A Tense Reunion

“Ah… sorry, sorry. I didn’t think it through. What can I say? After what happened, your big brother is really worried about you.”

Though he said this, Frank didn’t sound particularly apologetic. His eyes fixed on Cecilia’s veil, as if trying to see through the barrier to read her expression.

“Hmm… Mary really dropped the ball, not telling me you were coming…”

“Mary? Your former personal maid? She’s good at taking care of people, but her combat skills are too poor. I was afraid you’d end up like our eldest brother, assassinated, so I replaced her. The new servants and guards are all handpicked by me. They’ll keep you safe. I guarantee that assassin won’t get anywhere near my dear sister.”

“Oh, then I’m relieved! Thanks, brother!” Cecilia flashed a perfect smile.

Obscured by the light veil, he couldn’t make out the details of her expression, only a rough outline.

Frank was clearly not satisfied. He needed to probe further to put his mind at ease.

He raised his hand and, without warning, reached for the veil.

The movement was slow, as if he were waiting for Cecilia to dodge or resist.

Cecilia remained calm, merely watching his approach with a puzzled look.

Soon, Frank pinched the edge of the veil, ready to lift it.

But then Cecilia finally acted. She grabbed Frank’s wrist, stopping him from pulling the veil further.

“What’s wrong, sister? Is there something under the veil I’m not allowed to see?” His voice was calm but carried an undercurrent of warning and murderous intent.

“The veil is to prevent contagion… cough… brother, how could you forget something so important?” Cecilia retorted in a matter-of-fact tone.

“You’re the last one who can inherit the throne. What if I infect you? I don’t want you to end up like me… cough, cough, cough.”

“Uh…”

Frank paused. As the one who had caused Cecilia’s illness, he knew full well the consequences of that terminal disease.

‘I was so focused on testing Cecilia that I forgot about that. Tsk, why risk infection when I can just send doctors to check on her? Guess the assassination plot has me too stressed. Making such a rookie mistake.’

At that moment, the second prince was actually a little pleased. Cecilia’s words, “You’re the last one who can inherit the throne,” struck a chord.

To Frank, his sister clearly acknowledged his status, recognized him as the sole heir, and showed she had no intention of competing for the throne—she had accepted her impending death.

Good. Just stay a sick princess and enjoy your final year.

With that thought, Frank’s tone relaxed:

“Sigh, last night’s assassination left me on edge, and I forgot something so important. Speaking of your illness, I’m very concerned about your health. From now on, I’ll send doctors every week to look after you, okay?”

Cecilia’s tuberculosis had already healed. She could fool Frank with words and acting, but she could never fool a professional doctor. An examination would reveal everything.

Yet she remained composed: “Okay, thank you, brother.”

Seeing Cecilia accept so calmly, Frank finally felt at ease and left the bedroom satisfied.

Laini was already waiting outside.

Frank walked straight ahead without checking if Laini was following: “What’s the situation inside the palace? How many people are under my command now?”

“Most of them, but many aren’t loyal to us. They’re only following orders temporarily because the king is incapacitated.”

Just last night, when Henry VI was mourning the eldest prince’s death, Frank, as the last heir, temporarily took over palace affairs in the king’s stead.

The takeover was brief, but Frank seized the window of opportunity and launched a small-scale palace coup.

“Small-scale” meant it was confined to the palace, didn’t involve Parliament or the state religion, and had very little violence.

His most important move was isolating the king from the outside world.

Frank knew that no matter how deeply he infiltrated the palace, a considerable number of people would still obey his father rather than him.

The plan went smoothly. The royal guards, originally under the eldest prince’s command, were partly controlled by Frank due to the prince’s incompetence. Combined with some church members—who preferred to remain anonymous—distracting the remaining guards, Frank successfully subdued the king.

First, he put the king to sleep with a curse, then spread the news that the king was prostrate with grief, and finally declared himself acting regent.

This made Frank the highest-ranking royal capable of wielding royal power, effectively the sole decision-maker in the palace.

But he knew he hadn’t fully controlled Buckingham Palace. Many were simply waiting to see how things would unfold, only obeying him as the sole heir because the king couldn’t govern.

To truly seize power, he needed to purge dissidents and establish his rule.

Laini quickly stepped up and whispered in the prince’s ear:

“Your Highness, the state church and Parliament have sent envoys inquiring about the king’s illness and coma. The church even brought a monk, offering to assist in treating His Majesty.”

“Refuse them. Say that since the assassination is still under investigation, the palace is on lockdown. All medical personnel must be personally selected and vetted by me. No outside interference.”

“Understood. Additionally, some in the palace have sensed something amiss and requested an audience with His Majesty.”

“Allow non-supernatural personnel to visit from a distance, but absolutely no supernaturals near him—they might discern that the king’s sleep is caused by a curse. If asked, say it’s also due to the assassination, so security must be tightened.”

“Yes.”

Meanwhile, at the Prime Minister’s residence, Prime Minister Haite Bosi was meeting with the Speaker.

“Speaker, what do you make of last night’s assassination?”

The Prime Minister lounged in an armchair, relaxed. This was an informal private meeting, no need to put on airs.

The white-haired Speaker sat rigidly upright, a stark contrast to Haite, giving the impression of an old stickler:

“It’s too early to draw conclusions. It could be a foreign assassination or an internal palace struggle.”

“Or both?”

At the Prime Minister’s casual remark, the Speaker’s eyes glinted: “Are you suggesting someone within the royal family colluded with an enemy nation? Any evidence?”

“None at all. But we can spin it that way, put pressure on the royal family. With any luck, we might squeeze a bit more power out of them and consolidate Parliament’s position.”

The Speaker was unimpressed:

“Without solid evidence, relying solely on public opinion to weaken the crown won’t be easy… In my view, we should use this opportunity to infiltrate Parliament’s influence into Buckingham Palace.”

The Prime Minister looked surprised: “Oh? Infiltrate the royal bastion? Where does that confidence come from?”

“My planted informant reports unusual movements in Buckingham Palace. The king and the princess seem to have vanished; only the second prince is active in public. The specifics are unclear, but I suspect internal trouble within the royal family. Haite, the royal family is no longer a monolithic bloc. This is our chance.”

“So what will you do? Strike a deal with Frank? Or try to contact the king and princess?”

“Frank is too ambitious and hard to control. The princess’s illness is beyond saving, not worth wasting resources on.”

With that one sentence, the Speaker abandoned Cecilia, trapped in the deep palace.

“Then you’re going after the king?”

“Yes. If I’m not mistaken, the king’s current situation is likely precarious. I think he’d be willing to pay a price for Parliament’s help… We’ll play it by ear.”

Over the next few days, news of the eldest prince Eck’s assassination and the old king’s severe illness from grief spread nationwide.

What had been a superficially peaceful kingdom suddenly plunged into turmoil.

People across the country and even the world focused their attention on the assassination investigation.

But days passed without any new developments. Rumors began to circulate, and wild speculations abounded among the populace.

Some blamed the Carolinian Republic, citing historical enmity; others pointed at the Cross Eagle Empire, claiming they coveted the kingdom’s world-dominant status…

As public opinion festered, the kingdom’s situation grew tense. Yodel, too, became increasingly agitated in this atmosphere of strain.

He had been unable to find Cecilia.

From his experience at Herman University, the princess could move freely outside the palace. Yodel couldn’t find her, and she hadn’t reached out to him. There must be something hindering her.

Combined with the old king’s sudden drop in lifespan, Yodel was now certain something had gone wrong inside the palace.