Enya stepped out of a narrow alleyway.
She looked up at the sky; the sun was already dipping toward the west.
After withdrawing her gaze, she headed toward the carriage station.
Along the way, she caught the attention of quite a few people.
Enya furrowed her brows slightly, sensing a strange emotion in the eyes of these newcomers.
She had originally planned to leisurely take a carriage home, but it seemed that was no longer an option.
Using the dream world, Enya altered her location to just outside her home’s doorstep.
She quickened her pace and entered the house.
As soon as she pushed open the door, she saw Rosily leaning over the table.
Rosily turned her head and looked over.
The young girl stared blankly at Enya for a moment before propping herself up on the chair, hopping down two steps, and then throwing herself into Enya’s arms.
Enya placed her hand on her daughter’s head, gently stroking the strands of her light golden hair.
“What’s wrong?”
Their blood bond allowed her to feel the unease stirring in her daughter’s heart.
Rosily remained silent.
Enya could only softly ask again, “Back home so early?”
Rosily held Enya tightly, seemingly unwilling to let go.
She leaned against her mother, inhaling the comforting scent that surrounded her.
After a long while, she finally raised her head and looked at Enya.
“Mom, I don’t want to go to school anymore.”
Enya did not scold Rosily but instead led her daughter to a chair.
She sat down herself and then placed Rosily on her lap.
Brushing aside the strands partially covering Rosily’s face, Enya spoke in a gentle voice.
“Can you tell me why?”
“Nothing… I just don’t want to go. School is too boring.”
Rosily tilted her head back and gave Enya a small, pursed-lip smile.
Enya didn’t try to persuade her but pressed her daughter’s head gently against her shoulder.
Rosily responded to the pressure and leaned closer.
She had seemed fine before, but coming home early like this meant something must have happened after Enya left.
Enya left her avatar, Phil, to stay with Rosily, while her true form appeared in the study—the core of the dream world.
As she arrived, the runes etched into the floor and walls immediately brightened.
She closed her golden-red dragon eyes, activating the glow of the magic array.
The environment around Enya began shifting continuously, as if the world itself was rewinding.
The image finally froze on Rosily after she and Antiros had left.
Enya quickly played back the recorded events from the dream world and soon spotted the problem.
Rosily and Elqi were walking down the road when they overheard some gossip.
Rosily’s hearing was excellent; even whispers from ten meters away were caught by her.
It was nothing but the usual slander about her being a bastard.
Then Rosily stepped forward and punched the person spreading the rumors.
The girl’s fist looked small, but she carried the blood of a great dragon.
Though she was only that size, her physical strength alone was enough to defeat Yelena and even hold her own against a magic puppet.
The result was obvious.
The person hit by Rosily’s punch flew back a great distance and fainted from the pain.
Such behavior was obviously improper.
As a result, Rosily was brought to see the principal.
The old mage did not make things difficult for the girl but told her to go home and rest for a while.
“So that’s how it is…”
A cold glint appeared in Enya’s eyes.
She realized that the rumors of “the bastard girl” weren’t just a few isolated whispers but were being spread by many people in secret.
Rosily had grown tired of it and acted out in response.
Something was definitely off—this was clearly targeted harassment.
Phil and Hena were close, and Hena’s name appeared in many of the rumors.
It was very likely connected to Hena’s enemies.
“Heh, it seems someone wants to cause me trouble.”
Enya let out a cold smile.
She closed her eyes again, and the surrounding light dimmed accordingly.
As the core of the dream world, she held control over the dream barrier.
Now, she was the god of this land!
Enya could directly access every event that had ever occurred on this territory, finding the mastermind behind it all.
As long as they were within Redwood City, no secret could escape her!
Soon, her figure appeared in a dimly lit room.
Enya slowly opened her eyes, her golden-red vertical pupils growing even colder.
This was an underground secret chamber.
A square table sat in the middle, surrounded by five people: a father and son pair, a hunched old man, a sturdy middle-aged man, and someone dressed in a white robe.
Enya’s gaze first landed on the robed figure.
The person wore a white robe with a hood covering their face, revealing only a pair of gaunt hands at the sleeves, giving the impression of extreme age.
The white-robed figure glanced at those seated.
He let out a sinister chuckle, his voice hoarse like scraping glass.
“Everyone, no need for formalities. Let’s get straight to the point.”
“As you’ve seen, that new Lord Asades doesn’t seem keen to join forces with you. She continues to act on her own terms.”
“She’s already exchanged letters with the Ophield Family of Whitestone City and plans to hold a banquet to formally ally with them.”
“The Ophield Family is also looking to distance themselves from Whitestone City. If they truly form an alliance, you’ll become irrelevant to that Lord.”
“This is like boiling a frog in warm water—if you don’t resist, you’re doomed. So why not cooperate with us and eliminate that woman, Hena, as soon as possible!”
The white-robed man slammed his hand on the table, and the atmosphere grew tense.
Present were the leaders of Redwood City’s old noble factions.
Viscount Coste and his son Ander,
Viscount Prick,
Viscount Ganard— all were elder nobles who had helped Lord Asades establish Redwood City.
They couldn’t stand by and watch Hena turn this place into an imperial princess’s private garden.
Their pride as nobles would never allow it.
Under the hood, the white-robed man’s face twisted into a mocking smile.
He knew well that what these nobles couldn’t let go of wasn’t honor but their privileges and superiority as nobles!
The three conservative viscounts exchanged looks.
Viscount Coste was the first to speak.
“We understand that waiting is no solution, but if we kill Hena…”
Ganard, the sturdy middle-aged viscount, interrupted.
“The Lord must bear the Asades bloodline.”
“But all of Asades’ blood has been wiped out. Only Hena and Yelena remain. Without them, it’s hard to command loyalty in name alone.”
Viscount Prick muttered to himself.
Sometimes, legitimacy was more a constraint than an advantage.
The ruler’s bloodline was recognized by all; killing the ruler didn’t guarantee seizing the territory.
The people only accepted the name of Asades.
The white-robed man sneered darkly.
“You can use bastards. Whether or not it’s true doesn’t matter; as long as everyone says they’re bastards, and enough people say it, it becomes true.”
“This…”
Viscount Coste frowned, feeling uneasy about this.
But Ganard, seated to his left, burst into laughter.
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