TGS - Chapter 85
Chapter 85: Face to Face with an Enemy
The Solancian royal family had a thousand-year legacy, and in that time, there had certainly been incompetent rulers. Some governed the country based on their mood, some indulged in pleasure and ignored state affairs, and some were so extravagant and cruel it was appalling.
Solancia had fallen into crisis several times because of this, but in the end, it always managed to pull through, returning to prosperity under the forceful intervention of excellent successors or regents.
For this reason, Solancians would always proudly proclaim that Solancia was a kingdom blessed by the gods, and the royal family was especially favored by the deities, their mandate from heaven inviolable.
As one of the gods, Lotus offered no comment on this claim.
At this moment, she was in the largest and most magnificent building in the entire palace city—the Royal Court. This was the place where the King of Solancia received visitors, and also where the ministers of Akhet held their regular bi-weekly meetings.
Lotus stood slightly behind Alyuin, half a step to her right. Further back were Motis and Lena. As weapons were not allowed in the Royal Court, their swords had been temporarily stored outside the door, which made the two, who were never without their blades, feel a bit uncomfortable.
At the back of the Royal Court, atop three stone steps, sat a throne made of ivory, inlaid with gold and jade.
Horst was sitting there. From the moment Alyuin stepped into the Royal Court, his gaze was fixed on the princess, never leaving her.
Excitement, nostalgia, affection… these were all just a facade.
His upright appearance and the fixed impression others had of him were his best camouflage. From a distance, no one could tell if scrutiny and hostility were hidden in his eyes.
Having met with Romuer beforehand, the princess was already able to suppress her hatred well, leaving no trace of it.
She curtsied, her etiquette impeccable.
Horst looked down from the dais. For a fleeting moment, his face was devoid of any expression.
But soon, Horst stood up, walked quickly down the stone steps, and came before Alyuin.
“Welcome back, child.”
Horst's voice was deep and thick, seemingly filled with emotion.
The smile on Alyuin's face didn't reach her eyes. “It's been a long time, Uncle.”
“You've grown up, and become even more beautiful. If my royal brother could see you, he would surely be very pleased.”
Horst smiled and made small talk, seemingly glancing behind the princess inadvertently.
His assessing gaze swept over the two guards before turning to Lotus, his eyes showing some surprise.
The River Goddess returned his gaze coolly, making no unnecessary pretense.
As it turned out, she didn't need to feign the reverence a court lady should have for a monarch; he would find a reasonable explanation for it himself.
When Horst averted his gaze, he was slightly pensive. It was unclear what he had imagined, but he was clearly much more cautious when looking at Lotus.
Horst's attitude could not be called bad, while Alyuin was more than polite but lacked friendliness, remaining lukewarm throughout.
The atmosphere was tense. Romuer looked from one to the other and finally couldn't help but say, “Father, Alyuin has traveled a long way to return to the royal city. Why not let her rest first?”
Horst acted as if he had just been reminded. “Your cousin is right. I was so excited that I didn't even consider that.”
“I will arrange lodging for you right away, Alyuin. Do you want to live in the royal palace, or would you prefer a separate residence?”
Alyuin's lips curved. “I remember my father had a residence in the city. Why don't I settle down there?”
“This…”
“Why do you hesitate, Uncle?” The princess raised her eyes, her tone unhurried. “Oh, it was my oversight. After so many years, that residence has probably been put to other uses.”
Horst said with a serious expression, “I would never presume to touch anything my royal brother left behind. It's just that the place has been vacant for a long time, and it would be troublesome to clean up.”
Alyuin replied, “Then I won't trouble you, Uncle. I will take care of it myself.”
Horst frowned, wearing the expression of someone looking at an insensible junior.
“If there is nothing else, I will take my leave.”
Alyuin nodded, turned to walk out, and counted silently in her heart.
One, two.
Horst's voice rang out: “Wait a moment.”
Alyuin stopped and turned back. “Is there something else, Uncle?”
“Are you… still holding a grudge against me?”
Alyuin stared at Horst without speaking.
Horst's gaze became distant, as if lost in memory.
“You were very young then. I was outside Selina's bedchamber, shouting my royal brother's name, but got no response. When I burst through the door, when I saw the person I respected most in my life lying in a pool of blood, while your mother held a pair of scissors, laughing and crying… do you know how I felt?”
“I just wanted to kill her, to make Selina pay with her life for the sin of killing my royal brother. But she took her own life out of guilt. Can you imagine how much grief and indignation I felt, how impossible it was to appease!”
Alyuin said coldly, “Was exiling me to Kadera your way of expressing respect for my father?”
“I must admit, I lost control back then.” Horst pressed his fist to his forehead, looking remorseful and weary. “Your face… your appearance inevitably reminds people of Selina. The thought of a sinner's blood flowing in your veins was unbearable to me.”
“So, I followed the advice of several elders and decided to send you to the first temple of the Goddess Lotus, to wash away that woman's filthy blood. This was for your own good—she killed your father!”
Every one of these words precisely struck a sore spot. Lotus frowned, understanding that this was both a performance and a test for the princess.
What was he testing?
Did he suspect that Alyuin knew the truth of what happened back then?
However, the princess's expression remained unchanged. Only when she heard the words “she killed your father” did her lips tighten slightly, betraying a hint of struggle and sorrow.
Horst said in a deep voice, “Even now, though I regret the decision to exile you, if I were to go back to that day, I would still make the same choice.”
The princess asked, “Why?”
“Perhaps that was the only way to protect you. You must have discovered it too—someone wants to kill you. Only by staying far away from the royal city can you be safe.”
“But even in Kadera, the assassination attempts against me continued. Is this the protection you speak of?”
Horst looked shocked. “What? Their reach extends even to the border?”
Then he reproached himself, “This is my negligence. To think I allowed my royal brother's only daughter to remain in danger. It's only natural that you don't trust me.”
“But Alyuin, I just want you to know that no matter what, the royal palace is always your home.”
Upon hearing this, Alyuin's expression seemed to soften slightly, but her eyes still held a guarded look.
As a bystander, the Crown Prince was completely drawn into the atmosphere created by the two of them.
In other words, he was completely fooled.
Lotus, who stood by and knew the truth of that year: “…”
Wasn't Horst himself the one who sent people to assassinate Alyuin?
No wonder the former king had no inkling before Horst made his move. With such acting skills, as long as he was cautious enough, probably no one would have suspected him.
Looking at Alyuin, she was holding her own in this acting showdown with Horst. She perfectly portrayed a young princess struggling with the psychological trauma of her mother killing her father—one with some cunning but still inexperienced in the ways of the world.
Still, Alyuin's skill was a cut above.
Lotus was amazed.
At this point, Horst looked openly at Lotus. “And you are?”
“My teacher, Lorja.”
Alyuin introduced her briefly.
Lotus gave a perfunctory curtsy. “Your Majesty.”
Horst probably didn't expect such a cold reception. His expression froze for a moment before he said, “You came from Kadera? Good. Thank you for looking after Alyuin.”
Lotus said flatly, “You're welcome. It is my business.”
Horst: “…”
Facing Horst, who was accustomed to performing and had seen plenty of others' performances, any extra pretense was unnecessary. As mentioned before, he would find a reasonable explanation on his own.
Thus, through a series of mental processes Lotus couldn't have predicted, Horst's line of thinking gradually aligned with the earlier speculations of Lena and the others.
Taciturn, of unknown origin, inseparable from the princess, and showing him no courtesy…
This black-haired, blue-eyed court lady might be someone Selina left for the princess!
It couldn't be someone left by the former king. Horst was confident he knew the full extent of the former king's forces. If such a woman existed, he would have known.
Then, it could only be Selina.
Fortunately, Alyuin didn't seem to know the truth. It appeared this mysterious court lady also didn't understand everything that happened back then, which made Horst secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
But the existence of such a person still had an influence on Alyuin that could not be ignored…
Horst thought, his eyes narrowed.
Alyuin took her leave again, and this time, Horst did not stop her.
When the princess was about to leave, she requested to see the former king and queen's bedchambers, and he agreed.
The former king and queen's bedchambers were located next to the bedchambers of the successive kings of Solancia.
This was also a historic building. Nine years of neglect hadn't caused it to fall into ruin, but it still exuded an indescribable air of desolation and bleakness, completely out of place with the many other palace courtyards.
The reason the bedchambers were abandoned was simple.
In the eyes of others, this was the place where the former queen had killed the former king with her own hands and then hastily taken her own life—an inauspicious palace.
The main doors were tightly bound with chains. A court lady unlocked them.
“Please enter, Your Highness.”
Alyuin felt no familiarity with this court lady's face. It wasn't just the court lady; the other people coming and going within the palace walls had not belonged to this royal palace nine years ago.
As a man, Motis was not allowed to enter the inner palace and was still waiting back at the Royal Court. Lena also stopped at the entrance to the former king and queen's bedchambers to stand guard.
Lotus walked through the doors with the princess, the court lady following closely behind, constantly watching their movements.
“Everything is covered in dust.”
Alyuin said softly.
Lotus said nothing. At a time like this, silence was the best response.
She had visited this place in the princess's dreams, so she had some impression of the furnishings and layout before her. The marble floor, the ebony table, the chaise lounge woven from rattan and gold thread—the surfaces of all these objects were covered in a thick layer of dust, and also…
An ivory-carved screen.
The young princess had hidden behind that screen and witnessed everything.
Lotus closed her eyes. A long-absent anger seemed to return to this body, yet it had nowhere to go.
Alyuin took her hand, her palm warm.
With her back to the court lady, the princess mouthed, “I'm fine.”
In this situation, it should have been Lotus comforting the princess, but it seemed she was the one being comforted instead.
Lotus's feelings were complicated. It was as if the turbulent undercurrents of a river were slowly calming, and the anger that had just risen was suppressed once more.
Alyuin led Lotus to the other side of the bedchamber, where there was an inconspicuous small door. Pushing it open revealed another room.
“I used to live here.”
The princess said, and with a gentle push, the dust-sealed door opened.
Strictly speaking, this room was an auxiliary hall of the bedchambers, the childhood residence of royal children. They would only move out after their baptism at the age of thirteen.
Lotus walked slowly into the room. Her gaze swept around casually, then froze without warning.
The focus of her gaze was a bronze mirror, sitting on a table covered in dust. At first glance, there was nothing special about it.
Lotus picked up the bronze mirror and stared at it for a moment. Suddenly, she took out a linen handkerchief and began to wipe away the dust and remaining cobwebs from the mirror.
A dazzling glint of gold leaped into view.
Revealed from beneath the dust was a small section of the bronze mirror's gold-inlaid frame. An embossed carving of a snake's tongue touching the tip of its tail was on it—strange, exquisite, and vaguely familiar.
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