Chapter 313: Matters Of Implications II

Lady Regina’s expression gradually settled into exasperation. Seraphina’s accusatory tone was becoming tiresome, particularly since her old friend seemed determined to interpret every explanation as an attempt to evade responsibility.

Pressing two fingers against her temple, Regina briefly closed her grey eyes, gathering the patience required to continue. The faint ticking of the clock filled the pause, while the fragrance of tea lingered between them.

At length, she sighed and raised her head.

"Seraphina, I understand that you might be annoyed with me. However, what you tasked me with accomplishing in that letter is no trivial matter. It carries rather serious consequences, and should the operation be discovered, House Noctivane could face retaliation from House Valehart. You do realise that, don’t you?"

Seraphina’s brows drew together. "Of course I realise that, Regina. Did you honestly think I hadn’t considered the implications before sending you that correspondence?"

"Then perhaps you should understand why I am reluctant to proceed."

"Oh, please!" Seraphina exclaimed, briefly raising one hand. "I know you are saying all this because you do not wish to involve your household in something that could become troublesome. Had you actually examined the letter, as I know you did, you would have seen how meticulously I laid out the operation and the precautions necessary to ensure that neither house suffered unnecessary repercussions."

She leaned forward, her emerald eyes narrowing. "Surely, you don’t mean to tell me that House Noctivane lacks sufficiently high-ranking assassins capable of handling such a matter?"

Regina shook her head, an incredulous expression crossing her face. "It seems you still do not understand what I have been trying to explain."

"And what exactly am I failing to understand?"

"It is not that I do not want to help you, Seraphina. I am concerned about the complications that could arise from the operation itself."

Regina shifted in her chair, resting one arm against its polished wooden frame. Her fingers tapped lightly against the surface, each measured movement accompanying her thoughts.

"Consider this. Although Lord Goldric has been absent from Valoria for decades, that does not mean he has forgotten everything he knows about my household. He might have spent most of his life in the Frozen North, but he was born and raised among Valoria’s noble houses. He understands the methods employed by organisations such as ours and, more importantly, knows enough about House Noctivane to recognise the signs of our involvement."

She paused, allowing the argument to settle.

"If I dispatch assassins against him now that he has returned, there is every possibility he will identify the household responsible. Even if he cannot establish our involvement with certainty, he will undoubtedly become suspicious. And once a man like Goldric begins investigating a suspicion, I would rather not imagine how far he might go to uncover the truth."

Regina’s expression grew sterner. "Furthermore, suppose the operation fails and he survives. Do you genuinely believe he would be incapable of connecting the attempt to you? Consider the circumstances. He returns to Valoria after decades away, accompanied by a son whose existence could complicate House Valehart’s succession, and shortly afterwards someone attempts to eliminate him. Even a fool would recognise that such an occurrence was hardly coincidental."

She gave Seraphina a pointed look. "Goldric would investigate who stood to gain from his death. I doubt it would take him long to arrive at your doorstep."

The words brought Seraphina to silence. She stared at Regina, her fingers motionless upon her lap as she weighed the argument. It was not that she had failed to consider the possibility of an unsuccessful assassination.

Her correspondence had accounted for several contingencies. Yet Regina had exposed a complication more troublesome than she had anticipated.

If Goldric or Maverick survived an attempt on their lives, Goldric would naturally suspect someone with a vested interest in preventing their return.

And he was no fool. He would understand the implications of bringing Maverick to Valoria, especially when his son possessed the same extraordinary distinction as Cedric.

Another dual wielder of King Tier Soul Essences was hardly an ordinary addition to a family reunion. It was a development capable of unsettling the established order of succession within House Valehart.

Should Goldric investigate, he would consider who stood to lose the most from Maverick’s presence. The possibilities were few: Lord Valdric, Lady Seraphina and Cedric himself.

Goldric might grant his elder brother the benefit of the doubt, but Seraphina could not expect the same generosity. Nor would he be likely to accuse Cedric immediately of arranging an attack against his own uncle.

Seraphina, however, was another matter. She was the matriarch responsible for safeguarding her son’s position as heir apparent.

The realisation darkened Seraphina’s expression. She drew a slow breath and released it through her nose.

Regina, however, had not finished.

"Besides, you mentioned that you considered all the relevant circumstances before sending me that letter. I am afraid I cannot entirely agree with that assessment."

Seraphina raised her head, curiosity mingling with apprehension in her emerald eyes. "And what exactly do you mean?"

Regina tilted her head. "According to the information in your correspondence, you failed to account for Lord Goldric’s cultivation Rank. Surely, you did not expect me to proceed with an assassination without knowing something so fundamental?"

Seraphina’s eyes widened. For several seconds, she remained perfectly still, as though Regina had pointed out something painfully obvious. Then her lips parted slightly as the significance of the omission registered.

His cultivation Rank.

How had she overlooked something so important?

House Valehart had not maintained regular contact with its northern branch for a considerable time. Communication had never been entirely severed, but the relationship was far from the close administrative arrangement that existed between the main household and its immediate affiliates.

Messages were exchanged, occasional reports delivered and matters of mutual interest discussed, yet such correspondence rarely extended to the finer details of individual cultivation progress.

Consequently, gaps remained in the main branch’s knowledge, and Goldric’s current Rank was among them.

Seraphina had assumed House Noctivane could obtain the information through its intelligence network.

Yet an assassination could not be planned around assumptions, especially when the intended target was a former member of a Great House who had spent decades in the Frozen North.

His cultivation might have advanced considerably beyond what anyone in Valoria expected.

Without knowing his current Rank, Noctivane could not determine the number of assassins required, the force necessary or whether the operation could be attempted without catastrophic losses.

It was a glaring oversight, precisely the sort that could turn a carefully arranged assassination into a disaster.

For such an undertaking to succeed, every relevant variable had to be considered: the target’s cultivation, his protection, the location and the timing. A single miscalculation could mean the difference between a clean elimination and an operation that exposed everyone involved.

Seraphina lowered her gaze, looking troubled. "That..." She paused to collect her thoughts. "I suppose I did overlook that particular detail."

"Rather considerably, I would say."

Seraphina shot her an unimpressed glance. "Must you always be so blunt?"

"Would you prefer that I pretend otherwise?"

A faint smile threatened Regina’s lips, but vanished almost immediately.

Seraphina shook her head and sighed. "So you mean to say that House Noctivane has not acted because of all these complications?"

"Among other things, yes."

"Then why didn’t you simply send me a response?" Seraphina spread her hands. "The least you could have done was reject the request. I would hardly have crucified you for refusing."

That, more than anything, was what she wanted to understand. She would have been disappointed had Noctivane declined, certainly, but not to the extent that it damaged their relationship.

She could have approached another organisation, perhaps Shadow Shard, and negotiated for its services. The matter was hardly beyond her means.

Yet Regina had allowed several days to pass without even acknowledging the correspondence.

At the question, it was Regina’s turn to fall silent. She studied her friend before rubbing her temple. For the first time, genuine exhaustion showed through her composure: a slight droop of her eyelids and a tightening around her mouth. Seraphina noticed immediately.

"Well, you wouldn’t know this, Seraphina, but House Noctivane has been in a rather difficult position these past few days."

Seraphina raised a brow. "Difficult position?"

"Yes."

"But earlier, while we were exchanging pleasantries, you sounded perfectly composed. You even mentioned that your household’s affairs were proceeding as expected."

Regina gave a faint, humourless smile. "Would you have preferred that I welcome you by announcing that my household was experiencing difficulties?"

"Well, certainly not, but—"

"Besides, there are certain matters one does not casually discuss during a formal reception, even with an old friend."

Seraphina regarded her for a moment, then leaned forward. "Regina, what exactly do you mean?"

The Noctivane matriarch shook her head and glanced towards the window, considering how best to approach the subject. Outside, sunlight continued to illuminate the gardens.

A gardener moved along the flowerbeds, trimming a hedge with patient precision, seemingly unaware of the grave conversation unfolding only a few steps away.

"Seraphina, surely you must have heard about the situation surrounding the Royal Family?"

Seraphina’s expression immediately grew serious. "The Royal Family?"

She paused, her fingers tightening slightly around the armrest.

"You mean the matter concerning His Majesty’s health?"

"Yes. That one."

Regina turned back towards her. The weariness in her eyes remained, and this time she made little effort to conceal it.

"Well, you see, the last I heard, His Majesty is not merely ill. He is dying, Seraphina. And I believe you understand the implications of such a development..."