NOVEL NEXT 108. Return to Succession
"The operation went smoother than I anticipated," the Duke said, resting his hands on the armrest. "The city believes you singlehandedly saved the nobles. You need to capitalize on this victory while the sentiment is still high just like we planned."
Ravenna offered a small smile, the corners of her lips curving with intent. "Naturally, Uncle. I fully intend to."
Ravenna leaned slightly forward, the sunlight catching in her eyes like fire in dark night. "Let the imperial siblings whisper and gamble all they like—right now, the court is watching me with awe, it's the perfect scenario to ask for my return."
The Duke gave a brief, approving nod. "Just don't let it slip through your fingers. Reputation is a sword that cuts both ways, Your Highness."
She sighed, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. "I'm well aware."
After a pause, she glanced up again. "So… you're returning to the Estra Kingdom today?"
The Duke's expression hardened. "Yes. The Conley Empire launched a sudden assault on my lands. The royal army has already mobilized, and the Council of Vassal States invoked the Protection Pact to call for reinforcements. I must return to oversee the defense personally."
Ravenna's brows furrowed. "Don't count on support from the imperial court. Not right now. The beast attack in the capital will dominate the council's attention for the foreseeable future. Too many nobles were injured—some even killed. The court's response to any external conflict will be delayed, if not entirely neglected."
Duke Morgen narrowed his eyes, studying her. "Hmm. Are you suggesting the two attacks are linked?"
She didn't answer right away. Instead, she tilted her head and offered a sly, noncommittal smile. "I'm merely pointing out the reality of the situation. Whether it was a coincidence or not, you'll be fighting without imperial backup. Plan accordingly."
The Duke exhaled heavily through his nose, but nodded. "Understood. Then I should depart now if I hope to reach the Estra Capital before nightfall."
He bowed with a soldier's efficiency before striding toward the heavy doors of the chamber.
Once the echo of his footsteps faded, Ravenna slumped into the plush embrace of her sofa, rubbing her temples.
"I hope he doesn't die this time," she muttered to herself. In the original novel, Duke Morgen had been ambushed and killed during the surprise invasion. But this time… he has the protagonist on his side—an unforeseen variable that can change everything.
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"I guess I'm not 'Joy' anymore," she whispered, her gaze unfocused, lost in thought. The girl who had once panicked just at the sight of blood on a screen, who once cried watching tragic scenes in movies, now sat unbothered by the recent carnage.
"So many people were killed or wounded, and yet… I didn't feel anything. No guilt, no grief," she murmured, hugging a cushion to her chest.
There was a strange hollowness in her voice, but also a thread of resolve.
"Let's think positive," she told herself, as if repeating a mantra. "This… this means I'm adapting and changing. I would've fainted just from the smell of blood if I didn't have Ravenna's memories and instincts."
She forced a smile and closed her eyes, trying to let the strength of her new identity settle in deeper.
Meanwhile, in the South Wing of the Imperial Palace — Second Grand Meeting Hall
The air was thick with tension, the kind that simmered just beneath the surface like a kettle about to boil. The grand chamber, normally reserved for imperial negotiations and seasonal banquets, was filled instead with the heirs of the throne.
"This must be part of her scheme!" Princess Serena spat, slamming her hand against the marble table. Her voice echoed across the hall, fierce and unyielding.
Uncharacteristically, the siblings had all gathered—setting aside their rivalry, if only briefly, to address the aftermath of the magical beast attack that had shaken the capital to its core.
Prince Nolan, ever the composed tactician, met his sister's fury with a steady gaze. "We need to act on facts, Serena. The priests found traces of divine energy within the beasts' remains—holy power. As much as I distrust her, Ravenna can't have planted that."
"I agree with Brother Nolan," Prince Landon chimed in, leaning forward with his elbows on the polished table. "Unless Ravenna has an actual divine being aiding her, like something out of a fairy tale, there's no way she could've forged such a thing."
Prince William, who had been silently contemplating with a finger pressed to his lips, gave a slow nod. "So the only plausible explanation…" he murmured, his tone thoughtful, "is that the gods genuinely responded to her plea, just as the priests claimed. She called for divine aid… and they answered."
The room fell into a brief, heavy silence.
Serena slammed her palm against the table once more, her voice rising in frustration. "Which is terrible for us!"
She pushed back her chair and stood, pacing along the carpeted floor of the hall as her thoughts spilled out in sharp bursts.
"Don't you see what this means? She didn't just save the commoners—she saved high-ranking nobles, esteemed generals, even members of the imperial family. While we," she turned sharply toward her brothers, her eyes accusing, "hid behind knights and ignored the cries for help."
Her words hung in the air like poison.
"She's going to ride this wave of glory right back into the Succession Race," she continued, biting the words. "And the court will welcome her with open arms. The nobles will rally behind her out of gratitude, if not out of fear of divine favor!"
Prince William exchanged a glance with Nolan. The gravity of the situation was beginning to sink in. For all their political maneuvering, none of them had anticipated Ravenna's return to be so dramatic, so… mythic.
"She has rewritten her image overnight," Nolan said quietly, mostly to himself. "From disgrace to divine heroine."
"And now," Serena said, her voice low and bitter, "we're the ones who look like cowards."