For a long moment, no one spoke.

The holographic recording faded, and the blue light from the memory crystal dimmed until the grand hall of the Imperius family was once again lit only by chandeliers and sunbeams streaming through the tall windows.

Everyone stood frozen.

Eliana and Edgar still held the crystal as if it were made of fragile glass, their fingers tightened around it. What they had just seen replayed in their minds over and over again.

Solid evidence.

Proof that the Imperius family had been the instigator of this entire mess. Proof that they had twisted the truth and manipulated the Council. And now that evidence was raining down across the continent, carried by black-feathered crows.

Sylvia’s face had turned white as paper.

Melina and Riley didn’t look much better. Their earlier arrogance was gone, replaced by stunned disbelief and hollow shock.

Edgar suddenly burst out laughing.

His rough, booming voice echoed through the hall.

"That kid is really something else," Edgar said between laughs. "Now I understand why Aaron and Julia are always so impressed by him. Looks like I taught my kids well."

Eliana stared at him.

"A few minutes ago, you were bad-mouthing them," Eliana said dryly, "and calling them dumb."

"I don’t remember that," Edgar replied immediately, folding his arms.

The corner of Eliana’s mouth twitched.

She stepped forward.

The balance of the room had shifted, and everyone knew it.

The tables had turned.

Eliana fixed her gaze on Sylvia.

"We want all our children returned unscathed," she said, her voice calm but edged with ice. "On top of that, I’ll be submitting this evidence to the Council and requesting severe sanctions against the Valeria Empire for deceiving the Council and spreading false information."

Her violet eyes hardened.

"The only reason I’m not declaring war," Eliana added quietly, "is because of you, Sylvia. I know the position you’re in—and how pathetic you look right now."

Sylvia flinched.

The elders around her, still reeling from the recording, were shaken to their core.

To their knowledge, acquiring even a single memory crystal of that quality cost an absurd amount of money. They couldn’t begin to understand how Arthur had obtained so many, nor how he had scattered them so widely and so precisely.

They had prepared countermeasures for messages sent to the Ashford Empire and the Velmora Kingdom. They had bribed, silenced, and monitored communication channels. They had been certain they could block any evidence Arthur attempted to send.

None of them had imagined he would broadcast it across the entire continent.

Edgar clicked his tongue.

"So Adrian got outdone by a child, huh?" Edgar said with a cruel grin. "How pathetic."

"Watch your mouth, Edgar," Melina snapped.

"I’ll watch myself," Edgar replied, "but my king won’t. You’ve just handed him the opportunity he’s been waiting for. He’ll make you pay dearly for this. With Adrian gone, it’ll be fun to watch."

Ravina spoke next, her voice steady but cold.

"I’ll be canceling every deal my Crown family has with the Imperius family," Ravina said. "Even ongoing projects. I’ll accept the losses."

The two elders visibly trembled.

Their grand plan had failed, and they both knew it. Agnus Evan Imperius would never spare them lightly after a humiliation and political disaster of this magnitude.

"I don’t want to stand here for another second," Eliana said, turning away. "I’ll be outside. Send my child to me—along with Aiden."

Without waiting for permission, she strode toward the doors.

Ravina and Edgar followed right behind her.

Edgar still couldn’t quite believe what he had just witnessed—the mighty Imperius family being turned into a laughingstock in their own home.

He started laughing again.

"Hah! To think I’d see the Imperius family looking like clowns," Edgar said. "I should’ve brought wine."

Melina watched them leave, her face twisting with frustration and anxiety.

"What should we do now?" Melina hissed. "Should we claim those memories were false—"

"Have you gone senile with age?" Riley cut in sharply. "The Council can distinguish real memories from forged ones in an instant."

Melina gritted her teeth.

"Then should we just start a war—"

"Will you shut up for a moment, you old hag?" Sylvia’s cold voice cut through her words.

Both elders froze.

"You don’t care about the family at all," Sylvia said, her red eyes burning. "You just want achievements for yourselves, don’t you?"

"L-Lady Sylvia, watch wha—" Melina began.

"Or what?" Sylvia’s aura erupted.

Killing intent and oppressive mana poured out of her body like a flood. Melina and Riley flinched, their legs stiffening and their throats suddenly dry.

"If I want to," Sylvia said quietly, "I can bury the two of you together, and no one will say a thing. Not even Agnus Evan Imperius."

They swallowed hard.

These were not empty threats, and they knew it.

They had failed spectacularly.

If Sylvia decided to remove them at this moment, there would be no one to shield them.

Sylvia inhaled slowly.

"Now that you’ve had your fun playing your little games," Sylvia said, her voice like ice, "listen to me. Go and release those children. Right away. No harm is to come to them."

Melina opened her mouth, then closed it again.

"From now on," Sylvia continued, "I will be the one negotiating with Arthur to get Adrian back. And that is final."

Melina and Riley exchanged one last glance.

Then, swallowing their pride, they bowed their heads.

"Understood," they muttered.

They turned and hurried out of the hall.

The doors shut behind them.

Sylvia remained alone in the vast, silent chamber.

Her shoulders sagged slightly as the weight of everything finally settled upon them.

"How did it come to this...?" Sylvia whispered, her voice barely audible. "Eliana was right. I really have become pathetic."

Her hand curled tightly around the armrest of her chair as she stared at the floor, the reflection of the crystal chandeliers shimmering in her unfocused red eyes.

───────────────

Somewhere deeper within the Imperius estate, in the underground cells, five figures sat together in the dim light.

Aiden, Evangeline, Aaron, Isabella, and Julia.

The cell was small, with cold stone walls and iron bars reinforced by faint magical circles. All of them were covered in injuries—bruises, cuts, dried blood, and torn clothing. Their bodies ached from beatings and interrogation.

The Imperius family had not treated them kindly.

After all, to everyone outside, they were the ones who had kidnapped and tortured the daughter of the Imperius family. The fact that there was another side to the story didn’t matter to their captors.

They had all been punished severely.

The five of them sat near the bars, backs against the wall or slumped on the floor, staring into the empty corridor.

"Do you think that bastard will come save us?" Aiden asked, trying to sound casual but failing to hide the faint tremor in his voice.

"He will," Aaron replied quietly. "Believe me."

Aiden snorted.

"I wonder if this is what that bastard meant when he talked about ’dying for him.’"

Despite everything, a small flicker of hope burned within their chests.

But none of them dared to rely on it completely.

They didn’t even know whether Arthur was alive.

It had been their choice to help their friend, and none of them regretted it.

"Is he even alive...?" Isabella whispered, hugging her knees.

Julia leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes.

"Well," Evanlgine said, "I’m pretty sure he’s not someone who dies that easily."

Julia sighed. "Yeah, but if he is dead then we’re all pretty screwed."

Evangeline gave a small, bitter laugh.

"Don’t fret too much," Evangeline said. "Mother won’t let me die like this. Not because she’s my mother—though she does love her children—but because it’s partly her fault too. Letting me die in a cell would bring enormous shame upon the royal family of Ashford empire."

Aaron stared up at the ceiling.

"I just hope Arthur and Miss Yuna are safe," Aaron said. "I’ve finally repaid him. That’s all that matters."

His lips curved into a faint, tired smile.

"Besides, we’re all nobles," he added. "They can’t just kill us recklessly. If they do and a war breaks out, even the Council will get involved."

Footsteps echoed down the corridor.

They all turned.

A girl with golden hair and ember-colored eyes appeared in front of the cell, her arms folded and chin raised.

Arina Evan Imperius.

She looked at them with a sharp, disdainful gaze.

"It’s futile to pray for that bastard now," Arina said. "Orders have already been given. He’ll be killed on sight if anyone finds him."

She smirked.

"And he ran away like a coward," Arina added. "He left you all here to die."

Her lips curled higher.

"Now all your pathetic parents are begging miserably in front of my mother," Arina said. "Begging to save your worthless lives."

She broke into laughter.

Her laughter echoed harshly off the stone walls.

Evangeline stared at her, unimpressed.

"Looks like your ugly mug got fixed up," Evangeline said calmly.

Arina’s eyes turned murderous.

Before she could speak, Isabella tilted her head and said lazily:

"Look. Arthur’s behind you."

A chill ran down Arina’s spine.

Her body stiffened, and cold sweat broke out along her back as she instinctively thought:

’He wouldn’t actually be—’

Isabella chuckled softly.

"That guy really traumatized her," Isabella murmured, amused.

The others couldn’t hold it in anymore.

Laughter spilled out of them, even if it hurt their cracked ribs and bruised bodies. The sight of Arina flinching at Arthur’s name was simply too satisfying.

Arina’s face flushed red with embarrassment and rage.

"How dare you worthless scum laugh at me!" Arina shouted. "It seems the beatings you’ve received so far weren’t enough!"

She spun toward the corridor.

"Someone open the cells!" Arina yelled.

Footsteps rushed closer.

A guard hurried over with a ring of keys and began unlocking the cell door. Behind him, several more guards appeared, their armor clinking as they formed a line.

Aiden and the others tensed.

They braced themselves, expecting another round of torture or interrogation.

The iron door creaked open.

But instead of dragging them out by their hair or shackling them, every guard stepped forward—

And bowed.

"We deeply apologize on behalf of the Imperius family," one of the guards said respectfully.

They held out small pouches and glinting items.

Storage rings.

Weapons.

And small vials filled with shimmering liquid.

Their belongings.

Their equipment.

And high-grade healing potions.

"Changing rooms have been prepared for all of you, you can change your clothes if you want Or " another guard said. "If you wish, you may leave immediately. Your parents are waiting outside."

Aiden blinked.

Evangeline stared.

Aaron slowly reached out and took back his ring, his eyes wide.

Arina’s jaw dropped.

"H-Hey! What is the meaning of this?" Arina shouted. "Why are they being released?! Answer me!"

One of the guards stepped closer and leaned toward her.

He whispered something into her ear.

Arina froze.

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"It can’t be..." she muttered. "He did... what?"

Just from her expression, the others didn’t need to hear the words.

They exchanged glances and shared knowing smirks.

Arthur.

Of course.

Evangeline rose to her feet, wincing as her muscles protested.

"We’ll leave immediately," Evangeline said.

"Yes, Lady Evangeline," the lead guard replied quickly, bowing again.

Arina ground her teeth so hard her jaw hurt.

As they stepped out of the cell one by one, potions already working on their wounds, Evangeline paused.

Her eyes turned cold as she looked over her shoulder at Arina.

"I’ll make sure you pay for this wonderful treatment, " Evangeline said, her voice low and dangerous. "I’ll see you at the academy—with Arthur, Arina Evan Imperius."

Arina stood there frozen.

For the first time, she truly wondered whether she should even return to the academy at all.

───────────────

Meanwhile, far from the Imperius estate, Arthur stood before a massive door.

The stone archway towered above him, carved with ancient swirling patterns and glowing runes. The door itself looked as though it had been hewn from a single slab of dark stone, its surface etched with an intricate magical seal.

Opposite him, some distance away, stood another massive door.

In front of it stood Sakura.

Arthur could already hear ferocious, guttural roars rumbling faintly from behind his door—like beasts clawing at the edge of reality.

Unlike the door in front of Sakura.

Sakura smiled at him, her eyes curving into crescent moons.

"It’s game over for you, Arthur," Sakura said.

Arthur’s mouth twitched.

’How the hell did it come to this...?’ he thought, staring at the door before him as the roars grew louder.

One crisis had been thrown back at the Imperius family.

And yet, as always, he stood on the verge of another.