Hot soup spilled all over the floor, the ceramic bowl shattered into pieces.
The maid was so frightened that she immediately fell to her knees, trembling all over and repeatedly begging for mercy.
“Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness, spare me!”
Zeweier panted heavily, his eyes filled with an extremely venomous glare.
“Get out!”
Zeweier roared.
The maid, shaking, hunched her shoulders and quickly walked out of the bedroom.
He lay on the bed, his mind replaying what had happened that day over and over.
That day, after he forcibly pulled the startled Wyvern into a turn and flew only a short distance, he felt the rope in his hand go slack.
The main rope controlling the Wyvern’s direction had actually snapped!
It was only afterward that Zeweier understood: the rope had been burned with a small cut by the Night Demon Society’s Rocket Arrow earlier.
At that moment, his adrenaline was spiking and he pulled too hard, so the rope broke in no time.
Once the rope snapped, the Wyvern became completely uncontrollable, tumbling wildly in the air.
Zeweier couldn’t hold on and fell straight from the high altitude.
Below was a dense forest.
He crashed through countless thick branches along the way, finally slamming heavily into the dirt, landing face-first.
At that moment, he felt as if every bone in his body had shattered. The pain was so intense that he passed out on the spot.
When he woke up, he was already lying in a bed in the Royal Capital.
What made him most furious and despairing was that none of the Royal Knights guarding him at the time had made a move to save him!
They all said their magic power had been exhausted from the earlier defense and that they couldn’t keep up with his falling speed.
Zeweier thought of something and sent a trusted subordinate to investigate the backgrounds of those Royal Knights. The result made him so angry he nearly spat blood.
The Royal Knights that Atticus had “kindly” assigned to him before departure were all the lowest-ranking marginal figures in the Knights Order, and some were even rookies who had just been selected!
“Atticus… that bastard…”
Zeweier cursed through gritted teeth, his bloated body squirming on the sheets, his voice muffled through the bandages.
He understood everything now.
The First Prince had never had good intentions.
Sending these trash knights with him was just a cheap way to steal credit from his audience with the Goddess.
If he succeeded, the First Prince could claim a share and take some of the glory.
If he failed and died out there, the First Prince would suffer no loss and would instead have one less competitor.
“Master manipulator… an utterly hopeless master manipulator!”
Zeweier trembled with rage.
“You just wait. I’ll settle this score with you sooner or later!”
Meanwhile, after the military meeting ended.
Old King Richard, accompanied by Saint Freya, was walking along the path back to his bedchamber.
“Saint Freya, regarding the matter of the Night Demon Society, what do you think should be done?”
Richard suddenly asked.
Saint Freya kept her smile and said unhurriedly:
“Father King, this kind of matter should be left to Third Brother George to investigate. He has a quick mind.”
‘She didn’t think Richard had seen through her connection to the Night Demon Society.’
‘She had always shown him a homely attentiveness—caring about his health, his mental state, hitting the mark every time and comforting him, doing everything a thoughtful daughter should.’
‘Maybe it was that very attentiveness that led Father King to ask her about this.’
‘She was just wondering how to make her cunning third brother fall into the inescapable net where she could control his life.’
‘Now was the perfect chance to drag him into it as well.’
‘As long as he accepted the commission to investigate the Night Demon Society, she would have countless opportunities in the future to dispose of him.’
“Father King knows you’re detail-oriented. Since your mother passed away, you’ve become even more well-behaved, sensible, and reserved.”
Richard sighed.
“It’s a pity your eldest brother is reckless and can’t handle the big picture.”
“Your second brother lacks some ability, and while your third brother is competent enough, he doesn’t have the broad-mindedness a king needs.”
With that, Richard stopped in his tracks and turned to face Saint Freya.
“Saint Freya, my daughter.”
“Father King knows you have no interest in inheriting the throne, but…”
“Father King is old. I don’t know when I’ll pass away.”
“From what I’ve observed, you have the most potential to inherit the crown. I hope you…”
Before Richard could finish, Saint Freya suddenly stepped back in alarm, then knelt on one knee.
“Father King, please don’t say another word.”
“I have no intention whatsoever for the throne. On this point, I absolutely dare not deceive you.”
Seeing this, Richard swallowed his words.
“Saint Freya, you misunderstand.”
“Father King wasn’t testing you. I simply think you’re very suitable.”
He quickly stepped forward to help his daughter up.
Saint Freya rose, her expression pitiful, her pale red eyes trembling slightly, even a trace of tears forming at the corners.
Richard’s aged face showed a kind smile. His grayish-white beard and eyebrows twitched, and he had no choice but to give up his persuasion.
Saint Freya returned to her own bedchamber.
She sat in front of the dressing mirror, propping her chin with both hands, smiling as she looked at her flawless face.
A required course for royalty and nobility—expression management.
She hadn’t practiced in vain.
She had trained harder, more seriously, and more carefully than anyone else.
Suddenly, Saint Freya raised her right hand, palm facing her face.
Then she spread a gap between her middle and ring fingers, revealing her pale red right eye.
Instantly, a crimson luster appeared in her right eye, quickly forming a small magic circle.
After forming a pact with the withered, ancient power, she had acquired the ability of the Semi-Omniscient Magic Circle.
If she could fully restore this power, she would gain true omniscience.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t.
Still, the semi-omniscient ability, combined with her innate keen perception, was enough to deliver judgments and help the Goddess take the entire kingdom.
Father King’s proposal just now was indeed tempting.
But if she relied only on his strong recommendation, not only would it fail to push her onto the throne, but it would also incur obstruction from her three older brothers and the forces behind them.
She would then become a princess targeted by everyone, and everything she had done in secret would come to nothing.
Therefore, she couldn’t agree to Father King’s request.
Moreover, what she had told him was the truth.
She had no need for the throne herself. She was merely doing her small part to help the Goddess oppose the Finality.
Now, Saint Freya wanted to check the outcome of Atticus’s trip to the Border.
After a moment, she let out a soft laugh, as if she had seen something interesting.
She took out a communication crystal ball.
The moment it connected, Consta’s voice came through.
“Your Highness the Princess, the Goddess has not yet returned.”
“And I just received word that the First Prince will lead a contingent of the kingdom’s army to the Border for reinforcement.”