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Nychterin Empress

"I think the nobles of Solaria killed Orion and put the blame on Lunarstella."

Anna said in a low voice, but for Isabel it sounded like a bomb.

"Wha..! mmmfmfmf"

Before she shouted, Anna closed her mouth with her hand.

"Sshsh. Be quiet."

Anna said while looking at her surroundings.

Fortunately, the knights couldn't hear them and neither did her classmates.

Then she turned back to her friend.

"Isabel. I never trusted the Solaria Empire."

"..."

Isabel, who was released, listened quietly.

"Now even less with Orion's death."

Anna said in a sad tone.

"I'm not saying that they are all bastards, but unfortunately, the guy behind Orion's death is probably someone of high ranking in Solaria."

"...!"

Isabel opened her eyes wide.

If what Anna said was true, then they were in constant danger here.

"Anna, you want to say that they killed Orion just to prevent the truce between Solaria and Lunarstella...?"

Isabel asked with a hint of anger in her voice.

"Yes, Isabel. They killed Orion just for that."

Anna confirmed with a cold voice.

She decided to kill the bastard for Orion but also to avoid other scapegoats.

"But who did that ?"

Isabel asked nervously.

"I still don't know Isabel, but we have to find him discreetly."

Isabel nodded with a serious expression.

It was not just about avenging Orion, but also for their safety.

"Sigh...it will be tough with just the two of us..."

"It's better if just a few of us know that."

Anna shrugged before smiling.

"And don't worry, we are not alone in that."

"Eh ?"

Isabel looked at Anna.

She glanced toward where she was looking and found Sienna.

"Sienna ?"

Sienna was eating with a cold face as always.

"Yeah."

Anna knew that Sienna already understood the truth behind Orion's death.

Anna was Sienna's former best friend, so she knew that Sienna wouldn't let a dangerous guy roam around.

***

[Nychterin Imperial Palace]

Knock! Knock! Knock!

In a beautiful and large hallway, the Nychterin Imperial prince, Bryan, was knocking on a dark ornamented door.

He had a determined look on his face but he was fidgeting like each time he would come in front of those doors.

"Enter."

The cold voice of a woman rang from the inside.

Clank!

Bryan entered and closed the door behind him.

"What do you want, Bryan?"

Bryan took a deep breath and turned around.

An extremely beautiful woman was there.

She had long black hair and beautiful white eyes like him and Evelyn.

She was the perfect copy of his twin sister Evelyn, but a little older.

Though she was their mother, she looked more like their older sister.

The Empress of the Nychterin Empire, Cynthia Kiose Nychterin.

She was seated on a black throne with her legs crossed.

Her presence screamed danger.

If he had to tell a difference between his sister and mother, it would be their gaze. While Evelyn had a carefree look, his mother had a cold one.

Bryan looked at the empty left throne and spoke.

"Father is not here ?"

Cynthia narrowed her white eyes.

"No, he is on the Nocria border."

"What ?!"

Bryan shouted as he was shocked.

The Nocria border was the place of the battlefield between the Nychterin army and Ankouna army.

Suddenly, Bryan felt chills as Cynthia stared at him.

"S-Sorry mother, I was surprised..."

"What do you want ?"

She cut the chase.

"Hum, it's about Evelyn and the hero Ori-"

"It's the fourth time in two months you are pleading for her engagement."

Cynthia said, leaning her head on her palm.

"It's annoying."

She said in an irritated tone.

Bryan felt cold sweat but still spoke.

"Mother, Evelyn is my sister and I want her happiness."

He said, looking straight at Cynthia's white eyes.

Bryan wanted to do something for his sister as atonement for his stupidity during all those years.

Cynthia's eyes twitched at his reply.

"You and Melissa met Evelyn just a year ago, right ?"

"Yes, but she is our sister and we want to make up for the lost time."

'Because of you, mother and father'

He added inwardly, as he didn't want to end up crippled.

"You say nice words, Bryan, but what does that have to do with Evelyn's marriage?"

Cynthia asked with a smile.

"M-Mother, at the banquet at the Solaria palace, Evelyn met the Hero of another world, Orion and..."

"Yeah, yeah...She met the hero and fell in love and you want to fulfill her wish."

Cynthia finished Bryan's words while waving her hand, annoyed.

She had already heard Bryan saying the same story three times already.

"Then you can..."

"Bryan, do you take me for an i***t ?"

Cynthia's voice lowered in a scary way.

"N-No I..."

"You think I will believe that Evelyn fell in love in a few minutes there ?"

"..."

"You read too many books."

"No, mother. You weren't there. I never saw Evelyn act like that with a stranger!"

Bryan argued back confidently.

"Sigh...Bryan, you don't know her like I. She is in her own world, so don't stupidly take her strange actions as proof."

"B-But..."

"And more importantly…"

She cut off Bryan coldly.

"I will never give my daughter to an incompetent."

Her white eyes shone as Cynthia added that.

Bryan lowered his head and gritted his teeth.

"He may be incompetent, but Evelyn feels more at ease with him than any of us, her family."

CLANK!

Before Cynthia could reply, the door opened violently.

"E-Excuse me, my Empress!"

A guard in armor said, out of breath.

"I hope you have a good reason."

Cynthia said in a chilling tone.

The already suffocating atmosphere, chilled.

The guard's face turned pale and he quickly spoke.

"Y-Yes! The Hero, Orion, has been killed by the Lunarstella Empire!"

"The argument is over now, right Bryan ?"

Cynthia said calmly, glancing at her shocked son.