Chapter 54: The Princess Begins to Doubt Herself
“He invited us to his wedding? The day after tomorrow? And he invited Hilna as well?”
Lodis stared at the list of names, his brow furrowed. “And he left the banquet last night without participating in any of the… festivities. I’m starting to think he’s sided with Hilna.”
“I doubt it.”
Harry voiced his doubts. “Don’t forget, Hilna has already tried to eliminate him several times. She even sent her knights to attack his manor this morning. And Kailun left the city this morning and returned with a caravan of a thousand people. I think he has something bigger planned.”
Lodis considered Harry’s analysis and recalled certain details. “We underestimated him. I never thought Kailun would be a factor in this power struggle. He’s always seemed so ordinary. Could he have been hiding his true abilities all along?”
His gaze fell upon the wedding venue listed on the invitation. His eyes narrowed. This was originally a conflict between him and Hilna, but Kailun’s emergence had introduced a new variable.
“Should we really keep delaying? The longer this drags on, the more uneasy I feel. After Hilna’s stunt today, our forces have been weakened. If she launches another attack, we’ll be forced to flee the Royal City.”
“Your Highness, are you familiar with the Abyss?” Harry decided to reveal some information to calm him down.
“Of course. What about it? Are they causing trouble again?”
“It’s not just trouble. It’s an all-out war. The Abyss has bared its fangs. We’re on the brink of a decisive battle. The Divine Church has been suppressing them for centuries, but we haven’t been able to eliminate them completely. It’s because of this threat that we’ve been expanding our influence and consolidating human forces.”
“Tch, I hate dealing with these troublesome matters. And this is your mess, isn’t it? Why should the entire human race bear the burden? You’ve profited greatly from hunting Abyssal creatures over the years. Just thinking about those dragon hearts and elven slaves makes me envious. And now that you’ve messed up and triggered a war, you’re dragging us into it. How inconsiderate.”
Lodis tapped the table impatiently. The Divine Church’s greed was no secret among the higher-ups.
Only someone with a close relationship with Harry, like Lodis, could speak so frankly. Anyone else would have been blasted to ashes by now.
Besides, Harry still needed Lodis’s support, so he always treated him with respect.
“That’s not entirely fair. Banishing those races to the Abyss was a collective effort of the entire human race. The Divine Church simply gained more from that war. The Abyssal races hate all humans, not just the Divine Church. Anyone who refuses to contribute now is a traitor to humanity!”
“Tch! You’re just good at labeling people. ‘Traitor to humanity,’ really?”
Lodis scoffed, but the idea of labeling someone sparked a thought. “What if we label Hilna a traitor to humanity?”
Harry was taken aback, then nodded slowly. “That’s actually a viable strategy. Once the Divine Church brands her a traitor, it will be difficult for her to compete for the throne. We can also label the Grand Duke a traitor, but that can wait. Hilna is the more immediate threat.”
Confronting both the Grand Duke and Hilna simultaneously would be unwise, especially with Kailun’s unpredictable nature.
“Not bad. So, the Divine Church is useful after all, despite its selfishness.” Lodis chuckled, patting Harry’s shoulder. “I’m feeling better now. Let’s have another party tonight!”
“What if we get poisoned again?”
“Hmph! This time, we’ll play a game called ‘body inspection.’ I don’t believe anyone can trick me again. Once these matters are settled, I’ll personally apologize to the Loya Ballroom.”
He snorted. If not for the Loya Ballroom’s valuable intelligence network, he would have already sent troops to demand an explanation.
Of course, the main reason was that he couldn’t bear to part with those alluring women.
…
“Your Highness, Kailun has sent an invitation. He’s getting married the day after tomorrow and wants us to attend.”
Shirley presented the black invitation to Hilna upon her return to the palace.
“Married? To whom? I wasn’t aware of this.” Hilna, her mood slightly calmer, sipped her tea.
“The invitation doesn’t say. The bride’s name is blank. And the names of the invitees are written in red, as if to imply something.”
Shirley placed the invitation on the table.
“He’s invited not only me and Vivian but also Anderson and Kostja. It feels like he’s planning to settle scores.”
Hilna’s anxiety returned as she examined the list of names.
She couldn’t understand Kailun’s motives. And the venue he had chosen was strange. On the surface, she held the advantage.
“Your Highness, should we decline? I have a bad feeling about this.”
Shirley’s hand rested on her sword, her expression serious. Too many things had gone wrong in the past few days. Every plan involving Kailun had failed.
“We’ll neither accept nor decline for now. We still have time before the day after tomorrow. We need to prepare thoroughly. This afternoon, please send someone to investigate the venue listed on the invitation. Be careful and report back immediately if you find anything unusual.”
Hilna tucked the invitation away safely.
She dismissed Shirley and then, after adjusting her attire, headed towards the king’s chambers. The royal physician had informed her that the king only had a day or two left to live.
If she couldn’t resolve the current crisis within that time, the entire Xiya Kingdom might descend into chaos.
Internal threats from the Grand Duke and the Second Prince, external threats from neighboring kingdoms and the lurking Abyss… Hilna, having played almost all her cards, began to doubt her ability to rule.
However, the thought of the Grand Duke’s territory bordering the neighboring kingdom reassured her. At least when it came to border security, the Grand Duke was trustworthy. He had defended their borders for years without losing an inch of territory.
The neighboring kingdom’s Iron Queen was a formidable figure. Although only a few years older than Hilna, she had transformed her kingdom into a powerful and prosperous nation, capable of expansion.
Hilna wasn’t confident in her ability to defend against a full-scale invasion.
She looked up at the sky, her eyes filled with weariness and uncertainty.
“If only Kailun didn’t exist. This world would be a much better place…”
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