NOVEL NEXT Chapter 55: Something was wrong
After Rian returned to the Imperial Palace after visiting the bookstore with Earl Rosewood, one of his Imperial Mother’s people led him to her office.
Queen Mira and her main lady-in-waiting were inside. They were seated at Queen Mira’s desk with various documents and papers.
“Good afternoon, Imperial Mother,” Rian greeted. “Where is Imperial Father?”
“Your father has other matters to attend to,” Queen Mira said. “Take a seat.”
Rian sat down on one of the ornate sofas and quietly waited.
Not long after, Queen Mira headed over and sat down on the opposite sofa.
Queen Mira smiled. “The dinner menu yesterday was well received. I’ll put you in charge of the menu at the next event, too.”
Rian smiled docilely. “Thank you, Imperial Mother.”
“I’m sure you are aware that the Angio convoy never arrived. They never crossed Sedaverian borders.”
“Will they arrive later?”
“I believe they won’t, unless they decide to arrive unexpectedly,” Queen Mira said. “I will send a message of concern, but nothing more.”
The Angio king, King Augustus Lūpiter, had made it clear that he didn’t want to establish diplomatic relations with Sedaveria. If Sedaveria kept pushing, then that would signal an ulterior motive.
A return message with polite concern about the misplaced Angio envoys and a hope that they will have the opportunity in the future to meet was the most measured response.
“That’s a pity,” Rian said. “Could you invite some envoys from different nations instead? Each event could have some dishes from foreign countries.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” Queen Mira gazed critically at her son. Rian had not been so interested in worldly cuisine until Ayden Rosewood appeared.
“You showed great progress at today’s duel with Earl Rosewood.”
Rian’s lips curved up. “Yes, Earl Rosewood showed me his method of direct magic manipulation, and I was able to improve from there.” He gave his mother a shy look. “But his method works best for fire. So if Imperial Mother or Imperial Father is free, I would be grateful if you can show me your methods.”
“I’m afraid you won’t be free. You’ve been spending too much time with Earl Rosewood, too suddenly.” Queen Mira’s blue eyes were piercing. “Has he promised you something? Is he blackmailing you?”
Rian’s smile faded away. “We have signed contracts to help each other. But Earl Rosewood is my friend.”
“Magically binding contracts?”
“No, but—”
Queen Mira’s expression was not to be trifled with. “If he hasn’t signed a magically binding contract, then he could betray you.”
Rian’s eyelids lowered. “Then I could betray him in return.”
“You must stop showing him such blatant favouritism. You are the eldest prince of Sedaveria.”
“What problem is there to being hospitable to Earl Rosewood, who rarely comes to visit the Capital? He is a member of my faction. Not Your Majesty’s or His Majesty’s. He is the kind of person I need in the future.”
Queen Mira knew what Rian had said to the other noble children.
“Don’t forget, we are the future of Sedaveria. Our fiefs, our kingdom, should get better and better.”
Grand words for a half-grown child. Words that a few months ago, Rian wouldn’t say in public. Everything changed with the new Earl Rosewood. There was something not quite right, and Queen Mira did not want to see her beloved eldest son fall.
“Rian, you are the eldest prince. You have potential. You have broad knowledge and excellent magical skills,” Queen Mira said. But then her voice turned a little sharp. “However, you’re only twelve, and you still have much to learn, both theoretical and practical. Others can fail and be betrayed, but you can not. Nobles are not simple, including Earl Rosewood, even though he is your age. If you want him to be part of your faction, that is acceptable. But he mustn’t be the only person in your faction. Rian, dear, watch your back. Your father and I will not always be able to help you.”
Rian listened quietly.
He had never chafed with his Imperial Mother like this in his previous life. He had never realised just how strict his Imperial Mother could be.
He wasn’t yet the Crown Prince. He wasn’t yet confirmed to become king. And even if he became the Crown Prince, the title could be transferred to his younger brother in the future.
Rian envied Earl Rosewood’s freedom. Restrictions and protocols and formality have always been part of the role of ‘prince’ though, along with the wealth, power, and reputation. If Rian wanted freedom, he would have to give all that up…
For the greater good of the kingdom, to prevent the plague-curse, Rian lowered his head in submission, showing an ashamed expression. “Yes, Imperial Mother. I understand.”
“Good. If you would like an ice-magic instructor, I will find someone from the Imperial University for you…”
Rian accepted the various arrangements his Imperial Mother wanted to prepare for him.
As for whether his Imperial Mother believed that he had changed his heart or not…he would act like she did while assuming that she didn’t.
The next day, a group from the Capital Investigators’ office came to the front door of the Rosewood Capital house. Most of the group stayed outside, while Senior Capital Investigator Louis Marais was led inside to a nearby drawing room.
Earl Rosewood came down not long after. “Hello Senior Investigator Marais, how can I help you?”
Senior Investigator Marais had remained standing while he had waited. He immediately responded, “Earl Rosewood, I am here to inform you about the results of our investigation into the murder of your family. We have gathered sufficient evidence. There will be an open trial in front of the Imperial Council in ten days.”
“Against who?”
“Against Baron Cordovan and Lady Cordovan.”
Earl Rosewood showed no surprise, a fact that Senior Investigator Marais mentally noted.
“And my presence is necessary?”
“Ideally, yes.” Senior Investigator Marais proceeded to explain everything that should be prepared, and the procedures for the trial itself.
“Senior Investigator Marais, can you also give these instructions to me in writing?”
“I can, Earl Rosewood.”
“Thank you for your hard work, and thank you for the hard work for all the Capital Investigators. My late family can rest easy soon now that you’ve found those responsible.”
After a few last exchanges, Senior Capital Investigator Marais departed.
Ren Xiyang went to find Solicitor Carmine. Was this the big news that Rian was hinting at? It seemed that Ren Xiyang’s visit to the Capital had been extended again, which meant Ren Xiyang was separated from his agricultural fields for even longer…
At least Rian should be happy.
Rian was in his study room. In front of his numerous tutors, he was studious, like how he had been when he was truly twelve. He pushed himself and pushed the tutors to speed through the content he already knew. If he had to study more, then it should be studying content he didn’t already know but wanted to know.
But at the back of his mind, in the rare times he had some privacy, he was thinking about his next steps. He needed to sweep his room of any newly planted spells. He needed to find an even better sound-blocking privacy spell.
And he was making a list of excuses to see Earl Rosewood.
As one of the key people involved, Earl Rosewood had been one of the first people notified about the upcoming trial.
But the news spread very quickly as the Imperial Councillors were also notified so that they knew to be present in the Capital for the trial. They would be the jurors, with the final decision to be made by King Edric.
Earl Ayden Rosewood had been a popular topic of gossip from the day he emerged out of nowhere to take over his family’s estate. This hot news quickly took over from gossip about the duel and the flying-on-a-sword-thing.
To think that Baron Cordovan and Lady Cordovan had plotted the deaths of the Rosewood family! (Technically they hadn’t been convicted yet, but ‘everyone’ knew that they were probably guilty.)
The Cordovans had been successful, too. The entire known Rosewood family was wiped out, and at the time, there was no evidence linking the Cordovans to the crime. But they, just like the rest of the aristocracy, hadn’t expected Ayden Rosewood. They couldn’t have expected Ayden Rosewood to catch the assassins and call in the Capital Investigators.
Now, the Cordovan house in the Capital was surrounded by city guards. The Cordovans were under strict house arrest until the trial.
Duke Schauss received the official news and heard the gossip. At the dinner table, he spoke about the matter briefly—
“Baron Cordovan and Lady Cordovan are to be tried for the murders of the late Earl Roland Rosewood, Lady Rosewood, and their two children. The evidence has been collected by the Capital Investigators, so the decision is likely fixed. However, if anyone asks you about your stance, remember that there will be a formal trial. Don’t let it interrupt your classes.”
—and moved on to other matters.
While at the dinner table, Cassiopeia echoed her brothers’ response to focus on their lessons.
However, after Cassiopeia returned to her bedroom, she had a feeling that something was off.
It niggled at her as she sat at her desk and tried to complete some homework.
Her gaze wandered, and she recalled the small diary she had hidden, in which she had written down all the major events and major people in the novel so that she wouldn’t forget.
Cassiopeia suddenly pinpointed what was wrong.
This definitely couldn’t have happened in the book!
In the book, Alyssa Rosewood didn’t know who was behind the assassination of her family. She was adopted by the Cordovans! And she hated Cassiopeia because she wrongly thought that the Schausses had something to do with the deaths even though they had done absolutely nothing wrong.
Cassiopeia knew about the Capital Investigators and knew that they were very good. So, this trial against the Cordovans was very, very serious. There was very little chance that the Cordovans would get off free. Her own father had said that the decision was ‘likely fixed’!
Nobles usually got exiled, if they weren’t executed. But if that happened, then how could the Cordvans appear in the future in the novel? There were some scenes with both the adult Cordovans and their children in the book.
Alyssa Rosewood was under witness protection. Would she learn about this? If so, she wouldn’t wrongly accuse Cassiopeia about the assassinations, and then all of their scenes would fall through—
Cassiopeia’s breathing went faster and faster. She felt dazed and dizzy. Everything seemed to become unreal.
Something was wrong.
Cassiopeia tried to think. How could things go so differently? She didn’t do anything that would trigger any changes—
What if someone else reincarnated and regained their past memories, just like her?
She had read a few stories where this thing happened. But she didn’t expect it to happen to her!
She suddenly realised.
Ayden Rosewood, there must be something very wrong with Ayden Rosewood!
Ayden Rosewood had felt wrong from the beginning! Her first gut feelings had to be right! Ayden Rosewood was clearly powerful and seemed to be getting more powerful. It was very unlikely he would just mysteriously vanish before the book started.
And at the social ball the other night, Ayden Rosewood had talked about germs, and told her to work harder to learn healing magic!
So, he was from her previous world too? Did he read this novel for girls and then was somehow reincarnated here?
Dozens of thoughts whirled around in Cassiopeia’s head.
She forcefully calmed herself down. Her father had said that many top healers and the Imperial family already knew about germs, so Prince Rian could have told Ayden Rosewood. And Ayden could have just been nice and wanted to talk to her at the late-summer ball.
She couldn’t act irrational and stupid. She needed to gather information.
Remember the Cordovans? Remember Cassiopeia? 😆
Thank you to Turducken for the monetary support >w<
And also thank you to everyone who replied to my question a few weeks ago—the majority of respondents prefer two 2.4k chapters a week or didn’t mind, while a minority of people prefer three 1.6k chapters a week. So I guess the answer is to remain the same!