Correct and Wrong Order
“Imperial palace open day? I sure admire her courage. I can’t tell if she’s confident in her people or if she’s confident with herself, or maybe she’s just plain foolish.”
The red liquid in Ikana’s glass swished around as if it was sticky blood on a wall. She had one of her long and slender legs over the other, gently teasing the edges of the cork with her toes. She left a pink mark on the cork with the soft bottom of her foot. She narrowed her eyes and added, “Is this our opportunity or a trap?”
“Consort, if this fails, all of our spies may be revealed. Now is not the time for us to act, so they do not have plans to act ahead of time. Problems may arise once we allow them to operate freely. I suggest we do not act and await orders. It should be fine as long as we do not veer off our original plan,” expounded the advisor.
Ikana had a drink. Her blood-red lips and the blood drink glimmered underneath the flame, making Ikana evilly enchanting.
The advisor had a valid point. The spies Ikana planted in Galaluocia were components of a perfect machine. Every single spy was essentially a component that would spring into action with her click. Everything that was done before was to prepare for the day it was switched on. The imperial palace open day was, truthfully, too sudden. If they were given permission to act, they’d be acting without a plan. They didn’t have time to get together and delegate work, either. That meant it depended on solo operations. Trying to operate a machine with each component in isolation all of a sudden was pure foolishness. In fact, one component might get in the way of another. If one person failed, it would result in a comb throughout the city. That could potentially lead to the destruction of the machine that was prepared.
Tomorrow was the imperial palace’s open day. There wasn’t enough time for news to reach Galaluocia from Ikana’s place and for them to gather and discuss. If they went that route, the open day would basically be over by the time they were ready. could watch everybody dance and if somebody was lucky enough, they might be able to eliminate Vera in the chaos. If they failed, however, the entire plan would be forfeited.
Ikana understood that lack of forbearance in small matters upsets great plans. The one thing Ikana least lacked was patience. A woman, who could wait four years to take her revenge, could easily wait two more days. Moreover, Ikana had never winged anything. She wouldn’t bet her future on an uncertainty. That being said, that was when it didn’t concern Abner. This time, it had to do with Abner and her bliss.
Ikana was already incredibly vexed about not having a child, which also led to many nobles sending their daughters into the palace. Abner didn’t mention anything, but Ikana was aware everybody had a limit. Ikana was a harem on fire. If Vera insisted on rising from the ashes, Abner might not be able to stand firm in his stance; Ikana wasn’t confident he could. For that reason, Ikana contemplated her move. Ikana, who never gambled, seriously pondered if she should take the leap of faith. If it succeeded, she could make things right once and for all. The death of others had nothing to do with her.
Seeing Ikana have a rare moment of silence, the advisor had to remind her, “Consort? King Abner will be back any moment now. If you do not make up your mind…”
Ikana irritably scratched her head then stood up: “I know. Find the three least important teams, and have them make an attempt to test the waters. If it works, kill Vera in the process. Everyone else is to stay on standby and await orders.”
“Consort, if we do that, we may never have the chance again. If it goes awry, Vera really will be successfully crowned. Then, we will not be able to strike in time.”
“This chance is just as important. Since Vera is so confident, we can’t sit around and not respond. We can also take this opportunity to lower her guard. The ones to deliver the fatal blow aren’t the spies. If they succeed, that would be perfect. If they fail, I have another plan, so send the message. I truly hope to hear good news at afternoon tea. Now, get lost,” Ikana brayed.
The maid came in to supply a second cup and midnight snack. The advisor bowed out. Ikana checked herself out and returned to her room. Whatever the case may be, Vera’s issue was tomorrow. There was something that required her attention before that, specifically, how to serve her husband tonight.
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Current time at Galaluocia Imperial Palace.
“Mister, sorry, please wait a moment.”
The young man in white turned his head to look at the youngster. Puzzled, he asked, “Is something the matter?”
“It is about Miss Vera.”
The young man in white was slightly taller, but the youngster didn’t want to raise his chin to look at him. He took in a deep breath before articulating his thoughts: “It is about guarding Miss Vera. How confident are you that you can protect her? Miss Vera is my master. To be frank, I do not feel assured with you by her side. If it is possible, I really hope you can give up on staying by Miss Vera’s side on your own accord. If you can go to the rear, I would be very grateful.”
“Sorry. It is not I who took the initiative to approach her but Miss Vera who asked for me to stay by her side.”
Indeed, Vera did give the order. She allowed the young man in white to stand by her side to protect her during her speech. The youngster was slightly jealous. After all, he was the only person who could stand behind Miss Vera to protect her. That said, it was more about his concern. They had yet to verify the young man in white’s identity. Though he was with Troy, Tanya and Ying didn’t have any more information other than, “We have, indeed, seen him before.” Miss Vera indicated that she trusted him, but the key was whether or not the young man in white could actually demonstrate loyalty.
The young man in white nodded: “Perhaps you are right. I am not loyal to Miss Vera. I understand what you’re thinking, since I, too, am a guard. Giving your back to a stranger is unquestionably unwise.”
“In that case…”
“But I still must stand behind Miss Vera to protect her,” the young man in white cut the youngster off. “King Troy’s order for me was to protect Vera. It’s true that my loyalty isn’t devoted to her, but I am absolutely loyal to King Troy. Therefore, I will be sure to earnestly carry out my order to protect Miss Vera. “
The youngster was rendered speechless. The young man in white bowed and went to leave. However, the youngster hollered from behind, “Are you sure? Are you sure that King Troy wants you to protect Vera?”
“I am.”
“Then, are you sure which Vera he wants you to protect?”
Glossary
*Though Ikana is officially regent, she’s referred to as consort due to her relationship with Abner.
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