Chapter 3

My soul was trapped near Declan.

Everyone assumed that after Declan overthrew the former dynasty, he would crown himself Emperor.

But he didn't.

He enthroned Arthur, the young son of Prince Yorick.

The chubby little boy's eyes lit up when he saw Declan return to the royal villa.

"Brother Declan, have you seen my Ninth Sister?"

Arthur was the last bloodline of Prince Yorick.

That year, when Prince Yorick was executed for conspiring with the Declan family, his wife hid Arthur among the dead, smuggling him out during the chaos.

The seven or eight-year-old boy was forced to live under an assumed name, barely surviving.

Three years ago, when I first arrived at my fiefdom, Willowbrook, I found this child who looked somewhat like me. He was emaciated, covered in dirt, struggling to breathe in a puddle of rainwater.

Like a dying kitten.

Declan paused, his voice cool.

"No."

No sooner had he spoken than Seraphina gracefully walked in.

Since the throne remained with the royal family, Seraphina's princess title was still secure.

Now a Grand Princess, she adopted an air of authority, asking softly,

"Why does His Majesty seek that criminal? She long ago left the Royal City and fled with her consort."

"If it's important, Your Majesty could tell your Imperial Sister."

The moment he saw Seraphina, the little boy became visibly upset.

He scowled, angrily retorting, "That's a lie. We deliberately took a detour through Willowbrook, and Ninth Sister wasn't there at all."

"Now that she's not in the Royal City, where else could she be?"

As if to completely distance himself from Seraphina, Arthur quickly added,

"And, my Ninth Sister is not a criminal! You're not my Imperial Sister, stop trying to be familiar with me."

In an instant, Seraphina's eyes welled up. The delicate beauty's pretty eyes brimmed with tears, making anyone pity her.

She looked at Declan, as if terribly wronged.

"Does the General not believe my words either?"

Declan remained silent. After a long moment, he said in a flat tone,

"The Ninth Princess did indeed flee."

"Your Majesty has just ascended the throne, and matters are complex. For now, please rest assured and stay in the palace. Tomorrow, I will arrange for Grand Tutor Montague to instruct Your Majesty on proper decorum."

Declan's words confirmed my status as a criminal. He continued,

"The Grand Princess is indeed Your Majesty's Imperial Sister. As a role model for the kingdom, Your Majesty should respect proper etiquette and address her as Imperial Sister."

Arthur's eyes widened instantly, as if he had heard something unbelievable.

He unconsciously stepped back, biting his teeth, glaring fiercely at Declan through tear-filled eyes.

"I trusted you so much... If it weren't to find Ninth Sister, who would want to come to the Royal City and be this lousy Emperor?"

Arthur believed that by following Declan to the Royal City, he would find me.

He saw Declan as a brother, still thinking Declan would, as before, silently stand by him no matter what.

But he had run into Seraphina.

She was the woman Declan loved most. No one could ever make her feel wronged in front of him.

Towards Seraphina, he was always indulgent.

Arthur, furious, stormed out, followed by a flurry of eunuchs and palace maids, causing a commotion.

All the attendants in the hall withdrew. Seraphina walked to Declan's side, speaking in a gentle, deferential tone,