For the next few days, a strange calmness settled over the palace. Hubris remained locked away in the dungeons, and the rest of the household, including Medea, kept unnervingly quiet as if nothing had occurred. Life appeared to resume its normal rhythm. Lyra, however, could not shake the feeling of unease. She had expected some kind of reaction from her father, but he had said nothing. Though her heart was troubled by his silence, she tried to push it aside, focusing instead on her excitement for the upcoming trip to Helios. The thought of adventure helped distract her from the knot of anxiety tightening in her chest.
Meanwhile, Dylan's absence weighed heavily on her. She had received a letter from him, but it was vague, filled only with apologies for his inability to reply properly. He had offered no details, and the rumors circulating in the court had only made things worse. She prayed every night that Dylan was safe and well, though the uncertainty gnawed at her. She had written him a letter just the day before, desperately hoping for a reply, though she knew it was unlikely to come anytime soon.
As Lyra struggled to choose a suitable gift for Dylan, she was interrupted by the sudden arrival of Delilah. The young woman burst through the door, pale and breathing heavily as if she had been running for miles.
"Delilah! What's wrong?" Lyra asked, rushing to her side and offering her a glass of water.
Delilah pushed it away, her face grave. "Your Majesty, I overheard something… terrible. The Duke and Duchess are speaking lies to your father. He must know, and I fear it's not good."
Lyra's heart skipped a beat. "What did they say?"
"I couldn't catch all the details, but I'm worried, Your Highness. Please, be careful."
Lyra nodded, trying to keep her composure despite the knot of fear tightening in her stomach. "Don't worry. I'll go to him now."
As she made her way to her father's chambers, her nerves were a tangle of tension. Her mind raced, unsure of what to expect. This meeting could change everything. She would finally know if her father would support her—or if she would be forced to make a choice about her future.
Her footsteps felt heavy as she entered the sitting area. King Derek sat slouched on the sofa, his appearance disheveled. Beside him sat Duke Nabal, Medea, and Wily, all stiff and silent. Lyra didn't even glance at them as she made her way to her father. She could feel their eyes on her, but she chose to ignore them. She could not let them intimidate her.
"You called for me?" she asked, her voice steady despite the turmoil within.
King Derek looked up, his eyes cold. "Lyra, what have you been doing? Do you know anything about the documents in which the transfer of money was approved?"
Lyra stood tall, her heart hammering in her chest. "No, Father. I did not authorize them. Brother Wily handles those. I only arrange them in order, but I do not read them in detail."
"Don't lie," he snapped. "You must have looked through them."
"I did, yes. But I did not make any decisions regarding them. It was Wily who signed them."
"Then it's his fault," Duke Nabal interjected, his tone harsh. "You should have caught this before it escalated."
Lyra's patience began to thin. "I do not believe this is entirely his fault. With hundreds of papers to review, it's not feasible for him to check every detail. It is the responsibility of the one who ultimately handles them to ensure everything is in order."
Duchess Medea smirked as the others nodded in agreement. Lyra's frustration bubbled over, but she kept her cool.
"So, what do you want me to do?" Lyra asked, meeting her father's gaze. "Does it change anything that Hubris was caught in illegal dealings?"
King Derek sighed, his voice heavy with frustration. "Lyra, you must be more vigilant. You represent the future of this family, the future Queen. You should have caught this sooner."
"But I wasn't the one at fault," Lyra replied, her voice tight. "It's unfair to place the blame on me."
"It doesn't matter who's to blame. You should have been more thorough. If you can't manage something as simple as this, how will you handle bigger responsibilities in the future?"
Lyra felt the sting of his words, and the resentment she had been suppressing finally burst forth. Duchess Medea chuckled, and the others exchanged knowing looks.
"I… I didn't expect this from you, Father," Lyra said, her voice shaking with emotion. "You're always defending them. I cannot support that. You may be content to forgive them, but I cannot. I have my own values, my own sense of right and wrong. And unlike you, I will not turn a blind eye to what is wrong just because they are family."
King Derek's expression hardened, but Lyra stood her ground. She had said what needed to be said. She could no longer keep quiet.
"Fine, Lyra. If that's how you feel," her father said coldly. "But remember, you are the future Queen. Your actions reflect on all of us."
Lyra met his gaze, her eyes full of fire. "Then perhaps I should not be a part of this family. If you cannot support me, why should I support you?"
The words stung even as she spoke them, but she could not take them back now.
Turning away from her father without waiting for a response, Lyra stormed out of the room, her chest tight with emotion. As she fled down the hall, tears threatened to fall, but she held them back. She couldn't afford to be weak now.
She was just about to turn the corner when a figure approached her. She quickly wiped her eyes, clearing her throat. It was Solon, his face grave.
"It's urgent," he said, his voice low. "They've found the people you've been searching for."
Lyra hurried to the secluded garden, with Solon following closely behind.
There, disguised as usual, was Gayle, a member of their guild. He was about to bow when he saw Lyra approaching, but she quickly stopped him.
"Save the pleasantries. Just tell me, what have you found?"
"Your Highness," Gayle began, "there is no poison or drug involved."
"Huh?"
"We found traces of black magic."
"Black magic?"
"Yes. Usually, black magic is found in the underground realms of Gaia. Since there is no history of it in Anemoi, this is a rather shocking discovery. But I'm certain it is black magic. It can involve things like cursed lockets, voodoo dolls, or even cursed powders. In this case, the magic appears to be one that causes illness, making the victim so weak they can't function properly. However, there's one key condition for it to work: the person must have weak willpower."
"...Father lost much of his will after Mother died. That was around the time he fell ill too..." Lyra muttered to herself.
Gayle continued, "It appears whatever was used came from Gaia. It would be best to search for any unusual items near His Majesty. Traditionally, such objects often contain large, dull gems—ones that don't reflect light. That's one of the best ways to spot them."
"Solon, get on it. I want a thorough search, and keep an eye on anything linked to this. Also, gather every book you can find on black magic."
Solon bowed and left immediately.
"Gayle, thank you for your help."
"It was our honor, Your Highness. If you need us to look into ways to break this, we can."
"I would appreciate that. Please, send me anything you discover. I will be visiting Gaia soon, and I'll personally investigate."
"Understood."
Gayle bowed and left as Lyra stood in deep thought.
'I need to write to Dylan and Aelia. Maybe Aelia knows something—she's in Gaia after all.'
Days passed swiftly, and Lyra immersed herself in reading everything she could about black magic. Still, she hadn't received a response from Dylan or Aelia.
Meanwhile, Duke Nabal and his family continued as if nothing had changed. Hubris, now a free man, had become increasingly withdrawn from his family. His constant fighting with them seemed to stop suddenly one day, and his behavior reverted to how it had been before his imprisonment. It was an unexpected shift, but it brought peace to the household, particularly to Duchess Medea, who was relieved by the lack of daily conflict.
The night before Lyra and Astrid were to leave for Dylan's birthday party in Helios, Lyra was swamped with paperwork, all handed to her by Wily. Ever since her father had told her she needed to take responsibility to be a good Queen, Wily had been loading her down with the department's work, claiming that she couldn't be a competent ruler unless she handled it all.
Frustrated, Lyra slammed her hands on the towering piles of paper. Solon, hidden among the papers, jumped at the sudden noise.
"I can't take this anymore!"
She stormed out of the room, and Solon called after her.
"Where are you going, Your Highness?"
"To end this."
Lyra hurried straight to her father's chambers. She had been avoiding him ever since their last conversation, but now, she couldn't hold back.
"Father!"
She entered, startling the King, who had been reading in bed.
"Lyra?"
"You told me I needed to be responsible to be Queen, right? Then transfer the duties of the head of the accounts department to me. If I take charge, I'll ensure no one under me makes the same mistakes as before. I'll keep an eye on everything."
"But you said you didn't want such a big role before."
King Derek blinked, surprised. Lyra sighed inwardly. It was true that she had previously refused such responsibility, intending to leave soon, but now it felt unavoidable.
"That's true. But if I'm going to do something, I want to do it right. I can't stand this anymore."
"What about Wily?"
"What about him?"
Lyra shrugged.
"He's handling everything right now."
"In that case, he can work under me. He needs practice, anyway."
Lyra grinned, but her father sighed.
"Fine. I'll speak with Nabal and Wily after you return from the trip."
Lyra's expression darkened.
"What do you mean 'talk to them'? If they disagree, are you just going to drop it?"
"It's not that. I just want to hear their opinions. They're involved, and I don't want any injustice."
Lyra scoffed.
"So you'll do injustice to your own daughter, but not to them?"
"Lyra, when have I ever done that to you, my dear?"
Taking a deep breath, Lyra pressed on.
"Why? Why do you support them so much? Do you have any idea what they've done?"
She didn't want to ask this, but her frustration got the better of her.
"What are you talking about?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
Lyra tried to avoid answering, but Derek persisted.
"If you're talking about my health, I know."
Lyra's eyes widened.
"What do you mean? If you're talking about Uncle Javis, then stop right there. He's not to blame."
"...I know."
Lyra's face twisted in pain, her voice trembling.
"Don't tell me... you knew everything?"
"..."
"Tell me! What do you know?"
Lyra raised her voice in desperation. Derek tried to calm her down.
"Let it go, Lyra. What's done is done. As long as they're not hurting you..."
"Ha... What happened to you, Father? How can you be like this? You know they used black magic on you, and you're not doing anything about it? Why?"
"There's no point in making enemies. Your position right now requires as many allies as possible."
"Allies? They're not allies! They're rats!"
"Language, Lyra!"
"Oh, now you care about my language when they tried to kill you?"
Lyra began pacing in frustration, trying to make sense of her father's behavior.
"I don't understand how you can be so calm about this. Is it black magic? Is it controlling your thoughts? It must be. That's it, isn't it?"
"Lyra... no. That's not it."
"Then why are you doing nothing?!"
Lyra shouted, her eyes filling with tears, a side effect of her anger that she despised.
"I just don't want to, alright? Enough. Focus on yourself. Leave me alone. I don't have long to live. What's the point of fighting for my life?"
Lyra sank to her knees and grabbed her father's hand.
"Why do you say that? Please, don't give up. If you know what's happening, you have to do something!"
"I... I don't want to."
Derek's voice was empty, and it took Lyra by surprise. She stood up, her determination firm.
"If you won't do anything, then I will."
With that, she turned and stormed out, leaving her father's voice calling after her.
Around two days later, Dylan, who had wrapped up the border business, was in the Zion Palace (Helios Main Royal Palace) celebrating his birthday.
This palace was famously known as the Olympus of the living world. Its grandeur far exceeded the palaces of Anemoi. While Anemoi's palace was compact and towering, Zion Palace sprawled across a vast expanse, resembling a small town in itself.
Dylan's parents were thrilled to have the Princesses around, but he, in particular, couldn't contain his excitement at the thought of seeing Lyra again.
He wandered around one of the sitting areas, practically bouncing with anticipation, when a man approached him holding two letters.
With a grin, Dylan eagerly took them, not even bothering to ask who they were from.
"Finally, I got them. I can't believe she sent me two letters. I haven't been able to get her letters because of the war situation," he thought to himself as he sat down on a sofa, already tearing open one of the envelopes, his smile widening as he read.
Just then, the door opened, and a man walked in wearing white clothes. He was tall, only a few centimeters shorter than Dylan, with brownish hair, a softer face, and almond brown eyes. Though they resembled each other, the key difference between them was their eye color—Dylan's were sparkling hazel, almost wolf-like, while his brother's eyes were darker. When he spoke, there was no sign of bunny teeth, nor the dimples that Dylan had.
"It seems Mother is very excited—she's inspecting everything for the third time today, just to make sure everything is perfect for the Princesses," he remarked, standing behind Dylan and peeking at the letter.
"Brother, get lost," Dylan shot back, irritated.
This was Alexander, the crown prince of Helios, 27 years old. Despite the frequent bickering, the brothers had a solid relationship and always had each other's backs.
Alexander adjusted his glasses—round ones with strings at the back—an unusual style for someone his age, typically worn by older generations. His choice of glasses was another thing that made him stand out as the crown prince.
He sat next to Dylan, placing his arm around him while trying to sneak a glance at the letter.
"What are you reading?" he asked, clearly interested.
"Nothing. I'm busy, so get going. Leave," Dylan snapped, trying to conceal the letters.
"Well, you'll be even busier soon. Father wants you to handle all the international affairs," Alexander said casually.
"What happened to Ingrid?" Dylan asked.
"She's on maternity leave."
"For how long?"
"Three years, actually…"
"Huh?" Dylan raised an eyebrow.
"She asked to extend her leave to spend more time with her baby."
"Fine, I'll handle it. Just send all the paperwork to Xavier, and I'll go over it."
"Good."
After a brief silence, Alexander remarked with a smirk, "So you're still sending and receiving letters from the Crown Princess?"
Dylan glanced at him suspiciously. "...You've been reading them?"
"I only saw the name," Alexander shrugged. "I thought she'd stopped sending them. I remember when you used to get all mopey when she didn't send any. You were a pitiful sight."
Dylan rolled his eyes, his cheeks flushed. "She didn't stop sending them. Just some... unfortunate circumstances came up."
"So she didn't abandon you then?" Alexander teased.
Dylan's patience snapped. "Just shut up, grandma."
He often teased Alexander about the glasses, calling them "grandma glasses." Although Alexander didn't appreciate the mockery, he tolerated it because it was all in good fun, a lighthearted banter between brothers.
"Yeah, yeah. These aren't grandma glasses, by the way!" Alexander grumbled. He adjusted the glasses, clearly proud of them. "They were custom-made for me by the brand Painite. These strings are hand-woven from rare cloth…"
Before he could continue, Dylan had already bolted from the room, leaving Alexander talking to no one.
Later that afternoon, the sounds of horns and trumpets echoed throughout the Royal Palace, signaling the arrival of the Princesses from Anemoi. Dylan stood beside his parents and brother, his eyes scanning the crowd eagerly for Lyra. But as the three carriages came to a stop, only Astrid, the maidservants, and their luggage disembarked. Dylan's heart sank as he kept looking around, wondering where Lyra was.
Astrid, however, was busy greeting the royal family. Despite her formal greeting, Queen Luna embraced Astrid warmly.
"Oh my! You've grown so much since the last time I saw you. You truly look like an angel!" Queen Luna exclaimed.
Astrid blushed at the compliment, smiling shyly.
Queen Luna, her snow-white hair shimmering and her traditional gold headset giving her an ethereal look, added, "Where is Lyra?"