THE ARISTOCRATS stood from their seats when the door to the dining area opened. Tori entered with her head held high and smiling face, walking behind her were Marchioness Susana, Chieftain Keiran Arin, and Lily. Tori knew that the elusive king of the north was the focal reason why they answered the call, but it would not matter since she would navigate this meeting to her liking.

House of Helisos, House of Harum, and House of Larat did not answer her call to talk about their next move to save the second prince though the key proponents of the game plan that they would be discussing were all here. Count Sozeni who got the weapon trading as his main point, Baron Wolfgang who owned the largest pharmaceutical business in the empire, and Count Tofera who led the food trading industry across the continent were all here.

Heading at the head table, Tori addressed them all with a radiant smile. "Shall we begin?"

LADY SABINA, the rumored future crown princess of the Eckrett Empire, stepped down from the Rozonreff Duchy's carriage with eloquence and grace which amazed the commoners who were waiting for her late arrival. She did it on purpose to make them remember the face of their future queen. Not daring to look at the common folks, Sabina walked towards the Marchioness who was clad in her mourning black-colored dress.

"Marchioness Susana, pardon my tardiness." Sabina curtsied to the Marchioness. She could not wait for the time that she would not need to bend her knee in front of anyone.

She hated wasting her time, but the act that she would put up in this wretched charity façade would make her the saintess that she was known for. The higher echelon, no, the king would approve of this since she was also dragging the first prince's name.

The masses knew that the one sponsoring this charitable act would be their future king, Prince Lauren. And I, the future queen, will be the one handing the foods to their wretched hands. Such honor it is for them to be fed by someone like me.

"It is quite alright, Lady Sabina. Your arrival is perfect. We can now begin distributing foods. The left tent will be my station. The one in the right will be yours." Marchioness Susana walked away from her after smiling at her as if she was a child which irritated Sabina the most. She would be queen! Why did she have to soil her hands for some commoners? They are just my empire's fodder anyway!

Clenching her hand, Sabina was about to head to her station when Marchioness Susana spoke, stopping her in the process. "Don't forget to smile, Lady Sabina."

Sabina forced herself to smile sweetly as she handed the bowl of vegetables to every rotten commoner. Their cries of gratitude and the protruding smell made her recoiled to gag but Shena kept on whispering at her that she needed this to strengthen her political standing in the masses. Every time that her finger grazed their dirty hands, Sabina would flinch or wince. Shena kept on wiping her hands with clean towels every time she would spin.

I hate politics. It is not my thing. Ugh, it is such a sin to make me do this work.

The next commoner in the line was a scrawny child who could barely reach the table that separated her from the commoners. The child's toothy grin frightened her. Sabina was about to give the child the bowl of food when she froze midway upon hearing his words. "I know your mom's house, princess! I like you a lot! I want to be like you too!"

Shena perfectly read her mood. Indeed, she was about to lash out in front of them all. Shena took the bowl from her quivering hand and gave it to the child. "My lady, please rest for a while."

Sabina hated every word that child uttered. She hated to be reminded of her filthy commoner descent. She hated the very thought of being the half-noble daughter of the Duke! If Shena was not there earlier, she was sure that she would ruin this charity.

Retreating to her carriage, Sabina huffed as she looked around. More commoners came since they started the event. She just wanted to go back and socialize with the high society. What can I even get from these scums?

Sabina was about to step into her carriage when a commotion erupted. She spun to check what was happening. Maybe a noble came. Indeed it was. She remembered the man who was admitted with the wench Victoria at Trifecta Academy and was now throwing the foods from her tent. "Someone, stop him now!" Sabina shrieked to the Rozenreff Duchy's knights before dashing towards the insane man.

As she went closer to the site, Sabina froze as she the very same child being cradled by another child. For a fleeting moment, Sabina felt satisfied upon witnessing the blasted child's state. On the contrary, the other child was glaring at Shena then at her. How dare this brat!

"What is happening here, Shena? Lord Zeno? Did those brats cause the commotion? Knights, take them away!" Sabina felt smug as she showed everyone her dominance while fixing the problem.

"That child was poison with the foods from this event, Lady Sabina. I believe you are making the wrong call." Lord Zeno, who was inspecting the remains of the foods from the large pot, faced her with his serious-looking face. She disliked the way his emerald eyes shone with brilliance as if taunting her with what she lacked.

"How dare you accuse my event of food poisoning? This is a sponsored event of my beloved Prince Lauren!" The weight of her words as she proudly declared the first prince's connection to this alleged poisoning was later on realized when Sabina saw the ghost of a smile in Lord Zeno's face as if he was waiting for those words all along.

I have been tricked! But her words could no be retracted anymore. Her palms were drenched with sweat as she clenched them. Biting the inside of her cheeks, Sabina looked frantic much to the young lord's interest.

The whispers and the distrusting looks from the masses whipped around Sabina as she struggled to maintain her composure. Shena looked worried but could not butt in due to her status.

Opening her mouth to say something, the shrilled voice of the commoners buried her voice. Startled and infuriated, Sabina looked behind her only to stagger backward as she saw one by one the commoners started to lose consciousness. "Marchioness Susana!" Looking at the Marchioness's tent, she saw that the commoners in her side were also in the same state as hers.

Facing Lord Zeno, Sabina's face filled with dread. Closing the distance between her and the young lord, Sabina gripped both of his arms rather tightly. "What is happening? I didn't know about this! This is not my fault! You know that, right? All I did was distributing the foods for those scums!"

Lord Zeno saw how her eyes lost their focus as she panicked. He pried her hands away from him as he remembered the way Victoria Rozenreff walked on the pavement with glass shards piercing her soles. He wanted to see the latter lose, but he never wanted her in pain. Lord Zeno only wanted her to recognize him as someone worth remembering, as the man who defeated her. But the noble faction and his sister planned heinous things against Victoria Rozenreff. And the lady in front of him was one of the major reasons why that incident happened.

He leaned to her right ear, whispering threatening words that turned her into as white as parchment. "You planned this event, right? Even though the first prince did not sponsor this one, you bragged about his involvement. What will happen to you once Prince Lauren learned how you ruined his reputation?"

Glancing at her fear-stricken face, Lord Zeno continued, clearly enjoying her reaction. "Even if the second prince is still locked up in the prison, you do realize that the Hunt for the Elysian crown is still ongoing, right?"

Shena caught Sabina as the latter almost collapsed when Lord Zeno walked away from her. Who dared poison the foods here? Victoria's cunning smile flashed in her mind. That sly wench!

"Set me an appointment with the Monakre Kingdom's crown prince, Shena. It is time to have a little chat with my vagabond sister."

"As you wish, my lady."

They both turned away from the growing commotion when a royal knight stopped them. "What is the meaning of this?" Sabina's voice rose into an octave, she needed to talk with that wench! No one is allowed to stop me! How dare these lowly knights!

"I am sorry, Lady Sabina. But I have to detain all the nobles involved here per the law of the empire."

Pointing her finger at the knights while her body shook with rage, Sabina exclaimed. "Don't you recognize who I am? Better be prepared when Duke Luwen Rozenreff will hear about this, you scums!"

Her angry wailing died down when the sinister icy voice of Prince Lauren alerted her, rendering Sabina immobile before slowly turning to the person at her back. "You must follow the laws, Lady Sabina Rozenreff."

"Your highness," said Sabrina in a frantic manner while curtsying to the first prince.

Sabina could taste the blood on her taste buds as he bit her cheeks from the inside rather harshly from the growing stress that was threatening to burst. She could not look at him in the eye especially that she felt his heated stare. She was still looking at the ground while chaos continued to ensue upon them, but for Sabina, her world became eerily silent as he crossed their distance.

She felt happy that he was smiling when she dared looked into his face only to be shoved back when she heard the words that he whispered. Though with his charming smile that he fell for, his intent on his words shook Sabina's very core, "You love me, right? Then be a good girl and clean this mess even if that means you will perish instead of me, my beloved Sabrina."

He kissed her cheeks before hugging her.

Sabina felt cold. She felt abandoned by the one person she thought who loved her. Remembering everything, Sabina bit her lips to stop herself from causing more trouble.

"Well then, guide Lady Sabina to the investigation unit. Lord Zeno is the one foreseeing it." Prince Lauren commanded the knights who were watching the entire ordeal, before leaving.

Absentmindedly, Sabina followed Shena as the latter guided her to where the knights were taking her. Her eyes were blank and her steps were lifeless as if her mind was lingering elsewhere.

Why did Prince Lauren abandon me? I did everything he asked me! I conspired against Victoria. I fooled my guilt-stricken father. And I danced willingly on her palms! Just why!

IN THE shadows of the Back Alley, a wicked smile from ruby-red lips formed. Though covered with a hooded coat, Tori watched her second game plan commenced.

"Are you done watching your sister crumble, Tori?" Crown Prince Allistair's annoying voice made her turn. His soured mood could not erase her sunny disposition.

"Not yet."

The childlike prince groaned. "But Tessa is there already."

Oh, is she now?