"Good morning," Charles enters with Nolani close on his heels.
"Morning, slept well?" Rose asks, seated at the table while Sho and Levianth are preparing it for breakfast.
"Yes! Thank you for your concern, Rose," Charles nods, taking a seat next to the elder woman. Both look at Nolani as she sits opposite to Charles.
"He showed no complications at night so I guess he's good now," she shrugs off their gaze and places her elbows on the table, propping her head in her hands.
"Alright, breakfast is served," Levianth exclaims proudly. The prince feels happy that he got to help prepare breakfast, since as one would expect, he doesn't go near the kitchen back at the palace. Everyone start munching down; few words were exchanged, which is unusual judging by their level of interactions the night before. Why?
"Anyone wants some fruits?" Levianth asks, pushing his chair back and readying to stand up when Nolani snarls at him.
"Sit your ass back down fancy pants. Stop trying to delay the inevitable!"
The prince sweat drops and hurries back. The inevitable Nolani mentioned, it's time for her to finally tell Charles why she left. The latter gave her a notice earlier this morning.
"Let's hear it," Charles' expression turns strict. His eyes observes Nolani's body language for any hints of lying.
"Fine!" Nolani yells, anxious from the investigator's searching gaze, "I left to find where Lynn was exiled to!"
"Lynn?" it has been a long time since the man heard that name roll off Nolani's tongue.
"She was my lady in waiting up until I turned seven years old. The old man kicked her out because she failed at her job,"
"Her job as your lady-in-waiting?" he chooses to dive into more details for this portion.
"Something of that sort. They expected her to raise me into an obedient submissive little doll. But she didn't. She would always teach me that I am my own person. No one has the right to control your life. The plan was to chase after her when I turn fifteen or so; however…" Nolani frowns and grips her loose pants.
"Something happened," Charles eyeglasses reflect Nolani's figure flawlessly.
Levianth looks between the two, unable to bear the sight of Nolani in distress he readies to intervene but stops short when hearing what Charles says next.
"They were planning your assassination," Charles leans back in his chair. "Your parents realized the extent of the power you hold deep within you and worried that you may decide to rebel against them. Especially since they have maltreated you since you were born".
"WHAT?" Sho loses his calm demeanor. Rose is as dumbfounded as Levianth and her former comrade.
"You knew all along, didn't you?" Levianth says in a calm voice. Charles doesn't spare him neither a glance nor a response. "ANSWER ME" the prince yells causing Nolani to jump in her seat.
"Calm down. This isn't the time," Charles answers standing up. Nolani follows his every movement, her eyes trembling, could it be that all this time…
"What do you mean this isn't the time? If you knew all along, why put her through- ack!" Levianth's sentence is cut by a longitudinal crystal piercing his abdomen.
"What the…" Sho turns and his eyes widen. The prince's blood is dripping on the carpet. "LEVIA- ugh!" the man falls on the ground unconscious.
Everything unravels in a blur in front of Nolani. A pained cry escapes her before she plunges into darkness herself.
Meanwhile, at Harbor Inn a girl struts in. Her childish movements attract the receptionist's attention. The latter smiles at her, asking "how may I be of service?"
The girl, smiles back, and mutters a word. The receptionist's head detaches from her body and lands on the desk.
"That was unnecessary, Lola," a man enters the hall and sighs.
"But Master said to kill all who laid eyes on Nightwalker, didn't he?" Lola pouts and tilts her body from the waist ninety degrees. The man shrugs, knowing it's hopeless to reason with this child. "Too bad I couldn't find the girl that was following them when they got into town. It seems as if she's vanished".
"Vanished you say? It must be the work of the supreme mage… That woman is absurd"
At the castle, every room is deserted. On the throne sits the king, Tsuyosa. Eyes wide, skin pale, mouth agape, tongue hanging limply on the side… His lower body, from waist down, has been cut off. The throne's pillow is soaked with his blood.
"Ugh… when will he stop bleeding? It's boring having to watch his majesty bleed dry,"
"Patience, Lynn. We must follow Master's orders. That's the least you can do after he took you in," the man standing above the crouched lady-in-waiting mutters.
"Yeah, yeah… whatever you say Matt" Lynn looks up at the barkeeper.
"Hey Sho… SHO… SHO WAKE THE HELL UP!"
The said man bolts, smashing his forehead against another. Once his eyes adjust to the dimly lit room, he gasps and pales as if seeing a ghost. "How are you still alive?"
"Nolani healed both of us… I think" Levianth frowns placing a hand on his abdomen.
"Where is she?" Sho asks but the expression on Levianth's face says it all. "That cannot be happening… no…"
"It is. And we have to deal with it" Levianth replies, adjusting himself and leaning against the cool wall.
"DEAL WITH IT?! YOUR BEST FRIEND BETRAYED YOU?! AND YOU WANT TO JUST DEAL WITH IT?! WHAT KIND OF COWARDLY RESPONSE IS THAT?!"
"Keep your voice down… she's still resting!" Levianth glares at Sho whose eyes drift to the sleeping figure in the corner of the dungeon.
"Boss…" he bites down on his bottom lip, drawing blood out.
"Judging the state she's in…"
"She won't make it" Sho finishes the prince's sentence. A tear escapes the man's eye and the prince places a hand on his shoulder.
"She will. Somehow… remember what Nolani told us? Rose's Mystal blood is too strong for mishaps like that" he comforts Sho who chuckles sadly.
Elsewhere, Charles sits on a chair caressing a crow. His eyes fixated on the prison cell before him. The person inside shifts, kneeling and rubbing their arms in effort to warm themselves. Charles meets their eye.
"You were there. When they were discussing the plan of the assassination…" Nolani whispers. Charles smirks sickly.
"That's right… Little foxy"