The sky was growing dark, and the lights were beginning to come on.
As the sun gradually set behind the western hills, the evening glow in the sky slowly faded, and nightfall crept in. The stars began to twinkle faintly, and a crescent moon quietly rose above the horizon.
At this moment, a pink-haired, twin-tailed girl was hidden in the forest outside the Princess's palace, her gaze fixed on the brightly lit palace. This girl was Mine.
Since they wouldn't go to save her, she would do it herself.
This was the thought in Mine's mind, and it was exactly what she was doing. However, she didn't recklessly storm into the palace. Although she was anxious, she hadn't lost her head. At this moment, she was remarkably calm, carefully observing the shadowy figures moving inside the palace.
There weren't many guards inside the palace, with only a few sentries posted every few dozen meters. There weren't many patrolling soldiers either, likely due to the residents inside. As one of the Empire's most powerful figures, there weren't many who dared to cause trouble here.
Once, a thousand-strong Revolutionary Army unit attempted to launch a surprise attack on the palace, only to be completely wiped out by a single black-haired girl. Since then, no one had dared to harbor any malicious intent toward the Princess's palace.
When the patrolling soldiers moved away, Mine slipped out of the bushes, darted forward, and with a swift leap, grabbed onto the edge of the wall. With a light push, she agilely flipped over. Inside the wall, Mine cautiously made her way deeper into the palace.
However, she quickly realized something was wrong—the palace was much larger than she had anticipated. She had planned to quickly find where Chelsea was being held, but after circling around several times, she couldn't even locate the dungeon. Not only that, but she found herself lost.
Mine and Sheele had visited the Princess's palace before and were somewhat familiar with it. However, a few months ago, Kaguya had decided that the palace was too old-fashioned and plain, so she had it redesigned and rebuilt. The palace now had a completely different style from a few months ago, and even the layout had been altered.
Pavilions, terraces, carved railings, and flowing streams all added to the palace's unique charm. Due to Kaguya's influence, the palace had taken on the elegance of a Suzhou garden, which was an entirely different style from what existed in this world. Poor Mine was utterly bewildered by the intricate architecture.
"Damn it, where is it?" Mine muttered, glancing around and realizing she had returned to where she had started. Frustration began to set in.
It seemed she had no choice but to capture someone and ask for directions.
Just then, a golden-haired girl emerged from a nearby building. She was pretty and had a toned figure. She was humming a tune, skipping along as if she was in a good mood.
Mine quickly darted forward and in an instant was behind the girl, pressing a knife to her neck.
"Don't move," Mine whispered. "If you scream, I'll kill you."
The golden-haired girl looked at the sharp knife at her neck in surprise, as if she couldn't understand what was happening.
"Where is the dungeon?" Mine demanded.
Hearing Mine's question, the golden-haired girl seemed to snap out of her daze. She asked, somewhat bewildered, "Are you a bad person?"
"No," Mine was momentarily taken aback by the question, then snapped, "Stop talking nonsense and tell me where the dungeon is."
"If you're not a bad person, then why are you kidnapping me?" the golden-haired girl asked, blinking her large eyes.
"Who's kidnapping you? I'm just asking where the dungeon is," Mine retorted, growing impatient.
"What do you want to find the dungeon for?" the golden-haired girl asked curiously.
"To save someone," Mine said through gritted teeth. "If you keep talking, I'll kill you."
"And you still say you're not a bad person?" the golden-haired girl huffed. "Fine, follow me."
"Don't try anything funny, or I'll kill you," Mine warned in a low voice.
"Alright, alright," the golden-haired girl responded as she led the way into the palace.
Although Mine had wandered around for a long time earlier, following the golden-haired girl made her realize just how grand the palace was. Even though it was still early spring and the weather was cold, the inside of the palace was exceptionally warm. In some areas, buds were already sprouting, adding to the fresh, elegant atmosphere.
Suddenly, Mine stopped in her tracks, glancing around warily. "Where are we? This doesn't seem right. Are you trying to trick me?"
She noticed that the further they went, the more beautiful the scenery became, with the landscape growing more and more splendid—hardly the place for a dungeon.
"What could I possibly do? My life is in your hands," the golden-haired girl said, sounding a bit aggrieved. "This area was renovated recently, which is why it looks like this."
Seeing that the golden-haired girl didn't seem to be lying and knowing that the palace had indeed been remodeled, Mine relaxed a bit and pushed her gently. "Hurry up."
"Alright, alright," the golden-haired girl replied.
They continued walking, passing through a small grove and down a narrow path, until they reached an elegant building.
This building was different from the others. While it wasn't as luxurious, it had a softer beauty, with pavilions and terraces, carved railings, and exquisite masonry. The area also had flowers and trees in full bloom, which was surprising for this time of year. The vibrant flowers and lush greenery created a serene and peaceful scene.
Mine couldn't help but widen her eyes in astonishment at the sight.
As Mine stood there in a daze, the golden-haired girl suddenly broke free from her grip and shouted loudly, "Princess, it's her! She's trying to—"
Startled, Mine rushed forward and grabbed the golden-haired girl. The girl struggled fiercely, like a fish out of water, and Mine had trouble holding her. Panicking, Mine tightened her grip.
As the two struggled, the golden-haired girl suddenly stiffened, her wide eyes filled with shock. Clutching her neck, the girl's small body collapsed limply to the ground.
Mine's pupils contracted in horror as she extended her trembling hand, seeing that it was covered in crimson blood.
At that moment, the door to the building suddenly opened, and a stunning silver-haired girl stepped out, standing before Mine.