Read Novel Full Chapter 669: A Sleepless Night
Chapter 669: A Sleepless Night
The loss of Aldrian had dealt a heavy blow to Gulvar’s position as king.
It had to be said that, despite Aldrian’s shameless attempts to win Seira’s favor, he was still the key to restoring the kingdom to its former glory.
But now, Aldrian was dead, and that dream had been shattered.
Worse still, his death happened in the capital, right under the royal palace’s watch. It was a humiliating blow to Gulvar’s authority.
Even if no one dared to say it openly, Gulvar could sense the growing dissatisfaction around him.
If he allowed it to fester, it would eventually become the trigger for far greater problems.
Suppressing the anxiety in his chest, Gulvar whispered, "No matter what, I must resolve this before it gets worse."
He was the king, and those who dared to doubt him were nothing more than subordinates.
What he didn’t know was that his fear would one day become reality.
***
"What should we do? Do you have any ideas?" Alex asked, his expression grim.
Eldrin fell silent for a moment. Then an idea struck him, and his eyes lit up.
"What if we contact the noble families? With their help, finding Nolan Lorian and Seira Lorian will be much easier."
Hearing that, Alex immediately nodded.
"That’s a great idea. Let’s send letters to every noble family in the kingdom."
Without wasting another second, the two quickly set off and began their work.
...
"An order to locate Nolan Lorian and Seira Lorian?"
A middle-aged man stared at the letter before him, his expression cold.
He was Charles Krifton, head of the Marquis Krifton family. In terms of status, he stood above most noble families in the kingdom.
Unfortunately, status alone wasn’t enough to avenge what had happened to his son.
Klein had died at Alina’s birthday party some time ago.
The royal family had pressured him directly, leaving him completely powerless.
And now, they were asking him to help track down two people—Nolan and Seira—who were supposedly guilty of violating the kingdom’s laws.
"How shameless," he growled, tearing the letter with the royal seal and tossing it into the trash.
He still remembered the anger burning in his chest when Gulvar had stared him down after he demanded justice for his son’s death.
But what did he receive in return? A threat.
Gulvar had threatened to expel the Krifton family from the kingdom, which was no different from trampling on his pride as the family’s head.
Charles took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
After a moment, his mind cleared, and he began to think more carefully.
"Violating the kingdom’s laws... what exactly did those two do?"
To him, the palace’s explanation didn’t add up.
Nolan and Seira were from the Great Velmora Empire. Unless they had committed an exceptionally grave crime, hunting them down was nothing short of foolish—and could even provoke disaster.
So, what had Nolan and Seira done?
Charles tried to guess, but every possibility ended in failure. He simply couldn’t imagine it.
Just then, footsteps approached from outside, followed by a light knock.
"My Lord, a letter has arrived for you. It is from Duke Ellias. May I come in?"
Charles stiffened, then quickly replied, "Come in."
The door opened slowly, and a servant stepped inside. Reaching into his pocket, he handed the letter over.
Charles took it and immediately noticed the official seal of the Duke Halvane family.
"When did you receive this?" he asked.
"A few minutes ago, Your Highness. Duke Ellias’s envoy said the letter contains important information and that you must read it," the servant replied respectfully.
Charles’s expression darkened. He waved his hand, and the servant promptly withdrew.
He opened the letter and began reading.
A few minutes later, his expression stiffened, and his breathing grew unsteady.
"Prince Aldrian... is dead!?"
...
Karakh stood calmly, his back facing a man clad in a black cloak.
"Have you delivered the letter to Duke Ellias?" he asked.
The man lowered his head and replied respectfully, "Yes, Your Highness. Duke Ellias should have already informed the other nobles by now."
A faint smile formed on Karakh’s lips.
His father had deliberately concealed Aldrian’s death from the kingdom’s noble families.
Karakh was certain that Gulvar would seek their help in hunting down Nolan and Seira, yet he wouldn’t dare reveal the true reason behind it.
And that hesitation would be the perfect opening.
This was his chance to exploit the situation and drive a deeper wedge between the royal family and the nobility.
"Good. I didn’t rely on you for nothing," he said with satisfaction. "Now carry out the second plan—create chaos in the capital. Make sure it’s enough to throw the people into panic. Even if thousands of lives are lost, it’s acceptable. Most importantly, I want the people’s trust in my father to collapse completely. Do you understand?"
The man straightened and replied respectfully, "Understood, Your Highness. Leave it to me."
Karakh nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand.
In an instant, the man vanished, leaving Karakh behind as he let out a triumphant laugh.
He gazed at the midday sky and whispered, "Soon, power will fall into my hands. Forgive me, Father. But I had no choice... because you started this first."
If only his father had chosen the crown prince fairly back then, he would have never even considered such a cruel plan.
But what else could he do?
To become the next king, he was willing to do anything—even if it meant drowning in sin.
...
That night, the capital of the Altheris Kingdom was unusually quiet. The city center wasn’t crowded, but it wasn’t deserted either.
Shops were still open, serving customers who came out for late-night meals.
Whoosh!
A cold wind swept through the entire city. People instinctively hugged themselves and looked up at the sky, unease creeping into their expressions.
"Do you feel it? The night wind feels colder than usual," a man said with a shiver.
"You’re right." Another man nodded. "For some reason, I have a bad feeling."
"A bad feeling?" The first man frowned. "What do you mean?"
The other man stayed silent and simply shook his head.
"Nothing. Let’s go. Your wife must be waiting for the food you brought."
His friend didn’t reply and immediately walked off with him.
However, before they had gone ten meters, a deafening explosion erupted behind them.
Both men spun around. The food shop they had just visited was now engulfed in raging flames.
Their eyes widened, and fear shot through their bodies.
"F-fire!"
"Run! It’s spreading to the other shops!"
Panicked screams erupted from all directions. The two men snapped out of their shock.
Their faces went pale as they turned and ran.
But the fire was only the beginning.
In the next few seconds, explosions rang out one after another in several key areas of the capital.
That night, chaos swallowed Altheris, and no one slept.