Chapter 185. Why?
The Royal camp was wrapped in the deep darkness of the Deltou Colossale Forest, with fire-lamps casting eerie, shifting shadows inside Prince Cassain’s fancy tent.
Darius Rathur, his dark hair catching the warm glow, gripped a glass of amber liquor, his knuckles whitening as anger surged through him. With a snarl, he smashed the glass onto the table, shards flying in a sharp burst.
"Now, everybody in the camp praises him. He will be untouchable if we don’t take quick action."
With his blue eyes shining with dark amusement, Cassain, who was relaxing in a soft velvet chair, raised a hand to calm him.
"What? You think my sister’s going to steal the crown because of him?" He let out a low, mocking laugh, gesturing to a servant who stepped forward with a new glass.
Cassain poured Darius another drink. "Relax, Darius. You’re fretting over me, but I’m not the one who needs saving."
Darius’s eyes narrowed, suspicion mixing with a spark of hope. "You’ve got a plan, don’t you? Something to crush him?"
Cassain’s smile sharpened, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper, full of malice. "For Leonhardt and that smug little brother who humiliated us—tomorrow, they won’t be hunting. They’ll be prey."
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Duke Alric hurried through the noble camps toward the northern edge, his deep green cloak flowing in the cool evening breeze. Liana’s urgent message running in his mind—Leonhardt had called for him, and Lucian was with him.
The sudden summons worried him; what could be so important to demand his presence now, during the Royal Hunting Event’s first night? As he neared the boundary where the neat camps met the wild forest, a faint campfire glowed in the distance.