Chapter 216: Treya’s Heart
—
One afternoon during those three years…
Will, under the pretense of “fulfilling his duties as a fiancé,” made his way to the royal garden and sat across from Treya at a small table.
He placed a hand-drawn chart on the table, depicting the distribution of power among the princes and princesses of the Entark royal family. With a serious expression, he pointed to the position of the Fourth Prince.
“Yes. The Entark family was once a powerless entity. The empire it has built today was forged through a strong military and their own formidable combat capabilities, gained from surrounding territories.”
“Now, you should know that this power originates from the Entark family’s earliest acquisition—the ‘Demon Jar.’”
“So, for a family like Entark, which rose to power through military dominance…”
“The military is its heart.”
Treya, however, seemed distracted. Her attention was drawn to her own little portrait on the chart. Unlike the others, her eyes had been carefully colored in with blue, and her silver hair—normally white—had been shaded with silver-gray crayon.
“As long as they retain control over their powerful military, the royal family can continue to enjoy the benefits of centralized power,” Will continued.
“Question, Professor Will,” Treya interrupted with a faint smile. “Do you think he’s the most likely to win this battle?”
“Perhaps. Originally, Eugenie, as an advocate for dungeon diplomacy, could have balanced both dungeon resources and the powerful adventurers associated with them…”
“But now that you’ve grown stronger, she doesn’t dare take that approach anymore.”
“True. But there are other reasons as well. Anyway, you don’t need to worry about the Fourth Prince. Let’s move on…”
Will paused for a moment and drew a question mark over the Fourth Prince’s position on the chart.
“If one day, he loses his grip on power…”
“What will happen then?”
—
What will happen then?
Treya stared down at the chart in her hands, lost in thought.
The small portrait of herself still had those carefully drawn blue eyes.
“Hmm… where are you hiding now?” she murmured softly.
“If you don’t come back soon, in this royal family, I might just…”
Knock knock knock.
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.
Treya carefully placed the chart into an open novel beside her, ensuring it wasn’t folded or creased. She stood up, her silver hair glinting in the sunlight despite being unkempt, and stopped her maid Kate from answering the door.
“I’ll get it,” she said softly.
Opening the door herself, she was immediately greeted by Eugenie storming in and grabbing her shoulders.
“Treya! What exactly are you trying to do—”
“Eugenie, are you here to check on me? Thank you,” Treya replied calmly.
“You… you… stop using that expression!”
“What are you talking about? Sister, I’ve always had this expression. It’s never changed, has it?”
Eugenie froze as if doused with cold water.
She looked at Treya closely.
As the rumors suggested, Treya indeed appeared “not in good shape.”
Her usually pristine silver hair was unkempt, with strands covering one of her blue eyes, making her look even more listless.
“Are you seriously sulking in your room just because that bastard Will hasn’t come back to help you?!”
“Yes… I’ve been waiting for him to return. Tell me, why… why did he disappear at such an important time? And why was the last photo of him with another woman?”
Treya’s voice grew quieter as she spoke, her tone hoarse and strained.
Eugenie stared at her in disbelief.
Was this really the same Treya who had spent three years using every ounce of her “demonic power” to threaten and manipulate her?
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She still carried an air of cold detachment but now seemed fragile—like glass on the verge of shattering.
And…
Like broken glass that would inevitably cut anyone who touched it.
“But he’ll come back when he sees the missing person notice, won’t he? After all, he’s the one who cares about me most.”
“And if he doesn’t show up, I’ll have people search for him across the country and bring him to the palace.”
“I’ll find him. I’ll bring him back here.”
“I’m sure of it…”
Eugenie felt something was deeply wrong with Treya.
But what was even more unsettling…
As someone who had watched Treya grow up, Eugenie couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong with her younger sister.
It was just a feeling…
That the silver-haired princess’s dark threads had grown even deeper.
Eugenie placed her hands on Treya’s shoulders and gestured for the servants to leave before speaking again:
“Listen to me, Treya. This is a critical moment. I… I can’t use demonic power anymore, so everything depends on you now.”
“What’s got you so anxious? Let me guess—the Fourth Prince’s trial has concluded?”
“Not only does it involve embezzlement and treason for personal gain, but details of past internal conflicts have also been exposed.”
“Father is furious—absolutely furious. But because our Seventh Sister withheld information, she’s being judged alongside him. You know this wasn’t her choice to step forward; she had no choice but to act before the news became public.”
Treya remained silent, simply watching Eugenie speak with her pale blue eyes fixed on her sister’s lips.
“In light of this, someone needs to take control of his portion of the military. My brother and I… and you will surely get a share. But now is the time—whoever performs best in the coming days will claim the largest portion. And there will be others… others who want a piece of this pie!”
“You’re saying even those less skilled in military matters, like the Fifth Princess and Sixth Prince, will get involved?”
“Exactly! Treya… my brother and I are counting on you. Without demonic power and with our late-coming mother’s status, we’re nothing! You… you can’t afford to stay like this any longer!”
“……”
Treya didn’t respond immediately. She simply nodded.
“I understand. But… such a complicated situation… what would Will do?”
Eugenie released her grip on Treya’s shoulders and took two steps back in shock.
“Stop thinking about him! He probably won’t show up until all of this is over.”
“I understand,” Treya said with another nod. “Perhaps I should speak with Carver. What role will he play as the most prominent dungeon merchant?”
—
But on that day, Will hadn’t finished his thought—
“One day—perhaps a year from now—Entark’s strongest symbol, Emperor Edward himself, will pass away due to illness.”
“And then…”
“What will happen next?”