“Morak Pallai’s corpse, you said?”

Ecla had returned from the Umpha region because of the negotiations, which meant that my workload had doubled. In truth, that was a relief. Had I not been busy, I would have spent all my time thinking about Edmund.

It was then that Judge Morak Pallai’s body was discovered — the very judge who had acquitted Boreas.

“He was found dead. But the place he was found… that happened to be the Empress’s private estate. One could call that a harvest of sorts.”

“The Empress’s estate? There are too many… where exactly?”

“Do you know the Filpara Castle near the capital?”

“Ah, that’s the villa the Empress received as a gift after giving birth to Lucid, isn’t it?”

That estate was famous for its lake, if I remembered correctly. I’d once read in a book that it was a sight to behold: the lake that never froze even in winter, surrounded by dazzling white snow-capped mountains.

“He was discovered in that lake.”

“Drowning?”

Of all places. The moment I heard it, despair sank into me.

“The body must be badly decomposed.”

“Not just decomposed. By the time they found him, the corpse was already beyond recognition, damaged to the point of being useless.”

If he had been buried in the ground, we might have found some clues. However, once he was submerged at the bottom of a lake, it became almost impossible to find any real evidence using the science and technology available in this era.

“This may be a bit of a gamble, but what if we spread the rumor that Morak Pallai was murdered?”

“Boreas could still be alive. If we do that, he might just hide even deeper, don’t you think?”

“No matter how tightly you try to control it, rumors always spread. Besides, the one who first discovered Morak Pallai’s body was the Empress’s attendant. You can be sure they’re already whispering among themselves. The kind of talk that begins with, ‘This is a secret, but I’ll tell you—only you.’ It’s bound to spread behind closed doors.”

“If the rumor is going to spread anyway, shouldn’t we make use of it? Spread it widely and loudly.”

“You mean to frighten him into revealing himself?”

Edmun’s lips curved at my question. It seemed I had given the right answer.

“Spread the rumor as though it were the revenge of foreigners—or perhaps the work of another hidden hand.”

“Yes. If Boreas wasn’t acting on his own, if he truly had someone pulling the strings behind him, then he’ll come to us for help.”

“Exactly. Let’s describe in vivid detail just how wretched Morak Pallai’s corpse was.”

I caught sight of Edmund standing beside me, his gaze fixed on the documents in front of him. The quill in his hand flickered and danced across the page as if possessed. Watching him, I was again struck by the conviction that he was indeed the one destined to lead this nation. With this in mind, I bent once more over my own work.

Rumours of Morak Pallai’s death spread like wildfire. Most people clung to the story that the noble faction — the very ones who had ignited a civil war to drive out the foreigners — had cast him aside when he was no longer useful to them, leaving his mutilated body on the Empress’s estate, a place where no one would think to look for it.

Yet what we printed in the newspaper was nothing more than a skeletal outline: that a ‘terribly mutilated body’ had been discovered at the ‘Empress’s villa’, that it was Morak’s, and a hint of ‘speculation about the culprit’s identity’. But the public took those bones and clothed them with flesh of their own, shaping the tale until it swelled beyond recognition. Watching how swiftly it grew, I was once again struck by the terrible power of rumour.

“This should be about the time he starts to show himself.”

But unlike the growing storm of gossip, there was still no trace of Rohas or Boreas.

“Could it be… that he was already killed, just like Morak?”

The thought came unbidden. If the Empress had acted after reading the articles, if he’d already been silenced—?

Either way, it has already attracted people’s attention. Let’s wait a little longer. People don’t report themselves immediately out of fear. Humans are creatures of suspicion.

“Suspicion?”

“They’ll wonder: Is this really true? If it is, shouldn’t I be somewhere safer? Can Edmund truly be trusted? On and on, suspicion without end.”

Well, with their very lives at stake, they would naturally be cautious.

“There’s also the chance the Empress’s people are hiding him  making sure he can never tell us the truth. They could be threatening him through his family… or a lover.”

“Our men are already watching those around him. If there’s any sign, we’ll know.”

In the absence of any leads, we had no choice but to imagine the worst. Perhaps it was already too late. Had Morak and Boreas been murdered?

“Your Highness! Prince Edmund!”

At that moment, one of Felix’s men—one of Edmund’s subordinates—burst through the door.

“What is it?”

“This just arrived for you, Your Highness. I thought you needed to see it immediately.”

Edmund snatched the slip of paper from his hand and unfolded it without hesitation. His crimson eyes darted back and forth as he scanned the page at lightning speed. Then, once again, the corner of his lips lifted.

“Don’t tell me…”

Seeing the smile on Edmund’s face, I was certain. As he tossed the paper into the fireplace, he said,

“It’s the message we’ve been waiting for. Boreas has asked us for help.”

“Where is he now?”

Ever since he was acquitted at trial, Boreas had disappeared completely and become impossible to track down. His wife and the rest of his family all claimed not to know his whereabouts. Where had he been hiding all this time?

“They say the darkest place is right under the lamp. Unbelievably, he was here all along.”

“Here?”

Though I knew he couldn’t possibly be inside this room, my eyes instinctively darted around.

“Yes. Inside the Imperial Citadel itself.”

Inside the citadel? Could it really be that the Empress had imprisoned him?

“I never once imagined it would be there.”

Edmund admitted, gesturing for me to follow.

“But since he reached out to us personally, we’ll have to go and fetch him ourselves.”

In any case, finding Boreas was good news. I nodded. We were just about to leave the office when—

“Your Highness! Prince Edmund!”

“What is it?”

The urgent voice was followed by the door swinging open. It was the chief chamberlain, the one I had often seen at council meetings—the same man who never left Emperor Kai’s side. But why was he here, seeking Edmund so suddenly?

“Lady Ecla has arrived!”

“Ecla? What did she say? Has she agreed to negotiate?!”

One thing after another was falling into place. First, Boreas reappeared, and now Ecla was here too! She had gone with her grandfather to the Umpha region to convince the foreigners.

I was overwhelmed by a sense of optimism. If things continued to resolve themselves like this, Edmund would certainly be crowned Crown Prince.

“Yes, that’s precisely why you must go to the Audience Chamber at once!”

The Audience Chamber? My gaze met Edmund’s; we were both equally puzzled. Ecla certainly didn’t have the status to enter the council hall, but the Audience Chamber was an even less likely place for her.

“Then… shall I go to Boreas alone?”

When I asked, Edmund gave a slight shake of his head.

“You don’t even know exactly where it is. And I burned the note.”

“That’s true.”

“And I can’t send you off alone into danger.”

After a brief pause of thought, Edmund turned his body.

“It won’t take long. Let’s go to the urgent matter first. That one can wait until later.”

I nodded and followed after him. The chamberlain’s steps grew quicker and quicker.

“Is Lady Ecla alone in the Audience Chamber?”

“No, the representative of the Puglish merchants and the foreign envoys are there as well.”

So that was the reason for summoning us to the Audience Chamber. If the foreign representatives were present, it could only be Rowell and Sinia. Perhaps Ecla might truly be able to resolve this civil war.

When we arrived with Edmund, all the people I had expected, based on the chamberlain’s words, were there. However, to my surprise, there were a few other foreigners present as well.

“Your Highness.”

As Edmund entered, Ecla cast a quick glance at the people she had brought with her before stepping closer to us.

“How did it go?”

“That is…”

She clasped her hands together tightly and lowered her gaze. She looked deeply troubled. Had the negotiations not gone well?

After all, the foreigners had been the ones wronged in this civil war. It was entirely possible that they wouldn’t agree to the terms so easily. I had already expected the terms to be somewhat disadvantageous for the Empire.

“Your Majesty. As you commanded, I have brought Prince Edmund.”

“Good.”

The Emperor, his expression unusually grim, looked down at Edmund. No doubt about it—the negotiations had fallen apart.

“Your Majesty, you sent for me?”

At Edmund’s question, the Emperor gave a short nod and turned his gaze toward Asis.

“As you suggested, I have summoned the First Prince, Edmund. Now, speak. Tell us what terms you have all agreed upon to bring this civil war to an end.”

So the conditions hadn’t yet been revealed. My eyes widened as I looked to Asis.

“Our proposal is a single condition,” Asis said in a firm, steady voice that gave no sign of the man who had once lain unconscious from a gunshot wound.

“That condition is… marriage between Prince Edmund and my granddaughter, Ecla.”