The walls of the Royal Capital were much higher than those of Linyu Port. Built from massive grayish-white stones, their surfaces were carved with intricate defensive runes that glowed with a faint magical luster.
A bustling crowd gathered beneath the city gates, with a steady stream of merchant caravans, adventurers, and travelers passing through.
Loviki walked at the very front, her hood pulled low, revealing only the lower half of her face.
Navigating the path with practiced ease, she approached the city gates, pulled an identification token from her waist, and handed it over.
The guard took the token, glanced at it, and was about to let her through when his gaze locked onto her face. “...Miss Loviki?”
Loviki's footsteps paused.
The guard's voice wasn't loud, but several people waiting in line nearby had already turned to look.
Loviki fell silent for a moment before giving a slight nod. “Mhm.”
The guard seemed to want to say more, but in the end, he simply returned the token and stepped aside to clear the path. “Please, go ahead.”
The group passed through the gates and stepped onto the streets of the Royal Capital.
The Royal Capital was far livelier than Linyu Port. Various shops lined both sides of the streets, and the thoroughfares were packed with pedestrians. In addition to demi-humans, dwarves, and fairies, one could even spot members of the demon race here.
Ever since the Shadow Demon General was slain by an unknown powerhouse, there had been no large-scale conflicts between the demon race and other races for over a decade. The Demon King seemed to have little interest in expanding his territory.
The aroma of food, the shouting of street vendors, and the rumble of carriage wheels over cobblestones blended together, creating the unique bustle of the royal city.
Loviki didn't linger. She continued to walk briskly, clearly affected by being recognized by the guard the moment they entered the gates.
The others noticed her unusual behavior but said nothing, simply following behind her at a steady pace.
Velyan, on the other hand, was eagerly eyeing the stalls around them. “It's so lively here! I smell so many scents I've never encountered before!”
“I'll take you to eat later,” Loviki said, her voice slightly tighter than usual.
Velyan tilted her head and glanced at her. “Loviki, are you nervous?”
“No,” Loviki replied, softening her tone slightly, though her hands had unconsciously clenched inside her cloak.
As they walked, Loviki suddenly stopped.
A massive crowd had gathered around a noticeboard ahead, nearly blocking the street.
Standing outside the crowd, Loviki frowned slightly as she looked at the contents of the noticeboard.
Flora took a couple of steps forward. Upon seeing the notice clearly, her body froze slightly, and the smile slowly faded from her face.
【Announcement of Royal Marriage Alliance with the Lawrence Family】
【The prospective princess consort, Loviki Lawrence, has departed the capital for personal reasons, her current whereabouts unknown. The marriage contract is finalized and cannot be revoked. Should she fail to return by the designated date, the Lawrence Family will be deemed in breach of contract and punished in accordance with royal law, with the breaching party bearing all consequences.】
Below the text was a portrait of Loviki. With her black hair and red eyes, the likeness was striking; anyone who saw it would easily recognize her.
It was signed with the royal seal, accompanied by a line of smaller text: “The wedding is set for the fifteenth day of the Winter Month.”
Today was the first day of the Winter Month, leaving exactly two weeks.
The royal family was using the Lawrence Family to force Loviki back to the Royal Capital to fulfill the marriage contract.
“She's been missing for over a month, and that young lady still hasn't returned?”
“I heard she ran away on her own because she didn't want to marry.”
“So what if she doesn't want to? It was a decree personally signed by the King. Can the Lawrence Family really defy that? Besides, what's so bad about marrying into royalty? Plenty of people would kill for the chance.”
“I heard the King fell ill recently, and the Second Prince is currently running things... Tsk tsk, talk about perfect timing.”
“The Lawrence Family is probably in for a rough time.”
Whispers and chatter filled the air all around them.
Loviki stood in place, her fingers slowly tightening at her sides, her body trembling slightly with anger.
Eventually, she calmed down, lowering her head to hide her expression beneath her hood.
The next second, a hand was gently placed on her shoulder.
“Let's go,” Chen Mian's voice came from beside her.
Loviki nodded slightly, her shoulders relaxing a bit. “Mhm.”
The five of them squeezed through the crowd and slipped into a quiet, secluded alleyway.
The idle gossip was left behind as silence settled around them once more.
Flora walked beside Loviki, tentatively reaching out to gently touch her fingers.
Loviki didn't pull away. Instead, she turned her hand over to grasp Flora's. “I'm fine, Flora.”
“Mhm,” Flora softly replied, squeezing Loviki's hand reassuringly.
The group walked deeper into the alleyway for a while before finally stopping in front of a small building.
Before them stood a two-story, grayish-white stone house. A few withered vines crawled along the porch, indicating it hadn't been maintained for some time, though the magic circle on the door was still functioning.
Loviki fished out a key from her backpack and stepped up to the door. However, just as she was about to insert it into the keyhole, her fingers paused. Frowning, she said, “Someone has been inside the house while I was away.”
Chen Mian placed his hand against the door to sense the area, then pulled it back. “Three days ago. The mana residue is very faint, and there's no trace of that person left inside the house anymore.”
As Chen Mian spoke, he lightly swiped his finger over the keyhole, revealing a faint magical mark before them. “Once Loviki opens the door, this mark will be triggered, alerting the person who left it.”
“Which means they'll come back?” Flora frowned.
“Yes,” Chen Mian nodded slightly.
Loviki looked down at the key in her hand. After a brief silence, she looked up. “Let's go inside first. News of my return to the Royal Capital will spread soon anyway, and I never planned on hiding.”
With that, Loviki gently pushed the door open.
Her house was indeed small, but it was very tidy. The first floor consisted of a living room and a kitchen. There wasn't much in the living room—just a table, a sofa, and a bookshelf against the wall.
The kitchen was even emptier, lacking even a single pot for cooking.
However, because it had been left uncleaned for so long, a layer of dust had accumulated over everything.
On the coffee table sat a glass tumbler.
Loviki stood in the center of the living room, staring at the glass. “Someone definitely broke in,” she murmured. “My glass wasn't originally placed there.”
Flora put down her backpack and naturally went to grab a rag and a basin of water. “I'll clean up first. Why don't you head upstairs and check if anything is missing from your room?”
“Alright,” Loviki replied softly after a brief daze.
She took a couple of steps, then turned back with a smile. “Flora.”
“Hmm?”
“Thank you.”
“You're welcome.” Flora looked up, her lips curving slightly. “Go on. Leave this place to me.”
Loviki turned and headed upstairs, followed by the sounds of rummaging and furniture being moved.
Louise leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed, her gaze casually sweeping over the street outside the window. “We're being watched. One on the rooftop at three o'clock, and two at the mouth of the alley at seven o'clock.”
“Mhm,” Chen Mian nodded, examining the books on Loviki's shelf. “Let them watch.”
“This matter isn't that simple, is it?” Flora asked as she wiped down the table. “The aura on the lock just now felt very familiar. It's quite similar to the Elder who framed me.”
“Yes, the Shadow Cult is involved in this. They've likely targeted Loviki,” Chen Mian said softly. “Something has probably happened in Hella Palace as well. The timing of the King's illness is too coincidental—it happened right around the time Aler left the palace.”
“So what do we do now?” Having finished wiping the table, Flora looked up at Chen Mian.
Chen Mian's voice remained calm as he turned toward the stairs. “Loviki said she would host us in her house, so we will stay here.”
“As for those people,” he said with a serene expression, “we'll just wait for them to come.”
“Okay~” Flora watched his retreating figure as he walked upstairs, her lips curving into a gentle smile.
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