In the Selvius Kingdom, the Royal Palace stood proudly, its extravagant architecture gleaming in the sunlight—a testament to the power of the Royal family.
The palace was divided into three parts: the East wing belonged to the princess, while the West wing was reserved for the Prince.
The vast grounds stretched for miles, with the distance between the minor palaces spanning no less than half a kilometer.
As time passed, the interaction between the prince and princess dwindled, and the once-bustling halls now echoed with the footsteps of only a few maids and servants.
Today, however, the atmosphere was unusually heavy, with an air of secrecy and mystery enveloping a place not far from the main palace—a beautiful structure that rivaled the splendor of the moon itself.
SWISH SWISH
Two silhouettes moved swiftly between the pillars, concealing their presence as they observed the main gate of the mansion, securing a meeting, which had convened for nothing less than treason.
Their loyalty unwavering, the figures nodded in agreement after confirming the absence of any outsiders, then gestured towards a masked figure standing by the window.
"Queen, our men have surrounded the entire palace. No one can enter without being noticed," the figure bowed before another seated on a chair, a sharp knife held casually in Queen's hand, a mysterious smile playing on her lips.
"Very good," the Queen responded, turning to the girl seated before her with a blank expression, though a hint of annoyance shadowed her features.
"Is it necessary for you to act like thi—" Bella tried to interject, feeling increasingly embarrassed by the unfolding situation—the consequences of her decision to meet Adanyl becoming apparent.
"Here, my Queen, take this," another maid bowed, offering a piece of cake to the girl seated confidently with her legs crossed.
"You came here for some work, aren't you? So bear it," Adanyl smirked, seeing Bella becoming frustrated, feeling satisfied after taking revenge for the day when she blamed her for eating.
Now that Bella was helpless with her work, Adanyl would not back away from seeking revenge on her.
"This girl!" Bella's mouth twitched as she watched Adanyl play with her, but the need that brought her to Elysium was to deal with Ryuk Von Selvius.
"Here," Bella said without wasting time, placing a wrapped chocolate on the table, causing Adanyl to narrow her eyes.
She had already planned to demand two more of them to bargain for the work Bella was there for.
"Feed it to Ryuk," Bella said, retreating before folding her hands and observing the widened eyes of every maid and Adanyl herself.
"W-what is this?" Even though everyone knew the hatred Bella held for Ryuk, resorting to poisoning was definitely unacceptable, causing Adanyl to inquire.
"This is mana repellent—" Before Bella could complete her sentence, havoc fell upon the place, causing all the maids to break out in sweat within a moment, shivering at the thought of what awaited them.
"Abort, Abort, Vivian, cancel this meeting and send a message to his highness. Bella has collided with the enemy kingdom—Flick," Adanyl swiftly stood from her chair and called for Vivian, only to receive a flick from Bella, who rubbed her forehead feeling irritated by her drama.
"It is Mother's Orders. She wants Ryuk to not leave the palace," Bella informed and stood to leave, not wanting to stay here any longer but was stopped by Adanyl.
"Wait, why would Her Majesty do such a thing, where's the proof?" Adanyl was not stupid enough to harm someone who helped her, and even though she had been with Bella for six years, her priorities were set.
"Here," Bella passed the letter, remembering Alisia's words.
// That girl is smart, use this letter when she asks for proof and also tell her it is to ensure Ryuk's safety //
Of course, Bella would not disobey Alisia's orders, but she saw an opportunity here.
Normally, mana repellents were given to people suffering from mana outbursts, which was a dangerous condition where one could die, but there were no side effects of this medicine.
Bella knew this since she was given this weekly in the Monastery to keep her in a weakened state while they conducted some experiments with her.
Her goal was simple: after taking it, Ryuk would become weak enough for her to defeat him—a mutual benefit for her and Alisia.
"It is indeed Her Majesty's writing," Adanyl said, reading the letter, at least becoming sure that it was genuine.
"But I can't—"
"Welcome to the Palace. Mother has informed me about your arrival, Miss Karina."
Suddenly, her eyes widened at the sound of a familiar voice, causing her hand to tremble within Celestia's grasp.
Celestia also noticed it, and she followed Karina's gaze, meeting the eyes of a boy standing just a few steps away from them.
"I hope you have a very good stay here." Ryuk continued, his eyes catching the subtle movements of Karina's hand as she clenched her dress, and the hint of pressed lips revealing her anxiety and nervousness—a curious sight from someone known as the daughter of the Sword Maiden.
"Nice meeting you again, Celestian" Turning his gaze towards Celestia, he smiled.
"Thank you, Your Highness," Celestia replied, maintaining etiquette as she approached him before bowing, attempting to push aside the memories of the day's events.
"She is my Siste—" Celestia tried to introduce Karina, who was blankly looking towards Ryuk, but got interrupted by a voice.
"Your Highness...!"
The voice caused everyone to turn towards the direction of the West side palace, where a small figure of a girl running towards them became visible.
'Nice timing, Adanyl,' Ryuk thought as he slowly took out a small marble from his pocket and, without anyone noticing, threw it towards the direction of the west, already deciding to make everything happen in perfect sync.
"Your Highness, I brought Chocola— kyaaa~!" Before Adanyl could reach Ryuk, her foot lost traction, causing her to shoot directly towards him without any balance.
SWISH
Before she could fall and hit the ground, Ryuk swiftly caught her in a princess carry, but slightly upside down since she slipped forward.
Naturally, one would fall backward in such a condition, but Ryuk was very confident about this girl's speed, which was enhanced due to her nonstop consumption of all dairy products and her ability utilization giving her full horse-power.
"Are you fine, Adanyl?" Ryuk looked downward while holding her from belly, before placing the girl down, slowly leaning with her.
'He did it again!' Adanyl realized she had slipped on a marble, her sharp eyes having already noticed the marble rolling towards her, but due to momentum, she ended up in her current position.
"Yes, Your Highness, but—" Before she could say something, a voice reached them, something which Ryuk was waiting for.
"W-who is she, Your Highness?"
Slowly turning his attention towards the girl standing behind Celestia, looking with widened eyes towards the duo, which seemed much closer to each other, but at the same time, she was unable to recognize the girl.
"Miss Karina, you may not be aware, but she is my heart and soul, my future life partner, Adanyl Von Selvius," Ryuk declared, looking at Adanyl with genuine expressions, opening his heart in front of everyone, while feeling amused seeing the agape mouths around him.
'Don't tell me...' Adanyl looked at Ryuk blankly, not understanding a thing he said, reaching one conclusion, 'Her Majesty is right! I need to feed him that thing, or he will run rampant outside after losing his mind like this.'
"I-i see," Karina observed everything before considering something. She placed her hand on Celestia's shoulder, then moved forward, bowed towards Ryuk.
"I am sorry for everything."
Ryuk could clearly discern that Karina was seeking self-satisfaction by apologizing to him, a natural human instinct.
Though he wanted to reveal his memories to her, he wasn't in the mood to do so just yet.
After all, this was a secret he only entrusted to two people—Diana and Amayara, since they are smart enough, And also most hated ones.
Slowly lifting himself and leaving Adanyl on the floor, Ryuk spoke with narrowed gaze.
"Do you really think you did something that deserves forgiveness, Miss Karina." Ryuk inquired with a measured tone, his gaze fixed on her.
'!?'
"I-i," Karina's eyes trembled hearing his words, her mind in turmoil even though she knew he meant otherwise.
Adanyl, lying on the ground, observed both of them, noticing Karina's hesitation. She stayed silent, not wanting to disturb the moment.
"No, I don't," Karina replied, biting her lip as she stood there, avoiding Ryuk's gaze. Her mind filled with several thoughts, she added, "Forgive me, Your Highness. I am a bit tired."