"Knock, knock, knock."
Ivyst, who was reviewing documents, looked up.
"Princess, Prince Felit has arrived and wishes to see you."
Upon hearing this, Ivyst frowned deeply.
She had been on a mission at the underground relics when news of the Second Prince preparing to go to Orn City had broken.
It was Lynn who had told her about this after her return.
"Let him come to my study."
After a moment's thought, Ivyst responded indifferently.
She was well aware of the purpose of his visit.
It was nothing more than to accuse her regarding the death of the Mosgla family's heir.
But to Ivyst, the so-called heir's death was a complete joke, no different from a stray dog dying by the roadside.
Moments later, accompanied by a leisurely pace of footsteps, the silver-haired youth appeared before Ivyst, escorted by a guard.
As she looked at the half-brother before her, Ivyst did not rise but merely greeted him briefly.
Seeing this, the Second Prince responded indifferently and then, as if he were the master, walked over and sat down on the sofa.
"I've come today mainly for two matters."
"The first matter, where is Lynn Bartleion?" Felit got straight to the point, "Have him come to see me."
"What do you want with him?"
Ivyst narrowed her eyes, watching her famously distinguished brother.
"It's nothing much." Felit slowly removed his gloves and straightened his silver hair, "I plan to take him along the way back to face the court's judgement."
Saying this, Felit took out an exquisitely embossed envelope sealed with a wax from his coat.
The symbol on the wax surface was a sharp longsword, thrust directly atop a scale.
"This is a subpoena from the Glostine Court."
Felit placed the envelope on the coffee table and said lightly.
Ivyst didn't even lift her head.
"Murder, of course." Felit glanced at her, "After all, he personally killed a Marquis's son in front of everyone, Ivyst, surely you wouldn't pretend to be unaware?"
"It's also quite interesting; he was a loser condemned to the border, yet this whole year, the entire Imperial Capital was almost about to forget his existence. Unexpectedly, as the year end approaches, this young Bartleion has stirred up such an intriguing drama, indeed enlightening many families in the Imperial Capital."
"Regrettably, it seems he lacks reverence for power." Felit tapped the table lightly with his knuckle, "And for such a madman, it's necessary to teach him what reverence means."
"Alright, Ivyst, I still have a visit to make to the Heavenly Principle Church later, so let's not waste time here idly."
Looking at the envelope on the table, Ivyst remained silent.
After a moment of silence, she suddenly pushed a newspaper on her desk towards Felit.
"If the charge is merely murder, then you might not be able to take him away." Ivyst's lips suddenly curled into a strange smile, "Perhaps you should read this first."
Watching the smile that surfaced on Ivyst's lips, Felit unconsciously furrowed his brow.
In his memory, his younger sister was always cold.
Now, to unexpectedly see her smiling really caught him off guard.
With this thought, Felit picked up the newspaper from the table.
"The perpetrator who set the Heavenly Principle Church ablaze, Lynn Bartleion, was arrested by the private guards of Bai Leier Tierus yesterday evening, and his whereabouts are currently unknown. The City Council and Security Bureau have issued a stern protest against this abuse of power to the Duke Mansion."
The moment he saw the headline, the Second Prince, who always maintained calm and restraint, had his brain stall for a few seconds.
Heavenly Principle Church?
He could comprehend each word, yet when put together, they made no sense.
Having stayed in his private train the past few days, without contact with the outside world, he was clueless about the recent major events in Orn City.
He had just got off the carriage without attending to anything else and had headed straight for Augusta Manor.
It seemed that Orn City had recently encountered some unexpected situations.
Although Felit was puzzled, he remained indifferent on the surface.
But as he flipped through one newspaper after another, his pupils gradually began to dilate.
Heretic Moselle, public protests, alliance of electors, two million Gold Coins for military expenses, fundraising for disabled soldiers, a citywide frenzy of competition...
With various words flashing through his mind, a frequently mentioned name emerged in Felit's thoughts.
A sense of disbelief rose in his heart, yet the contents of the newspaper right in front of him silenced him.
Could just one person really have stirred up such a storm here?
And even managed to bring Ivyst, who had almost completely lost any chance at the throne, to a position where she almost seemed to overtake others?
After all, there were only seven electors, yet there were nine princes.
Up to now, most of the princes and princesses still hadn't secured the support of the electors.
A smile unwittingly crept across Felit's lips.
"After we return, remember to execute all the intelligence personnel responsible for Orn City," he suddenly said to a guard beside him, "Such a clever, interesting fellow, full of schemes and methods, has been described by them as a 'spine-broken, ruined dog' for the past half a year."
"What a betrayal and disgrace of duty."
"As you command, Your Highness."
The guard calmly replied.
"Also Ivyst, what do you mean by showing me this newspaper?" Felit turned his gaze back to Ivyst sitting across the table, "Do you think that with Duke Tierus's protection, I can't touch him?"
"It's not that," Ivyst replied calmly, "I just wanted to tell you that I now have the support of an elector."
"The Third Imperial Princess, whom you all left behind, has gradually caught up. If you don't want the throne to be taken away, you'd better not underestimate me like before."
Seeing her demeanor, Felit fell silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed, "Ivyst, you really have changed a lot compared to when you left the Imperial Capital, constantly throwing tantrums like a disaster."
"Let me guess, did this change come from that Lynn Bartleion?"
"Interesting, really interesting!" Felit said, laughing loudly.
He wasn't actually indifferent by nature; he simply wasn't interested in boring people.
But if he encountered something or someone that piqued his curiosity, Felit would immediately transform into a different person.
Like now, for instance.
"Let's make a deal," Felit leaned back on the sofa, looking comfortable, "I'm very interested in this Lynn Bartleion right now."
"Let me have him. As for the demands, you can name whatever you want."
"Object sealed below level 0, as long as I have the authority to grant, you can choose up to five."
"If you'd prefer to exchange them for money, or perhaps place some people within the Empire's administrative system, whatever it is, as long as it's within my power, I can give it to you."
Ivyst's gaze turned ice cold.
Felit noticed the change in her mood and thought for a moment, then laughed dismissively, "Relax, I will also ensure his safety within what I can afford."
"As for those fools of the Mosgla family... heh, if it wasn't for the sake of keeping up appearances to pacify their feelings, this prince wouldn't even bother making the trip."
"I never truly wanted to rely on those cunning villains who have stabbed others in the back; it was merely a use of mutual benefit."
Ivyst took a deep breath, suppressing the irritation and anger in her heart.
"Let me meet him," Felit glanced at her, "He's not merchandise, but a living person who should have the right to choose his own allegiances."
"After I've spoken with him, if he still doesn't wish to serve me, then let's drop the matter."
"Two hundred thousand Gold Coins for the chance to meet and talk to him."
Felit crossed his fingers, resting them on his knees.
Watching his composed demeanor, Ivyst finally realized where the deep irritation and anger inside her came from.
If given a fair choice, would he choose her again?