Dawn broke, and the light quietly dispelled the night, coating the castle room in a warm glow.
It was another night sleeping with Sista, and Su Ling had slept well, her exhaustion completely gone.
She turned over gently. The familiar scent of Sista’s black hair reached her nose — a faint, lingering fragrance that one couldn’t help but grow fond of.
When she opened her eyes, however, the side of the pillow was already empty. Su Ling was slightly stunned. She had thought she would wake up earlier than the Blood Princess this time, but she hadn’t expected Sista to have already left.
She propped herself up and looked around. The room was quiet and peaceful. The dark green velvet bed curtains hung softly, and sunlight spilled through the gaps onto the pure white quilt.
Su Ling dressed quietly and walked out of the room.
Soon, she spotted Sista on the balcony.
Amidst the morning light, the black-haired girl’s figure appeared exceptionally tall and elegant. Her long hair fell over her shoulders like a curtain, with a few stray strands gilded in a faint gold by the sun.
However, her expression looked somewhat grave.
“Your Highness, what is wrong?” Su Ling walked quickly to her side and asked softly.
Sista was slightly startled and turned to look at her. Her originally solemn expression quickly returned to a calm state upon seeing Su Ling.
“Duke Lorian sent a letter.”
She held up the envelope in her hand. The corners were a bit worn, clearly having traveled a long distance.
“The maid delivered it when she came to report this morning. The Duke sent someone to deliver it in secret.”
She frowned slightly and paused for a moment before continuing, “Something has happened at Hailosen.”
Though her tone was calm, Su Ling could see the severity of the situation in her eyes.
“Do you want to see it?”
“Me?”
Su Ling was somewhat surprised and did not immediately take the envelope. She had a vague feeling that this letter hid secrets concerning the fate of Ansels. Once she touched it, it would mean being dragged deeper into the vortex.
“I want to hear your thoughts,” Sista said, looking at her seriously.
“…I do not know much about the kingdom’s politics.”
“When the rebellion between the humans and the beastfolk first began, you shared some views with me, saying that excessive suppression might trigger more forces to resist,” Sista said slowly. “Looking at it now, your judgment at the time was correct.”
Su Ling was momentarily speechless.
“But… there should be more suitable candidates in the Palace…”
Sista’s gaze dimmed slightly.
“Perhaps. But in the current Ansels… I have no way of trusting anyone except for you.”
Her words were low but firm.
On the surface, she had the King’s trust and a following of nobles, but none of them were true companions. Once interests conflicted, they could turn on her at any moment.
She could not truly trust anyone.
Therefore, she turned her gaze toward Su Ling.
Over the past few months, she had confined Su Ling to the Summer Palace, causing her world to gradually shrink until only Sista remained.
And in truth, in Sista’s world, Su Ling was the only one left as well.
“I understand.” Su Ling fell silent for a moment before finally nodding. “Since you say so, I will take a look.”
She understood that once she opened this letter, the relationship between them would no longer be just master and servant, but companions bound by fate.
She took the envelope, opened it carefully, and took out the letter.
Densely packed small characters met her eyes, bringing an invisible sense of pressure.
The first sentence alone gave her a jolt —
“Respectable Princess Sista: According to reliable intelligence from our eyes and ears, His Majesty the King has been placed under house arrest within Hailosen Castle by the Queen and the Crown Princess. This matter is strictly blockaded from the outside world.”
‘The King has been placed under house arrest?!’
Su Ling furrowed her brows and continued reading.
“The specific details are not yet clear, but it is speculated to be related to the reform of the tax laws. The New Tax Law drafted by the Crown Princess and the Financial Minister touched the interests of the vested groups, but it was not adopted by the King.”
“The Queen and the Crown Princess may have taken measures because of this, pushing their own policies by controlling the King.”
“Furthermore, the Crown Princess has been active recently with unclear intentions. The possibility that she is taking the opportunity to seize royal power cannot be ruled out.”
“The situation is urgent. I am reporting this in secret and hope Her Highness will make preparations early.”
The letter ended there, clearly written in haste.
Su Ling knew very well that in Ansels, most of the nobles leaned toward the Queen’s faction.
But Duke Lorian was an exception — he had been a confidant of the Old King and later turned to serve the current King. To some extent, his interests aligned with Sista’s, which was why he would risk sending this secret letter.
“I once advised Father not to change the tax system so easily; the treasury is already very empty due to the war,” Sista said in a low voice, her expression turning unsightly. “But I didn’t expect Moria to use such methods.”
Su Ling remained silent for a moment and read the letter carefully once more.
She began to recall the history she had read in her previous life, from medieval Europe to the power struggles of ancient dynasties.
Unfortunately, books could not provide a standard answer.
She could only rely on her own judgment.
“Your Highness, what do you plan to do now?” She put away the letter and first tested Sista’s attitude.
“I don’t know.” Sista shook her head gently. “I believe Duke Lorian’s intelligence. But I have no real power in Ansels. Even if I know, it’s very difficult to take effective action.”
“Hmm…” Su Ling thought for a moment and said slowly, “I feel the priority is to confirm the safety of His Majesty the King.”
“Your Highness, do you have someone you can trust at Hailosen Castle?”
Sista contemplated for a while, and a name surfaced in her mind.
“I do.” She looked up. “The Captain of the Royal Palace Guard — Thomas.”
“Wait… I understand.” A gleam flashed in her eyes. “Placing the King under house arrest must be executed through the Guard Corps, so Thomas must be aware. As long as we contact him, we can obtain more intelligence regarding Father.”
Sista’s line of thought quickly became clear.
However, they both understood — relying solely on a single human Captain of the Guard was far from enough to change the situation.
The true key still needed to be found.