Chapter 931: Alternate Timeline: The True Mastermind

Whatever the reason, one thing was now clear.

The former queen’s honor was no longer her concern.

That matter had crumbled to dust.

What remained was a far greater issue.

The Church of Doom.

If Kiara had to put the King on the throne again safely, she had to face the Church of Doom. But that also means a potential battle against a 9-star rank expert?

Kiara’s mind turned like a carefully balanced scale.

On one side was the reward.

On the other hand was the risk of provoking a powerful organization that could actually erase her existence.

She already had more than enough dangerous people watching her path.

Did she truly wish to add another mountain to the horizon?

She stood there for a long moment, her fingers lightly tapping against her arm.

Then she made her decision.

If walking through the front gate invited war, then she would enter through the side door.

Kiara took a deep breath in resolve.

"Your Majesty," she called.

Caleb lifted his eyes to hers.

"Would you like to see your son?"

The old king froze. For a moment, he did not seem to breathe. The despair in his face cracked, and from that crack, hope emerged like sunlight breaking through storm clouds.

His voice was almost a whisper. "Really?"

The single word carried more emotion than any speech.

Kiara nodded. "I can bring Prince Gideon to you."

Caleb’s eyes glistened. He looked away briefly, composing himself, and then gave a solemn nod. "In that case," he said, his voice thick with emotion, "I owe you another debt."

Kiara smiled faintly. "Keep your thanks for later. A merchant collects payment only after the goods are delivered."

The old king chuckled despite himself.

Kiara turned toward Zion, who stood silently nearby like an unwavering guardian. "Zion, stay with His Majesty and ensure his safety."

Zion bowed his head. "As you command, Big Sister."

Kiara looked back at Caleb. "Please remain here until I return."

The old king nodded. "I can endure a few more hours."

Without wasting another moment, Kiara left the inn, descended the wooden stairs, and stepped into the cool air of early morning.

The streets of Ironvale City were still wrapped in the pale gray light that comes just before dawn fully stretches its limbs. The cobblestones were damp, and the breeze carried the scent of dew, horse leather, and the first cooking fires of the day.

After confirming the route with the innkeeper, Kiara summoned her LMV and sped toward Lunaris City.

*

Royal Palace, Lunaris City;

After the emergency council with the ministers ended, Edward Crescent returned to the King’s Chamber. His robes rustled as he entered, and the heavy doors shut behind him with a muted thud.

He had expected solitude.

Instead, he found the queen waiting.

She stood near the window, framed by silver morning light, her posture perfectly straight, her expression cold and severe.

Edward forced a smile onto his face. "My dear, you are awake already?"

The queen did not return his smile. Her eyes remained fixed on him, hard and unblinking. "I wish to speak with you alone, Your Majesty."

The servants exchanged surprised glances.

Everyone in the capital believed the queen to be a timid woman who never opposed the king.

Only those who served in the palace knew the truth.

From time to time, she would speak to him in this tone, and afterward royal decrees would be quietly changed, as though invisible hands were adjusting the course of the kingdom.

Edward noticed the servants’ unease.

He dismissed them all.

When the doors closed and the locks clicked into place, he turned to her. "What is it, Your Majesty?"

The queen’s lips tightened. "I received a message from the Church."

Edward’s heartbeat quickened as she informed him, "The Doom Seal placed on my husband has disappeared."

His eyes widened.

"But how?" he whispered. "Except for you, me, and the Church elders, no one knew he was there."

He grasped for another explanation.

"Perhaps he died. The seal vanishes when the target perishes."

The instant the words left his mouth, he knew he had made a mistake.

The queen moved.

One moment, she stood several paces away. The next, her hand was gripping his collar.

Though she appeared frail, her strength appeared to be terrifying.

She lifted him effortlessly until his feet dangled above the floor.

Edward clawed at her wrist, his eyes bulging in panic.

The queen’s voice was low and lethal. "I warned you once, Edward, and I will warn you again."

Her eyes burned with dangerous intensity as she almost growled, "If you ever speak of the death of the man I love, I will cut you into a thousand pieces and offer them to Lord Taotie."

Edward’s face turned as pale as parchment.

He nodded frantically.

"I apologize. It was a slip of the tongue. Please forgive me."

The queen released him.

He crumpled to the floor, coughing and clutching his throat.

She looked down at him with icy disdain. "Go to Irontraz Prison immediately. "If he remains there, all is well."

She leaned forward slightly.

"But if he is gone, find him. I want him back, no matter the cost."

Edward lowered his head.

"Yes."

He rose and hurried from the room.

Once the doors shut behind him, the queen sank into a chair.

For the first time, the mask of composure slipped.

She pressed a hand to her forehead.

"If Caleb Crescent returns," she murmured, "everything I have built over the last ten years will crumble like sand before the tide."

Her eyes narrowed with fierce determination.

"No matter what happens, I must fulfill my mission and resurrect the ancestor."

*

Roughly three hours later, Prince Gideon Crescent emerged from his chambers.

He had taken great care with his appearance that morning.

His robes were elegant, and his expression carried the bright anticipation of someone who had secretly rehearsed an outing in his mind.

But when he arrived, the guards informed him that Kiara and Zion had already departed.

One of them respectfully handed him a scroll.

Gideon unrolled the letter. It explained that Kiara had gone for a morning ride to tour the kingdom and would return by lunchtime.

The prince read the note twice.

The hopeful light in his eyes dimmed.

He had intended to personally show Kiara around the city.

Now those plans evaporated like mist beneath the sun.

Returning to his room, he said to one of his maids, "Isabella, inform my mother that I will not attend breakfast. I am not in the mood to eat."

After the maid departed, Gideon took a history book from his shelf and settled onto the balcony.

Sunlight warmed the stone railings, and a gentle breeze stirred the pages as he immersed herself in the story of a prince from the ancient Aryavarta Empire, the land of Hinduism and Buddhism.

It was the tale of an illegitimate son, born to an emperor and a maid, who eliminated every rival and ascended the throne at the age of thirty-six, only to die three years later from an illness that had shadowed him since birth.

The irony of the story was not lost on her.

Power was won at tremendous cost.

Victory that lasted only long enough to be tasted.

*

Four more hours passed.

True to her word, Kiara returned to the royal palace shortly before noon.

After taking a hot bath and changing into fresh clothes, she made her way toward the dining hall.

The plan in her mind was simple.

During lunch, she would ask Gideon to accompany her on a private outing, thereby reuniting him with his father.