The Royal family had given Nyx and Nathan two separate lavish rooms to stay in during their time at the castle. The rooms were adorned with golden curtains, polished wooden furniture, and huge chandeliers that cast a soft, warm glow across the expansive space.
Despite the indifference between them, King Aldric didn't shy away from making his guests comfortable. He wasn't a stingy man at heart and wasn't petty enough to inconvenience his guests. In his own way, this was another way of showing his grandeur and superiority to the Cromwell family.
Of course, Nathan knew this as well, but he didn't comment on it and left the king to his scheming devices.
Meanwhile, just outside the door of a certain room, a blond-haired youth of about 13-14 was pacing back and forth, his hands held behind his back. The youth was none other than Prince Ainsworth, and he had been outside this door for quite some time now, making the servants gossip quietly among themselves.
"Why do you think he's staying out there?" one maid asked.
"No idea," the other one shrugged. "But I suspect it's because of the visitor."
"Ah yes." A man's eyes glittered with reverence as he took big steps away from the hallway the prince was currently pacing back and forth in. He then whispered softly in a quiet voice to the man beside him, "I heard the legendary mad dog is currently in the capital."
That man displayed a small mischievous smile on his face, his eyes sparkling strangely as he whispered back in an even lower voice, "Of course I know." He added, in an even softer tone, "After all, I've been told to keep an eye on him and his daughter."
"Huh? Did you say something again?"
"No, nothing," the man stated and continued walking in big strides.
In one of the rooms, the morning sunlight filtered through the arched windows, casting long shadows on the bed. A beautiful raven-haired girl with strands of red was sleeping peacefully.
Under the glow of the sunlight, she was extremely beautiful, though her face was tightly squeezed into a frown even though she was asleep. A moment later, she woke up with a yawn. Though this room was dozens of times more luxurious than the one in the barony, Nyx remained indifferent and wasn't amazed like the usual country bumpkins. Materialistic things barely had any effect on her.
After cleaning herself up, some maids served Nyx breakfast; however, for safety reasons, she ended up gobbling down food specially prepared by her mother.
Some time later, she went to look for her grandfather. As she left, the same maid that had served the food came in and saw that it was untouched. A strange glint passed through her eyes. She then picked up the food and left, disposing of it.
Communication crystals were very expensive, but thanks to the influence and wealth of the Royal family, it was very easy to get their hands on one. The maid turned into a corner, and her communication crystal buzzed.
"Sir, she didn't eat the food," the woman said, her tone remarkably low and suspicious.
The other person remained quiet for a while before hanging up.
"Plan B it is then," the mysterious man thought, rubbing his hands together.
Meanwhile, Nyx knocked on the door to her grandfather's room, which was only a few steps away from her own; however, there was no answer. She knocked a few more times, yet the same thing happened. A small frown appeared on Nyx's face as she pushed the door open.
When she entered the lavishly decorated chambers, she found no one there.
"Strange," she muttered, her eyes scanning the massive room as a thoughtful expression crossed her beautiful features. "Where did he go? Maybe he's gone for a walk or something."
While she was thinking, Nyx spotted a parchment lying on the rumpled soft bed with slightly deep impressions, suggesting that someone had left just a few seconds ago. She approached the bed, picked up the parchment, and read it.
A moment later, she folded it and placed it inside her inventory. From the letter, Nyx learned that her grandfather had gone to meet up with an important acquaintance. He had strictly told her to remain in the palace and never wander out. As long as she was in the palace, Nathan was confident that nothing would ever happen to her.
Only a fool would touch Arthur's daughter.
"Hmm, what do I do?" A contemplative glint appeared in her eyes as she began to leave. Since she was bored, Nyx decided to tour the palace. Without any direction, she followed her instincts and navigated through the hallways of the palace. After a few detours, she arrived at a spacious balcony and, glancing down below, she saw a courtyard with a glittering waterfall in the middle.
In this courtyard, the clangs of steel and grunts of warriors filled the air as noble-looking Awakened trained with swords, spears, and other weapons. There were a few mages here and there, but the dominant class seemed to be swordsmen and warriors.
These Awakened were fighting intensely, with sweat dripping down from their muscular builds as if they had just come out of the shower.
Nyx stood at the balcony, leaning against the railing, her sharp eyes fixed on the fighters below. Despite the noise and activity, her expression remained indifferent. The sunlight glinted off her dark hair, and her black eyes seemed to absorb the battle styles of everyone below.
There was always something about fighting that fascinated Nyx, and there was always this hunger to learn new battle styles. It seemed because of this hunger she had subconsciously found this place.
From the entrance to the golden double doors, someone watched her in silence for a moment. He had arranged this 'coincidental' meeting carefully, ensuring their paths would cross at the perfect time. He had been waiting outside for her for hours now. Finally, they were alone. The figure adjusted his cloak, straightened his posture, and approached her with a confident stride.
"What a coincidence."
Nyx, who was observing the fight, suddenly heard a voice behind her. She furrowed her brows and looked behind, confusion flashing in her eyes.
Standing behind her with a gentlemanly smile was none other than Prince Ainsworth, and there was something unsettling about the way he smiled.