Various Perspectives

When the news of Sheriff Raymond reached the old manor, Ophelia finally let out a sigh of relief and turned her gaze to the two vampires.

"Raymond and his men have taken control of the central police headquarters. Miss Monica, Mr. Joe, I’ll need your help next."

"Forging evidence of William’s treason and collusion with the enemy?" Monica glanced at the kneeling barbarian prince.

"This must be done without a trace," Ophelia reminded them.

"Don’t worry," Joe nodded solemnly. "Leave it to us."

Monica suddenly laughed. "Now our dear second prince is truly branded as a traitor who invited foreign troops to seize the throne. He won’t be able to wash himself clean even if he jumps into a river."

One had to admit, Ophelia’s scheme was downright vicious. Having her as an opponent was nothing short of a curse.

For the entire afternoon, Monica had been quietly observing the fifth princess, who sat in this secluded old manor orchestrating her plans. With each of her commands, the situation in the capital subtly shifted, gradually falling under her control.

This stunningly beautiful princess, who stood at the pinnacle of power, manipulating politics with a flick of her wrist—even Monica, a woman herself, found it hard not to be dazzled. No wonder Luo Wei was so hopelessly smitten...

Monica couldn’t help but feel a pang of concern for Evelyn’s future.

How could she possibly compete? That lazy woman had already lost, utterly and completely...

"Monica? Miss Monica?" Ophelia waved a hand in front of her face. "What’s wrong?"

"She’ll lose... she’s lost..." Monica murmured.

"Hmm? Lose what?" Ophelia’s eyes flickered with confusion. "We’ve only just begun. Don’t say such discouraging things."

"Ah, no..." Monica snapped out of it. "Never mind. Joe and I will set off now."

Ophelia nodded. "Thank you both again."

Monica performed an elegant noble’s bow, hand over her chest, and smiled. "No need for thanks. Our House of Thornbloom has always sworn loyalty to the Wegnar royal family. It’s a tradition passed down through generations."

Of course, which royal family didn’t matter—as long as the one sitting on the throne was Ophelia herself.

...

In the Whitechapel District, behind St. Carol’s Cathedral, stood a grand mansion.

The third prince stood on the balcony, frowning as he surveyed the chaos in the streets below. A sharp knock interrupted his thoughts, and he turned to see an exquisitely dressed noblewoman escorted into the room by guards.

"Kevin, how can you just stand here watching the scenery at a time like this?"

"Louise, what brings you here?" The third prince studied his younger sister, who looked harried, even lacking her usual makeup.

"How could I not be worried?" The fourth princess hurriedly continued, "I heard William is about to rebel. Shouldn’t you be making preparations too?"

"Just rumors." The third prince had his own sources. He smirked coldly. "Father is perfectly fine in the palace, not gravely injured as the rumors claim. As long as he’s alive, how could William dare to rebel? This is clearly someone’s deliberate attempt to stir up unrest."

"Father is unharmed?" The fourth princess was stunned.

"Not only unharmed..." The third prince narrowed his eyes. "I suspect this strange barrier enveloping the capital is his doing. The Pope was just brought back to the cathedral for treatment, and I managed to pry a few things from him..."

"If that’s the case..." The fourth princess glanced suspiciously out the window, a name flashing through her mind.

"Ophelia."

The third prince sneered. "Exactly. The thief cries ‘stop thief.’"

"Is that girl insane? Where does she get such audacity?" The fourth princess couldn’t believe Ophelia’s ambition had grown so unchecked—that little monster they used to toy with was now bold enough to plunge the entire capital into chaos...

"We’ve all underestimated her..."

The third prince’s mind involuntarily drifted back many years, to a memory of a child locked in a woodshed. Through the crack in the door, a pair of crimson eyes, filled with bone-chilling hatred, had stared back at them amidst mocking laughter.

"She won’t spare us..." The fourth princess shuddered, recalling similar horrors. "We should never have let that little monster live..."

"I tried. It was too late." The third prince gave a bitter laugh. "Otherwise, I wouldn’t have ended up like this—stripped of most of my power by the old man."

"We should side with William," the fourth princess urged. "Given the current state of the capital, Ophelia and William are bound to fight to the death. But William has more troops—he has the advantage."

"Foolish! We side with neither." The third prince shot her a sharp look. "If we take a side, it must be Father’s."

"That old man hid this power from us all these years. It explains why he never cared about our infighting—he never saw our squabbles as anything more than child’s play!"

"And do you really think William doesn’t have ambitions of his own? Those rumors about him are spreading like wildfire, impossible to refute. Who’s to say he won’t seize the moment and lead the city guard in open rebellion? Don’t be fooled by his friendly smiles—if he takes the throne, he’ll be no different from Ophelia. He won’t spare me!"

"So, as long as we stand with Father and let them tear each other apart, we’ll remain untouchable."

After a pause, the third prince took a deep breath. There was another reason for siding with the emperor.

Kevin never dared to underestimate his father—in fact, he feared him. Glancing at the tightly shut doors and windows, he lowered his voice.

"Honestly, I still have doubts about our elder brother’s death. I think... Father might have had a hand in it..."

"What?" The fourth princess’s face paled in disbelief.

...

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

Luo Wei and Eleya darted through the labyrinthine streets, dodging the city guard’s relentless gunfire. Their destination, Hageritz Palace, was drawing nearer.

"Luo Wei, how much longer?"

The moment Eleya spoke, Luo Wei spotted a shell streaking toward them with a blue tail of light, landing just ahead.

"Move!" He yanked her behind cover.

A deafening explosion followed, shaking the walls around them. Dust and debris filled the air, sending Luo Wei into a coughing fit.

"Not long... about fifteen minutes to the rendezvous point... cough..."

Eleya patted his back while scanning their surroundings.

Everywhere they passed was reduced to rubble under the city guard’s bombardment. The enemy’s fire was only intensifying.

"Most of the city guard is converging on us. Fifteen minutes might not be enough. Can’t Helena come to meet us?"

"Better we go to her... She’s in no state to move right now."

"Difficulty moving?" Eleya's eyes flickered with confusion.

"You'll understand once you see her condition..." Luo Wei replied helplessly.

"Oh."

After steadying his breath, Luo Wei cautiously peeked out to survey their surroundings.

Their journey so far had been fraught with peril. If not for the labyrinthine network of alleys offering cover, they would have already been blown to pieces by the city defense forces' artillery.

His gaze fixed on a towering clock tower ahead—the last viable shelter within reach.

"We need to make a dash for it. Once we get there, we head north through two more blocks, and we'll reach the drawbridge."

Eleya nodded. "I'll follow your lead."

Luo Wei took a deep breath, steeled himself, and bolted from cover.

To reach the clock tower, they had to cross a wide-open stretch of ground.

He had expected a hail of gunfire the moment they broke into the open, but as he and Eleya sprinted to the base of the tower, not a single shot rang out.

An eerie silence settled over the area.