At the same time, Elizabeth returned to her room. Well, to be exact, it was another room prepared for her since she destroyed the previous one. Settling into a chair and drinking the hot tea, she felt her nerves unwind. Truthfully speaking, she was just as nervous as her grandmother. The actions of Rena went beyond her expectations! To think that her master could manipulate her Core, using it to cast any spell they wished, created an immense sense of danger in Elizabeth. Not to mention, Rena almost killed her grandmother with a glance! If Queen Bethnal died in a closed room with her, there would be no explaining anything. She would be executed for killing the queen!
She sighed, much like her grandmother, and straightened out her mental state. Thankfully, no harm was done, though her grandmother was almost scared to death. Elizabeth would find a way to properly apologize and make amends. Placing the bow aside, she blocked any telepathic communication. She wanted some time to herself. Granted, that might not be enough to stop Rena from peeping on her thoughts, but at least it gave a tiny bit of false hope to her. Elizabeth looked at the gigantic pile of work in front of her, which accumulated due to her month-long absence, before diving in. Perhaps the work would drown out her frustrations…
By the time midnight arrived, Elizabeth barely scratched the surface. The candle flicked in and out, highlighting her exhausted face. Aside from a few meals and light exercise, she spent all her time here. However, she gained a much deeper understanding of the kingdom's situation. From the Lannisail explosion to the systematic annihilation of the Whispering Shadow, from the heavenly phenomenon in Firecast to the revival of the Arcellius Family… As the heir apparent of the Alzar Kingdom, all sorts of highly confidential documents were revealed to her. Yet, the complete details were missing. After all, this was meant to inform her about the general news, not the exact specifics. This prevented her from knowing about Shirley and Freon's own run-in with the Third Hand, much less about Benedict's disappearance from Algard.
For now, the most important piece of news was related to her. The inheritance race! The battle for the throne! Originally, she had one year to prepare for the final decision. She might be the heir apparent, but that title could be revoked at any time. Prince Dannark threatened her with the same previously. However, how could it be a race without other competitors? There had to be other suitable candidates, in case of her failure. And frankly speaking, many of the nobility were betting on that. While Queen Bethnal might be supporting her, the woman would not jeopardize the kingdom for that. If Elizabeth was truly unfit for the role, then Queen Bethnal would give up. That was the harsh and bitter reality!
The nobility realized this and schemed around in the dark, and even the royalty was no exception. The trigger for this was the Grand Nobility celebration she joined a month ago! All the scions and leaders were there to see Elizabeth's grand introduction to the upper circle of society. It was the official start of the inheritance race! Although what happened afterwards, the Whispering Shadow attack or the Lannisail explosion, caused everyone's plans to deviate, their objectives never changed: the establishment of their own candidate factions, each vying for the throne! And right now, Elizabeth was far, far behind!
Among the leading rival factions, two stood out. The first was the Graceful Willow, Lord Fredrick Ovarr's faction! Elizabeth had a deep impression of him. He had the charisma to stand out like a peacock among hens! At the center of every room, the Grand Nobility seemed to revolve around him! Back in their first meeting, he planted a trap for her, and she fell hook, line, and sinker. She was forced into checkmate and lost humiliatingly in front of everyone. His shrewd and calculating personality masqueraded by his gentle and handsome face was akin to a wolf in a sheep's clothing! Once aiming for the position of Crown Advisor, he had since changed his goal to becoming king!
The other faction was led by Princess Samanthie Etuvel Reindel, the Royal Ambassador for the Zino Kingdom. She was an outstanding person with the same gravitas and resourcefulness as Lord Fredrick. However, the biggest difference was their age and experience. Princess Samanthie accumulated an enormous wealth of experience in navigating political waters! So much so that she acted as the representative of the crown in the Zino Kingdom. That alone spoke volumes about her capabilities! People might support Lord Fredrick for his unbelievable potential, but people supported Princess Samanthie for her tangible accomplishments. These two factions were, by far, the leading factions in the inheritance race!
Elizabeth grimaced. This was the true face of the inheritance race. Whoever became the dominant power at the end would win. All other factions would have to submit! Therefore, the real test was gaining enough support to fight for the crown! It would test all her abilities in scheming, negotiating, and navigating these muddled waters! By triumphing over all adversity, she would prove, without question, that she was worthy to be queen! But alas, that was not her style. She despised the ugliness of the upper society and they despised her back. It would be a titanic challenge to gain any Grand Nobility Household's support. The first hurdle was unexpected high already.
Actually, that isn't entirely true. There is one Grand Nobility Household unaccounted for, Elizabeth realized. Although, I suppose they aren't Grand Nobility anymore…
The next morning, she summoned someone to a lounge in the castle. This person was dressed in rags like a beggar, stank like a rotten corpse, and looked like a dead man walking. Immediately, one would notice several restraints on their body, chaining up their hands and feet. A prisoner meeting a princess was a strange sight, but Elizabeth had met this person before. Unexpectedly, this person was the heir of the Lannisail Household, Lord Archibon Lannisail! Since the kingdom gained evidence of their betrayal, the Lannisail Household was forcefully dismantled and destroyed. All their members were captured, their titles and properties were seized, and their honor was ruined. They had fallen from grace as a Grand Nobility Household!
It was an extraordinary sight, as well as a stern warning. No one could have imagined it. Despite the Grand Nobility ruling like princes, controlling entire provinces and holding key positions in the Royal Assembly, it showed they were not invincible! Facing the anger and might of the Royal Family, one was destroyed! Since then, the Lannisail Household was removed as one of the Grand Nobility. However, another family took their place amongst the top. That honor belonged to the Doro Household whose patriarch was the current Master of Strategy and Leader of the Royal Assembly, Lord Illion Doro!
For the remnant members of the Lannisail Household, they were imprisoned and interrogated. Key figures, such as Lord Archibon, were tortured extensively for any bit of information they could squeeze out related to the Whispering Shadow. It was no wonder he looked as if he longed for death. His body, mind, and soul had been pushed beyond the breaking point! Furthermore, his wish would soon be granted. In around one month's time, their executions were set in stone for the grand sin of harming the heir apparent of the Alzar Kingdom, collaborating with the Whispering Shadow, and causing the Lannisail explosion! One could say Lord Archibon and the rest of the Lannisail Household were really at the lowest point in their lives; a pitiful sight to behold.
Elizabeth grabbed the sheet of paper next to her. There, it summarized the key points of their extensive investigation into the Lannisail Household and their relationship with the Whispering Shadow. She glossed over the information quickly once more. According to it, very few people were actually involved in the slave-trading business. That was not too surprising. To hide from the eyes of the kingdom, the fewer the better. The household had a legitimate front after all. Lord Wenmord worked alongside the Master of Progress frequently, and his wisdom and foresight were praised by all. Were it not for his crimes being exposed, he would have left behind a legacy as one of the greatest minds of his generation!
Although they confirmed Lord Archibon's innocence, as well as many others, their sentence remained. Why? Because they could not find Lord Wenmord, the true culprit, anywhere! The other criminals were blown to smithereens in the Lannisail explosion, leaving no one to answer for their crimes. Obviously, this would not be enough. Someone had to pay the price, especially after endangering the heir apparent! So, Lord Archibon and the others had to take the fall. It was a cruel judgement, but there was not much sympathy. Many believed they should have realized what was happening and stopped it. Since they did not, they were equally as guilty.
What a stupid call to make, Elizabeth shook her head. They're innocent, but because they're blood related to the criminals, they had to answer for the same crimes? What? They should have realized sooner? How stupid! By that logic, the Alzar Kingdom should also be held accountable since they didn't know either!
She learned that important lesson after her venture in the Xingyuu Empire. The empire slaughtered her family on New Havens and ruined her life. That was undeniable. However, that was the act of the soldiers and responsibility fell on the leaders alone. What was the point of venting her anger on innocent citizens? That was where many blurred the line. Everyone treated the opposite side as the enemy. Even Elizabeth was once the same, wanting to massacre the Xingyuu Empire for what they had done. After meeting Princess Xiuying and Ming though, her viewpoint shifted. People should not be judged by their relationships, but rather by their crimes. And being blood related was not a crime!
The empire, huh? the girl wondered wistfully. I wonder… No, this is the wrong time for that. I should worry about that another time. For now…
"Lord Archibon, I can rescind your execution and pardon your crimes if you're willing to cooperate with me," Elizabeth formed a smile. "Would you like to join my faction for the inheritance race?"