Read Novel Full Chapter 646: An Invitation from the Second Prince
Chapter 646: An Invitation from the Second Prince
The incident at the birthday party had brought disgrace upon the palace and the royal family.
News of the young nobles’ deaths sparked outrage among the public and, more importantly, among the noble families themselves.
They demanded an explanation from Gulvar regarding the matter. As king, Gulvar had failed, and criticism poured in from all sides.
With no other choice, he held an emergency meeting with his ministers to discuss the situation.
"Your Majesty, I believe we must pay compensation. Otherwise, this resentment may spark a wave of rebellion in the future."
"That’s a good idea, but how much will it cost? The kingdom is already struggling. Our economy has suffered a downturn due to the plague in the southern region. Wheat yields and other agricultural products have dropped by nearly thirty percent. If we spend the royal treasury recklessly, the consequences will be severe."
"Then how else should we handle this? Do you have any better ideas?"
A debate erupted among the ministers. Some agreed that compensation was necessary, while others objected and offered alternative solutions.
Gulvar sat on the throne, watching their arguments. Though he appeared indifferent, his mind was in chaos.
What happened last night was beyond anything he had imagined.
Nearly forty young nobles had died, while the rest were left deeply traumatized.
It took almost an hour after the incident before he and the guards could finally bring the situation under control.
They managed to capture at least ten hired assassins, along with the servants who had been bribed to take part in the attack.
All of them were sentenced to death, while the servants’ families were enslaved and forced to serve the royal family for the rest of their lives.
But even that wasn’t enough. Of the forty young nobles who were murdered, half came from the families of Dukes, Marquises, and Earls.
Their status was extremely high—nearly seventy percent of them were heirs to their respective houses.
It was easy to imagine the fury of those powerful noble families.
It wasn’t impossible that they would one day raise a rebellion and plunge the kingdom into chaos.
"Alright, enough!"
Gulvar slammed his hand down on the armrest. The ministers immediately fell silent and turned their attention to him.
"I appreciate that you’re taking this matter seriously, but I’ve already made my decision," Gulvar said in a deep voice. "We will choose the path of compensation. Make a list of everything those noble families demand, and we will fulfill it. Is that clear?"
"Your Majesty, but this approach could harm the kingdom."
The minister of economy quickly voiced his concern. He had been the strongest opponent of using the kingdom’s wealth and assets as compensation.
The kingdom’s financial state was already dire, and placing an even heavier burden on it would only threaten its stability.
Famine could spread among the people, and merchants might flee the kingdom. In the end, the economy would stagnate and collapse.
It was the last thing he wanted to see happen.
"Didn’t I already say that’s my final decision?" Gulvar shot him a sharp look. "No matter what, that is my decision, and you will follow it."
The minister of economy fell silent, then let out a long sigh.
"All right, I understand, Your Majesty. Forgive me for my rudeness."
Gulvar waved his hand and issued a few more orders.
In a situation like this, what he needed from his ministers was flawless execution.
An hour later, the ministers left the throne room, leaving Gulvar sitting alone on the throne with a grim expression.
"Have you found the culprit yet?" he asked in a heavy voice.
Alex appeared beside him. He dropped to one knee and replied respectfully, "Not yet, Your Majesty. We are still investigating. The culprits are very clever—they managed to erase their tracks throughout the entire palace."
His answer infuriated Gulvar, but there was nothing he could do except give a slow nod.
"I understand. Find them no matter what it takes, no matter how difficult it is!"
His eyes turned icy, filled with a strong intent to kill.
***
Two days passed quickly, and the conflict between the royal family and the noble families remained unresolved.
Even so, signs of peace had already begun to appear.
As an outsider, Nolan didn’t care at all. At the moment, he was lying on a tree branch with his eyes closed, as if he were asleep.
Just then, the sound of footsteps approached, and a maid came toward him.
"Your Highness Nolan, I’m sorry to disturb your rest. Prince Karakh wishes to see you. Could you spare some time?"
Nolan opened his eyes slowly and glanced at the maid with a calm expression.
"Did he tell you why he wants to see me?"
The maid smiled awkwardly and replied, "I’m sorry, I don’t know."
Nolan remained silent for a moment. Then he sat up and jumped down from the branch.
"Take me to him," he said, slipping his right hand into his pocket.
The maid nodded and led him toward Karakh, unaware of the faint smile that had appeared on Nolan’s lips.
***
"Seira, I’m sorry. Please open the door, okay? I want to explain why I did that. It was all a misunderstanding. Just give me one chance, please... Seira!"
Aldrian called out as he knocked on the door. His face was filled with panic and despair.
Unfortunately, Seira didn’t respond at all.
"Damn it!"
Aldrian punched the wall, but he immediately groaned in pain.
After a moment, he lowered his head and clenched both fists tightly.
"What should I do? My image in Seira’s eyes is completely ruined," he muttered, frustrated and confused.
What happened two days ago wasn’t intentional. He never meant to kill Seira. Yet no matter how hard he tried to explain, she refused to listen.
Just then, a voice resurfaced in his mind.
"You’re truly pathetic, Aldrian. You’re willing to bow down before a woman. If I were you, I’d leave her."
Aldrian’s eyes widened. He remembered that it was this very voice that had made him stab Seira without even realizing it.
"Don’t talk nonsense!" he snapped. "What I did was love! Yes, it was love! And you’re the reason everything turned out like this! If you hadn’t provoked me, none of this would’ve happened!"
"Hehehe... And now you’re blaming me. Remember—I only persuaded you. I didn’t act. Everything you did was your own choice," the voice taunted.
"You..."
Aldrian felt both angry and ashamed. He couldn’t deny it, because those words were completely true.
That voice had only pushed him. But how could he accept that so easily?
Just as he was about to speak again, the voice interrupted him.
"Since you’re so determined, I’ll help you win that woman over. What do you think?"