On the other side of the world, in Algard, there was a simple mansion that was off the beaten path. It was quite high-class and impressive, sporting a large garden fitted with many artistic pieces and a vast assortment of flowers. One could sense the luxurious lifestyle that one might enjoy here. Due to the winter, snow had covered every speck of greenery here and reduced it to a white landscape. To live here in Algard like this, where land was as expensive as gold, they were clearly not ordinary people. Of course, they were nowhere close to the Grand Nobility Households, who could own massive swaths of land. They were probably closer to Great Nobility, one step shy of Grand Nobility. Anything lower had no right to be in Algard!
The iron gates greeted two carriages accompanied by a small fleet of guards. Both carriages were incredibly elaborate and beautiful. Just the designs alone were enough to sing tales of how extraordinary the owners must be. On the first carriage was a picture of an ancient willow tree, the emblem of the Ovarr Household, and the second carriage had a raindrop shattering into pieces, the emblem of the Dewshard Household. Both unbelievably belonged to Grand Nobility Households! There were only twenty-five Grand Nobility Households in the entire Alzar Kingdom, and they represented the absolute pinnacle of nobility. Their vast power, wealth, influence, and connections were unmatchable by anyone else! Their families were one thing, but the people onboard would give another fright.
From the Ovarr's carriage stepped out a gorgeous young man whose every action sang of grace and style. Not even a single hair was out of place on his perfect head. It was hard to find a more handsome person in Algard, and he had countless fans from men and women alike. He was easily one of the most attractive members of the younger generation! And judging from his deep and mysterious eyes, he was not just a pretty playboy, but someone who was incredibly cunning and intelligent too. This seemingly flawless gentleman was Lord Fredrick Ovarr.
From the Dewshard's carriage drew an icy-cold stoic beauty who emanated a razor-sharp and dangerous aura. The white snow fluttered about her which enhanced her majesty even further so much that she looked like a winter goddess! The strangest thing was the sword hanging around her waist; however, it was no mere decoration because she was a genuine Perception Realm! People often compared her to the likes of Lady Valentina, one of the three strongest knights in the realm, with the beauty to boot. This lady was none other than Lady Kalasena Dewshard. Although they looked like a perfect match on paper, the truth was that there was not the slightest hint of interest between them.
"I heard from my father, but to think that our friend is living here… It seems that the times have been hard on him," Lord Fredrick mused.
The girl declined to reply, but he was used to her peculiar habits. If she had not spoken before, he might have thought she was mute. Still, the number of times she bothered to open her mouth could be counted on one hand. Instead of replying, she chose to walk through the gates and leave her companion behind. Lord Fredrick shook his head wryly and joined her.
Inside the main study was a scholarly youth who sat in front of a large desk littered with countless documents and scrolls. An overwhelmingly negative air surrounded him like a robe as his features were locked into a perpetual grimace. He grabbed his forehead and tried massaging it, but it did little to help his growing headache. In fact, it only made the problem worse. Whenever his eyes passed over the paper in front of him, his stomach turned. This paper was the latest news from the warfront and detailed the Battle of Liguang, as well as its unimaginable conclusion. Elizabeth had died! He was devastated. How could this happen? He could not understand it at all. She was his… no, his whole family's savior. How was he supposed to repay her now? Lord Archibon Lannisail felt defeated.
He sighed. The saying 'how the mighty fall' was truly an apt description for him. The Lannisail Household used to be a Grand Nobility Household, one of the premier households standing at the top of the realm! He was also the sole child of his father, Lord Wenmord, the patriarch of the Lannisail Household, so he was practically guaranteed to be the next patriarch. There were even rumors that he might inherit the position of Master of Progress on the Royal Assembly! Everything was smooth sailing for him, and he had a bright future ahead! Unfortunately, everything changed when the Whispering Shadow entered the picture. They attacked and kidnapped Elizabeth! It would have been fine if the Lannisail Household was not involved, but as everyone now knew, Lord Wenmord was one of the central figures behind the Whispering Shadow! In fact, he had even ordered the Second Hand to kidnap Elizabeth!
Initially, Lord Archibon was right to deny it. His father was always a solitary figure that kept himself out of trouble. He always disliked interacting with the other Grand Nobles more than necessary precisely because he knew how troublesome the Grand Nobility was. Whenever he was forced to attend a meeting, he would find a way to escape it. That was how Lord Wenmord acted. In fact, more than once, he cautioned his son not to stand out. His son's status as one of the three leading stars of the younger generation would lead to boundless trouble. Lord Archibon took those lessons to heart and grew up to become an asocial person for a reason. How could he ever imagine that his father was related to the Whispering Shadow, especially as one of its five leaders? It sounded utterly ridiculous!
He felt wronged and framed. Even the fact that the Lannisail explosion came from the Lannisail Household, or that the Second Hand was present, or that Princess Elizabeth was discovered there… he rationalized it as someone else framing his family. A Grand nobility Household was the perfect scapegoat after all. He never once thought that it could be real. However, as the overwhelming sea of evidence mounted, he had no choice, but to accept it. He was always a logical person, so he resigned himself to his fate. That was the retribution that the Lannisail Household deserved.
Yet, Elizabeth saved them. She was the one who suffered the most, but she protected them regardless. Was she simply virtuous to a fault or was it all an elaborate scheme? At the beginning, he had his reservations and suspicions, but he gradually learned… that this was how she was, unrestrained and open-minded. Despite being the heir apparent, she never let her status go to her head. She was grounded and critical of her own flaws. Others might focus on her flaws, but her strengths were invaluable too. Admittedly, she had yet to fully mature, but Lord Archibon looked forward to her growth. That was why he devoted himself to helping her faction win the inheritance race. He wanted to repay her gratitude and rebuild the fallen Lannisail Household! However, now that Elizabeth died in the Battle of Liguang…
"Why did you have to die?" he muttered under his breath.
"Lord Fredrick Ovarr and Lady Kalasena Dewshard are here to see you, my lord," the butler respectfully said from outside. "Shall I let them in?"
"I know. I could see their carriages. Let them in."
Moments later, the two walked in. Lord Fredrick had a perfect smile, while Lady Kalasena seemed disinterested as usual. They were exactly how Lord Archibon remembered them to be, which was why he regarded them with caution. He was no longer a Grand Lord, and they were precisely the troublesome people that his father warned him about.
"What do you two want?" he groaned. He was almost inclined to chase them out after reading the news. His mood was terrible.
"Don't be like that. We're friends, aren't we?" Lord Fredrick replied. "We wanted to see how our old classmate from the academy was doing."
Unfortunately, Lord Archibon had a frosty expression. They might be called the three rising stars of the younger generation, but Lord Archibon knew that was where the line stopped. They were not truly friends, but acquaintances by association. They were not nearly close enough to warrant concern for each other. Not to mention, it was painfully obvious that Lord Fredrick came because he had something in mind. The timing was too coincidental. Immediately, he felt his headache worsen. This day seemed to get worse and worse.