Lin Gui’s figure slowly emerged from the shadows of the corner as the effects of the Shroud of the Gloomy Night faded.
He reached out and pulled back Theia, who was still trying to peek out the window.
“Don’t bother chasing. They’re long gone.”
He was about to ask Theia why she was here, but before he could speak, his nose caught something.
He keenly sensed a faint, lingering scent in the air—a strange, cloyingly sweet aroma.
As the scent entered his nostrils, it actually caused a sudden, inexplicable heat to rise in his lower abdomen.
He instinctively took another breath, and his expression instantly became peculiar.
“Aphrodisiac powder?”
Theia’s face turned scarlet all the way to her ears. Her eyes darted around in a panicked frenzy.
Nearby, Elvia’s heart was pounding wildly, but she reacted with lightning speed.
She stepped forward without a word and used the tip of her toe to kick the length of the blowpipe deep under the bed.
Adopting an expression of helpless indignation, she began to lie through her teeth.
“It must have been some brainless young noble. Probably had too much to drink and walked into the wrong room.”
“He likely intended to use such a low-life method on his female companion but got the room number mixed up!”
Her tone was certain, as if she had witnessed it personally.
Lin Gui narrowed his eyes. His gaze swept back and forth between Elvia’s forced composure and Theia’s red-faced, guilty look.
The time and place these two had appeared, coupled with this bizarre “coincidence,” all reeked of something deeply suspicious.
Theia felt her scalp tingle under his scrutiny, feeling as though she might explode on the spot.
Seeing this, Elvia knew she had to change the subject immediately.
“Never mind that blunder for now! You offended the Eldest Princess back at the auction.”
“I just spoke with her while holding the Mermaid’s Tear, but she said it’s impossible for her to tell anything to a guy who disrespected her!”
As expected, the moment Lin Gui heard key information regarding Avalon, his attention was instantly drawn.
He heard that because of that single retort he made at the auction, the woman refused to cooperate even with the Mermaid’s Tear in hand.
Lin Gui looked at Elvia, speechless.
“Didn’t you tell me to act arrogant to prove I’m a young noble from the Central City-States?”
“Err…” Elvia looked slightly embarrassed.
“Well, I didn’t think my royal sister would be so… small-minded.”
Lin Gui looked out at the heavy night through the window and estimated the time.
Then, he turned to Theia, who was trying her best to shrink out of existence, and asked, “Theia, how is your control over the demon energy in your body?”
Theia nodded quickly, like a chick pecking at grain.
“As long as I don’t actively channel it, not a single trace will leak out normally.”
“Alright then.” Lin Gui nodded and walked decisively toward the door. “Let’s go.”
Elvia froze and instinctively asked, “Where are you going?”
Lin Gui glanced back at her, his tone as flat as if he were saying he was going for a walk.
“To kidnap the Eldest Princess, of course. Since Theia has mastered her demon energy, we don’t have to worry about exposure.”
Elvia’s mouth hung open in shock, nearly choked by this simple and crude plan.
She quickly moved to stop Lin Gui, who was already rolling up his sleeves.
“Wait!”
“Hmm?” Lin Gui stopped and looked at her.
He thought she was trying to stop him out of sisterly affection.
However, the light of calculation gleaming in Elvia’s eyes was even more intense than his own.
“If we’re going to kidnap her, we have to do it a different way!”
“I know Charles has an organization under him specifically for dirty work. Their methods are very distinct.”
“We can totally dress up and frame him for this!”
She became more excited as she spoke.
“Wait for me a moment. I’ll go get some gear and clothing commonly used by that organization!”
“I’ll make sure that when Diana wakes up, the first person she suspects is her dear Third Brother!”
Lin Gui and Theia exchanged a glance, both seeing a trace of speechlessness in each other’s eyes.
This woman seemed exceptionally enthusiastic and skilled when it came to sabotaging her own siblings.
...
The subsequent operation went exceptionally smooth.
Elvia quickly procured several sets of black stealth suits.
The three of them first returned to one of Elvia’s secluded villas to change.
Afterward, they slipped back into the palace area where the wedding banquet was held.
At this moment, the banquet was nearing its end.
With the “focal points”—Elvia and Lin Gui—gone, the place had completely become a playground for the Third Prince, Charles, and his supporters.
The three waited patiently.
It wasn't until the Eldest Princess, Diana, left the banquet hall with a weary expression, surrounded by guards and male companions.
They trailed above the Eldest Princess’s entourage like ghosts.
The Shroud of the Gloomy Night perfectly masked all their presence.
However, the scene they witnessed while following her nearly caused all three of them to fall off the staff.
The Eldest Princess didn't go straight home. Instead, she first visited a secluded private club.
A masquerade ball was being held there.
All the women wore masks, while the staff serving them were exclusively handsome, fit young men.
It was effectively a high-end host club.
What was even more jaw-dropping was that after returning to the Princess's Mansion, the Eldest Princess’s “nightlife” truly began.
Several handsome men in various styles of revealing clothing were already waiting for her inside.
Seeing the Eldest Princess return, they swarmed around her like pets vying for favor…
The scene was so blindingly scandalous that the three people perched on the oak staff simultaneously raised their hands to cover their eyes.
“…” Lin Gui.
“…” Theia.
“…” Elvia.
It wasn't until the middle of the night that the exhausted Eldest Princess finally dismissed all her male favorites and sank into a deep sleep alone.
The time had come.
Lin Gui controlled the staff to drift noiselessly into the bedroom.
A brick landed accurately on the back of the Eldest Princess’s neck.
With a muffled thud, Diana went unconscious without so much as a groan.
Lin Gui slung her over his shoulder like a sack of grain.
Elvia stepped forward quickly, intentionally tearing a piece of the Eldest Princess’s nightgown.
She then messied up the bedding to forge signs of a struggle.
Finally, she skillfully left a fragment of a badge—which she had “borrowed” from one of the Third Prince’s subordinates—on the edge of the carpet.
The entire process of kidnapping and framing was so simple that Elvia was actually starting to get excited.
Back at the temporary hiding spot in the villa, Elvia couldn't wait to volunteer.
“Leave the interrogation to me! I know her well, so I know how to pry her mouth open!”
Lin Gui glanced at her but didn't call her out on her desire to settle personal scores.
“Fine, go ahead. Just make sure you get the details about Roger and Avalon clear.”
Rate on N.U.
