Three Days

In the bright daylight, at the residence of the Turelina Family in the city of Edenia, a group of people had gathered in front of a bedroom. 

Inside the room lay Prince Langris—the crown prince of Westya Kingdom, unconscious and unresponsive.

By the side of the Prince were Count Rene Turelina and Edenia's finest doctor. 

Both of them were examining Prince Langris' condition inside the room. Meanwhile, the group of people outside the room could only wait for the results of the examination.

Among those outside were Kirana, Lilinette, Luis, and Gina, who were the ones who had brought Prince Langris to the Turelina residence. 

Additionally, there were Mrs. Turelina, Innis, and his brother, accompanied by servants and guards from both sides.

"You've truly brought an extraordinary surprise, Kirana," remarked Innis, who was undeniably astonished when Kirana arrived with the helpless Prince Langris. 

It wasn't just Innis; everyone in the residence was struck dumbfounded, and then panic ensued.

The long-lost First Prince had suddenly been found.

"Innis, don't just call her by name. She is Princess Kirana. Don't forget your manners." 

Mrs. Turelina reminded, causing Innis to give a dry smile and shrug his shoulders.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Luis inquired, finding the situation somewhat confusing.

Kirana instructed them to wait for Rene Turelina first, as she planned to provide a clearer explanation of the current situation. 

In truth, Gina had already shared the events in Heijo with Lilinette. However, Lilinette had not yet informed Luis, let alone the Turelina Family. 

She intended to do so during the day at the Turelina residence. 

But before the time came to explain, Kirana had returned early with one of the most important individuals in Westya. 

That's why Luis and the Turelina Family members were still unaware of the situation in Heijo.

A little while later, Count Turelina and the doctor emerged from the room. 

The doctor reported that Prince Langris' current condition was stable, though he remained weak. 

At least, his life was no longer under threat of death. The doctor had provided medication and remedies, and now they simply had to wait for the Prince to wake up. 

The exact duration of his slumber, however, was unknown to the doctor.

Before departing, the doctor gave some instructions to the Head Servant at the residence regarding the nourishment for the Prince. 

He also provided a prescription for medicine to be administered before and after Prince Langris woke up. With that, he took his leave, advising them to contact him immediately if anything happened.

Seeing the departure of the elderly doctor, Count Turelina turned to Kirana. His eyes were filled with questions about the current situation.

Kirana nodded in response to the Count's gaze. Then, everyone proceeded to the dining room. Count Turelina instructed his Head Servant to prepare lunch.

While waiting for the meal, Kirana began to speak. 

She explained everything she had discovered during her undercover mission to Heijo. 

She emphasized that the armies of Rostgard and Ethyria were preparing to launch an attack on Edenia.

Furthermore, the First Prince was to be used as a pretext for the invasion. They would accuse the Turelina family of kidnapping Prince Langris, labeling it an act of treason against Westya.

Rene Turelina slammed his hand on the table, furious at what Kirana revealed. 

He hadn't expected the situation to escalate to this extent. Just because they had refused the request to send troops didn't mean Edenia should be treated as if it were a traitor.

"Damn, is this the Prime Minister's orders?!" Rene was genuinely infuriated.

"Rene." 

His wife called out, staring at him sharply, reminding him to choose his words carefully.

"Ah, my apologies."

"Sigh... for now, we still don't know for sure, but C-Owl is looking into it," Kirana stated.

"Wait, earlier Princess Kirana mentioned that the attackers were from Rostgard and Ethyria. So, what about Heijo's own army?" asked Loudi Terulina, the eldest son of Rene and the older brother of Innis.

Unlike Innis, who was a genius in swordsmanship and magic, Loudi had never been drawn to those pursuits. 

As a native of Edenia, his interests lay more in the field of flora. He had his own private garden for his personal research. 

However, despite his botanical interests, Loudi was the official heir to his father's Count status and remained more competent in political strategy than his brother.

Innis, on the other hand, even though he is a genius in swordsmanship, his passion lies in painting.

So most of his time, Innis was solely focused on his art. His sword skills were initially just a formality to meet his father's expectations for graduation from the Military Academy. 

After that, he didn't care. Only in recent weeks had Innis picked up his sword again, sensing the growing threat to Edenia.

Upon hearing Loudi's question, Kirana didn't answer. Instead, she turned to Gina, who was also seated in the dining room.

Seeing the look, Gina nodded and replied that most of Heijo's military forces had accompanied the Baron of Heijo to Lumiere. 

"What's left in Heijo might be less than a quarter of their total strength. That's why the Baron's family and the remaining officials in Heijo can't challenge the forces from Rostgard and Ethyria, especially after receiving a direct message from the Prime Minister instructing them to stay in their homes until the conflict is resolved."

"Whoa, that's chaotic," Innis responded upon hearing this.

"Do you know when they might attack?" Rene inquired.

Kirana and Gina fell into thoughtful silence, unable to provide a precise estimate. 

After a lengthy pause, Kirana responded, "Around one week." 

While Gina suggested that, based on their current preparations, it might take about two weeks.

Rene frowned upon hearing these estimates. His first thought was whether that time was enough to evacuate his people. 

It would be much better if Prince Langris woke up and put an end to this foolish civil war. That was Rene's hope, as well as the majority of the people in the dining room, except for one...

"Three days."

"Hm?"

Suddenly, everyone in the room turned their attention to the soft but resonating voice of a young woman. 

In the midst of silence, they saw a teenage girl, elegantly cutting a steak on her plate, a dish that had been served by the servants. 

She brought the piece of meat to her small mouth before lifting her eyes to meet the gazes directed at her.

"What do you mean by three days, Lily?" 

Kirana asked, looking at Lilinette, who, as usual only spoke a few words.

Lilinette smiled sweetly. "They're going to attack in three days."

"Eh? Isn't that too soon?" Loudi questioned this time.

Lilinette shook her head, then pointed with the dinner knife at Kirana. 

"The Prince. Unconscious. Edenia. Fact." 

Lilinette said before returning her attention to the food on her plate, no longer paying heed to the inquisitive looks.

"...huh?"

Seeing Lilinette return to her meal, leaving the others baffled by her words, all but one man nodded in understanding. 

Innis Turelina then explained what Lilinette had just said.

He explained that the absence of the First Prince in their hands had made the enemy concerned. 

They were aware of the Prince's health condition, so they knew he would be unconscious for a few days. 

Before Prince Langris woke up and halted their aggression against Edenia, the enemy wanted to take control of Edenia as quickly as possible. 

Therefore, they were prioritizing speed over thorough preparations.

Why three days? Lilinette believed that was the time needed for Heijo to send someone to deliver a war declaration to Edenia.

"Tomorrow, the messenger is likely to arrive, proclaiming that the Kingdom of Westya condemns Edenia for kidnapping Prince Langris. The messenger will demand Edenia's surrender, warning that if they don't comply, Heijo's forces will come. 

"The actual attack on Edenia will happen after the messenger returns to Heijo. The problem here is that Lilinette also mentioned that Heijo's fabricated reasons will become a reality. Because if Edenia loses, they will genuinely discover Prince Langris unconscious in the Turelina residence. That means their war pretext will be justified, making the Turelina Family's situation even worse."

"Is that what you want to convey, Division Head Lilinette?" Innis asked to confirm.

Lilinette nodded, satisfied with Innis' explanation.

"War happens. No preparation. Defeat."

The onlookers could only exchange empty glances. 

They all shared the same thoughts: 

'How can you understand so much from so few words?' 

But at least now they comprehended the suddenly critical nature of the situation, and if Lilinette's assessment was accurate, it was truly dire.

"Ugh, did I just worsen the situation by bringing Prince Langris to Edenia?" Kirana lamented, realizing that her actions might have been a blunder.

"Hmm, yes and no," Lilinette responded.

"Why?"

"Same. Sooner. Later. They attack. Prince there. Dead. Purpose?"

"It's all the same. Sooner or later, Westya will attack. Saving the First Prince is actually a good thing for the future. Because if he dies, it's over. But if he's saved, even though it worsens the situation in Edenia, if Edenia wins, the First Prince can live. 

"The real issue here is, what's their true objective in the attack? It can't be just because Edenia refused to send troops. There must be something more significant that's driving them to want to take over Edenia," Innis explained after hearing Lilinette's words.

'Are you a translator or something?' 

People around wondered as they exchanged puzzled glances between Lilinette and Innis, not understanding how Innis could interpret Lilinette's words.

But now, the question about their objective echoed in their minds.

"Is there something valuable in Edenia?" Kirana asked.

Innis looked at Loudi.

Loudi glanced at his mother.

Delina turned to her husband.

Rene, who had become the center of attention, gazed vacantly.

"I don't really know. Edenia is just fertile land. Nothing more. There are no treasures, mines, or anything like that here. This region borders a useless mountain. So, if asked about something valuable, maybe... plants?"