Chapter 248
The victims’ families fully cooperated with Sebelia and Dehart. The more their numbers grew, and the stronger their determination became, the worse things looked for the Wheddons and the First Queen’s faction.
“We can’t just sit by and let this happen.”
The First Queen frowned, opening her fan elegantly and letting out a soft sigh.
“We’ll have to postpone the wedding for now. If we say it’s to wait for the Wheddon family’s situation to settle, I’m sure they’ll understand. What do you think, Prince?”
“I agree. That’s what I’ll do.”
Dillion quickly understood his mother’s intentions. She planned to watch and see whether Marquisate Wheddon survived or fell.
“Honestly, I was getting tired of everything anyway.”
He thought of Nelia, who had returned home that morning. She’d practically threatened not to come back until he apologized, so in the end, he’d had no choice but to go along with her demands.
What a troublesome woman.
Still, if things took a turn for the worse, he’d have to win her back over. For now, the one in real trouble was Nathan Wheddon, not the Wheddon family as a whole. He absentmindedly stirred his teacup, wondering what gift he should send Nelia next.
The First Queen looked at her son’s troubled expression and suddenly burst into laughter—a clear, ringing sound like marbles rolling across a silver tray.
“It seems you’ve had quite a time with Lady Nelia, haven’t you? Not that I blame you. If she’d been born a man, she would have easily beaten Nathan Wheddon out for the position of heir.”
“With the way things are going, that still might happen.”
The First Queen smiled slyly behind her fan at his pointed remark about Nathan’s precarious position. Unless Silas turned up with another secret daughter somewhere, there was little chance of that happening.
There were no imperial princesses, after all.
If only the second prince had been a princess.
The First Queen let out a faint sigh, feeling the same regret as always. If that child had been born a princess, the Empress might not have died so early.
But what could be done about the circumstances of one’s birth? Facing the cruelty of fate, the First Queen had made her choice: to protect herself and her beloved son. She would make that same choice again.
“Terrible memories should be replaced by happier ones. Perhaps we should hold a new ball to erase the nightmare of the exhibition.”
And, of course, to show the strength of the imperial family and claim their innocence—they couldn’t afford to appear weakened. It was also a good excuse to create new opportunities.
“Prince, go and request permission from His Majesty.”
She smiled sweetly at her son, who was watching her in silence.
“And I’m sure I don’t need to tell you who ought to be on the guest list, do I?”
* * *
A strangely peaceful period followed. Sebelia managed to meet Balak a few times out of sight, and discovered he was living in Belkram under a false identity.
“Was it just an empty promise when you told me to use the Ashrent name?”
Sebelia asked, furrowing her brow as she set down her teacup. The sharp sound startled Balak.
“O-of course not!”
“But that’s what it looks like from where I’m sitting.”
Her steady gaze made Balak raise a white flag.
“There are all sorts of papers and formalities to deal with before you can officially become part of Ashrent. I was planning to return home in a few days anyway, and then I could resume my true identity.”
“Hmm.”
“I really mean it.”
His earnestness satisfied Sebelia and she returned her gaze to her cake, switching her teacup for a fork. As she cut into the cake, she asked.
“So, what identity are you using right now?”
“Well, Ludmil would know exactly….”
Balak trailed off awkwardly. Ludmil was the bodyguard he’d brought with him, now serving as an illusionist at Shateian’s side. He was also the guest that Claude had mistakenly suspected would be mentioned in Shateian’s invitation.
“I’m sure he picked the most convenient cover—probably a merchant or a wealthy traveler.”
Sebelia swallowed a bite of cake, her blue eyes rolling thoughtfully before she paused, as if something had just occurred to her.
“What is it?”
Balak asked, momentarily flustered by the sparkling look in her eyes.
Setting her fork down, Sebelia looked at him expectantly.
“Can I ask how close the Ashrent territory is to Frostwood?”
“Frostwood? Oh, are you asking because of medicinal herbs?”
The powerful truth serum that Roden manufactured for the Wheddons used rare ingredients from Frostwood, in addition to other forbidden herbs banned in the empire.
If not for Watts, even if Roden had provided the recipe, they never would have been able to produce the antidote or the testing reagents in time. That required rare ingredients from the Lockwood Mountains as well.
We really were lucky in many ways.
But that wasn’t Sebelia’s real reason for asking. Shaking her head at Balak’s confused look, she explained.
“Actually, before everything happened, I was planning to do business with Lockwood.”
“You were going to be a merchant?”
“Um, Yes.”
Unfazed by his surprised reaction, Sebelia continued.
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