"Avelvion?"

Celine, who was following from a distance, gasped in shock to see two identical faces occupying the same space.

Ophilia took a deep breath, trying to control her heart from beating too frantically. She looked at the Avelvion who was holding the blue vial behind his back, then turned her gaze to the other Avelvion dressed in lavish attire standing right in front of Avvion.

Avvion slowly released his grip on the collar of the "Avelvion" before him. His smirk faded, replaced by a sharp glare.

"A mirror spell? You’ve grown quite clever at playing with appearance-altering herbs, my dear brother."

The moment Avvion finished his sentence, the figure of Avelvion in front of him began to crack and dissolve, turning into ordinary water droplets that drenched the velvet floor. It was merely a water clone created using the remaining power of the blue liquid.

The real Avelvion stepped into the smoke-filled chamber, standing right beside Ophilia. He raised the small vial containing the blue liquid, holding it directly before Avvion’s eyes.

"I was forced to use this tactic, brother, because I know you are planning to destroy them along with Duke Herold,"

Avelvion said, his voice cold and completely devoid of any humor.

"You want to tell the Duke about the maid’s secret? Go ahead. But do not forget, this formula of blue liquid in my hand is the only thing keeping the demon blood in this residence from awakening."

Avelvion glanced briefly at Ophilia, signaling that they held the exact same winning card.

Ophilia stepped forward, fixing her future husband with her darkest stare.

"Utter a single word about Olivia to my father, Avvion... and I personally will ensure that the complete records of your illegal opium smuggling in the town the other day reach the Emperor’s desk before tomorrow’s sunrise. You want the throne, don’t you? Let us see who falls first."

Avvion froze. His jaw tightened as he suppressed his rage.

He never expected Ophilia, who had always been submissive in the past, to now put her position and honor on the line just for the sake of a maid.

"You threaten me for a mangy rat, Ophilia?" Avvion snorted in disbelief.

"She is not a rat. She is my friend," Ophilia replied shortly, yet every word she spoke was mature and filled with unyielding resolve.

Avelvion smiled mockingly at his brother, who was starting to run out of moves. He gently pulled Ophilia’s sleeve to prompt their retreat.

"Let us leave, My Lady. Let your future husband indulge in his opium illusions alone until he sobered up."

The private door closed shut with a heavy clink, leaving Avvion to fume in the dim room alone.

"Damn it," Avvion cursed under his breath.

He did not rage, nor did he throw things around. He merely stood frozen in the middle of the space filled with opium smoke, his eyes staring blankly at the door Ophilia had just closed. His jaw clenched tightly.

Ophilia’s threat earlier should have enraged him, but for some reason, the throbbing in his head felt far more painful.

Argh!!!!

Avvion clutched his own hair, sinking back onto the velvet chair with ragged breaths.

Every time Ophilia looked at him with those eyes full of coldness and hatred, just like last night and this morning, a shattered piece of a strange and painful memory would suddenly flood into his mind.

Fragments of a ruined memory, arriving bit by bit without invitation.

In those blurred remnants of memory, he saw Ophilia. But she was not the resolute and brave Ophilia who stood against his words like she did now.

He saw a broken Ophilia. An Ophilia who sat quietly on the bed without any emotion, her eyes hollow as if her soul had long been ripped away from her body.

The girl looked incredibly fragile, no different from a glass doll shattered from within.

And in that dim flash of memory, Avvion saw himself kneeling before Ophilia’s bed, weeping in deep regret while clutching her hand which was growing increasingly cold.

Whatever had happened prior to that moment in the memory remained unknown, but an unbearable ache enveloped his chest, as though he had ripped away the most precious thing from Ophilia’s life, causing her to choose death by falling severely ill.

Zap...

Avvion jolted, cold sweat breaking out across his forehead and back. He looked down at his trembling palms.

"Hahaha..."

Avvion suddenly let out a low, bitter laugh, mocking himself. He wiped his pale face and leaned back, his remaining breath still uneven.

"You’ve truly gone mad, Avvion," he muttered to himself, his voice flattening into the darkness once more.

He shook his head slowly, rejecting those tragic memory fragments completely.

There was no way any of it was real. He was utterly convinced it was all just a side effect of the silver opium herbs he had smoked way too much of tonight.

His mind was simply playing tricks on him because he was overthinking Duke Herold and Ophilia’s plans.

Avvion reached for his opium pipe again with a hand that had regained its composure, inhaling the remaining herbal smoke deeply to dispel the lingering distraction.

"Ophilia, broken? Heh, ridiculous," Avvion whispered amidst the thick clouds of smoke, his eyes narrowing sharply with his usual mysterious smirk.

"What a foolish illusion."

Back to Ophilia,

Ophilia stepped into her room alongside Avelvion, while Javien shut the door firmly from the inside and locked it immediately.

Avelvion was just about to place the small vial of blue liquid onto the wooden table, but before the vial could even touch the surface, Ophilia intercepted his movement.

"Hide that liquid, Prince Avelvion," Ophilia commanded in a low but firm voice. Her eyes darted sharply toward the room’s window, where the curtains still parted slightly.

"Do not leave it out in the open. This Aethelgard residence is filled with my father’s eyes and ears. If any of the Duke’s guards see that vial in this room, all our plans will be ruined before they even begin."

Avelvion smiled faintly, seemingly impressed by Ophilia’s vigilance. Without objection, he slipped the small vial back into the hidden pocket of his luxurious robes.

"You are indeed thorough, My Lady. Very well, I shall keep it safe and ensure no one knows about this formula except us."

The silence returned to the room. Ophilia shifted her gaze to Javien, who had been standing rigidly in the shadows of the room all this while, concealing his body that was still enduring the pain.

Javien’s dark eyes never averted from staring at the pocket of Avelvion’s robes where the blue liquid was hidden. A flash of an unfamiliar, heavy emotion mixed with deep guilt flickered in his eyes as if he knew a profound secret regarding that liquid, yet the knight kept his mouth tightly sealed.

"Javien," Ophilia called out softly, breaking the knight from his heavy thoughts.

"I know you are worried about Olivia. But for the time being, she is safe. My father will not find out about this... and even if he does, he will not make any hasty movements."

Ophilia spoke as she looked toward Javien.

"I know my father!!" Ophilia uttered. She stared out the window.

Javien gripped the hilt of his sword so tightly that his hand trembled faintly. The guilt tightened its grip around his chest whenever he thought of Olivia, who had been forced to stay awake all night for the sake of his trauma-scarred body.

"I understand, My Lady. Thank you," Javien replied, his voice sounding deep and strained as he held back the turmoil within his heart.

As long as I still breathe, I will ensure that the security in this residence is tightened. No one will be able to touch Olivia again... and I will not let her suffer because of me anymore.

Javien Whispered.

Ophilia averted her gaze from the window, seeing the burning resolve behind her personal knight’s dark eyes. She knew Javien’s vow was not an empty promise. To Javien, Olivia’s safety was everything, transcending his own life.

"Good then,"

Ophilia said in a calmer tone, attempting to diffuse the remaining tension inside the chamber. She walked toward a small table in the corner of the room, pouring some cold herbal tea into a porcelain cup.

"We cannot afford to make any more mistakes after this. Our position is growing narrower, especially since Avvion has begun to sniff out our plans with Duke Herold."

" It is a relief that Prince Avelvion’s blue liquid formula managed to stall his movements this morning."

Avelvion, who had been leaning against Ophilia’s luxurious bedpost all this while, merely let out a soft sigh. His fingers tapped lightly against the surface of the blue vial now hidden securely within his robes.

"Avvion will not stay quiet for long, My Lady," Avelvion interjected, his voice flat yet ringing with warning.

"The effects of that silver opium will only last until this afternoon at most. The moment his mind clears, he will begin plotting a new strategy with your father. We are running out of time."

Ophilia took a small sip of the herbal tea, letting the bitter taste soothe the throbbing nerves in her head. Her gaze sharpened once more.

"I know. That is why, before the sun sets today, I will personally deliver the documents of Avvion’s illegal opium smuggling to the Emperor’s informant in the city."

"We must restrict Avvion’s power first before he gets the chance to send a report regarding Olivia to the Duke."

Javien, hearing the plan, merely bowed respectfully, placing his right hand over his chest.

"I will watch over every corner of this wing, My Lady. No letters or external guards will be able to pass through this area without my permission."

Ophilia nodded in satisfaction.

"Disperse quietly. Javien, go rest and tend to your wounds in the guard’s quarters. And Prince Avelvion... ensure your presence in this palace remains undetected by anyone."

The two men bowed in respect before their figures vanished into the secret door and the shadows of the corridor, leaving Ophilia alone in her chamber, which was now filled with the brightening morning sunlight.

The tense atmosphere within the Aethelgard residence finally fell quiet again, but it was merely a temporary calm before a much greater storm arrived.