CHAPTER 185: 185. WHY?

The Royal camp was wrapped in the deep darkness of the Deltou Colossale Forest, with fire-lamps casting eerie, shifting shadows inside Prince Cassain’s fancy tent.

Darius Rathur, his dark hair catching the warm glow, gripped a glass of amber liquor, his knuckles whitening as anger surged through him. With a snarl, he smashed the glass onto the table, shards flying in a sharp burst.

"Now, everybody in the camp praises him. He will be untouchable if we don’t take quick action."

With his blue eyes shining with dark amusement, Cassain, who was relaxing in a soft velvet chair, raised a hand to calm him.

"What? You think my sister’s going to steal the crown because of him?" He let out a low, mocking laugh, gesturing to a servant who stepped forward with a new glass.

Cassain poured Darius another drink. "Relax, Darius. You’re fretting over me, but I’m not the one who needs saving."

Darius’s eyes narrowed, suspicion mixing with a spark of hope. "You’ve got a plan, don’t you? Something to crush him?"

Cassain’s smile sharpened, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper, full of malice. "For Leonhardt and that smug little brother who humiliated us—tomorrow, they won’t be hunting. They’ll be prey."

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Duke Alric hurried through the noble camps toward the northern edge, his deep green cloak flowing in the cool evening breeze. Liana’s urgent message running in his mind—Leonhardt had called for him, and Lucian was with him.

The sudden summons worried him; what could be so important to demand his presence now, during the Royal Hunting Event’s first night? As he neared the boundary where the neat camps met the wild forest, a faint campfire glowed in the distance.

Three figures sat on logs around it, their shapes clear against the flames: his sons, Leonhardt and Lucian, and—unexpectedly—Erin Dranemount. Alric’s brow furrowed, a spark of suspicion rising at her presence.

Erin spotted him first, her violet eyes catching the firelight as she gave a small wave with her hand. "Good evening, Duke Caulem. Thank you for joining us."

Lucian turned, his gray eyes bright with relief. "Father, you’re here."

Leo, scratching patterns in the dirt ground with a stick, looked up. "Take a seat, Father. We need to talk."

Alric hesitated, but he sat on the log between his sons, facing Erin across the crackling fire. His voice carried a rough edge, tinged with worry. "What’s this about, Leonhardt? Why called me out here in the middle of the night?"

Leo’s stick paused, his gaze met his Duke’s eyes, his tone serious but calm. "We’re being hunted, Father. All three of us have followers with killing intent."

Alric’s breath caught, his body tensing as he half-stood, his voice sharp with disbelief. "You’re serious?"

Erin’s voice cut through the tension. "Please, Duke, sit. They’re still out there, watching."

Alric forced himself back onto the log, his jaw tight, his eyes scanning the darkness beyond the fire’s glow.

Lucian face tight with worry. "It’s true, Father. I’ve felt them since we arrived—heavy with killing intent. I didn’t expect Erin to have them too."

Alric’s anger surged, his fists clenching, the griffin crest on his cloak catching the firelight. Memories of the hunting cage incident flooded back—Vivien’s kidnapping. Trouble had followed their family ever since, with Leonhardt always at the center.

"Who’s behind this?" he demanded, his voice a low, dangerous growl.

Leo pointed his stick at a rough sketch in the dirt—circles and lines mapping out groups. "Two factions," he said, his voice calm but firm.

"One group, about thirty, hiding among the camp—nobles, servants, maybe even soldiers. The other, mercenaries, spread through the forest. I can’t pin down their numbers, but their bloodlust is unmistakable. I’m certain the camp group is tied to the Cult."

"Cult?" Alric’s voice cracked with shock, the words hitting like a punch. The idea of that sinister group sneaking into a Royal Hunting Event was unthinkable, a stain on the kingdom’s honor.

Lucian’s face mirrored his father’s alarm, his gray eyes darting to Leo. "Cult?"

Erin’s gaze flicked to Lucian. "The same group behind the hunting cage incident and Vivien’s kidnapping—they’ve marked your brother as a threat. They want him dead."

Lucian’s eyes widened, his voice rising with a mix of fear and frustration as he turned to Leo. "Why keep this from me? I’m your brother—I deserve to know!"

Alric placed a firm hand on Lucian’s shoulder, his voice calm but commanding. "Enough, Lucian. Your brother was protecting you."

"Protecting me? By leaving me in the dark while he’s targeted to death?"

Leo whispered. "I am sorry Lucian. I didn’t want you to be in their sights. You would be safer if there were fewer people involved."

Lucian’s scowl grew softer. "Promise me, Brother, you’ll tell me everything after this."

Leo’s red eyes softened with a tinge of guilt as he met his brother’s gaze. "Lucian, I promise you. But I’m still trying to figure out why they’re going after you as well." His brow furrowed as he struggled with the mystery as his stick paused in the dirt.

Standing with his cloak flapping in the cool night air, Alric growled, "Leave that to me."

"I’m going to rip through this camp and pull all of those jerks into the light."

Leo’s hand froze, his stick hovering above the dirt. "Hold on, Father. They’ve got powerful backing," he said, his careful tone.

Alric’s eyes blazed, his voice booming with defiance. "No noble in Valenwood would dare cross House Caulem. I’ll crush them myself."

Erin’s violet eyes locked on Alric. "What if that noble is the emperor?"

The words hung like a blade in the air. Alric froze mid-step, his breath catching, while Lucian’s eyes widened, his face paling. "Dranemount, what are you saying?" Alric demanded, his voice low, almost a whisper, as he sank back onto the log.

Leo leaned back, his stick tapping the ground steadily. "This hunt is the Royal Family’s pride, right? They send scouts to sweep the forest days before it starts to make sure it’s safe."

Alric nodded slowly, his mind piecing it together. "The Royal Guards check every inch of these woods..." His voice trailed off, his eyes narrowing as the truth hit. "If the scouts did their job, no mercenaries could’ve slipped in unnoticed. Not a chance."

His anger flared, his fist slamming into the log with a sharp crack, splinters flying into the fire. "Why would Regulus allow this?" he roared, his voice raw with betrayal.

Lucian extended his arm, his hand hovering close to his father’s arm, . "Calm down, Father. We need to think about this."

Another line in the dirt was carved by Leo’s stick.

"It’s not just that."

He gestured to the crude map he had created, which showed two groups denoted by circles and lines.

"The forest’s mercenaries want Erin, Lucian, and I dead. However, the thirty who are concealed within the camp have different targets and are waiting for the hunt to resume tomorrow."

Lucian’s tone stiffened. "Who are they going after?"

As his stick tapped two names scratched in the dirt—Rin Valarune and Velmera Saravelle—Leo’s crimson eyes grew darker. "Them," he said.