Is she really going to elope?
Luca sighed inwardly.
No matter what, he had to prepare for the worst.
After all, neither the royal family nor the Phillips family behind Lyon were something he could handle right now.
However, getting Fratis out of Dawn City wasn’t going to be easy.
Fortunately, there was still some time; he could make some preparations over the next few days…
With this thought in mind.
Luca didn’t linger any longer.
He gave Tia a few instructions and left the tavern without delay.
The sun was high, and it was getting late.
He guessed the messenger from the palace would have arrived by now.
With that thought, Luca hailed a carriage.
Before long.
he was back at Fratis’s chambers.
Outside the palace, several luxurious carriages were parked, though it was unclear exactly when they had arrived.
The horses pulling the carriages were a breed of powerful black beasts.
Their bodies covered in black armor. They resembled scaled horses, but their presence was much more imposing, likely a modified breed.
The carriages bore the golden emblem of the Clayton royal family, and knights in black armor stood silently by the side, their faces expressionless.
As expected, they had already arrived…
Luca withdrew his gaze and walked directly to the entrance of the princess’s chambers.
The knights around immediately turned their attention to him.
One of them furrowed his brows and moved forward, seemingly about to stop him.
Just then, the butler, Lawson, hurried over.
With an anxious expression, he said, “Lord Luca, why are you only returning now? Secretary General Yurian has been waiting for a long time.”
“Sorry, I was delayed on the way. I’ll go over right now.” Luca smiled and replied.
His calm demeanor left Lawson somewhat speechless.
For most people, having the chance to meet His Majesty would be a cause for celebration, but this young man seemed completely unruffled.
The two of them passed through the garden and arrived at the main hall of the chambers.
Upon entering, Luca saw a man dressed in noble attire, with a thick mustache, sitting in a chair sipping tea.
Luna, Lucia, Sophia, and Fratis were all present.
The room was silent, and the atmosphere was somewhat subdued.
“Lord Yurian, Lord Luca has returned,” Lawson announced promptly.
“You, you took so long!” Upon seeing Luca’s return, the group visibly relaxed.
The man with the mustache put down his teacup, showing no signs of dissatisfaction.
He looked Luca up and down, and suddenly said with a hint of emotion, “I didn’t expect Lord Luca to be so young, just as the rumors said. Truly impressive for someone so young.”
“Secretary General, you flatter me. I’m just lucky,” Luca replied with a smile.
“Luck alone couldn’t have achieved this,” Yurian said, standing up and shaking his head. He didn’t elaborate further but added with a smile, “I am Yurian, the Secretary General of the Royal Palace. I assume you already know the purpose of my visit. I’ve come on the King’s orders to escort you for your knighthood ceremony. All the nobles and officials have arrived; we’re only waiting for you. Please come with me to meet His Majesty.”
Luca nodded slightly and replied, “It’s an honor.”
“Lord Yurian, may we go with you to watch?” As the two prepared to leave, Fratis quickly asked. The Royal Palace’s council hall in Clinton was the core of the kingdom, and even nobles and royals could not enter without permission.
Yurian smiled and said, “Of course. His Majesty specifically instructed that Her Highness the Princess and Miss Lucia are both welcome to observe Lord Luca’s knighthood ceremony.”
At these words, both Fratis and Lucia let out a sigh of relief.
Luca had offended Duke Ian and Duke Lyon earlier, and they were a bit uneasy about him going alone. With them accompanying him, they felt much better.
The group then left the chambers together.
They boarded the royal carriage.
And set off towards the palace’s most central council hall.
The Clinton Empire’s royal palace was vast in size; it wouldn’t be wrong to call it a city within a city.
The King’s residence and the council hall were situated at the heart of the palace.
After about the time it would take to burn a stick of incense, the carriage slowly came to a stop.
When Luca stepped out and looked up, a magnificent golden palace appeared before his eyes.
The hall towered into the clouds, resembling a temple or a divine palace, with golden sculptures and jade carvings, both solemn and grand.
Under Yurian’s guidance, the group ascended the jade stairs without any hindrance.
Soon, they arrived at the hall’s entrance.
Behind them, a vast sea of white clouds stretched endlessly, majestic and breathtaking.
Luca turned his gaze to the splendid hall.
He noticed that many people had already arrived. These were the nobles and elites of the Clinton Empire.
In the center of the hall, a long table made of jade was set up with tea and fruits, and chairs were neatly arranged around it. At the farthest end of the table was a regal stone throne, standing quietly.
Several people had already gathered around the long table, with more nobles standing in the back. A group of imperial officials were sizing him up, some with curiosity, some with scrutiny—and a few with ill intent, such as Duke Lyon and Finn.
Besides that, Luca also saw the knights Ed and Count Beck whom he had met before.
They were each standing behind two middle-aged men dressed in luxurious attire.
One of them had a warm and gentle expression, exuding an air of refinement. The other had his arms crossed, his brows slightly furrowed, and his gaze held a hint of arrogance.
These were most likely the Crown Prince Leonie and the Second Prince Runne, the two royal brothers.
Luca’s eyes swept around the room and finally settled on the group of people closest to the stone throne.
Together with Duke Lyon, there were eight people sitting there in total. Some were men, some were women, some were elderly, and some were young, but each one had an extraordinary bearing. Among them, Luca spotted Evelyn, whom he had met previously at the Mages’ Association.
Noticing Luca’s gaze, the alluring widow threw him a flirtatious glance.
Her charm was so captivating that some of the nobles who had been sneaking glances at her couldn’t help but stare.
Luca’s lips twitched, and he quickly averted his gaze. He had no intention of getting entangled with this widow duchess.
The people sitting in the front row were likely the Eight Dukes of the Clinton Empire.
The King had summoned them all, so it seemed that there was an important announcement to be made.
At that moment, several guards brought chairs and placed them at the end of the long table.
Yurian gave a brief instruction: “His Majesty has not yet arrived, so feel free to take your seats.”
The seating arrangement was clearly based on rank and status.
Luca didn’t pay much attention to it and casually took an empty seat.
Lucia and the others also sat down together.
Fratis was about to sit next to Luca when a voice suddenly called out.
Finn smiled and said, “Your Highness, with your status, it would be inappropriate to sit with them. There is an available seat here; please sit on this side.”
His tone was calm, but his words were laced with a subtle arrogance. It was as if he were implying that Luca and the others no longer belonged to the same world as him.
Without a second thought, Fratis refused, “Sorry, I think I’ll sit here.”
With that, she confidently sat beside Luca, then picked up a delicately cut fruit platter and smiled, “Try this, it’s a Water Spirit Fruit. The royal family uses a special technique to have it delivered from the Northern Territory. Even in Dawn City, it’s rare to find…”
Upon seeing this, the nobles in the council hall exchanged strange glances towards Finn.
The reason the King had summoned them today was, in addition to bestowing knighthood upon this young hero, to settle Fratis’s marriage.
But it seemed that the princess was less than interested in her fiancé, Finn, and was instead showing such care and affection towards a young man. This caused some members of the Phillips family to chuckle quietly.
Finn’s fist clenched tightly, his face shifting between shades of green and white, showing his immense displeasure.
He had originally thought that, given the presence of so many people, Fratis would at least show him some courtesy.
But to his surprise, not only did she directly reject him, but she also exchanged flirtatious glances with that damned commoner.
Any man would have a hard time tolerating such behavior.
Just as Finn was about to lash out.
A large hand landed on his shoulder.
Lyon spoke calmly, “The King is about to arrive. Don’t make a fool of yourself here. We can deal with this later.”
Almost as soon as Lyon finished speaking.
A sudden coughing sound echoed through the hall.
The back door of the hall opened.
And a frail figure, supported by guards, slowly entered.
Luca instinctively looked over, and his pupils immediately contracted.
The figure who entered wore a jeweled crown and a magnificent royal robe that shimmered with pearls and jewels, but his complexion was a sickly purple, his cheeks sunken, his eye sockets hollow, and his eyes devoid of life. He appeared almost like a living corpse.
The vitality seemed to have drained from him, as if a candle flickering in the wind, ready to go out at any moment.
After only a few steps, the King of the Clinton Empire, Alfred, broke into a violent coughing fit.
Luca clearly saw black blood staining the King’s hand as he coughed.
This is… King Alfred?
Luca’s heart sank in shock.
He could never have imagined that the King’s condition had deteriorated to this extent.
From what Luca could see, Alfred was already beyond saving.
If not for some incredibly rare and precious life-saving medicine, he would have likely been long dead by now.
“Your Majesty,” the nobles in the council hall all stood in unison, bowing respectfully.
“Father…” Fratis’s delicate face was full of concern, her lips parted as though she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words.
“Please, everyone, take a seat. Don’t stand on ceremony. Fratis, you sit as well… cough, cough, cough!” Alfred waved his hand weakly, and with the support of the guards, he managed to sit down on the throne.
Everyone quickly resumed their seats.
Once the coughing subsided, Alfred’s cloudy gaze swept across the room.
“The reason I’ve called you all here today is to announce three things,” he said, his voice raspy, speaking slowly. “The first… is the matter of the succession to the throne.”
At those words, everyone in the hall felt their hearts skip a beat.
The succession to the throne?!
Was the King going to announce the heir today?
Sitting in the front row, the Second Prince Runne’s fists tightened, and his breath grew heavy. The ambition in his eyes burned like a fierce fire, glowing intensely. After all the struggles, all the effort, and all the waiting, he had finally reached this day.
On the opposite side of the long table, the First Prince Leonie’s smile faded, his eyes lowered in thought. No one could tell what was on his mind.