Chapter 394: The Letter’s Content
The grand meeting room of the Grafen castle was filled with a sense of foreboding, as Lyan sat at the head of a large table, the message from the crown prince spread before him. Beside him, Surena and Wilhelmina leaned in, their faces etched with curiosity. Wilhelmina’s brows were furrowed as she read through the parchment, her lips pressing into a thin line.
"It’s just a formal request," Wilhelmina finally said, her voice a mix of confusion and frustration. She looked up at Lyan, her eyes narrowing. "Lord Evocatore is cordially invited to the royal banquet hosted by Crown Prince Erich. That is all it says. Why did the messenger seem so... urgent?"
Surena, who was standing beside Lyan, crossed her arms and frowned. "There’s definitely something more going on here," she muttered, her sharp eyes meeting Lyan’s. "This doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t match the tension I felt from the messenger."
Lyan gave a small smile, a glint of amusement in his eyes. He nodded, tapping the edge of the letter. "You’re right, both of you. This isn’t just an ordinary letter. It’s too clean. Too... formal." He looked at Wilhelmina and then at Surena. "The urgency, the messenger’s weary look, and the context don’t match the contents of this letter."
Wilhelmina tilted her head, a curious look crossing her face. "So, what do you think it is?"
Lyan’s smile widened, his eyes twinkling with a hint of mystery. He gestured to one of the nearby maids, who had been standing by the door. "Fetch a candle for me, please."
The maid nodded and hurried out of the room, leaving Wilhelmina and Surena exchanging puzzled glances. Wilhelmina leaned closer to Lyan, her eyes narrowing. "Are you saying this is some kind of code?"
"Exactly," Lyan replied, his gaze focused on the parchment. "Prince Erich doesn’t send simple invitations without reason—not to me, at least." He chuckled, shaking his head. "He’s always been a bit of a show-off when it comes to his clever little tricks."
(Prince Erich? You mean William, right?)
Cynthia’s voice chimed in, her tone amused.
(Yeah. Same guy, different names. He likes playing the role of a crown prince with different personas. Well I’m the one who like to call him William because of our mercenary days, though)