Morning...
Birds chirped around the Hermes family mansion as the sun slowly rose in the east.
At that moment, Luvistar, Ruthark, Darel, and Rafine sat in the living room, their expressions serious.
In front of them were a man and a woman. The woman’s face was stunning, with eyes as red as pomegranates. Her bluish-black hair, loosely tied, flowed straight down her back.
She radiated an extraordinary charm that seemed capable of captivating anyone who looked at her. She wore a black cloak adorned with a bright white constellation emblem on the back.
Beside her, a tall, muscular man sat with a piercing gaze. His red hair was cropped short, his eyebrows thick, and his eyes a vivid red. That gaze alone was enough to unnerve anyone who met it.
Unlike ordinary people, his teeth were sharp—resembling those of a dragon. He wore a red cloak with a bright red star emblem on the back.
They were Cassiopeia and Draco. They had come to the mansion to search for Nolan’s body, following Ragan’s orders.
"So, have you found any information about Prince Nolan’s body?" Cassiopeia asked, her voice cold.
When she was with Orion or her friends, she might appear thoughtful. But on a mission, there was no softness in her demeanor. Like the constellation she was named after, Cassiopeia was proud, haughty, and cold.
This trait had been with her ever since she gained the power of the Cassiopeia constellation, and those who knew her were used to her demeanor.
Unfortunately, Darel was not. The weight of her presence overwhelmed him, and cold sweat began to drip from his forehead.
"That..." Darel subconsciously opened his mouth, but Luvistar immediately stopped him.
"We haven’t found any information regarding the whereabouts of Prince Nolan’s body, Lady Cassiopeia," Luvistar replied politely. "For days, I’ve been mobilizing all the troops from the Hermes family, as well as Austin, to search the seas where Prince Nolan might be. I’ve also requested many small ships to make the search easier. Unfortunately, the results have been nil. As of now, Prince Nolan has not been found."
Although Luvistar held the rank of supreme general in the Great Velmora Empire, he still had to maintain his composure in front of Cassiopeia and the other Mages of Constellations.
They were the personal guards of His Majesty the Emperor and held a privileged position. Even the princes didn’t dare act presumptuous before them.
Cassiopeia frowned in displeasure. Before she could speak, Draco suddenly slammed his fist onto the table.
Boom!
The table shattered instantly, and everyone froze in shock.
Draco’s red eyes burned with a fierce killing intent as he snapped, "Your work is utterly incompetent, Luvistar! How could you fail to find a single trace of him after all these days of searching?"
His words thickened the tension in the room. Cassiopeia remained silent, merely watching.
Ruthark opened his mouth, clearly dissatisfied, but Luvistar restrained him and met Draco’s gaze calmly.
"I admit it was my fault, Mage Draco. Still, I did my best to search for him. Unfortunately, the results were unsatisfactory. Nevertheless, you need not worry—I will continue the search over the next few days to find his body. So..."
Before he could finish, Draco growled and cut him off harshly.
"No need to worry? What nonsense! Do you think I can trust you, after failing to protect the Prince?"
Luvistar fell silent. There was no point in defending himself—this all happened because of his negligence.
If he hadn’t brought Nolan to the battle yesterday, none of this would have happened.
But it was too late for regrets; denying his fault wouldn’t change anything.
"Enough, Mage Draco!"
Rafine spoke up, her face flushed. She met Draco’s gaze without fear and said firmly, "This mistake is not General Luvistar’s. If anyone should be blamed, it is me. Prince Nolan’s death is my responsibility. So..."
She gritted her teeth, tears welling at the corners of her eyes. "Please... don’t blame General Luvistar again."
Over the past few days, Rafine had watched Luvistar tirelessly search for Nolan’s body. Rain or shine, he had worked alongside his soldiers without rest.
Meanwhile, she could only wait inside the Hermes family mansion.
All of this happened because of her, yet someone else bore the burden.
Since childhood, she had been taught to take responsibility for her actions.
This incident weighed heavily on her; she didn’t know how to take responsibility for something so grave.
Cassiopeia turned to her with a complicated expression. According to Orion, Nolan had died while saving Rafine.
She was surprised and even slightly skeptical—after all, she had known Nolan well.
Still, she trusted that Orion wouldn’t lie, and that made Rafine all the more unforgettable in her mind.
Cassiopeia was about to speak, but Draco’s mocking voice cut in first.
"So, you’re Rafine Austin, huh? The one who caused the prince’s death?"
The words shocked Cassiopeia, Luvistar, and Ruthark alike.
"Draco, control your tongue," Cassiopeia snapped coldly.
But Draco didn’t seem to care. He crossed his burly arms over his chest and said gruffly, "Why would I hold back my words toward the one who caused all this trouble?"
Truth be told, he had never liked Nolan. Like everyone else, he had always considered the prince useless and insignificant.
Yet Nolan’s death had forced Draco to travel to the Eastern region just to search for his body.
His rest was ruined, leaving him deeply resentful. And who was to blame? Rafine. If it weren’t for her, Nolan would still be alive, and Draco’s peace would not have been disturbed.
Rafine was left speechless in the face of his accusations. Her courage and composure vanished, replaced by a heavy, consuming guilt.
"Mage Draco, control your words," Luvistar said coldly. "As I said, we’ve searched as thoroughly as we could. But the Sea of Nereus is vast and deep—it’s impossible to find His Highness Nolan’s body in just a few days. If you truly want to locate him quickly, lend us your strength. After all, you and Lady Cassiopeia are both Celestial Mages, and your help would certainly speed up the search."
"You..." Draco’s anger flared, his eyes locking onto Luvistar. The two stared at each other, and the tension grew so thick that Rafine, Darel, and Ruthark felt their breaths catch.
Just as the tension reached its peak, footsteps echoed from the stairs behind them, followed by Nolan’s lazy voice.
"What’s going on here? Why are you making such a fuss so early in the morning? Don’t you have anything better to do than fight?"