On the dance floor, Elvia ended her dance with Lin Gui in a perfect frozen pose.
She tilted her chin up slightly, maintaining the posture of an unabashed victor.
She cast a contemptuous glance at Emily, who was pale-faced and looked as if she were about to explode on the spot.
Elvia originally intended to go directly to that guy who had slipped back into the corner the moment the dance ended.
However, she was intercepted by a timely invitation from a senior official of the Eldest Princess's faction.
Thinking that she still needed to use the newly acquired Mermaid's Tear to extract key intelligence regarding Roger and Avalon from the Eldest Princess—which concerned her very life—Elvia suppressed her impatience.
A proper smile returned to her face as she followed the man toward the lounge area where the Eldest Princess was located.
As soon as she arrived, Aaron immediately stuck to her like a bee attracted to the scent of a flower, his eyes filled with irrepressible obsession and desire.
"Princess Elvia, you are truly radiant tonight..."
He attempted to start a conversation.
Elvia didn't even give him a direct look, merely responding with a cold "Mhm."
Her attitude was as distant as if she were treating a pebble on the side of the road, causing Aaron's passion to freeze instantly, leaving him standing there in awkward silence.
Meanwhile, the Eldest Princess, Diana, seemed to have completely forgotten the embarrassment of the auction. She sat there with a gentle smile, gesturing for her to sit.
"My dear sister, come here."
Elvia responded with a smile.
Her gaze, however, couldn't help but sweep over Diana's feet.
Two handsome young men were currently massaging the Eldest Princess's feet.
Elvia couldn't help but criticize in her heart.
The older she gets, the wilder she plays...
Ever since the incident with Roger, her eldest sister, who was once the most outstanding woman in the Carter Kingdom, had seemingly become a completely different person.
She had turned into this woman who indulged in male favorites, appearing gentle on the surface while actually being decadent. From what Elvia knew, the woman's male lovers numbered at least in the triple digits.
It was no wonder Caesar had been able to infiltrate so easily. There were also Charles's people here, as well as Elvia's own...
"Elvia, what do you think... will be the final outcome of the current struggle for the throne?"
A warning bell rang slightly in Elvia's mind, but she remained calm on the surface, fluently reciting a standard answer.
"Naturally, it will be you who wins the final victory, Eldest Sister."
"You have the full support of two dukes and control the entire military power of the Royal Capital's Defense Force. You even have the secret inclination of that legendary pillar on the border..."
"Now that Charles has lost John's Holy Knights, he is a tiger whose teeth have been pulled. How could he possibly contend with you?"
The Eldest Princess smiled, neither confirming nor denying, as she gently swirled her wine glass.
"John's Holy Knights... it is indeed a pity."
She changed the subject, her gaze turning profound.
"Then what do you think will happen to... the remaining people after this struggle ends?"
Instantly, the atmosphere dropped to the freezing point.
The smile on Elvia's face faded as she looked on coldly without answering.
She knew the answer, but she didn't understand why the Eldest Princess was bringing it up now.
The Eldest Princess spoke in a soft but chilling tone.
"They will all be liquidated. Every last one."
"Whether they were favorites in the Royal Capital's struggle or the princes and princesses who were kicked out long ago."
"It has been this way since the City-State Era began."
"It was true for Father, for Grandfather, and even for Great-Grandmother."
Her gaze landed on Elvia.
"And for a princess to survive after a new king ascends the throne, there is only one path..."
"That is to marry down, Elvia. A single Holy Saint alone cannot protect you."
The Duke of Wales emitted a cold laugh at the opportune moment.
Since the destruction of John's Holy Knights, the balance of power had been broken. If Elvia wanted to survive, she would have to submit and propagate the Wales family.
He gestured to his son.
Aaron, as if receiving a signal, hurriedly stepped forward and tried to reach out to take Elvia's hand.
"Princess Elvia, don't worry, I will give you happiness!"
Elvia abruptly crossed her arms, coldly avoiding his touch, and then let out a scoff.
"Heh, not enough."
She elegantly crossed her fair, slender legs and looked directly at the Eldest Princess, her tone carrying a ruthless analysis.
"This is far from enough."
"Forget Charles—you can't even suppress Warren right now!"
"Coronation liquidation? Don't make me laugh!"
"Eldest Sister, even if you truly do ascend the throne by some stroke of luck, do you believe that when Warren decides to act insolent toward you, you still won't be able to do a damn thing?"
"Just like our 'brilliant' father the King."
These words were like cold daggers, stabbing deep into the sore spots of the Eldest Princess and the Duke of Wales.
The expressions of both became extremely unsightly.
Aaron still tried to soften the mood, saying to Elvia with a groveling expression, "Elvia, don't say that. Her Highness the Eldest Princess truly wants me to help you, and my feelings for you are known to the entire Royal Capital..."
Elvia interrupted him with a dismissive, fake smile.
"I thank the Duke's son for his admiration. My apologies, but my heart is already occupied."
Her gaze subconsciously flickered toward Lin Gui's direction.
She spoke louder on purpose, her voice carrying a trace of deliberately crafted sweetness and conviction.
"I love the husband I met in Caran, and I am prepared to stay by his side for the rest of my life!"
Having finished, she didn't stay to look at their ugly faces, turning and leaving straight away.
"Elvia!" The Eldest Princess finally failed to maintain her gentle mask, shouting angrily behind her.
"Are you still not clear on the situation?! John's Holy Knights are dead! What does Charles have left to fight me with!"
Elvia didn't stop her pace, only turning her head to offer a smile filled with unmasked disappointment and sarcasm.
"Once, I actually admired you, Eldest Sister."
The image of her royal sister—the one who used to be iron-fisted and sharp-eyed, feared by all political rivals—flashed through her mind.
"But the current you..." She shook her head gently.
"I only see an old woman who can only guard her own tiny bit of territory, waiting for someone to hand her a victory, and then slowly waiting to die."
The curtain fell behind her, isolating the sounds of the Eldest Princess's exasperated roars.
Once she returned to the boisterous ballroom, Elvia felt a pang of regret.
It wasn't that she regretted refusing the proposal to marry into the Wales family.
If she hadn't seen Duke Joseph's treasury or personally heard those deeper conspiracies, the Eldest Princess's analysis, though conceited, would have held some truth.
With the loss of John's Holy Knights, Charles was indeed weaker than his sister in terms of overt influence. As for the other madman prince, Warren... that guy didn't care about the throne at all.
He was the most unfathomable of the three favorites and the person Elvia dreaded most in her heart—so much so that she usually took a detour whenever she saw him.
What she regretted was that she had been too impulsive just now.
By tearing off the mask like this, even if she held the generous gift of the Mermaid's Tear, the Eldest Princess likely wouldn't reveal any more news about Roger to her.
That was a crucial lead regarding her survival and the removal of the poison.
Elvia sighed inwardly.
I shouldn't be such an impulsive person...
I'm clearly best at endurance and weighing pros and cons, so why just now...
She subconsciously cast her gaze toward the figure sound asleep in the corner.
An absurd thought popped up.
Could it be... that I really have some feelings for this bastard?
Because someone proposed at her own wedding banquet that the bride should marry someone else, completely disregarding Lin Gui as the groom, Elvia had reacted with uncharacteristic anger.
Elvia immediately dismissed it.
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
That guy has been using me as a meat shield at every turn, and he even poisoned me, making me his lackey...
But Elvia had to admit that Lin Gui possessed a charm that made her desperately want to "possess" him.
And that was his ability.
Even when cooperating with a Low-tier Transcendent Ranger like Theia, he could disable a Title Rank like Gorn. If Lin Gui were paired with a High-tier Transcendent Ranger, wouldn't they be able to unleash the combat power of a Legend?
Furthermore, his abilities—expanding influence, stealing secrets, and even directly "borrowing" the wealth of rival nobles as he did this time...
Hiss... as long as he is around, the enemy's secrets are transparent to her, and the enemy's wealth can be diverted for her own use.
You had to realize that, theoretically, Elvia hadn't spent a single penny at the auction. And as for Duke Joseph, she had used his own money to buy his own items, yet he himself was happy about it.
The more she studied how to use Lin Gui's abilities against her political rivals, the more excited Elvia became, her eyes sparkling with near-frenzied light.
Succession struggles, factional infighting—all of those could become hers if she could completely control Lin Gui's power!
Most importantly, even if the struggle for the throne failed, Lin Gui could take Elvia and leave. With his abilities, crossing the dangerous wilderness wouldn't be difficult.
She licked her somewhat dry lips.
The mask of a politician's calm faded from her face, revealing a feminine, flirtatious side carrying primal possessiveness.
This wasn't just some High Rank mage; this was an absolute gem!
No, she couldn't let him get away. She had to bind him firmly to her side.
The Eldest Princess's words had served as a reminder to Elvia. The battle for the throne was nearing its end, and it would conclude as soon as the King of Carter died from his illness. According to the priest, her father would live for two months at most.
She had lost too many people to Caesar; relying solely on her intelligence network was not enough to contend or survive. As for Caesar's crazy plan, the probability of it succeeding was almost zero.
Therefore...
Elvia gave a flirtatious smile.
She walked to Lin Gui's side, leaned down, and blew a warm, seductive breath into his ear, her voice syrupy and alluring.
"Lin Gui~ sleeping here isn't comfortable, is it? How about... I take you to a hotel so you can get some proper sleep?"
Lin Gui seemed disturbed by the close, warm breath, opening his eyes blearily.
Elvia immediately put on her most well-behaved, harmless smile, her eyes innocent and carrying a hint of expectation.
Lin Gui looked at her with sleepy eyes for two seconds, seemingly lacking the energy to think too much, and gave a muddled response.
"Fine."
Rate on N.U.
