The morning light gently peeked out from behind the mountains.

  Golden rays spilled onto the blue-brick streets of the royal capital, wrapping the ancient city in a soft glow.

  Rumble, rumble—

  Wheels rushed over the blue-brick road with a continuous rumbling, creating a rhythmic bumping sound that echoed through the morning air.

  Ornate carriages adorned with gemstones, one after another, converged toward the center of the royal capital from all directions.

  The towering palace, bathed in the golden morning light, appeared even more magnificent.

  The sound of hooves coming from all directions gradually blended together, finally settling down at the square in front of the palace.

  Nobles, assisted by their servants, slowly emerged from their carriages.

  They gathered together, yet with remarkable tacit understanding, not a single greeting was exchanged.

  The ministers and nobles fixed their gaze on the cloud-piercing palace.

  With steady steps, they lined up neatly on both sides of the palace and surged toward it.

  Everyone knew that today, a major event would unfold within the palace.

  The reason, naturally, was the return of the Reiser family head.

  And all these hurrying ministers were merely spectators to this grand play.

  The nobles lined up neatly in front of the palace gates, the morning light shining on their luxurious robes, outlining a dazzling radiance.

  Just as they were about to enter the palace, they suddenly all stopped at the entrance simultaneously.

  Because at some point, a man had already positioned himself in the center of the palace.

  He exuded a calm and mysterious aura.

  His feet stood firmly on the red carpet, directly facing the throne, yet showing not the slightest hint of reverence or humility.

  The sides of the palace were spacious and quiet, as if waiting for the arrival of the ministers.

  Red curtains hung down from the golden ceiling, like flowing rivers, elegantly sweeping across the floor.

  The man narrowed his eyes, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, seemingly wearing a barely perceptible smile.

  His body appeared somewhat thin and youthful, his handsome face without a single wrinkle.

  Dressed in a straight, upright suit with a golden Reiser family emblem on his chest that resembled a blooming golden flower.

  A black top hat on his head, a cane in his hand, he gazed at the throne ahead, standing silently in place.

  Above the edges of his ears were two small golden wings embedded.

  His golden pupils seemed to constantly reveal shifting mystery and majesty.

  The ministers standing at the palace entrance, upon seeing him, without exception, widened their eyes.

  Because this person was not only familiar to them, but they were also well aware of his identity.

  Lipoaute Reiser.

  His reappearance was undoubtedly a good sign, at least for the ministers supporting the crown prince.

  However, not a single one of these ministers and nobles had received prior notice.

  They had originally thought that a dignified person like Lipoaute Reiser would return to the capital with a luxurious convoy.

  And then, they, these ministers, would compete to welcome him at the city gates.

  At the very least, some important ministers should have been invited.

  Plus grand flags waving and flower-strewn red carpets laid out, allowing this royal relative to enter the city with great joy.

  But the Reiser family head's silent return caught everyone by surprise.

  It was quiet to the point of being strangely odd.

  All the nobles present had their own intelligence networks.

  Those loyal shadows lurking in various places, collecting all sorts of intelligence, were dedicated and responsible.

  At the very least, they were all considered experts in covertly gathering information.

  But such a major event as the Reiser family head returning to the capital went unnoticed by all.

  They only knew that the Reiser family head would return to the capital soon.

  Yet the very next morning, he had already been waiting in the palace for some time.

  He appeared like a ghost, suddenly materializing before all the nobles.

  'This man, as mysterious as ever.'

  'Never changed.'

  However, Lipoaute just stood on the red carpet, showing no reaction.

  He paid no attention to the murmuring whispers of the ministers in the distance.

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  Then, as if sensing something, he slowly raised his head and looked toward the deep passage behind the throne.

  The other nobles also followed his gaze, looking toward the back of the throne.

  There, a hunched figure slowly emerged from the darkness.

  The thick robe dragged across the floor as the bent figure leisurely stepped toward the throne.

  Despite his hunched form, to others, his figure still resembled a mountain, emanating a dull yet majestic aura.

  Even from a distance, it already caused all the ministers present to feel their hearts racing.

  Only Lipoaute remained standing in place, his expression as calm as ever.

  Aubrey Sol clasped his hands behind his back, walking alone toward the throne.

  Feeling the heavy pressure coming toward them, beads of sweat outlined the nobles' unease.

  They crowded at the door, trying their best to bow respectfully.

  When the emperor appeared before him, Lipoaute placed one hand gently on his chest, elegantly bowing to the emperor.

  Then, he slowly spoke:

  "I apologize for returning to the capital without notifying the imperial family. I hope Your Majesty will not blame me."

  Even in the presence of the emperor, he maintained his calm elegance.

  This made all the nobles envious.

  Aubrey sat on the throne, his gaze heavy and clouded, staring directly at Lipoaute.

  He waved his hand and said:

  "No need for bowing."

  "And all of you, come in if you have something to say. Standing at the door gives a bad impression."

  A bad impression? What could this possibly affect?

  The ministers lined up on both sides of the palace entrance looked at each other, exchanging confused glances.

  Although the ministers couldn't fathom Aubrey's true intentions, they still slowly rose and entered the palace with respectful and orderly steps.

  Each minister found their designated place, standing there, staring solemnly at the emperor.

  However, only the Reiser family head remained in the center of the red carpet, maintaining his bowing posture.

  Aubrey's gaze fell upon him, asking:

  "Lipoaute, it seems you have some objections to me."

  "Is there something you wish to say?"

  Lipoaute maintained his bowing posture, remained silent for a moment, and finally spoke slowly:

  "Your Majesty, I have come to atone for my sins."

  Aubrey leaned back slightly, lazily reclining in his chair, and spoke with a hint of amusement:

  "Oh? Tell me, what sins have you committed?"

  Lipoaute lowered his head, his tone revealing utmost humility:

  "One of my sons has been tainted by demons, and my wife has been overly indulgent about it."

  "For all of this, I bear inescapable responsibility."

  "Your Majesty, to atone for my sins, I am willing to return all the wealth of the Reiser family to the empire."

  The moment Lipoaute's voice fell, all the nobles present froze in place.

  Shocked beyond belief, they stared at each other in disbelief.

  What was happening?

  How could the Reiser family head say such things? Had he... yielded to the emperor?

  This was more than just yielding; it was practically handing over the entire Reiser family to the empire.

  The financial power of the Reiser family was strong enough to dominate the economic lifeline of the southern empire.

  And now, he wanted to give all this wealth to the empire, to Aubrey?

  Even Aubrey seemed to feel a hint of surprise, sitting upright, slightly raising an eyebrow as he looked at Lipoaute:

  "Oh? Are you sure you want to do this?"

  Lipoaute remained silent, and Aubrey let out a light snort:

  "Daring to hold your entire family hostage to negotiate with me."

  "You're still the same, unchanged."

  He waved his hand and said lightly:

  "Your son has already paid the price for his foolishness; there's no need for you to atone anymore."

  "Stand up. If you have nothing else to say, go stand aside."

  Hearing the emperor speak this way, the nobles present all breathed a sigh of relief.

  The sudden cold sweat on their foreheads expressed their discomfort at that moment.

  Their hearts surged with towering waves, the churning abyss almost completely swallowing their rationality.

  The ministers wiped the sweat from their palms, steadying their still-trembling hands.

  Fortunately, His Majesty hadn't actually accepted this insane proposal.

  What the Reiser family was doing was more than just holding their own family hostage.

  It was like putting all the nobles on a stake to be roasted.

  If the emperor, upon hearing Lipoaute's words, had actually agreed to his method of atonement...

  If the emperor had accepted Lipoaute's proposal, it would have meant that each of them could potentially become a sacrifice.

  Once the Reiser family set this precedent...

  In the future, if others made mistakes...

  Then, they would likely have to surrender all their assets just like the Reiser family today.

  Why?

  If the Reiser family gave up all their assets for making some mistakes, why shouldn't you?

  After all, who could guarantee they would never make a mistake in their lifetime?

  The Reiser family was still fine; at least they had their royal kinship as a safety net.

  But what about these noble ministers?

  They had nothing except their noble titles.

  No one could accept having their lifetime's wealth completely confiscated.

  If such a day were to come, these nobles would likely first consider...

  How to safely and quickly transfer all their assets.

  But many nobles still hadn't figured out what Lipoaute's intentions were in doing this.

  At this point, Lipoaute slowly straightened up, letting out a long breath.

  "Thank you, Your Majesty."

  His expression remained undisturbed as he quietly walked to the side of the palace.

  Many ministers secretly glanced at him, their hearts burning with impatience.

  Please, they didn't come to the palace today to see this.

  If Aurelianne became empress, half a lifetime of their efforts would be destroyed.

  After all, they had never supported Aurelianne.

  Previously, when the nobles saw the crown prince and second prince competing for the throne, they could still see a glimmer of hope.

  But Aurelianne being directly named as the heir was a situation they absolutely did not want to see—except for Kravina.

  Except for Kravina.

  The ministers exchanged anxious glances, like ants on a hot pan, whispering amongst themselves.

  They hoped someone would step forward and break this dull deadlock.

  Suddenly, a noble dressed in a luxurious robe leaned slightly forward, intending to step out.

  It was Marquis Zina!

  The ministers widened their eyes, unable to believe what they were seeing.

  After all, in this game of power, those who dared to speak up were often the first sacrifices.

  As a supporter of the second prince's faction, he could no longer contain his inner anxiety.

  He was just about to step forward and speak:

  "Your Maj..."

  Before he could even finish the first word, he suddenly felt a bone-chilling coldness that made his breath freeze.

  Marquis Zina stiffly turned his neck, looking back slightly.

  There was Lipoaute with a deliberate, dry smile on his face.

  Those golden eyes seemed to be warning him.

  In the end, the marquis quietly withdrew the half-step he had taken.

  His body involuntarily leaned back, choosing silence.

  Seeing this, the surrounding ministers all sighed, their inner tension surging like a tide.

  Looking at the ministers' hesitant demeanor, Aubrey broke the silence with an indifferent tone:

  "I'm glad that at least today you haven't embarrassed yourselves as usual."

  "At least you haven't let outsiders see the awkward state of our empire's people."

  Hearing these words, countless nobles became even more confused.

  They looked at each other, lowering their heads in silence.

  Outsiders? Wasn't everyone in the palace their own people?

  But inexplicably, a sense of unease wrapped around everyone's hearts.

  And in the next second, their premonition came true.

  Aubrey's gaze was deep, following the red carpet extending outside the palace.

  Sunlight penetrated the palace's shadows, making the golden splendor even more dazzling.

  A woman dressed in simple yet neat attire, with a serene and warm smile, walked in slowly from outside.

  At that moment, everyone widened their eyes and looked in that direction.

  Because beside the woman, a pure white cloud was quietly floating, following behind her.

  And on that cloud sat a figure resembling a young girl.

  She had pointed ears and pale green eyes that gazed curiously at her surroundings.

  "I didn't notice when I came before, but this place is actually so beautiful," the elf's voice floated through the air, without the slightest reverence despite being in the palace.

  Then, as if sensing something, the elf's gaze pierced through the sunlight, directly at the figure sitting on the throne.

  She flashed a brilliant smile and waved in greeting:

  "Hey, Aubrey."

  "Long time no see."

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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