NOVPUB
Chapter 310: The Princess Situation
The city of Finna, the capital of the Vindas Empire, is home to the empire’s true sovereign. At the heart of this vast city stands a grand white palace, the residence of the imperial family. Its majestic architecture inspires reverence from all who gaze upon it, radiating an imperial aura that compels the citizens of the empire to bow in awe.
At this time, the emperor of the Vindas Empire, Herman Avandi, sat in his throne hall with his daughter, Princess Loraine, standing before him. His expression was filled with tenderness as he gazed at her. Since the death of his wife—the empress of the Vindas Empire—after giving birth to Loraine, he had given his daughter special treatment.
The empress was the only wife Emperor Herman ever had, and he never took another woman after her passing. Loraine’s face and character reminded him of his late wife, prompting him to shower her with affection. Whatever she desired, he would provide, and her remarkable talents in everything she pursued only deepened his adoration. To him, she was his most cherished gem.
"Loraine, how is your cultivation progressing?" Emperor Herman asked in a gentle voice. Though his tone was naturally deep and commanding, he softened it whenever he spoke to his daughter.
"I’m doing well, Father. If everything goes smoothly, I should be able to break through to the High Duke stage next month," Princess Loraine replied confidently.
"Good, good. However, remember to prioritize your health above all else. I’ve noticed you seem tired these past few weeks. Don’t push yourself too hard. Cultivation is a long journey that cannot be rushed. You’re still young, my dear. With your potential and talent, even without giving it your all, you will inevitably reach greater heights."
"It’s okay, Father. I recently had an enlightenment that required me to cultivate for a much longer period. I don’t want to waste my talent and potential by not giving it my best," she said with a smile. Her expression revealed nothing unusual, but deep inside, she felt anxious.
For the past few weeks, she had been unable to stop thinking about the fate of her lover, the Lust Devil. As Aldrian had mentioned, shortly after she returned from Flamecrest City, a messenger from the devils came to her. He demanded an explanation for her deviation from the script and she was supporting the Flamecrest family. With her announcement at that time and the news of the Boraz Fortress’s fall, the Flamecrest family had become essentially untouchable.
She had asked them about the Lust Devil first, expressing her desire to meet him, but they seemed to avoid her questions and requests. It felt as if they were hiding something from her. Their only response was that the Lust Devil was currently in seclusion and could not be reached by anyone.
That was her final clue: the devils were lying to her. She didn’t know how long this deception had been going on. She had always done whatever the devils asked of her for the past few months, believing it was the Lust Devil’s will. But now, it seemed that wasn’t always the case.
The last time she communicated directly with the Lust Devil was four months ago, during the ongoing war with the Doria Empire. At that time, he appeared to be occupied with important matters, so she chose not to disturb him much.
Looking back, the Lust Devil must have been captured by the young man sometime between those four months. During that period, she had already carried out tasks she believed came from the Lust Devil.
She felt utterly deceived and without hesitation, she dismissed the devils’ messenger. She resolved not to act on their requests again unless she saw the Lust Devil in person. For now, all she could do was hope that Aldrian would stay true to his word and keep the Lust Devil safe until she completed her mission.
She had already heard the rumors surrounding the Larson family. She recalled Aldrian’s words about the chaos in the empire involving the Larsons. It seemed this was what he had been referring to, and now was the time for her to take action. The rumors had grown quite significant, and the Larsons appeared to be in a precarious situation.
"Father, I have a request. It concerns the recent rumors about devils in the Larson Grand Duchy," she said.
Emperor Herman hadn’t expected his daughter to bring up the Larson family’s troubles, but he was willing to hear her out.
"What is it, my dear? What request do you have?"
"Father, let me handle the Larson family issue. The rumors have already spread to the populace, causing instability in the empire. If we allow this to spiral out of control, it could even affect the entire empire—and the imperial family."
Emperor Herman looked at his daughter with curiosity. He had questions on his mind, particularly regarding his daughter’s recent actions. From the incident with the Flamecrest family to this, she seemed to be taking matters into her own hands. From his perspective, it appeared as though she was positioning herself to gain achievements for the succession race.
However, he knew that his daughter was not someone interested in the throne. He had always considered her older brother to be more suited to the role of crown prince. If she wasn’t after the throne, then what was driving her recent actions?
"You want to handle it yourself, huh?" he said thoughtfully. "But I’ve already given your elder brother the order to visit the Larson family. This matter is serious, and your elder brother needs to show his face once in a while. You’ve already taken care of the devils’ plot in Duclan and the Flamecrest family, so I think it’s time for your brother to step in. And after your time in seclusion, you need a rest."
Princess Loraine raised an eyebrow. Her elder brother was the one going to the Larson family? She clenched her fists behind her back. This was not good! If the Larsons decided to retaliate by revealing the truth about her to her brother, it would be the end for her.
Aside from Aldrian’s mission, she wanted to handle the Larson family issue herself to minimize the risk of them using their trump card. She had to prevent them from exposing her connection to the devils to her elder brother.
"Father, I already have some connections with the Larson family, which will make it easier for me to approach and investigate them. If elder brother goes to them, and the rumors turn out to be true, they’ll hide or even destroy any evidence. After all, elder brother’s reputation is already terrifying." She spoke with a convincing tone, even subtly pleading in the hope that her father would change his mind. However...
"Well, he already arrived there yesterday in disguise. As you said, sending him formally would cause a commotion, so I had him go quietly without informing anyone. He’ll stay there until he’s certain about the situation before making a judgment himself. With his abilities, I believe he’s more than capable of handling it," Emperor Herman replied.
"My dear, don’t you know your brother? Just trust him. As for you, you need to rest after your cultivation. I can see the fatigue in your eyes. You don’t need to push yourself."
Princess Loraine could only grit her teeth inwardly. If she kept pushing her father on this, he would start to grow suspicious of her. What he said made sense, and she couldn’t refute him any further.
"Alright, I’ll follow father’s suggestion." For now, she could only step back and look for another way to deal with the Larson family, ensuring they wouldn’t use their hidden card.
Hearing his daughter’s response, Emperor Herman smiled.
"Good. You can go back to your room now. I’ve already asked the maids to prepare a herbal drink to help relax your body after cultivation."
Princess Loraine gave a slight bow to her father before exiting the throne hall.
"This won’t do! I must do something about elder brother!" she thought. Her eyes glimmered with resolve—she would do anything to prevent her brother from discovering the truth about her.
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In an unknown place,
The room was engulfed in darkness, with only dim light illuminating the space. A table and a dozen chairs were arranged as if for some kind of gathering. At this moment, more than a dozen people were present, with a woman seated at the center, seemingly the leader. This woman was Carol Duclan, the young miss of the once-noble Duclan family, whom Aldrian had saved from the Boraz fortress.
The group remained silent, as if waiting for something.
Suddenly, the door to the room opened, and a figure in a black robe entered, removing their hood to reveal their face.
"Mission successful for today," he said to Carol. "Another place has been leaked, and the cultivators are already storming it."
"Good. Was there any trouble while you were there?" Carol asked.
"A few rats from the Larsons tried to follow me, but fortunately, the assassins from the Thunderous Shadow Pavilion took care of them." 𝚗o𝚟pub.𝚌𝚘𝚖
Carol nodded. Right now, these people, the remnants of the Duclan family had all joined her cause. Not just in this room, but in several hidden places like this one, many family members already gathered. They all shared the same goal—to seek revenge.
