Inside the Imperial Palace

Inside the bronze crane-shaped censers, precious ambergris burned, its fragrant smoke curling gracefully upward.

Arthur sat regally upon the dragon throne, his commanding gaze fixed on Ferris, who knelt in the center of the grand hall. His face was beaded with fine sweat, his expression a tight mask of suppressed agony.

When the hourglass ran out, Arthur finally spoke in a measured tone, “As a shadow, you should know your place. How dare you meddle in the affairs of the Osborne family? Do you have a death wish?”

Ferris, pale with pain, replied respectfully, “Your Majesty, please quell your anger. I did this also for Your Majesty’s sake.”

Arthur let out a cold chuckle, his eyes sharp and calculating. “Oh! For my sake, you say? Then tell me how exactly this is for me!”

“I have investigated and found that the Osborne family and the Duke of Suffield are both under the banner of Prince Fermin. If these two join forces, they may pose a threat to Your Majesty,” Ferris replied respectfully.

Arthur narrowed his eyes and thundered, “How audacious! You dared to investigate a prince–what punishment do you deserve!”

Ferris replied respectfully, “I know only loyalty to Your Majesty. Even if Your Majesty were to take my life, I would die without resentment.” Ferris stole a furtive glance at Arthur. The emperor appeared languid; though his gaze was stern, there was no trace of murderous intent. Sure enough, he had struck a chord with Arthur.

All emperors guard their power jealously. How could Arthur possibly allow Prince Fermin’s influence to grow unchecked? His gamble paid off.

Ferris said, “Your Majesty, the Marquis of Somers is a formidable warrior, and the Osborne troops obey only his command. This bodes ill for the throne. As your loyal servant, I naturally wish to share Your Majesty’s burdens.” With these words, Ferris prostrated himself, pressing his forehead to the marble floor before Arthur.

As Arthur observed Ferris’s submissive posture, the hostility in his eyes gradually faded. Arthur was an emperor after all–only with absolute power firmly in his grasp could he truly feel secure.

As the Queen’s own son, Fermin has spent all these years maneuvering for one purpose only–to claim the position of Crown Prince. The ambitions of the Queen and Fermin were not lost on Arthur.

If not for the shortage of capable military commanders at court, Arthur would have reined in the Osborne family long ago. Arthur fixed a menacing gaze on Ferris in the hall, a flicker of satisfaction crossing his eyes.

"Ferris–now a sharp blade indeed," Arthur thought.

“Rise,” Arthur commanded, then shot a meaningful glance at Thanatus.

Understanding the emperor’s silent cue, Thanatus descended the marble steps and approached Ferris, respectfully presenting a vial before him. Ferris’s hand trembled as he reached out, grasped the vial, and swallowed the medicine in one swift gulp. As the antidote took effect, easing his pain, the tension in his expression gradually melted away.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Ferris replied.

"Consider this a warning." Arthur snorted coldly and said, “Consider this your punishment.”

Ferris feigned a look of profound trepidation, though inwardly he...

“You may leave,” Arthur said, waving his hand dismissively.

As Ferris withdrew from the hall, Arthur’s gaze lingered on him. Arthur thought to himself, "Prince Fermin is far from my ideal heir to steer the ship of state."

None of the remaining princes showed any promise as heirs.

"Than, which one has..." Arthur drifted into deep thought.

Evander was too uncompromising and lacked political flexibility; a man like him was only suited to be a carefree prince. Indeed, that was precisely how Evander had been living. All these years, and he still hadn’t shown the slightest bit of progress. He had neither excelled nor erred; it was as if he had voluntarily given up all ambition for the race for the throne.

Fabian had just turned fourteen. He was far too green, simply no match for his imperial brothers. Besides, Fabian’s mother was of humble origin, with no influential family to support him. He was as helpless as a lamb–what capability could he possibly have?

Arthur grew restless. He was already forty-eight years old, though still at the peak of his power. "None of my imperial sons could ever measure up to Xander."

Arthur thought if Xander ever set his mind on usurping the throne, none of his sons would stand a chance against him.

Noticing Arthur’s troubled expression, Thanatus thoughtfully handed him a cup of coffee. “Your Majesty, is it the Osborne family that’s weighing on your mind?”

Arthur accepted the coffee with a weary sigh. “Fermin must be reined in. He’s grown increasingly unruly lately–even tried to recruit the Minister of Finance. Fortunately, that old stickler Alfred didn’t join his faction. With Fermin making so many moves these days, I have no choice but to stay vigilant.”

Thanatus’s eyes shifted thoughtfully as he lowered his voice. “Your Majesty, with the court currently balanced between three major factions, only mutual checks can ensure stability. In my humble opinion, Ferris could serve Your Majesty’s purposes well. Perhaps Your Majesty might consider elevating him further."

Thanatus had served as Arthur’s most trusted confidant for decades. Although eunuchs were forbidden from meddling in state affairs, Arthur trusted Thanatus implicitly and would occasionally seek his counsel.

Arthur looked at Thanatus, perplexed. “Elevate Ferris? Hasn’t he already amassed enough power?”

“Your Majesty, you’ve given Ferris power in the shadows. If you were to grant him open authority, he would surely be even more loyal. Your Majesty holds the antidote to his poison–why worry about betrayal? I suggest using him to counterbalance the Osborne family, and even..."

"Only Your Majesty can check the Xander Manor."

Thanatus’s words were shockingly bold–had they come from anyone else, the speaker would have lost their head on the spot. But Arthur pondered carefully. The Xander Manor now wielded overwhelming power, and it was indeed a major concern weighing on his mind.

Thanatus spoke tenderly, but his methods were ruthless, Arthur thought to himself.

Arthur chuckled, clearly intrigued. “You old fox. Since you can say something like that, do you propose to elevate him and marry him to Lizzie?"

Thanatus flashed an obsequious smile and said, “Your Majesty, a marriage alliance could certainly provide further support."

Arthur furrowed his brow and mused, "Lizzie is indeed of marriageable age, but with her wild nature, I'm not sure if Ferris can handle her.”

“Your Majesty may not be aware, but Princess Lizzie has taken a liking to Ferris, and the Queen Mother has approached the Queen Mother to mediate this matter."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

“I wouldn’t dare speak out of turn,” Thanatus replied with utmost deference, bowing his head.

“I hadn’t heard of this before, but now that you mention it, it’s not a bad match after all,” Arthur chuckled. “With Lizzie’s wild temperament, she needs someone who can rein her in–lest she spend all day cavorting with that entourage of male paramours.”

Thanatus offered a silent, deferential smile. Such remarks were reserved for the King alone; as a servant, Thanatus knew better than to overstep his bounds.

Having made up his mind, Arthur immediately penned an imperial edict and ordered Thanatus to deliver it to Ferris’s residence.

After leaving the Heaven Hall, Thanatus didn’t head straight out of the palace. Instead, he took a detour down a secluded path outside the hall. Lizzie, accompanied by several palace maids, was waiting there.

“Your Highness,” Thanatus approached and murmured softly.

Lizzie, dressed in a bright yellow court gown, turned around. When she saw the imperial edict in Thanatus’s hand, her eyes lit up with excitement. “Is it done?”

Thanatus nodded slightly, bowed respectfully, and said, “It’s settled, Your Highness. By His Majesty’s command, I must deliver the edict to Chief Inspector Ferris’s residence at once. He may then offer his felicitations to Your Highness.”

“Thank you, Thanatus,” Lizzie said with a smile, while her maid hastily stuffed a thick stack of banknotes into his hand.

Thanatus made a show of declining before finally accepting it with practiced ease.

Thanatus said, “Your Highness, I must attend to urgent matters. I beg to take my leave.”

Lizzie nodded. “You may take your leave, Thanatus.”

Once everyone had left, Lizzie couldn’t contain her gleeful laughter. “Ferris, Ferris,” she crowed triumphantly, “let’s see you try to escape now!”

One of the maids beside her, looking puzzled, asked, “Your Highness, isn’t Ferris merely a Chief Inspector? Are you truly willing to marry someone like him?”

“Why not? Have you seen that handsome face?” Lizzie said with a smirk.

Lizzie cackled maniacally. “Compared to those other ugly creeps, I like him. But he doesn’t know his place–how dare he ignore me? Just wait until we’re married; I’ll make sure he regrets it.”