the Emperor was frozen make such a decision?!

Rage surged through Dillaina, threatening to overwhelm her reason. This was her child, born from her own womb. The son she had held and raised since birth!

Sob…

She finally sank to the floor, covering her face. If only she could turn back time—before she let go of Jin’s hand, before she met Marib in the backyard, or better yet, to the days when the Emperor was still healthy.

Swish.

Arsène gave Chiellonia a look that silently told her to leave, then wrapped his arms around his mother. Though just a child, his composure was strangely mature. Chiellonia quietly gathered the letter and left the room.

“Mother.”

Despite Arsène’s call, Dillaina only wept. Arsène’s voice was gentle as he held her close. His expression reflected cold resolve in the window’s reflection, but Dillaina, head bowed, could not see it.

“You have done nothing wrong. Who could have known Jin would turn out this way? We thought we were family, but apparently, Jin did not.”

Hearing Arsène’s comforting words, Dillaina felt dizzy for a moment. Was it the sudden flood of tears or the spinning in her head? Her vision blurred, but Arsène’s voice grew clearer, sinking deep into her mind. Each tone seemed to seep into her blood, stirring her whole body.

“Arsène, I… I…”

“I know, Mother. I understand. Saving me was the way to save Jin, wasn’t it? A foolish younger brother, not understanding your heart.”

“What can I do? It seems Jin has firmly fallen under Lord Ian’s influence. He won’t turn back so easily. Jin is… Jin is…”

“Now is the time to pull yourself together. Mother, we must win to save Jin. You know that if I strengthen my position, Jin will be safe too, don’t you?”

Melted by his warm reassurance, Dillaina nodded repeatedly. Arsène smiled faintly as he patted his mother’s back.

“And many witnessed that moment. It was bound to come to light eventually. Don’t despair. Even if Jin abandons us, we will never abandon him. One day, our true feelings will reach him.”

Dillaina wiped her tears and hugged Arsène tightly.

No Emperor, no Jin. Only Arsène remained. Only Arsène could bring the peace Dillaina longed for.

“Dry your tears. We must finish things with Lord Haiman. The castle gates will open soon, and from that moment, every second will be a crisis, an opportunity, and a result.”

Dillaina dabbed her tears with a handkerchief and steadied her breath. She wanted to rush out and challenge the Assembly’s decision, to see Jin immediately, but she held herself back.

“What should we do now? What did Haiman say again?”

The plans she had discussed with the Duke all night now felt foolish. She tried to recall them but couldn’t. Was it the shock of Jin’s departure, or the persistent dizziness? Arsène steadied his mother’s trembling body and reminded her.

“Duke Haiman said that once the gates open, he would plant people among the empire’s citizens.”

“Ah, yes.”

Truth is perfect in itself but easily tainted by lies. This was the perfect situation to paint Lord Ian as an opportunist tangled up in Marib and Gale’s rebellion. Now that Jin’s parental rights were stripped, rumors would only gain more traction.

“He said we should first steer public opinion and watch the situation.”

Dillaina seemed unaware her teeth were chattering. Arsène, watching calmly, added quietly,

“But Mother, while the Duke’s plan isn’t bad, I’m not so sure.”

“What do you mean?”

During the conversation with Haiman, Arsène had said nothing, simply observing. The Duke hadn’t asked for his opinion either, likely because he was just a child and all decisions seemed to rest with Dillaina.

“Haiman’s plan works best while the gates remain closed. No one knows what’s happening inside, so you stir the most provocative rumors imaginable. But judging by the progress of the recovery and Lord Ian’s determination, the gates will open soon, won’t they?”

Once that happens, those who enter the palace will see and hear for themselves, gaining the capacity to judge the situation. Just as the Magic Department’s status rose within the palace, the empire’s citizens might develop a positive perception as well.

“No matter how much people shout that Lord Ian lured Jin away, most won’t care. After all, he contributed to stabilizing the palace. In a way, it’s a fair price to pay.”

“And then?”

Dillaina asked blankly, her dizziness slowly subsiding. Arsène’s voice grew even clearer in her ears.

“We must cross the line.”

“The line? We?”

“No, Lord Ian.”

Far off beyond the window, the Bariel flag fluttered majestically. Arsène swallowed a smile and murmured,

“What if Lord Ian kills either Marib or Gale?”

Before the trial, that would be ideal.

Dillaina frowned, confused, then whispered sharply,

“You mean… kill?”

“Mother, be careful with your words. I’m just wondering what if Lord Ian did that.”

If that happened, there would be plenty to talk about. Rumors of torture-like interrogations leading to death, claims that the prince was innocent but killed to cover it up, that the princes were deceived by Ian’s schemes and died—so many stories.

“Lord Ian has always been close to both Marib and Gale, hasn’t he? Perfect for lighting a fuse.”

When lies are mixed with blood to color the truth, they’re hard to erase. It’s a vivid pigment sustained by someone’s breath.

Dillaina fell silent, gazing at her son’s face shining in the sunlight.

“And recognizing Lord Ian’s authority to punish Marib and Gale is as much a sign of power as anything. We’ll kill them before Ian does.”

“Arsène.”

“Yes, Mother.”

How could such thoughts come from a child’s mouth?

She couldn’t bring herself to ask. That a ten-year-old could so easily speak of killing his brothers—it was a tragedy born of circumstance.

Delaina embraced Arsen tightly, steeling herself.

“Let’s finish this. Quickly end it and save Jin.”

“Of course, Mother.”

Arsen’s reply came with an even brighter smile. The warm sunlight poured in, but his eyes flashed coldly.

* * *

“Ian, we’ve recovered two magic-sealing stones from Marib’s quarters—one weighing three grams, the other five. They match the records registered with the administration’s database. Also, I’ve gathered the correspondence exchanged with the guild. There’s quite a lot, so it’ll take some time to analyze.”

“How much are we talking about?”

“Since these involve the usual contacts traveling to and from Bariel, we’ve narrowed down about fifty names. We’re still tracking the source of the amber gemstones.”

Ian nodded with satisfaction and approved the report. The office door had been wide open for hours, with a constant stream of people coming and going. Ian braced against the cold draft as he sorted through the towering piles of paperwork.

“I’ve seen that look somewhere before,” Ian muttered.

Unlike the busy Ian, Berrick lounged on a sofa, watching the scene unfold. Romandro, who had been scribbling so furiously his arms were barely visible, suddenly snapped.

“I’m swamped here! Help me out!”

“Oh, I remember now! Whenever that famous wandering band comes through, everyone lines up for autographs. That’s exactly it. Ha ha.”

“You little—”

“I can’t read, you know. I was just moving some stuff and crashed.”

“Stuff? Those piles of paper are your ‘stuff’?”

Berrick stuck out his tongue and flopped back down. Just then, a voice called from down the hall.

“Ian! The city gates open at five this afternoon, right?”

“That’s right.”

Five o’clock. It was just past ten in the morning, so there was still time. Ian pointed a pen at the sprawled Berrick and gave a command.

“Stop lying around and get up, Berrick.”

“Me? Why?”

“The gates open at five. Get out before then, check in with Vivianna, and deliver this. She’ll probably want to head to the press afterward, so escort her carefully and make sure nothing goes wrong.”

Ian tossed a short note, which Berrick caught easily with one hand. Since he couldn’t read, he had no idea what was written.

“What’s this?”

“Doesn’t matter. Go find Vivianna first.”

“Alright, alright. I was bored anyway, so this works out.”

Romandro, overhearing, frowned skeptically.

“You know the way, right?”

“Of course! I might not know much else, but I know my way home!”

“I’ll assign a guard to go with you, just in case.”

Berrick grinned, drawing a circle with his finger. Through the gap between his fingers, Ian’s note was briefly visible. Romandro rubbed his eyes, as if he’d imagined what he saw.