Chapter 46: You Might Just Make a Fortune
Some tossed and turned in their beds, some toiled tirelessly by the window, and some, under the influence of blue pills, painted the walls with their excrement.
As the first rays of sunlight pierced through the windows, the world was bathed in a white glow.
Kailun, freshly showered and clad in a bathrobe, sipped a cup of warm milk brought to him by Carol.
He paused by the window, gazing at the sleeping Anna. She was exhausted. It would be a few hours before he could take her to meet her parents.
He left the room and summoned a maid, instructing her to release Shirley from the dungeon.
The poison would take effect around noon, so he had to let her go before then.
The Silver Moon Knights were expected to arrive at a hidden village five miles from the Royal City around noon as well. They would be able to reach the city quickly in case of conflict.
They had a two-day advantage over Duke Stamp’s reinforcements.
After taking care of Shirley, Kailun went to check on Vivian. The little princess was still unconscious from her hangover. No amount of shaking could rouse her.
He sighed and marked a few tallies on her inner thigh before leaving.
Ten minutes later, Shirley stood outside the manor gates.
She clutched the antidote, her gaze fixed on the imposing structure behind her. Even now, she couldn’t decipher Kailun’s motives.
However, she knew she wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. She would report everything to Hilna, warning her about the dangerous young man.
She took one last glance at the manor, her eyes lingering on the distant villa, and then ran towards the palace without looking back.
Her black robe billowed behind her, making her resemble a sleek panther.
“Princess Hilna!”
She encountered Hilna, leading the Royal Knights, on her way back to the palace.
She quickly estimated the size of the force. There were at least ten thousand soldiers, enough to conquer a medium-sized city.
“Shirley? What are you doing here?”
Hilna halted her troops and dismounted, her eyes filled with questions.
“Your Highness, my mission failed from the start. It’s all that damn Kailun’s fault!”
Hilna’s frown deepened at the mention of his name. She pulled Shirley aside. “Tell me everything that happened yesterday.”
Shirley recounted the events in detail, leaving nothing out.
Hilna’s blood ran cold as she listened.
No wonder her plans had failed, no wonder she was always one step behind. Had she been played by Kailun all along?
Anger, frustration, and regret surged through her, coalescing into a burning hatred for Kailun.
She would make him pay!
“Princess Hilna, are you still planning to attack Kailun’s manor?” Shirley asked cautiously, noticing her grim expression.
“Emotionally, I want to crush him right now. But reason dictates otherwise.”
Hilna glared towards the east. “If he were still the incompetent fool everyone believed him to be, I would have attacked his manor and taken him hostage to control the Grand Duke. But he dared to release you and reveal all this to me. That means he’s prepared. What do you think our chances of success are?”
Shirley pictured Kailun’s sly smile, the countless defensive arrays surrounding his manor, and the unfathomable old butler. She offered a cautious assessment. “I’d say it’s a fifty-fifty chance. No matter how clever he is, he can’t possibly outsmart you, Your Highness.”
“Shirley, the brilliant princess you see before you has been played by that boy for three days straight! Three days!”
Hilna gritted her teeth, reliving the past few days.
She had not only gifted Kailun with Phils, one of the Five Great Beauties of the Royal City, but also her own sister. He was probably in bed with Vivian right now!
“I’m going to lose my mind!”
She unleashed a string of curses, her princess image forgotten.
“Your Highness, why don’t we just attack him? We don’t have to endure this humiliation! Even if it costs me my life, I’ll bring you his head!” Shirley exclaimed, seeing her distress.
“A true leader doesn’t dwell on minor setbacks. I’ll swallow this humiliation for now. The game has just begun. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future!”
She practically spat out the words, her teeth clenched.
She had never experienced such a crushing defeat. The feeling of being constantly outmaneuvered and manipulated by Kailun was like being pinned down and ravaged, only to be tossed a towel afterwards to clean herself up.
Yes, Shirley was the towel.
If not for the looming threat of the Divine Church backing Lodis, she would have attacked without hesitation.
Shirley, unsure how to respond, simply said, “You’re wise, Your Highness.”
Hilna: “…”
She felt like Shirley was mocking her, but she couldn’t prove it.
It didn’t matter. She had already contacted Duke Stamp through magic letters. Once his forces arrived, she would regain control of the Royal City.
Kailun, Lodis, they would all be crushed beneath her iron fist!
The thought of Stamp’s reinforcements restored her confidence.
“So, are we returning to the palace now?” Shirley asked, gesturing towards the troops behind them.
Hilna shook her head. “No, we can’t return empty-handed after such a grand display. It would damage our prestige.”
“What do you suggest, Your Highness?”
“Let’s find a disobedient noble and confiscate their assets… Let me think… Yes, Viscount Vickroy. He sided with Lodis recently.”
Some had their arms broken for blocking Kailun’s path, while others had their homes raided for choosing the wrong side.
Such was fate. The Vickroy family was destined to be sacrificed.
…
Speaking of fate, Paul had always been a lucky man, though his luck seemed to have arrived a bit late this time.
At nine o’clock in the morning, the sun already high in the sky, Paul limped home, his clothes disheveled.
He hadn’t endured the night’s torment without gain.
Apart from earning twenty gold coins, he had also befriended influential figures like the Second Prince and the blue-robed Archbishop.
He had initially been pinned against the wall by a group of nobles, but at some point, Lodis and the Archbishop had taken an interest in him.
They had not only healed his injuries with magic but also given him a red pill to restore his stamina. They were his saviors.
However, they then made a request that shattered his worldview. They wanted him to… service them.
His understanding of the world crumbled once more.
Thankfully, he had managed to establish a connection with these powerful figures. They had assured him that he could always seek them out if he didn’t want to “work hard” anymore.
“I’ll make those nobles pay for what they did to me! I swear!”
Burning with anger, he pushed open his front door.
He was greeted by the sight of his unshaven, disheveled father, his sister Anna, Kailun, and the butler standing behind them.
Kailun was saying to his father, “Don’t worry, Uncle. Selling Anna for one thousand gold coins is a steal.”
Paul: “？？?”
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