Meng Liao was the second son of Meng Zhuo. Long ago, he had married a young lady from a minor noble family, and from this union, two daughters were born: Meng Lifen and Meng Yiren.
Meng Yiren insisted on remaining unmarried for a long time. She set out on an adventure into the outside world, and upon her return, she was pregnant. She never gave an answer regarding the child's father. She gave birth, and the bastard Maris was born. When Maris awakened his body in the Core Realm, his importance within the family grew, and speculations about his father became more intense than ever. Even the Clan Leader believed the child's father was a Transcendent. A Transcendent could not be a nobody. Successors from other clans were suspected. Still, nothing was done about it. It was better for Meng Maris to remain within the Meng Clan.
Meng Lifen, on the other hand, had become a more submissive child, deeply attached to her mother. After her mother passed away due to old age—a result of her deficient cultivation—Lifen struggled to bond with her father. Later, Meng Zhuo betrothed her to Prince Gallac. At that time, from a cultivator's perspective, the King was not much older than Lifen and was in the midst of a fierce struggle for the throne. He needed heirs and support. The Meng Clan's support was immediate, but the children's arrival was delayed. Although they married when Gallac ascended the throne, it was much later that Lifen became pregnant. The Noble Prince Vaelis was born, but not as the heir. He was the third child.
The mother of Crown Prince Yaila and Princess Syrine was a different woman. Neither the King nor Meng Lifen were weak cultivators. It had taken time for them to have children, and during that time, while the King was still only a prince, he had been captivated by another woman. After becoming King, he continued his secret relationship with her. By the time the Meng Clan realized everything, it was too late. Two children had already been born before they could intervene and kill the woman.
King Gallac II always suspected this. Later, when Vaelis was born, his title was born with him: Noble Prince Vaelis, because the other children were half-peasants, born only from a distant female member of a minor noble family. If the King had not personally stepped in and declared Yaila the heir, Vaelis would likely have faced no difficulty in becoming the successor.
The King determined the fate of his children with his words, but some continue to insist on defying that fate.
***
In the high-ceilinged hall of the palace, only the light chime of Princess Syrine's footsteps could be heard upon the marble struck by the evening sun. As Syrine stood before the window, the crimson of the sunset glowed in her golden hair like a catching fire. Her beauty was like a reflection of the goddesses told of in the kingdom's oldest legends; her flawless features, the deep gaze that held sway over everywhere she looked, and the noble aura she radiated possessed a power that could bring even the most cold-hearted generals to their knees.
When Yaila looked up from behind his desk, he felt his breath hitch for a moment. Syrine's magnificent presence was something Yaila could never deny. Was this noble aura the reincarnation of one of the former queens?
The undefinable, protective, and admiring feelings he felt for her were in constant conflict with the cold responsibilities of the throne.
"Our alliance with the Four-Leaf Guild is still very fresh," Yaila said, suppressing the admiration in his voice and adopting an authoritative tone. "Syrine, I want you to go personally to the auction in the Yellow City and ensure everything is in order. This is a major auction, and some people may try to be arrogant. The Guild's loyalty is vital to us."
Yaila was the Crown Prince, yet despite his talent, there was a significant faction that did not want him on the throne. Their alliance with the Four-Leaf Guild had been born through a massive investment. Yaila wanted this guild to support him when the time came for his ascension. If Syrine were not by his side, his task as Crown Prince would have been much harder.
At that moment, the door opened, and Commander Jiao entered. The old man bypassed Crown Prince Yaila with a brief nod and knelt directly before Princess Syrine. Jiao's loyalty belonged unshakeably to the Princess herself. Although this caused a faint tremor in Yaila's emotions, he did not let it show on his face.
"My Princess, I have come to present the report," Jiao said, his voice echoing off the palace walls. "There is still no trace of the little prince of the World Empire. The new emperor has set everywhere ablaze these days to find his younger brother, and we are encountering many high-level experts. The search efforts continue. However, so far, we have come up empty."
Yaila frowned slightly when he noticed Jiao's distant stance toward him, but remained silent. The matter of the little prince was merely a diplomatic pawn to him; he never thought anything would come of it.
Syrine pulled her gaze from the map and turned to Jiao. Her movements were as effortless and mesmerizing as the glide of a swan.
"If the child is in the Forgotten Kingdom, it will not be hard to find him. Just continue searching," the Princess said. Personally, she did not think her opinion was wrong. The Blue Continent was the place where the prince would be hardest to detect. Therefore, it made more sense for him to be sent here rather than to other continents—and what then? Would they really send the prince to the chaotic kingdoms in the west? Or to the tiny islands beyond? Perhaps they would send him to a divine kingdom in the east. Nevertheless, the Forgotten Kingdom was currently at peace and was merely an ordinary kingdom. It could not be denied that they were a good option for the 3rd Prince to be sent to.
Yaila only looked at his younger sister intently. Although he thought she was being overly insistent on this matter, Yaila knew why Syrine was actually acting this way.
And he did not like it at all.
"Be careful," Yaila said, his voice soft this time, more like a request than a command. "Yellow City is not as innocent a trade hub as it appears from the outside. I have heard strange rumors about City Lord Baro."
Syrine caught that momentary glint in her brother's eyes; she knew the deep abyss Yaila tried to hide when he looked at her. She smiled faintly.
"Do not worry, brother. I am no ordinary person either."
As she left the room with Jiao, all the splendor of the palace remained behind her like a pale shadow. Yaila looked after her for only a short while before nodding and returning to his work.
But the Princess and Jiao were not alone in the palace corridors. The old commander frowned. His aura suddenly began to extend down the length of the hallway.
"Who is there?!"
"It is only me, Chief Commander Jiao."
At that moment, a handsome, yellow-haired figure emerged from the darkness. Despite his thin appearance, he had a charming and unique aura that drew people in. He was a cultivator. Therefore, this frail appearance was merely a deception, yet both people before him were aware of it. Because they knew him.
"Noble Prince Vaelis."
Although Vaelis was only a half-brother to Syrine, he resembled her far more than Yaila did. They were almost like twins.
Syrine smiled. Her smile was as if it had swept away all the darkness. Even Chief Commander Jiao felt a momentary sense of unease. Despite this, nothing changed in Vaelis's gaze.
"Jiao, please go ahead. It seems my sister wishes to speak with me."
"But my lord—"
"Commander Jiao."
At that moment, only Vaelis's soft words brought Commander Jiao to his senses. He was just a commander. He could be politically powerful and decide not to bow to princes, but he had to act refined.
"My apologies."
'Only because of Syrine's maddening beauty.'
Commander Jiao slowly walked away down the corridor, and Princess Syrine took her brother's arm.
"Shall we walk?" she asked. The Noble Prince nodded in approval.
After a while, the Princess, feeling uneasy in the silence, began to speak.
"It seems things are not going so well in the 12 Chaotic Kingdoms."
Vaelis nodded.
"The situation is a bit complicated. They were always at war, but these days... I think something is happening in the West."
Syrine understood. By 'the west,' the Noble Prince did not mean the 12 Kingdoms; he meant the west of that as well. He was talking about the islands.
Princess Syrine frowned. Noticing that Syrine was squeezing his arm with the hand that held him, Vaelis let out a small laugh.
"There is no need to be so worried. We are still far from entering the war. Besides, even if there is a war, aren't you planning to escape from here?"
Princess Syrine looked up in surprise at her brother. She had always noticed that Vaelis saw her as no one else did, but for him to say it so easily... she wasn't sure if it felt disturbing or sincere.
A serious expression slowly formed on Vaelis's face, and then he sighed.
"You are setting your sights too high."
'As if I don't know that.'
Syrine remained silent, but she knew Vaelis read this silence as well.
"I know what I am doing," Syrine was finally able to say. The Noble Prince merely shook his head from side to side.