“Ugh—stop, stop, I’m suffocating!”
Tina half-pushed, half-turned her head away, the flush on her cheeks still lingering.
She hadn’t expected that just a single kiss from her to Lia would trigger some kind of switch in the other’s heart.
She was immediately met with a fierce onslaught.
And… the feeling between being the initiator and the receiver was really different.
If given a choice, she definitely didn’t want to be the one underneath.
“Alright then.”
Lia was still far from satisfied.
To her, surviving a disaster and being saved by Tina alone was enough to fill her heart with warmth.
Besides, Tina didn’t resist either—who could blame her?
“Your Highness, we have more important matters to attend to.”
“Don’t call me ‘Your Highness’ anymore. If possible, I want you to call me by my given name from now on.”
“…Lia?”
“Mm, let’s head back to the city.”
***
Meanwhile, in the palace dungeons.
Everett was confined in the deepest, darkest chamber.
Outside the cell stood a silver-haired youth, their clothing a stark contrast.
“I didn’t expect you’d actually help them.”
“Surprised? This isn’t just about helping the princess; it’s about helping you, Your Majesty.”
“Ah, that’s truly touching. You know, that Rune Array you destroyed was the result of two years of my efforts.”
Yet, no resentment showed on his face.
Instead, he looked more like he was reminiscing—or bidding farewell.
“Here, take this. Tomorrow is the Carnival. I want you to perform the final act with me.”
Everett stared at the key tossed to him, deep in thought.
Rune muttered complaints under his breath.
***
The next day, the Carnival.
The grandest festival of the Keliville Kingdom had finally arrived.
Following tradition, before the festivities began, all citizens gathered in the Central Square before the palace to listen to the king’s proclamation.
Today, the speaker on stage was none other than Rune Daniels, the reigning King of Keliville.
“Lia, is that masked mage in the corner Everett?”
Tina looked up from the crowd, doubting her own eyes at first.
Logically, after discovering the king’s conspiracy in the Lab Array yesterday, Everett should have been locked up—or silenced.
But now, he seemed as if nothing had happened.
“You probably got it right. Judging by his figure, that mage is indeed Everett, and he doesn’t look like he’s under any control.”
“Could he have betrayed them at the last moment?”
Tina’s confusion deepened.
“Let’s not worry about that for now. Our plan must proceed as scheduled.”
After Lia obtained the Memory Stone, she intended to reveal it at the upcoming assembly.
The Memory Stone could only record recent events, and its contents couldn’t be altered.
In other words, what it displayed was unquestionably true.
Exposing this during such a nationwide gathering would inevitably cause an uproar.
Then, revealing her identity and exposing the king’s past deeds would severely damage his credibility.
For this reason, their supporters—families secretly aiding them—were already waiting in the audience.
The only pity was Everett’s uncertain status. If they could leverage his great sage reputation to exert more pressure, the plan would likely proceed smoothly.
“Wait, it’s about to start.”
At noon, under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Rune stepped out of the palace, ready to deliver his speech.
“Citizens, today is the decennial Carnival of the Keliville Kingdom. On behalf of the generations of kings before me, I offer you my blessings.”
The rest was all empty rhetoric, something Tina had heard many times before in her past life.
Time passed until the speech was nearing its end.
“In short, I hope you all enjoy these three days of celebration.”
Just as the final words fell, the crowd prepared to applaud.
Before a single clap could sound, an audio projection suddenly played over the square.
The more experienced nobles immediately recognized it as the Memory Stone’s projection.
At that moment, the image displayed a young girl, the Great Sage, the king, and a green-haired man locked in a tense game in a sinister chamber.
From their conversation, it was clear that the Rune Array was part of a deeply evil plot, with both the green-haired man and the king scheming to use it.
The Great Sage sacrificed his life to protect the Memory Stone, delaying them until he collapsed from exhaustion.
The crowd fell silent at the sight.
But some nobles began to stir trouble. “That’s the king, isn’t it? Is he trying to forcibly control us with such methods?”
“Shh! Keep your voice down. Do you want to die?”
“Hey, this is the Memory Stone—we have the evidence right here. I bet there’s a good show coming.”
Whispers and debates spread among the people.
Rune’s face showed a hint of panic as he hurriedly explained, “Citizens, this is someone trying to stir rebellion through slander! Do you really believe I would harm you?”
“The answer’s obvious,” Lia and Tina stepped forward, their presence igniting even fiercer arguments.
“That girl in the Memory Stone? And the one beside her… is that… the princess?!”
“No way? The princess who’s been on the wanted list? She actually dared to come back?”
Lia nodded firmly. “Yes, I am the daughter of the late king, Princess of the Keliville Kingdom. I’ve returned only to expose the current king’s schemes.”
“Rune, the former prince, has never been valued since childhood but coveted the throne. Everyone knows that.”
“Indeed,” the elder nobles recalled from the history books.
—Rune once vied for the throne.
“But after that voting assembly, he lost his right of succession. He then allied with the Moonmist Sect, assassinated the old king, and has been relentlessly hunting me ever since, finally taking the throne.”
“Nonsense! Do you have proof that I collaborated with the sect? Just this one Memory Stone?” Rune snapped back fiercely from the stage.
“Guards! Seize her! Execute her for disrespecting the monarch!”
Several oddly dressed knights charged forward.
Just as they prepared to attack the two and confiscate the Memory Stone, the crowd suddenly gasped.
“Those knights, don’t move—unless you want to see the king’s head fall.”
A masked mage pressed his staff against Rune’s temple.
“Who are you? How dare you threaten me?”
“I am, Your Majesty, your Great Sage.”
Everett removed his mask, his stance confirming the truth of the Memory Stone’s contents.
At the same time, Tina flung those charging knights away with ease.
Beneath their battered armor, black robes peeked through—the typical attire of the Moonmist Sect.
“Everyone, in the name of the Great Sage, I will cast a spell upon our beloved king.”
“It’s known that those who cooperate with the Moonmist Sect bind a contract branded onto their souls.”
“If the king’s soul is pure white, it proves he hasn’t allied with the sect. Conversely, if black, it means he betrayed us and seeks our demise.”
“Now, let’s see the result.”
A surge of magic flowed from Everett’s staff, magnifying Rune’s soul many times over and displaying it as a floating spirit in midair, carrying fragments of his past life.
“Vvv—”
After a flash of intense light, the crowd saw only pure blackness—so deep it seemed to drain all color from the city.
“The result is clear.”
As Everett’s spell ended, the crowd below instantly erupted in rage.
Some had never supported Rune. “I knew he was up to no good—he even drove away the princess!”
Others who had supported him lamented, “Sigh—how could it come to this? Better to quickly side with the princess and maybe save ourselves.”
Meanwhile, a green-haired man clenched his teeth, glaring fiercely at Rune and Everett. “You brat, how dare you play this game?”
Rune only replied, “Everyone, that green-haired one is the Moonmist Sect’s Archbishop—you all recognize him, right?”
All eyes then turned to the man hiding at the side, hatred now directed at him.
“I @#¥%!”
Everett’s pre-prepared spell landed squarely on the man, immobilizing him completely.
“Consider this a return gift from yesterday.”
The man was soon pummeled mercilessly by the surrounding crowd.
Seeing this, Rune shot Lia a relieved glance, as if to say:
“It’s all over now.”
Thus, the king’s scheme succeeded in cleansing the last Archbishop from the city.
“I had originally planned to control all the archbishops once the Rune Array was complete. Your appearance changed the course of events.”
“But no matter what, the sins I have committed are unforgivable. From now on, I accept your judgment.”
Rune patted Everett on the shoulder.
Some secrets are better kept in one’s heart.
That way, they wouldn’t burden them too much.