[The next day.]

[Vesseran, Lythanis Kingdom.]

The day had already begun to unfold with the soft rustle of papers on Akamir's desk.

Some floated in the air as he looked at the logs presented to him.

Necro and Vesha knelt in front of his desk, their heads slightly bowed as they stood close by.

It was already a new day and Akamir was facing another problem right now.

He didn't even have time to talk with Inara as he had to rush back here to Lythanis Kingdom.

Due to the severity of the problem he was facing.

Akamir let out a sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck.

He looked at Necro who stood on the side, with his hands behind his back.

"So…" Akamir began, his voice soft. "You are saying that the royal family of Lythanis contacted you?"

Necro, the mimicker who was the one holding the branch, walked forward.

He bowed deeply. "It's as you say, my Lord." He said, his voice deep. "They contacted us a few days ago."

Akamir rubbed his chin as he asked, "Who did they represent?"

"He was the old butler of Lady Aaliyah." Necro replied. "She is the second princess of the kingdom."

Akamir leaned back in his chair, brows furrowing as he processed the information.

"Second princess…" he muttered. "Why would she reach out to us now?"

He glanced at Vesha, who hadn't spoken yet.

The brute woman stood quietly, arms folded, her eyes fixed on the floating papers in front of her.

"She didn't contact us directly," Necro clarified. "Her butler claimed it was on her behalf. He mentioned she had been stripped of her title and placed under house arrest."

Akamir raised an eyebrow. "Stripped of her title?"

"Yes," Necro confirmed. "Apparently, she defied her father's decree during a political meeting. Spoke out against some decisions related to her marriage."

That caught Akamir's interest.

"That's interesting…" he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "What was this all about?"

"We don't have much information as of now, my Lord." Necro replied, shaking his head. "Apparently, she did it in the presence of only her family and no one else."

Akamir gave him a small nod as he asked, "So, why did she contact us?"

"It's pretty simple." Vesha replied in his stead. "She wants to take over the company."

Akamir stared at Vesha, unsure if he'd heard her right.

"…Come again?"

Vesha's tone didn't waver. "She wants to take over the company. Not all of it, just a major share. Enough to hold some authority."

Akamir narrowed his eyes. "Why would she want a company now?"

"For her family," Vesha replied. "Mainly to use it against her older sister—the Crown Princess."

Akamir gave her a small nod as he looked around the place.

Akamir rested his elbow on the armrest, fingers pressed against his lips.

He was starting to understand the picture now. A disgraced princess, exiled from court, now looking for outside support to survive—maybe even retaliate.

'Looks like the branch in this kingdom is doing a little too good.'

By how even the royal family has fixed their eyes on it.

'…Things don't look too well.'

"What did she offer in return?" Akamir asked, looking at him.

"The trade routes that involve the church." He replied, "She said she will provide both protection and help in spreading the company."

Akamir sat up straighter at that. That was no minor thing.

The Lythanis royal family was deeply tied to the Church—if what the girl was saying was true, this could shift the power dynamic of the whole region.

He looked back at the floating documents in the air, then stood up, slowly circling around the desk as he thought.

"Do we know if her claims are real?" he asked.

"We're trying to verify it," Necro said. "But we've already intercepted one letter from the palace archives matching her story. It had the old butler's seal on it."

Akamir paused near the window, his eyes drifting toward the courtyard outside.

"If she's lying," he muttered, "we'll be dragged into a family feud with a throne involved."

"If she's telling the truth," Vesha added, "we'll have a stake in one of the largest kingdoms on the continent."

Akamir glanced at her. "You sound too eager about this."

Vesha shrugged. "I don't trust her. But I trust ambition. And people who've been thrown away usually climb harder."

Akamir let out a slow breath. She wasn't wrong.

"How long has she given us time to think?" Akamir asked, glancing back at them.

"Two months, my Lord." Necro replied softly. "That's how long she is willing to wait."

Akamir let out a sigh as he nodded his head. "We still have a lot of time, I guess."

"Keep surveillance on her," he said finally, his voice calm but cold. "I want to know everything. Who visits her, who she writes to, and what she eats for breakfast."

"Yes, my Lord," Necro bowed, his expression unchanging.

"As for the butler," Akamir added, "place a mimicker in his shadow."

Necro nodded hesitantly. "Wouldn't that be a little risky?"

"Don't worry about it." Akamir waved his hand. "It should be fine."

Necro gave him a nod. "I will do as you say, my Lord."

Akamir let out a sigh as he kept on looking outside the window.

"By the way." He said, glancing back at them. "What's her relationship with Inara?"

"She is niece to Madam Inara, my Lord." Necro replied instantly. "Her father is your wife's brother."

Akamir gave him a soft nod as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Inara's niece, huh…" he muttered under his breath.

That single detail twisted the entire conversation.

'I don't think Inara had any type of good relations with her family though.'

Vesha stepped forward slightly, arms still folded across her chest. "Does that change anything?"

Akamir didn't answer right away. He tapped his fingers against the window frame, lost in thought. Then he finally turned back to face them.

"It complicates things," he admitted. "I'll have to talk to Inara, just in case."

"What if she gets out of hand?" Necro asked, his voice soft. "Would you let her go if Lady Inara likes her?"

"No." Akamir replied, firmly. "If she gets in the way, we eliminate her."

Necro nodded with a smile. "As you wish, my Lord."

Akamir let out a sigh as he walked away. "Anyway, I will be back in a few days."

They both bowed deeply, "We will wait for your arrival."

Akamir didn't reply as he summoned his crown and formed a portal.

He walked inside as soon as it was formed.

---

[Vyavan Dukedom.]

Akamir let out a sigh as he looked at the sun hanging high in the sky.

It was already close to afternoon as he returned back to his main house.

'Well, I don't really have much to do here.'

Akamir let out a sigh as he began to walk towards the guest house.

The servants who walked past him immediately bowed with a confused face.

'Well, they weren't informed of my arrival in any way.'

He wasn't going to stay here long though.

Akamir was planning to return back to Elven Kingdom soon enough.

'It would be better if I don't bring the others with me.'

Akamir learned his lesson when he was gone on his previous trip.

Bringing them will only create trouble for him and nothing else.

'I should start with getting more info about the skinless servants.'

Akamir thought as he still remembered his defeat from them.

Nayomi slowly crept beside him as she looked ahead.

"Are you really going to see her?" Nayomi asked, tilting her head. "The Empress, I mean."

"…Well, yeah."

Yesterday, when Lili asked him for his condition.

He only stated one.

That was a face-to-face talk with the Empress herself.

There were several reasons for Akamir to do that but the main was the severity of his request.

He was going to ask something that he was sure Lili couldn't provide the answer for.

'It would be better if I talk with her in person.'

That way, Akamir would have more chances of obtaining it.

'Hopefully she is more rational.'

He let out a sigh as he walked down the corridor until he reached a room.

Akamir knocked on it twice before entering it.

"Huh?"

Inside, both Luca and Viros were sleeping on the bed.

But the weird thing is they were sleeping while hugging each other.

'Man, I really wish I had a camera on me right now.'

Akamir let out a regretful sigh as he shook his head.

Ignoring them, he walked out and moved to the next door.

Akamir knocked on the door and waited for a while.

"Come in."

A voice gave the permission and Akamir opened the door and walked inside.

The first thing he saw was Reagan, who was holding the staff with Ven Core pulsing.

Reagan's teddy bear face let out a creepy laugh. "You are in time, boy. Let me show you something cool."