Just a few minutes ago, Cedric suddenly received a letter from his uncle—the same letter he had just finished reading, the one that informed him of Nolan’s death.
He was so shocked that he almost refused to believe it. But his uncle’s words were not a lie, and sooner or later, he had to accept them.
"Still, this is really strange," he muttered, fiddling with the letter in his hand. "Nolan didn’t die because of that sea monster but from drowning in the sea. Could there be another reason?"
According to the letter, Nolan had been thrown into the sea while trying to save Rafine. But given Nolan’s nature—always indifferent to those around him—that sounded impossible.
Forget about sacrificing his life for a girl; Nolan wouldn’t even give up his belongings. That alone made Cedric suspect there might be another reason behind all this.
"Well, whatever the truth is, that bastard’s death is still good news." Cedric smirked faintly. "I’ve hated him for so long. At last, he met an unexpected end... hehehe..."
A chilling laugh escaped his lips, echoing through the room.
...
"What? How is that possible? Brother, is the news true?" Novaria exclaimed, looking at Aldric, who sat across from her.
Aldric folded the letter in his hand and passed it to her. "Read it, and you’ll understand."
Novaria took the letter and read it carefully. Gradually, her expression darkened. In a heavy tone, she said, "So it’s true... Nolan is really dead..."
She folded the letter again and placed it on the table. Looking at her brother, she asked, "What will you do after hearing this?"
The truth was, she was still struggling to accept the news. Nolan, who had been alive not long ago, was now declared dead. As his sibling, Novaria naturally felt sorrow.
Unlike her brother, she held no hatred toward Nolan. He had never caused her trouble, and their relationship was neither close nor distant—simply ordinary.
That was why, upon learning of his death, she could only feel a quiet sadness.
"His death is a good thing, but it doesn’t really concern me," Aldric replied casually, shrugging his shoulders.
Like Cedric and Adalen, he despised Nolan. The man was a constant nuisance, shamelessly breaking morals and tarnishing his status as a prince of the Great Velmora Empire.
"Even so," Aldric went on with a cold grin, "Nolan’s death will definitely hit his sister, Elina, hard. It’s not impossible that I’ll benefit from it."
Nolan and Elina had always been close—practically inseparable. His death would surely leave her devastated, perhaps even drowning in grief.
That would be the perfect moment for Aldric to strike and destroy her. With Elina gone, the most dangerous rival in the succession would be removed, and he could move more boldly against the remaining candidates.
Novaria said nothing, but her expression carried a subtle, unreadable weight.
...
"Is this news true, Mother?" Adalen asked, staring at her in surprise and fear.
Clarisse smiled faintly as she handed him the golden letter.
"Why would I lie, my dear? Read it yourself."
Adalen took the letter and read it carefully. His expression shifted from disbelief to excitement, his face flushing red.
"Hahaha! The gods have finally answered my prayers! That damn Nolan is really dead! Hahaha!" Adalen burst into laughter.
No one knew how deeply he hated Nolan. Every time they crossed paths, things ended badly. Arguments would break out, and in the end, Adalen was always the one humiliated.
Now, with this news, no one could be happier than him.
Clarisse watched her son’s excitement in silence. She, too, hated Nolan and Elina with all her heart—and that hatred was not without reason.
It all began with the arrival of their mother, Isabella. Back then, Clarisse had been the most beautiful woman in the Great Velmora Empire. Men from across the land fell for her, and countless proposals flooded in.
She took pride in that. In the end, she chose Ragan as her husband and gave birth to two children.
But her happiness shattered when Ragan brought home a concubine—Isabella.
She was extraordinarily beautiful and enchanting, standing out from all the other women in the Empire. Her eastern features gave her a unique and irresistible charm.
For the first time, the ever-confident Clarisse felt threatened.
Moreover, Isabella’s status as a commoner only fueled Clarisse’s hatred and jealousy even further.
That hatred eventually spread to Isabella’s two children with Ragan—Nolan and Elina.
"By the way, this is a great opportunity for you, my dear," Clarisse said with a faint smile. "Nolan’s death will definitely strike Elina hard. I’m sure Cedric, Aldric, Zarak, and Cassian will make their moves right away. So, let’s not fall behind, alright?"
Adalen clenched his fist. "Don’t worry, Mother. Leave it to me!"
"Good!" Clarisse replied with a contented smile as she gently stroked his head.
But neither of them realized that someone had been listening to their conversation from behind the door—Seira.
Her eyes widened, and her heart began to pound violently.
Nolan... dead?
Her chest tightened as tears welled up in her eyes.
That’s impossible, she muttered, shaking her head stubbornly. There’s no way Nolan is dead. Mother must be spouting nonsense! Yes... that must be it!
Yet the more she denied it, the sharper the pain in her chest grew. Deep down, she knew her mother would never speak such nonsense to Adalen.
Biting her lower lip, she whispered hoarsely, "Nolan..."
...
"Is this news true?" Ragan asked coldly, tightening his grip on both ends of the letter.
Standing before him, Orion bowed his head and replied in a grave tone, "It is, Your Majesty. I received it directly from our spies. Moreover, Luvistar has also sent a letter regarding this matter."
He reached into his pocket, pulled out a black letter, and handed it to Ragan.
Ragan took it, opened it, and began reading. Its contents were the same as the first letter, but this one described the events in greater detail.
His expression darkened as he closed the letter and set it on the table. He said nothing, but the atmosphere immediately grew heavy and oppressive.
Orion could tell that Ragan was furious, even if he didn’t show it outwardly. When Ragan’s anger reached its peak, it was like a volcano erupting—capable of shaking the entire Empire.
After a long, tense silence, Ragan straightened in his chair and commanded, "Send two mages of Constellations to the eastern region. Find Nolan, dead or alive, and bring him to the palace within three days. Do you understand?"
"I understand, Your Majesty. Leave it to me," Orion answered respectfully.
Whoosh!
His figure vanished like a gust of wind, leaving Ragan alone.
Ragan leaned his elbows on the desk, laced his fingers, and pressed them against his upper lip.
"Nolan... dead? Impossible. That damn boy wouldn’t die so easily. I’m certain..." His eyes gleamed with a cold, oppressive light.