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As Anisha and Izana continued their conversations beneath the Life tree, their friendship deepening with each passing day, they couldn't help but feel the weight of responsibility on their shoulders. The empire's future appeared uncertain, and the palace was rife with intrigue and political drama..
Leah's suspicion and concern continued to grow as she observed the pair, her protective instincts urging her to uncover the truth about Izana's secret meetings. She knew that something was amiss, but the elusive nature of Izana's actions made it a challenging mystery to solve.
The palace maids continued their gossip, but their chatter only seemed to fuel the fire of curiosity within Leah. She was determined to get to the bottom of this mystery and protect Anisha from any potential harm or complications that might arise from her newfound friendship.
As the days rolled on, Izana's worries deepened. His family situation had taken a dire turn as his father, Marquis Bellacian, embarked on a journey to the Easter Empire in search of his missing son, Eric. However, this decision had ignited a storm within the imperial palace..
Edger's suspicions weighed heavily on the Bellacian household. Despite Izana's best efforts, he couldn't sway Edger's growing mistrust. The palace was tense, with lingering doubts and shifting alliances.
One day, while Anisha and Izana were engrossed in a conversation about the palace's mounting problems, a knight from the Bellacian estate suddenly burst into the library. He was out of breath, his face contorted with urgency, carrying a sealed letter in his trembling hands.
"A message from the Easter Empire.."
He exclaimed, his voice trembling..
Izana's heart raced as he took the letter. He broke the seal with a heavy, apprehensive breath and unfolded the parchment. His eyes scanned the words, and then, with a sudden "Thump!" the letter slipped from his fingers and fell to the floor.
Izana stood there, shock etched across his face, the contents of the letter sending shivers down his spine. The room seemed to grow colder as he grappled with the shocking revelation that had just unfolded before him.
As the letter slipped from Izana's trembling fingers, fluttering to the floor. Anisha, quick to react, bent down and picked it up. Her eyes scanned the ominous words, and as the shocking truth settled in, she, too, froze in place, the color draining from her face.
Leah and the knight exchanged worried glances, sensing the gravity of the situation.
Izana remained shock-stricken, unable to respond. As the tension thickened, the library's doors swung open again, and Marquis Verita stormed in, a sense of urgency etched across his face. Without a word, he snatched the letter from Anisha's trembling hand and quickly read its contents.
The room seemed to hold its breath as Marquis Verita's expression shifted from concern to a deep and unsettling sorrow. The silence that followed was broken only by the heavy pounding of hearts and the weight of the dire news that had just been revealed.
The letter contained alarming news:
Marquis Bellacian, who had gone in search of his son Eric, had vanished. The knights who had accompanied him on this perilous journey were discovered dead.
But there is no sign of the marquis.
A sense of shock rippled through the entire library. The weight of uncertainty and danger hung heavy in the air. The weather outside seemed to reflect the grim news, as dark clouds gathered in the sky, casting a pall over the palace.
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In the urgent palace meeting, tension hung heavy in the air. The officials gathered, each with their own suspicions and concerns about Marquis Bellacian's disappearance.
One official, a temple representative now working in the palace, voiced disbelief, his tone laced with skepticism.
"Huh? You want me to believe it? How could a marquis get lost?"
His skepticism was evident as he questioned the veracity of the situation.
The contents of the letter from the Easter Empire had sent shockwaves through the room. It detailed that the marquis had never arrived in the Easter Empire, and when authorities there investigated, they discovered the marquis's ship, abandoned and stained with blood. The lifeless bodies of the Bellacian estate knights were found aboard, but the marquis himself was nowhere to be seen.
Amidst the discussions and theories, Izana sat in the meeting room, his mind clouded with worry and confusion. He blinked, struggling to grasp the magnitude of the situation.
"I'm sure he is finally showing his true colors.."
Declared an official from the temple, leaning towards a darker narrative.
"Maybe he orchestrated the deaths of his knights and is now hiding with his son."
"Yeah. He might be trying to create a war between both empires! I can't believe such cunning individuals were beside the emperor."
Another official, a greedy noble aligned with the temple, chimed in with his sinister theory.
Izana, who had remained silent for a considerable time, turned his piercing gaze toward the two accusers, causing them to swallow hard in fear. His eyes conveyed a warning - a warning that urged caution in the face of speculation and implored for a more rational approach to the unfolding mystery.
Amid the ongoing palace meeting, a voice broke through the tense atmosphere. It belonged to a girl with an elegant yet innocent face who sat beside the Crown Prince. With her golden hair neatly tucked behind her ear, she posed a question, her curiosity evident.
"How could the Knights of the Easter Empire find the Marquis's ship so quickly?"
She spoke with a hint of wonder.
"Moreover, the Royal Knights of the Easter Empire went to search for it. Wow~"
Edger, the Crown Prince, appeared disinterested in the proceedings, resting his head in his hand as he listened. He chimed in with a somewhat indifferent tone,
"Yeah, the royal knights already found the ship, so why didn't they also search for the Marquis and Lord Eric?"
Marquis Patrickson (Harllod's father), his patience waning, responded with a hint of exasperation,
"They can't search for them because the Marquis isn't in the Easter Empire!!"
He paused, taking a deep breath, and continued with a pained expression,
"Have you even heard what we were saying all this time, Your Highness?"
Edger, seemingly unbothered, countered with skepticism,
"How can you be so sure they are here and not in the Easter Empire or somewhere else?"
Izana, who had been silent for most of the meeting, finally spoke. His voice was low but sharp, and he avoided making eye contact, fixating on the table before him. His words carried a weight that filled the room with a tense silence.
"They were traveling through the Harmonia Sea with their ship. The only places the sea connects to are the Beatrice Empire and the Easter Empire."
Izana paused and continued,
"Sorry but I guess you need to work on your geography lessons."
One of the officials, indignant at Izana's response, roared,
"How dare you speak to His Highness this way?"
But Izana remained unshaken, replying with a blank expression,
"He needs to know about his shortcomings if he wants to be a good ruler."
The room fell into a heavy silence. Izana's transformation from a bright, talkative youth to this composed and serious figure was palpable. The atmosphere had shifted, and his calm demeanor held a subtle air of danger.
It was said that when a talkative person falls silent, fear begins to brew. The aura surrounding Izana aligned with that sentiment, leaving an unsettling feeling in the air.
"But how can you be so certain that the Ester Empire is speaking the truth?"
The question slipped from the lips of the girl with golden hair, the holy saint, her tone filled with curiosity, yet Izana detected a hint of cunning beneath her words.
Izana leaned forward, his gaze steady as he responded to the holy saint's question.
"Your Holiness, sorry to question your wit but it's not a matter of trust; it's a matter of geography. The only sea that connects the Easter Empire and the Beatrice Empire is the Harmonia Sea. It's not about whether they're lying; it's about the physical constraints of our world. If they were in the Easter Empire, they could not have entered through any other route."
The holy saint furrowed her brows, seemingly unsatisfied with the answer.
Edger, who had been rather indifferent to the conversation, finally looked up and spoke.
"So, what do you suggest we do, Izana?"
Izana's gaze shifted, his voice still calm but laced with an undertone of concern.
"Your Highness, I suggest we investigate further, but with caution. It's possible that the Marquis and Lord Eric are in grave danger. We should not dismiss any possibility, but we should also not jump to conclusions that could lead to unnecessary conflict."
The room fell into a contemplative silence, the weight of the situation sinking in. Izana's words had brought a sense of rationality back to the discussion, but the mystery surrounding the Bellacian family's disappearance still hung heavily in the air.
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A/N : And I'm back ~ 🦧
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