AE received news of Arabella's disappearance and immediately focused his attention on the borders of Scalien's two neighboring countries. Not that he needed to—tensions along those borders had already escalated, with parts of the Jingle border even being sealed off.
Jingle had a long history of conflicts with Scalien, including several wars over the past decade. The most infamous was the one that shocked the world, where Scalien's legendary general, Vincent, had his command center bombed due to a military intelligence leak. This devastating defeat tarnished Scalien's international reputation, especially since the leaker was none other than the Ackerley family, who later seized power by colluding with foreign enemies. Such treachery would be scorned by any nation. Fortunately, with Ackerley now under Marcellus's rule, Scalien had grown stronger in recent years, gradually regaining its global standing.
Arabella clearly had a plan in place. Her swift movements and expert concealment left no trace, suggesting she had help behind the scenes. Otherwise, it was impossible for her to vanish for five or six days without a single lead. AE had kept an eye on Ferdinand, but the man, far away in Spanka, seemed even more panicked than AE. It was evident Ferdinand wasn't privy to Arabella's plans.
Neither Ferdinand nor AE knew anything. After discussing, they shifted their attention to Nicholas. After tailing him like a ghost for several days, AE finally cornered Nicholas at the Night Owl intelligence station in Doma.
By the time AE arrived, Nicholas was drinking, and the room reeked of alcohol—a stench that suggested this had been going on for days. It wasn't surprising, though; if Nicholas hadn't holed up in one spot to drown himself in liquor, given Night Owl's impenetrable intelligence network, AE wouldn't have been able to corner him so quickly.
Kicking away the empty bottles scattered on the floor, AE seated himself on the sofa farthest from the drunken Nicholas. Frowning, he asked coldly, "What game are you playing? Where's Arabella? Don't tell me your intelligence network doesn't know where she went."
Nicholas lifted his gaze, his drunken state unmistakable. Yet, even in his inebriation, his smile revealed eyes that shimmered like rippling spring water—truly a pair of captivating beauties. He bore no resemblance to Cyrus, except for those eyes. Without them, Nicholas would have appeared far less incongruous. His sharp, elegant features typically conveyed indifference, but the borrowed eyes gave him an unsettling contrast, like boiling water dropped into an ice cavern.
With Cyrus's identical, striking eyes, Nicholas laughed manically. "What's this? Even you don't know her plan? Ferdinand's not part of it because she wants to protect him. As for you, you're out because you've been discarded."
AE removed his grotesque mask, revealing Julius's true face. His expression darkened as he glared at Nicholas, gritting his teeth. "Do you believe I won't kill you right now?"
Nicholas sprawled out, his limbs limp, even kicking a few empty bottles aside. He looked completely resigned. "Go ahead. Arabella doesn't want me. Living is meaningless anyway."
Julius knew Nicholas was crazy, but he hadn't realized just how far gone he was. Despite his simmering rage and desire to kill, it wasn't worth eliminating a potentially informed lunatic. Suppressing the impulse, he scoffed and voiced his guess."Has Arabella already gone to Scalien?"
Still half-collapsed on the floor, Nicholas took another swig of alcohol and slurred, "And if she has? She doesn't want you anyway. Look at us—we're the same, not even worth using anymore."
Julius glanced at Nicholas, attempting to provoke him. "There's no sign of movement along the Scalien, Jingle borders. Did she trick you? Or are you just a drunk fool with bad intel?"
Nicholas sneered, wildly waving a bottle of alcohol in his hand. "What do you know? She's already headed toward the Scalien border. If I'm not mistaken, she'll successfully enter Scalien today."
This time, Julius was genuinely puzzled. Frowning, he asked, "She brought along a crew of fearsome thugs—how could she possibly get through two heavily guarded border zones? Besides, I've stationed people to monitor those areas. Any sign of movement would've been reported to me immediately."
"Do you think she left you over three years ago, crossed the Mountains range, entered Doma, and joined its coup for no reason?"
"Wasn't it to gain Jasper's support?"
Nicholas scoffed coldly. "Support what? A war between two nations for Arabella? Do you think someone like Jasper would do that?"
Julius knew exactly what kind of person Jasper was. Over the years, as Arabella maneuvered in Doma, he had studied its situation extensively. He had always found it puzzling that during the coup, Arabella had abandoned the princess and chosen to side with Jasper, a wolf of a man. After all, Jasper wasn't just any traitor; he was the kind who would stab someone in the back without hesitation.
Arabella's choice of Jasper clearly wasn't because she viewed him as a trustworthy partner. Now, with Nicholas's pointed questioning, Julius began to consider another possibility.
"Could Doma and Scalien be connected somehow?"
"There's a secret passage south of the Mountains range that leads straight to Scalien."
Julius shot to his feet. He had felt something was off from the moment he arrived: Arabella's disappearance was suspicious, the Scalien border was unusually quiet, and even the fact that Arabella had only brought a handful of subordinates didn't add up. Now, with Nicholas's revelation, all his doubts coalesced into a chilling unease. "Ferdinand is still in Spanka making weapons for her, and yet she only brought a few people. What exactly is she planning to do in Scalien?"
The implications were almost too terrifying to consider. Julius felt his hair stand on end, and for the first time, it seemed that even the ever-calm Arabella might have lost her mind.
"She's got two undercovers with her, doesn't she? Might as well make use of them." Nicholas's laughter was almost deranged. When Arabella left, he had bitten her shoulder hard, refusing to let go even after biting his fill. He had thought his feelings for Arabella were mere reverence, but he found himself sinking deeper and deeper. In the end, he couldn't resist pulling someone so lofty into the mortal world, into the mire—and he had no one to blame but himself.
When it came time to see Arabella off, he was a mess of tears and laughter, his breath trembling on the edge of hysteria. Yet he forced himself to hold on—he could neither die nor lose his sanity. Over the years, although Arabella had carefully crafted the image of a refined and cultured person, he knew all too well what lay beneath: pure, unbridled savagery. It was even more terrifying than when Cyrus had been alive.
Cyrus was like a antidote. Nicholas craved the sliver of humanity in Arabella, so he had to support her in reclaiming that antidote. Besides, he couldn't stop her. He would rather endure the stabbing pain in his heart and accompany her to the end of this game.
Julius, as sharp as he was, pieced together Nicholas's seemingly incoherent words. His expression darkened with hostility as he curtly said, "Do you think Marcellus will spare her life? Nicholas, you're gambling with her life." With that, he stormed off without waiting for a reply.
Julius came and went in a rush. Nicholas remained unmoving, sprawled among the scattered bottles, his face a picture of despondence. As the sun dipped below the horizon and day gave way to night, Nicholas suddenly let out a soft laugh. His feigned drunkenness of the past few days had finally paid off—he had successfully lured Julius here. Arabella had never trusted Julius and had no intention of entangling herself with him in the future. But Julius wasn't wrong—Nicholas truly didn't dare gamble with Arabella's life. His only choice was to orchestrate a trap and invite the players into his game.
Between Arabella's life and Arabella's love, her life was, of course, the priority.
The mountain passage through the Mountains Range was a naturally formed marvel, shaped by the changing terrain. While it wasn't as treacherous as the perilous northern route, the cave passages were still fraught with danger.
Arabella led her team through the passage for seven days, crossing deep pools and navigating treacherous, ambiguous paths. By the eighth day, when they finally emerged from the cave, the group had dwindled from over fifty to just thirty-something members. Arabella seemed indifferent to the losses, showing no signs of concern. It appeared that this operation to infiltrate Scalien didn't require a large force.
Finally, they saw daylight again and successfully entered Scalien's territory. Following a prearranged route, the group reached a valley near the border to rest. The area, situated at the tri-border intersection, was a desolate no-man's-land spanning hundreds of miles, making it relatively safe.
As Raven and his men set up camp, Arabella stripped bare and dove straight into the river. When she resurfaced, water streamed off her in rivulets, and she took the opportunity to clean her tangled short hair.
After setting up his tent, Taras was the first to head to the river, stripping down to take a refreshing dip. He let out a deep, bone-weary yawn. The past seven or eight days of trekking through the bottomless depths of the mountains had left him exhausted, to the point where he joked to himself that weeds might have started growing on his head. He hadn't dared to sleep deeply, with danger lurking on all sides, and even a single misstep could have led to broken bones.
Among the group, only Arabella appeared composed, her expression steady and showing no sign of fatigue. Another person also seemed relatively unaffected—Merrick, whom Arabella had carefully protected throughout the journey. For seven or eight nights, she stayed awake, guarding him, while he slept soundly like a pampered beauty. Under her care, he had grown as delicate and refined as a cherished maiden.
At that moment, the delicate beauty sat by the river, anxiously spreading out a cloth like a mother hen shielding her chick. Wrapping Arabella, still dripping wet, in his arms, he fussed over her with deep concern. "Bella, it's cold in the mountains. If you bathe in cold water like this, you'll catch a chill."
Arabella shook her head dismissively, sending water droplets flying onto Merrick's face. Smiling, he used the cloth to dry her hair, speaking softly. "Dry off quickly so you don't catch a cold. I went through several packs, and this was the only clean piece of cotton I could find."
"Do you want to wash up? The water isn't that cold," Arabella said, now dressed and looking up at Merrick.
Merrick seemed tempted, glancing at Taras, who was already naked and swimming in the river. He looked down at his clothes, unchanged for seven days, hesitated briefly, and then nodded.
Arabella placed the cloth on a nearby rock pile and called out to Taras, "Taras, keep an eye on him. Don't let anything happen."
Seeing that Arabella was about to leave, Merrick immediately grabbed her hand, his voice faltering with nervousness. "Be—Bella, where are you going?"
Taras, leisurely swimming in the river, let out a cold laugh when he heard Merrick. His muscular physique exuded raw masculine energy, and as he stood upright, his flaccid but sizable buddy swung conspicuously.
"Are you trying to be Arabella's shadow? Can't even bathe on your own? You're crazy, not stupid."
Merrick only appeared normal in Arabella's presence; anyone else approaching him would immediately trigger his unease and fear. He clung tightly to Arabella, refusing to let go, prompting her to soothe him with a gentle smile, "I'm just stepping a few steps away. Go ahead and freshen up, you'll be fine."
Following Arabella's pointed finger, Merrick saw that it was indeed only about ten steps away. His panic subsided slightly, but he insisted, "Don't go too far, Bella. It's dangerous here, and I might not be able to protect you."
With a loud splash, Taras grumbled, "Useless pretty boy," before diving back into the water.
