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Arc 3: The Case of the Commandery Princess and the Prime Minister’s Narrow Escape Chapter 10 Five years was a lifetime that passed by in a wave of burning ambition. For the Basileus, his young Basilinna, and Gesi Ajai, who worked at collecting money using the acquired Sura Clan workshops like a sandstorm devouring the landscape. His daughter, Naeri, now a Commandery Princess, turned into a desperate wife in the Maenaer residence that belonged to her husband. Faced with a cold husband a

9 On Sura Island, at the foot of Mount Sura, Azula sat in his boat in the middle of the lake, staring at the letter delivered by Vandra, Teba Inn’s manager in the port city. He was the only one willing to show them kindness and sent them messages by pigeon. Magnus claimed that Vandra owed him a favor for saving his daughter from a bandit, so their ties could not be easily severed. Still, they had to be careful not to place Vandra’s livelihood in danger, so they would not rely on him too hea

8 Raithion watched Haedor seal the gates of the Doriel Manor. His trusted legion officers had searched it thoroughly, making sure no one was inside. They left everything untouched, even the food was as just as Azula’s family had left it. Haedor supervised the officers nailing the gates shut and then painted the new Draeya Commandery Prince seal on the gates. A white lion’s head with the name Maener under it. Raithion stared at it with mixed feelings. The first time his father told him abo

- Dante: One of the main characters, father of Zach and April. He is the son of Nora and Christophe Arturo, and Landi is his great-grandfather and grandmaster. Dante is a blood-born fire warlock and the master of Artri House. He has a history of past lives with Tani Ryuzo. •Nora Arturo: Dante's mother, grandmother of Zach and April. She is married to Christophe Arturo and is the matriarch of Artri House. Nora is knowledgeable about fire magik and runs a side hustle where she sells artifacts

Chapter Twenty-Five Dante lay on the bed where Tani had left him. Kinon stood on the right side of the bed, while Amu stood on the left. Sahdrina stood at the foot of the bed. Together, they held up a barrier to keep the fire magik from leaking from Dante, flooding the room, and spilling into the rest of the house. Cale sat in an armchair by the door, his gaze fixed on Dante. “When do you think he’ll wake up?” Cale asked. “When nature is done with him,” Kinon said softly. “His fir

Chapter Twenty-Four Seeing Dante in pain made Tani forget he could have used a simple teleport to get him onto the living room couch. He only realized it once Nora, Kinon, and he had laid Dante there and made sure he was comfortable. Nora brought a pair of scissors and cut away the sleeve of Dante’s T-shirt. Tani gasped at the sight of the kara ot crystals squirming beneath Dante’s skin, forming a disturbing black scar—like ink poured under his flesh—that snaked along his right arm.

Chapter Twenty-Three Zal charged forward, every muscle burning with the relentless determination forged from years of pain, sacrifice, and desperation. He had poured his heart, soul, and sanity into transcending the cruel limits of his bloodline, molding power from the merciless dark. He gripped his black crystal sword until his knuckles whitened, the blade humming fiercely with the corrosive fury he had so painstakingly harnessed. Anit stood unarmed, save for deceptively fragile vines

Chapter Twent-Two Nora Arturo was at a loss for words. She had arrived home at five in the evening, returning from a visit with her best friend in town, only to find Artri House trembling. Upon stepping inside, the house seemed to guide her straight to the kitchen and out through the open back door. In the backyard, she discovered three visitors lounging on her garden benches. The trio stood as soon as they saw her, and she could scarcely fathom the shock that seized her. She never wou

Chapter Twenty-One Tani frowned at his elder bushes. He was beginning to realize the futility of trying to keep them trimmed, given the numerous ekho creatures that visited his home. With a scoff, he turned around and found Sunu—his father—standing in the middle of the library, staring up at the mural on the ceiling. “Cale’s painting skills have improved,” Sunu said. “He has quite the memory; this mural is remarkably accurate.” “He restored it a few weeks ago,” Amu said, coming cl

Chapter Twenty Tani signed the documents his lawyers needed after listing his assets and deciding who got what. Now that his calamity was coming to an end, as Dante had said, he had to start thinking about the future. He would leave the residence to Hera and her descendants, while Tom would look after the fortress with Uncle Amu’s help. Tani was rereading the last page after signing when a wave of distress from Dante hit him—fear, really, which was strange, because Dante was exceptiona

The penguin man held out his hand in agreement, and said, "Deal." Jason took the offered hand with a pleased grin. "I'm Jason." "Adam," the penguin man said. "So, what are capybaras and why do you wanna find them?"

Chapter Nineteen It was raining when Tani and Dante went to bed at the cottage on Thursday. Tani had spent most of the afternoon reinforcing the barrier around the orchard to keep mortals out. The apples growing on the trees were not easy to consume, which was why he gave them to Selene. She knew where to sell them, and there were those who needed them. Dante moved to cover them with the sheets, but Tani stopped him. “Close your eyes,” Tani said, moving Dante’s hand away from the cov

Chapter Eighteen Tani gasped, tears flooding his eyes when a well that had run empty for centuries filled with everything—everything. Dante’s fire flooded into the missing half of Tani’s soul, sealing the emptiness and restoring what Tani had once given away, making him whole again. The power locked away inside Tani broke the boundaries of the cuffs, and he tightened his arms around Dante as it flooded his veins with the force of a jet engine. Tani grunted softly, feeling like he might

Arc 2: The Case of the Belladonna Poisoned Palace Maid Ch 7 Raithion watched the Sura ship disappear on the horizon, and a soft sigh escaped. He wished for the millionth time that he and Azula had a better ending. There was a harrowing rawness to their separation that left him filled with anger. He wanted to return to the capital city and defy his father and the Basileus. He would clear the Sura Clan and hope to see Azula’s cheerful smile again. But, he could not do that, not with hi

Chapter Three – Lunch with His Beloved Eighth Sister “Noona,” Jae said, studying his sister. They were at Restaurant Blue, and the chef was already working hard on their orders. The manager chose to sit them in a private dining room with a round table. So Jin sat next to Jae, with Andre to her immediate left. His sister looked out of sorts. Jae wondered if something had happened at home that made her look for him during her lunch hour. “Noona?” Jae waved his hand in front