Kael pressed his palm gently against her skin, channeling his energy into her body. The warmth of his energy flowed through her, nullifying the harmful effects of the medication and restoring balance to her system. Her breathing steadied, and her fever began to subside.
Amanda's eyes fluttered open briefly, and her vision blurred for a moment. However, she did see her husband's face.
"Kael..." she murmured weakly before her eyes closed again, this time, drifting into a peaceful sleep.
"Well, she looks alright now. Let's just leave." Satisfied, Kael stood and quietly exited the cabin, leaving her to rest.
A few hours later, Amanda awoke feeling remarkably better. Her headache and nausea had vanished, and for the first time in days, her mind felt clearer than ever. She vaguely remembered Kael's face and his warm touch but dismissed it as a feverish dream.
Curious, she stepped onto the deck and found Kael arm-wrestling Captain Cain.
Kael gritted his teeth as he struggled to move Cain's hand even an inch, going as far as taking the help of another hand but to no avail. Cain, on the other hand, was toying with him, barely putting in any effort. The crew roared with laughter at the sight.
Amanda's lips twitched into a faint smile. "There's no way someone that weak healed me with his internal energy," she thought to herself, shaking her head. "It must have been a dream."
Another week later, the ship finally docked at the shores of Ikaris. As the ramp descended, they were greeted by the imposing figure of General Martha, the military leader of the Duchy of Ikaris. Her sharp, hawk-like eyes scanned the entourage before bowing respectfully to Amanda.
"Welcome, Your Highness," she said, her voice pitch was on the higher side but still retained authoritativeness. "The Duchess awaits your arrival at the manor."
Kael stepped off the ship, his spectral wolf trailing behind him.
Kael and Amanda arrived at the heavily fortified castle of the Duchy of Ikaris. The grandeur of the structure was matched only by its strategic design, with towering walls, complex defensive enchantments, and armed guards patrolling every corner.
The two were escorted to the royal guest chamber, a stretching space divided into six separate rooms: one private room for Amanda, another for Kael, one for the servants, one for the elite bodyguards, and two shared spaces—a luxurious living room and a sophisticated art exhibition room filled with paintings of high value.
Once stepping inside the chamber, Amanda and Kael went their separate ways without any talk. Amanda's two elite guards positioned themselves outside her door, while a pair of female servants attended to her inside.
Kael, accompanied by his spectral wolf, was shown to his room. The lavish furnishings and wall hangings made it clear that the guests of the duchess were treated with the utmost care. However, Kael politely refused the services of both the royal servants who had followed him from the capital and the castle servants.
"I prefer solitude," he said briefly, shutting the door behind him. The spectral wolf dragged itself to his door, became the guard, lay down, and closed its eyes. Nyx was physically and mentally tired from that sea journey and decided to take a rest.
Inside his room, Kael sat cross-legged on the plush bed and began to meditate. He activated his Aura Sensing technique, allowing him to scan the castle for potential threats.
Kael's senses swept through the castle like the gentle wind. He identified numerous experts within its walls—two Supreme realm warriors and six others in the Legendary realm. The concentration of such experts was impressive but expected for a Duchess who lives in a fortified castle and not a palace or an estate.
As he extended his senses further, his attention locked onto a single presence in another guest chamber from the other side of the castle. The aura radiating from this guest was far more powerful than those Supreme realm (Tier-9) experts.
Before Kael could probe further, the expert's aura lashed out in response, forcibly reversing the connection. Kael saw a pair of eyes locked onto him and he swiftly cut the link to avoid being exposed.
He took deep breaths with his heartbeat peaked for a moment, beads of sweat forming over his forehead. "A demigod is invited to the event? Sh*t."
Meanwhile, in the other royal guest chamber that Kael tried to probe in earlier, an elderly woman sat elegantly with the Duchess of Ikaris, sipping tea from a delicate porcelain cup.
The old woman's eyes gleamed in joy as she smiled faintly. "It seems we have an interesting guest in the castle."
The Duchess raised an eyebrow. "A guest? Do you mean someone among the princess's companions?"
"Could be. I'm not sure. He was swift to cut off his connection," the old woman replied. "However, I can tell that he is a man and radiating with life force, perhaps quite young."
The Duchess's interest piqued at the mention of a man. "A young man, you say? How intriguing. The princess was the last to arrive, so he must be part of her group."
"Possible." The old woman nodded. "He's powerful, though not a threat. There's no need for concern."
Curiosity burned within the Duchess.
"Excuse me, Master. I will just return in a minute." She couldn't help but excused herself and left the room.
Under the pretense of welcoming her royal guest, she decided to pay Amanda a visit, taking her young son along for company.
When she arrived at the guest chamber, her senses subtly swept the room, searching for anything unusual.
Amanda came out of her room upon receiving the message of her arrival.
"Greetings, Duchess."
Amanda greeted her with polite formality, offering refreshments and engaging in cordial conversation.
"Princess." The Duchess nodded, although her eyes kept on wandering the room as Cain and a few guards came out of their room too to greet the host.
The Duchess's scan revealed little out of the ordinary. Amanda's two elite guards stood resolutely outside, and the strongest presence in the room was the spectral wolf, still curled up and snoring faintly in front of a closed door.
The Duchess's lips turned into a faint smile. "A fine beast," she commented, masking her deeper observations. "Though it seems young—perhaps at most, an Exalt realm creature?"
Amanda glanced at the wolf briefly. She nodded. "It is young but loyal, belonging to my husband."
The Duchess's interest shifted slightly. "Ah, your husband. You know the praises about his looks often a part of discussion among the nobles. People say that he could captivate a woman's heart with a glance and he would invoke a strong sense of protectiveness from the women. Many would express wanting their daughters married off to him but Lady Moonstone was quite fierce and overprotective of him. Her Majesty was indeed quick to act."
"I'm afraid he values privacy," Amanda replied, keeping her tone neutral. She did not want to extend this topic any further and the Duchess also seemed to get it from her reply.
"I understand." The Duchess nodded thoughtfully and excused herself shortly afterward, wondering whether her judgment was wrong.
As she left the chamber, she fell into thoughts. "There were only two presences in that chamber that could be worth mentioning. One is that wolf. And the other is that warrior named Cain, Amanda's royal knight. Master said that it was a young man and Cain could be one but I can see that he is only at the intermediate stage of Exalt Team (mid-tier-7). Can such a person attract the Master's attention? I don't think so. That means there must be someone else in the castle."