In the Grip of Shadows

Henry stared at the figure standing before him, trying to discern his intentions, while his hands were shackled to the wall with iron chains. Suddenly, Alan attacked him with shadow spikes that dissipated as they neared Henry's body.

"So, what I heard about you is true. You can absorb attacks generated by the Serra," Alan said as he approached slowly, a wicked smile spreading across his face.

"And what of it?" Henry replied, a cold expression on his face.

Alan suddenly delivered a powerful punch to Henry's abdomen.

"Ugh," Henry coughed after taking the blow.

"Your power might be good, but it doesn't deflect weak hits like this," Alan mocked.

Henry struggled to breathe, raising his head towards Alan and smiling. "Attacking a bound person and mocking him, these are the actions of cowards like you."

Alan glared at him, grabbing his hair and speaking coldly, "You have your father's eyes, and that disgusts me. And just like him, you have a sharp tongue, boy. You should watch what you say; you're speaking to the wrong person."

"Hold on, you'll kill him like that," a woman with violet eyes and raspberry-red hair entered suddenly, carrying a black metallic fan.

"What are you doing here?" Alan turned to her, releasing Henry's hair.

"I've come to fetch you since you're late for dinner," she said with a smile on her face.

"Stop joking around; you could have just sent the servants," Alan said coldly.

She ignored him and approached Henry with a smile. "Welcome, Crown Prince. I am Noira, Queen of the Shadow Kingdom. I hope you enjoy your stay here."

Henry felt confused by her words. Alan suddenly grabbed her hand, dragging her out with him. Before leaving, she said, "I wish you a good night, Crown Prince," and the door slammed shut with a loud noise.

Henry thought in bewilderment, "Did madmen kidnap me or what? But still, the aura of that king indicates a deep hatred towards me. Thinking about it, he kept mentioning my father every time. Does this mean he hates my father?" Henry pondered deeply, staring around the room. "Hearing footsteps on the stairs, the coldness, and darkness of this room means I am most likely in a basement room of the palace. I can break these chains using the Shadow Spikes skill I absorbed. But even if I get out of the basement, I will face the king upstairs, making my escape chances slim. So, I'll escape when he's not in the palace... I also want to know what they plan to do, so my stay here will probably be long." Henry kept planning his escape from the palace.

Meanwhile, the investigation team was searching for clues to find the culprit.

"Unfortunately, we haven't found anything yet," Leo said worriedly. He started examining the place, hoping to find a clue. He found signs of burning and explosions. Suddenly, he noticed something shining on the ground—a scratched pocket watch. He picked it up and asked the knights to return after carrying the bodies.

By morning, the commotion in the imperial palace had increased after the investigation team's return. The Archduke went to speak with the Emperor about the investigations. Edward spoke first, "Any new updates?"

"Not much... I noticed signs of explosions and slight burning around the place, as if the wind had carried the flames."

"You said as if the wind carried flames?" Edward was surprised but became more aware of the suspect. His tone became serious. "Leo, who do you think is the primary suspect?"

"The Shadow Kingdom," Leo said directly.

"That's likely. I've also learned that the Marquess Domont is a spy for them," Edward said.

"What? I should have cut that woman's throat seven years ago," Leo said coldly, surprised. "So, what should we do now?" Leo asked about their next step.

"I will ask the Duke of the East to start monitoring the borders for now. Then I will decide our actions based on his reports," Edward said, thinking. "Ah, I remembered, I also found this," Leo suddenly said, taking out the watch. Edward looked at it and remembered seeing it in Henry's hand before he left. "It was in Henry's hand yesterday," he said sadly.

"Then I'll go now," Leo left the office, returning to the duchy. Meanwhile, Edward sent the watch with a servant to Celesia.

"Knock, knock."

"Come in," Celesia said.

"Excuse me, the Emperor sent this to you," Lena entered the office and placed the watch in front of Celesia. She was shocked to see it. "Henry's watch?" she said hesitantly. She stared at the watch for a long time, touching it gently, then suddenly made a decision.

"Lena, could you bring me the letter papers?" Celesia called. "It seems it's time to intervene," she said with a serious expression after a long time. Lena brought the papers, and Celesia began writing.

"To Her Highness Princess Mirabella Silvia of the West, I invite you to the imperial palace tomorrow. I believe you have already heard about the Crown Prince's disappearance, so I want you to help me find him with your brilliant intelligence and vast knowledge. I hope to receive a positive response as soon as possible. From Princess Celesia Ryoger."

"Lena, take this letter and ask them to send it as quickly as possible," Celesia said, handing Lena the letter.

"I will tell them immediately," Lena hurried out to deliver the letter.

Moments passed, and everyone returned to their work. The high nobles were anxious about the disappearance of the sole heir to the throne, demanding the Emperor find another heir. The Emperor responded firmly, "As long as we haven't found the Crown Prince dead, I will not choose another heir, nor will I marry another to do so."

"Are you considering ending the Watchful Eyes lineage?" one of the nobles asked.

"I don't care about the continuity of these eyes; the most important thing is the safety of the people in this empire," the Emperor said seriously, ending the discussion immediately. But as long as the sole heir's disappearance continues, such discussions will arise again.

Meanwhile, the letter finally reached Mirabella.

"Well, it seems the princess is finally taking action," she said with a smile after reading the letter. "It's time to use my intelligence for something useful at last."