Chapter 15: Arrival

Kael's demeanor softened, his smile returning as he turned back to the second prince. "Now, to answer your question, dear brother," he said lightly.

"I was assassinated on my way back from the Jimi Kingdom," Kael stated, his expression unchanged.

"Few people knew I was going, and even fewer knew the exact time I would leave. Yet, despite all the precautions and me keeping a low profile, I was assassinated—not by one kingdom, but by two," Kael continued, his tone steady.

"The second kingdom, of course, will be dealt with later, as they'll personally come here to apologize. But the first..." Kael paused, chuckling lightly.

With a sneer, Kael turned to his siblings. They were all watching him—some in confusion, others in awe—but only one remained silent.

"Selena, bingo," Kael thought as his gaze fixed on her. She was his third sister, known for her quiet and easy-going nature. But Kael would never overlook her because of this. In fact, her demeanor only made him more suspicious.

The crown prince's revelation left the ministers, aristocrats, and the Williams family stunned. For the Williams family, this was shocking news. However, the ministers and aristocrats seemed to know at least some of what Kael was implying.

"As for the first kingdom, I must admit they had their plans well in motion. They even managed to hire a Martial Master to assassinate me. Tell me, should I feel honored or insulted by such an effort?" Kael asked, shaking his head with mock amusement.

"The ministers and aristocrats aren't to blame here. The culprit lies within the royal family. Only we knew the exact time I was leaving, yet I was still ambushed. How? Even when I departed, it was done silently and through one of Father's old secret passages. Hah, quite funny," Kael said, his expression turning cold and menacing.

"I didn't want to believe that one of my siblings would allow a Martial Master to enter the kingdom just to kill me, but..." Kael's voice dropped, sending a chill through the hall.

"But one of you bastards did it. I nearly died if not for Garrick. And to top it off, while they were fighting the assassin, one of the forsaken generals from my bride's kingdom attacked me. If not for Second Uncle, I would be dead."

The entire hall gasped, except for two individuals who raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Huh? When?" both Garrick and the king asked in unison.

For Garrick, it was unexpected since he hadn't seen or sensed anything. But he trusted Kael. For the king, this revelation contradicted the report he'd received from Second Uncle, who had made no mention of a forsaken general's involvement.

"This kid... What is he planning? This is his bride's kingdom we're talking about," the king thought, his expression solemn. If it had been before, he might have confronted Kael immediately. But the crown prince's recent transformation made him wary. He decided to wait and see how events unfolded, as Kael had hinted that the other kingdom would soon come forward.

"A two-pronged attack, orchestrated by this kingdom and one of my dearest siblings," Kael said, his voice livid. The room fell silent as everyone struggled to process the implications.

"Brother, you can't just accuse someone like that. We're your siblings—why would we want to kill you?" the second prince interjected.

"If you weren't neutral in the original timeline, I might have suspected you. But with the butterfly effect, who knows? Maybe you're involved this time," Kael thought, squinting his eyes at the second prince.

"I captured the assassin, and Father can testify to it. He was persuaded by me to reveal which kingdom sent him and who allowed him into this one," Kael said, smiling.

On the throne, the third princess, Selena, felt her heart race.

"Persuaded? Did he say anything? No, he's a Martial Master. What could Kael possibly do to him? He can't even capture someone like that," Selena thought, her mind spiraling with fear. On the outside, she remained composed, but internally, a storm raged.

"I can testify to that," the king's voice rang out, sending a wave of tension through the room. The atmosphere became heavy, like gunpowder waiting for a spark.

"Guess who allowed him into the kingdom? Well, he didn't name anyone specifically but said it was one of the royals," Kael announced, causing another round of gasps.

"Brother, are you really going to believe the words of an assassin?" the second prince asked again.

Kael's face twitched slightly. "Brother, why are you always against me? What have I done to deserve this? Perhaps I should let you experience what the assassin did and see if you would talk or not," Kael thought bitterly.

"Oh, I believe him. After all, Williams was directly working for one of my dearest siblings to have me killed," Kael said, his gaze locking onto Selena.

Her heart skipped a beat, and her eyes widened in horror as Kael's cold eyes bore into her.

"But—" the second prince began, only for Kael to cut him off.

"Why do you think Williams is dead now? Can you explain that? I caught spies in my chambers. When the news reached my sibling, I was too late. So, I personally went to the Williams family mansion with a guard, only to find out that Williams had been killed just as he was about to return to his home. Guess what happened? The one who sent him panicked and silenced him before he could be caught," Kael said, his voice indifferent.

The throne hall fell into an oppressive silence. Everyone felt as though they had stumbled upon a dangerous secret.

"This second brother of mine needs to be taught a lesson," Kael thought, his smile returning. "As for Father, the ministers, aristocrats, and even the Williams family are present. This can't be covered up. An investigation must be conducted. That's why I chose this moment to speak out."

Kael's slight smile sent a shiver down the spines of everyone in the room.

"Dangerous…"

"The Crown Prince can think this way?"

"He has changed."

"Worthy of being the Crown Prince."

Such thoughts spiraled through the minds of those present as they looked at the young man sitting comfortably on the throne. He was the Crown Prince, yet there was something undeniably different about him—both mentally and physically.

"He… he figured it out? How?" Selena's thoughts raced. "That assassin… damn him, and damn the Fin Land Kingdom! How could they send such an idiot? Now I'm in danger."

Her expression remained frosty, her mind churning while keeping her face composed. She was still in the throne room, and any slip of emotion would attract unwanted attention.

"I think Kael already suspects me," she thought, catching his amused gaze fixed on her.

"Father, I urge you to investigate this matter thoroughly. Even if we are family, betrayal must not be tolerated," Kael declared, his voice firm. "Whoever it is—they must face death."

"Either you find out it's Selena now, or I'll kill her directly," Kael thought coldly.

"I will do that, son. No matter who it is, they will face the consequences," the King replied solemnly, his expression grim.

"These children," the King mused bitterly. "I'm still on the throne, yet they're already planning to kill one another. And to top it off, they've allied with an enemy kingdom to do so?"

Kael's voice broke the tension. "As for the first kingdom, it's none other than the Fin Land Kingdom."

The doors of the throne room swung open with a loud creak.

"Kael, you dare accuse us without evidence?" a male voice called out. A young man entered, his every move exuding grace. His luxurious robe inspired awe, and his blonde hair and brown eyes added to his noble appearance. Tall and fit, his handsome face radiated a natural aura of leadership.

"The Crown Prince of the Fin Land Kingdom, the groom of my second sister, Seraphina," Kael thought, amused.

"Unbelievable. The groom of my second sister is working with my third sister to take over the Eryndor Kingdom? Is he cheating on Seraphina with Selena? I can't blame him—her body is one of the hottest around. Still, this is getting interesting," Kael mused, his thoughts laced with sarcasm as the Fin Land Crown Prince approached the throne room's center and bowed slightly.

"Crown Prince Lucian, you have arrived," the King greeted stiffly. He recalled the peace treaty forged years ago when he and the Fin Land King arranged the marriage between their children to foster unity. Just three days ago, Lucian had informed him he was coming to see his bride, Seraphina, who had complained about missing him.

"Headache… now what will become of the peace treaty?" the King thought. "Walking in on your bride's family accusing your kingdom of assassination… this is a mess."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Lucian said with a graceful smile before turning to Kael.

"What proof do you have? Show me our kingdom's crest on the assassin—or anything else to substantiate your claim," Lucian said, his calm tone challenging Kael.

Kael squinted slightly. There was no crest on the assassin. Even if the assassin were still alive, bringing him forward would be pointless. Both Lucian and the assassin would deny any connection, as the assassin's family was likely under Lucian's control.

"Well played. I must admit, I'm a little rusty at these games," Kael thought, impressed, as he stood and descended the steps of the throne.

Kael walked slowly toward Lucian, facing him eye to eye. At Kael's back stood a single bodyguard, while Lucian was flanked by five or six guards. Yet, the aura emanating from Garrick, Kael's martial master, dwarfed everything. The temperature in the room plummeted, leaving everyone feeling as if they were trapped in an icy tomb.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed through the hall.

Pa… pa… pa… pa… pa… pa… pa… pa…

Each step brought an even colder wave of air, sending chills down everyone's spines. The doors swung open with force.

"Who dares to challenge my brother?" a commanding female voice rang out.

A stunning woman clad in tight-fitted armor strode into the room. Her presence was both charming and dangerous, the aura radiating from her alarming enough to set Kael's uncles on high alert, even as they hid deep within the palace.

"Huh… Valthera is here already," Kael thought, his expression momentarily stunned.

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