Chapter 1567: Temporary Goodbye

"Aww, you made the pretty lady upset," Lory said, leaning against the counter with her chin propped on her palm, watching him with exaggerated pity.

Lucas straightened at once, putting on a solemn expression befitting a king addressing parliament. "It appears," he said gravely, "that Her Holiness seems not appreciate my ’crumbs of effort.’"

Lory answered briefly. "Nope."

"My bad," Lucas said nonchalantly while taking another sip without care

Lucas and Lory joked and teased each other. Neither of them paid much attention to Alinna’s words. They understood that this was a game their opponents were playing to pressure them, especially since it was not the first time they had faced criticism.

As descendants of Lucient and members of the royal family of the world’s most powerful empire, their position attracted not only admiration but also envy and hatred. Lory and Lucas often faced criticism, both subtle and harsh. Their father allowed this to be a learning experience for them; he only intervened when the situation escalated to extremes.

As a result, they had developed thick skin and were not easily provoked by negative remarks. Therefore, Alinna’s comments did not affect their moods at all.

However, the same could not be said for Zhao Li Xin, it was because he understood the implication behind Alinna’s words.

He deliberately criticized Lucas to sow anger and doubt in the people’s hearts. It was an old tactic: to provoke the masses, let public sentiment do damage, and destroy Lucas’s prestige as King Harland.

Zhao Li Xin knew this tactic all too well. He understood what it meant for Harland, for the stability of the kingdom, and for Lucas’s psyche. Initially, he had been concerned that it might provoke Lucas, stir anger or frustration, and cloud his judgment.

After all, based on his experience from his world, no emperor or ruler enjoyed being criticized. Some would fly into a rage if their integrity was questioned in front of the public. Fortunately, Lucas and Lory remained unaffected by the sudden criticism. They even found humor in it.

Yet that very composure stirred something bittersweet in him.

If Lory could brush it aside so easily... it meant she had faced this countless times before.

It meant she had grown accustomed to being measured, questioned, and doubted beneath the world’s gaze. The thought make his heart ache. Zhao Li Xin’s eyes lingered on the television a moment longer before he spoke, his voice calm but firm.

"Lory," he said, "Maybe I can help."

"Hm?" Lory and Lucas turned toward him at the same time. Funnily enough, they wore the exact same expression.

"What is it, honey?" Lory asked while opening another pudding lid and started eating again.

"Lory, you already ate three of them," Lucas tries to remind her.

"So?" Lory frowned, "This is how I appreciated your gift," she defended herself.

Zhao Li Xin let out a small smile. He secretly enjoyed watching the banter between the siblings. Usually, relationships between siblings in an imperial family tended to be stiff and formal, even between those born of the same mother. However, Lory and Lucas’s interaction was genuine and close.

"Sorry, honey, what did you say?" Lory shifted her gaze back to Zhao Li Xin.

"Would you like to form a small team to investigate how the Bael entered other countries? Someone must have coordinated them to attack several nations at almost the same time," Zhao Li Xin said.

Lory pondered as realization dawned on her. "That’s true... how could they do that?" She looked at Lucas. "If they smuggled Bael from outside into the country, it would require a lot of manpower. And how could it go unnoticed? I mean... Bael are huge—and very violent."

Lucas nodded. "Yeah. Unlike before, this time the attacks happened as if they were on cue." He propped his chin on the counter, frowning thoughtfully. "How could they pull that off?"

"Maybe they found another way," Zhao Li Xin interrupted.

"Remember, everything we’ve uncovered isn’t the final result. All their projects are still in progress: the Bael, the Seed of Life, and the MADD. None of it is complete. So what if they’ve made a new discovery? Something related to the Bael... or the Seed of Life... or something else entirely?" Zhao Li Xin looked at them with a conspiratorial expression.

"Huh..." Lucas leaned back in his chair, arms folded across his chest. "That’s... possible."

"There’s only one way to find out." Lory raised her brows, then grinned mischievously. "When it comes to a competent small team, no one is better than—" her finger flicked between herself and Zhao Li Xin.

Zhao Li Xin lowered his head with a faint smile, while Lucas narrowed his eyes. They both knew exactly what this meant.

"Lory, you just want to—"

"ROAD TRIP!" Lory shouted excitedly.

Lucas sighed. "Of course..."

"It’s been a while since we traveled together," Zhao Li Xin added, as if they were discussing a leisurely vacation rather than a dangerous investigation.

Seeing Lory’s expression, Lucas knew she had already made her decision, and knowing her, she would follow through regardless. He had known since they were children that Lory was far more free-spirited than he was.

She could never stay in one place for too long. It seemed that the trait had only grown stronger after she returned from the other world.

"So you’ll investigate the attacks, the who, what, where, and how," Lucas said.

"And you make sure to land a proper punch on the S.A.I.N.T. organization’s reputation," Lory added smoothly. "And ensure the witnesses’ safety."

Lucas opened his arms and shrugged. "Fine. Divide and conquer, then."

"We conquer indeed," Lory replied with a wink.

"By the way, Li Xin," Lucas turned to Zhao Li Xin, "do you have anything to add?"

Zhao Li Xin pondered for a moment before asking calmly, "Where should we start?"

Lory and Lucas broke into identical grins.

A few days later, before leaving, Lory decides to meet up with Maddy and Lydia. The girls have become closer after their shared mission, and their shared tragedy involving the S.A.I.N.T. organization allows them to empathize with each other’s loss and misery.

While Zhao Li Xin was having a meeting with Hugo and Jim Adler to inform them of her plans to leave. If there was one good thing about the barrage of bael attacks, it was that people’s focus had shifted slightly away from Zhao Li Xin’s paintings, giving Zhao Li Xin an excuse to disappear for a while.

Lory waited for them in a greenhouse located in a remote area of ??the Cestine Palace to avoid strangers such as lawyers and officials they had invited to discuss the case they would file with the international court.

Since her identity was still a secret, she paid more attention; even though she was wearing a disguise, she didn’t want to take any risks.

Not long after, Maddy and Lydia enter the glasshouse with excited steps. They found Lory already disguised; she cut her hair to her shoulders and straightened up. Then she dyed her hair dark red. She slightly altered her facial contours and wore heavy smoky eye makeup and a red lip, reminiscent of a heavy metal singer.

However, the bright smile and warmth in her eyes immediately broke her reserved demeanor. Maddy ran over and hugged Lory tightly, "Lory, I missed you so much!"

A little embarrassed, Lydia saluted Lory and then smiled shyly, "Your Highness."

After releasing Mady’s embrace, he opened her arms and hugged Lydia. "How are you, Lydia?"

The warmth of her embrace make Lydia’s cheeks flush, and the sincerity in Lory’s voice moved her heart tremendously.

Lory looked at the three young women seated across from her, her expression softer than usual.

"I need to ask you again," she said quietly. "Are you absolutely sure about this? Once you step forward, there’s no turning back."

Maddeline lifted her chin. Though her hands were clasped tightly on her lap, her voice did not waver. "Yes. I’m sure. I... I feel obligated to tell the truth." She swallowed. "If we stay silent, then everything that happened to my sister, Jessi, and us will be buried and forgotten."

Beside him, Lydia nodded firmly. "I feel the same way." Her brows furrowed, guilt flashing in her eyes. "There are still healers inside White Rose Boarding School. Many of them still don’t realize what they’re getting into."

Her fingers clenched. "And the organization is still recruiting; I even heard they’ve started approaching healers from hospitals and the Guild to join them. If we don’t speak out, more people will get trapped."

The room fell quiet as Lory studied their faces one by one. Lory could see the anxiety and worry in their eye,s but she also saw courage and determination.

"I understand..." Lory said gently. "And I want to thank all of you for helping us, for being brave. Because it wouldn’t be easy."

Her gaze sharpened slightly. "You must be prepared for the public scrutiny, the cross-examinations, the backlash... They won’t just question the organization. They will question you, and they will dig your past, your mistakes."

Her tone lowered. "And not only that, they might threaten your safety. You might even lose your freedom...at least for a while."

Lory let the weight of her words settle before continuing.

"But don’t worry. All of us will support you. My brother, the King. My friend, the Archknight. My subordinates and my entire network will stand with you. I promise you this: you will not face it alone. We will be right beside you."

She reached out and held their hands. The warmth of Lory’s grip eased some of the heaviness in their hearts. It would be a lie to say they were not afraid. After all, they were standing against two colossal powers that influenced the world, the S.A.I.N.T. organization and Luxemborough.

But they were not alone. They had the support of the most powerful kingdom and two legendary figures who brought back the light and took down the calamity black dragon at their side.

What was there to fear? Courage surged within them. Almost instinctively, they placed their other hands over Lory’s.

"Don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine," Maddeline said firmly. ℯ𝓵.

"We’ll do our best," Lydia added with a bright smile.

"Good," Lory grinned, her eyes gleaming. "Then let’s get them."

The door suddenly swung open, and Lilly rushed in, slightly out of breath.

"Hey! What is this? You’re having a meeting without telling me?" she demanded, placing a hand over her chest as if deeply wounded. "I’m hurt."

The room fell silent for half a second, then burst into laughter.

Lory waved her hand dismissively. "What do you mean we didn’t tell you? Didn’t we talk about it in our group chat?"

"Miss Hamilton is always so dramatic," Maddeline teased, shaking her head.

Lydia covered her mouth, trying and failing to suppress her laughter.

Lilly pouted for exactly three seconds before breaking into a wide grin. "I’m just kidding. Look, I brought strawberry cheese cake," She triumphantly lifted a cake box in the air.

"Yaaay!" Lory threw her hands into the air and cheered, her excitement bright and unrestrained. In an instant, every trace of the earlier solemn discussion vanished, swept away by the promise of sugar and laughter.

But no one minded the sudden shift in mood. Because deep down, they all understood, peace is rare, and no one knew when they would have the chance to gather like this again.