Beside them, Delilah entered a state of high alert, staring warily at Vasha.
She also noticed that the state of this princess named Daphne was very strange. It subconsciously reminded her of Irene, whom Her Majesty valued greatly, though she was somewhat different from Irene.
Regardless of whether it was some strange phenomenon or truly some kind of Witchcraft, as long as Her Majesty wanted to take the person away, she would naturally give her all.
Vasha looked at Sophia in disbelief. She somewhat did not understand why this formidable Queen would value Daphne so highly.
She was clearly a witch, was she not?
Even now, Daphne's hair was still emitting a faint golden light. That simply did not look human!
If not for Royal Father wanting to obtain the Secret Arts from her, Daphne would have been tied to a stake and burned to death long ago; she would never have survived until now to see Sophia.
Vasha felt an indescribable emotion in her heart, but she did not know what it was called. In the end, she shook her head at Sophia.
"Since I have decided to leave with Your Majesty, I naturally will not disobey."
Only then did Sophia extend her hand toward Daphne again.
Daphne looked at the hand reaching out to her.
That was the only glimmer of light carrying the aura of a strong person she had seen in these thousand dark days and nights.
Although this woman named Sophia appeared cold and heartless, that recognition of Truth was what Daphne yearned for the most in this desolate world.
"I... I am willing to go to Mason."
Daphne gently placed her hand into Sophia's cold palm.
"I do not want to live days like those in Orr anymore."
It was too painful.
They were memories she did not wish to recall.
However, Daphne knew that the reason this Queen before her was taking her away without explanation was due to the urgency of the situation. Afterwards, she would surely ask about everything regarding her in detail.
At that time... should she tell the truth?
Sophia gripped that thin, weak hand back, her strength surprisingly great.
Sophia turned her head to look at Vasha, who was already dumbfounded.
"Princess Vasha, bring along yours and your sister's things.
Before dawn, inside This Queen's carriage, I do not wish to see a single iron chain from the Orr Palace."
"Yes... Yes! Your Majesty!"
Vasha snapped back to reality, lifted her skirt, and began busily helping to pack those bottles and jars. A trace of yearning actually emerged in her heart.
In Mason, could even witches receive respect?
What kind of place was Mason, exactly?
Sophia held the hand of the blonde Daphne. Surrounded by Delilah and the Black Rose Guards, they slowly walked out of that gloomy dungeon.
It's done.
Musketeers obtained, shampoo obtained, potatoes sprouted, and now even a 'battlefield divine doctor' has been added to the account.
This wave of big gift packs for the Kingdom of Mason was truly refreshing to receive...
I just don't know exactly what kind of healer Daphne is. I'll ask in detail later. We shouldn't stay here long; that old thing, the King of Orr, might discover this in a moment.
She did not intend to expand her territory to Orr just yet.
In the deep autumn dawn, the first faint rays of morning light had not yet pierced the heavy fog over the city walls of Oris.
On the high tower of the Orr Palace, the crisp morning bell should have rung on time, but today, the sound of the bell was completely drowned out by a burst of screams filled with terror and panic.
"Bad news! The First Princess Highness is missing!"
Princess Vasha's personal female official knelt in the center of the empty bedchamber, her voice trembling like a withered leaf in the autumn wind.
Everything in the bedchamber was as usual. The bedding was folded neatly, and half a cup of unfinished red tea from last night even remained on the table.
Only the usually dignified, steady First Princess, who never overstepped the rules, along with her favorite few sets of simple dresses, had vanished without a trace.
At the same time, even more chilling news came from the Royal Palace's most gloomy and remote North Tower dungeon.
That solid iron door, claimed to be unbreakable even by trolls, was now twisted and leaning to the side. The heavy iron lock looked as if it had been instantly severed by the sharp blade of some deity, the cut smooth as a mirror.
Inside the dungeon, the blonde girl who had originally been trapped by chains, symbolizing ominousness and curses—Daphne-Orr—was long gone.
Some herb residues emitting a strange fragrance remained on the stone platform, seemingly mocking the incompetence of this cage.
When King Frederick of Orr, wearing a nightgown and disregarding his dignity, rushed to the dungeon entrance, what greeted him was the lingering, faint smell of sulfur inside the dungeon.
That was the smell left by the killing weapon named 'thunder' at the banquet last night. This smell had scared the King of Orr sleepless for half the night, so his memory of it was naturally fresh.
"Sophia Mason..."
The King of Orr's face turned from pale to iron-blue, and finally became a flushed red bordering on purple.
His wide cuffs trembled violently, and his eyes were covered in bloodshot veins.
"That... that damned, arrogant Girl Tyrant!
Not only did she snatch This King's minerals, but now she even dares to kidnap This King's daughters?!"
"Pass This King's secret order! Block all important roads leading to the national border!"
"Send orders to Falcon Pass and all border outposts!
Whether it is Leighton's carriages or Qubi's freight wagons, stop them all!
Even if you have to turn over every inch of sod, find the First Princess!"
The King of Orr roared. The entire Knight Order of the Kingdom of Orr mobilized, their dense hoofbeats shattering the tranquility of the capital's early morning.
Within just two short hours, the monarchs of various countries who hadn't gone far were all intercepted at the border line.
The King of Leighton was currently sitting in his carriage, happily flipping through the newly obtained shampoo orders, calculating how many things he could exchange for next year.
Suddenly, the carriage was surrounded by a group of murderous Orr Knights.
"What is the meaning of this, King of Orr?"
The King of Leighton lifted the curtain, his expression displeased.
"Apologies, Your Majesty King of Leighton."
The leading Knight Commander dismounted. Although his tone was respectful, his hand was already pressing on his sword hilt.
"An extremely precious treasure has been stolen from the Palace, and the First Princess Highness has also strangely disappeared. We are under orders to search all carriages leaving the border. Please cooperate."
The King of Leighton sneered:
"Stolen? I think he has gone mad.
Regarding that banquet last night, everyone knows in their hearts who the real thief was.
Search then. Apart from salted fish and materials, This King's carriage does not contain his precious daughter."
At the same time, the carriages of the Kingdom of Qubi encountered the same treatment.
Envoy Bardess looked coldly at those soldiers rummaging through chests and cabinets, her eyes filled with disdain.
However, no matter how frantically the Knight Order searched, even piercing the sacks containing ore, they ultimately failed to find any trace of the two princesses.
Until a messenger with a black feather arrow stuck in his back caught up with King Frederick's honor guard from the rear, bathed in sweat, and presented a letter sealed with a Black Rose wax seal.
In the heart of the Black Rose, the word 'Mason' was written.
The paper of that letter was extremely exquisite, emitting a faint, sharp scent of wild mint.
The King of Orr could not even wait to return to the palace and tore open the envelope directly in the cold wind of the wilderness.
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