Chapter 165

Chapter 165

Emily smiled, her expression full of hidden meaning.

This Wedding absolutely could not be allowed to go forward.

But if Tracy had truly made up his mind to swallow this country whole, then this method was no more than drinking poison to quench thirst.

Desire was endless.

If a nation continued to decline, its destruction was only a matter of time.

Tu Nan looked toward Maria, not far away.

This was destined to be a road paved with thorns, one from which there would be no turning back.

“Oh, the King and Queen are here,” Emily suddenly said beside her.

Tu Nan looked up. The Queen supported the King as they walked toward the podium under the gaze of the entire hall.

Perhaps because he had stopped taking the medicine, the King looked much better. His face had a touch more color than before, and his voice was much stronger as well.

“Welcome, everyone, to tonight’s banquet,” he began.

The crowd in the banquet hall quieted down.

“As you all know, Maria is my only daughter. I have always been unable to put my mind at ease regarding her marriage. That was until not long ago, when Prince Tracy asked me for Maria’s hand-”

“He was so sincere that he made me believe he would certainly bring Maria happiness-”

As he spoke with emotion, tears even shimmered in his eyes.

“And so today, with all of you as witnesses, I solemnly announce that the Wedding date for Maria and Tracy is set for four days from now.”

The Queen stood beside him, smiling as she applauded.

The King beckoned to the audience below, calling Maria and Tracy onto the stage. Under everyone’s gaze, he firmly joined their hands together.

Thunderous applause broke out below, accompanied by blessings and cheers.

“How deeply moving,” Emily said as she clapped, turning her head to look at Tu Nan. “They really do look like a perfect match.”

Tu Nan tugged at the corner of her mouth and said nothing.

Only after this fine little performance ended would the true main event of the night begin.

The Maid servants carried in trays of food. After serving each dish in turn, they lowered their heads and quickly withdrew.

The King sat down and began exchanging pleasantries with Duke Charles and the others.

As the envoy’s daughter, Emily naturally could not be absent at a time like this.

“I still have some matters to attend to, so I’ll be leaving first.” Emily smiled at Tu Nan. “I’ll be staying here for a few more days. I wonder if you’ll have time to show me around.”

“Of course,” Tu Nan said, more than happy to agree. “I’ll come find you.”

“Then I’ll see you next time.” Emily nodded to her, then turned and left.

Tu Nan casually found a seat and sat down, then began searching for Nemesis.

All night, she had not seen Nemesis once.

Xu Duoyi appeared in her line of sight before Nemesis did.

Lifting the hem of her skirt, Xu Duoyi scanned the banquet hall, caught sight of Tu Nan, and quickly walked to her side. In a low voice, she said, “I sent them away.”

Tu Nan nodded. “No one saw you, right?”

Xu Duoyi shook her head. “I was very careful. Absolutely no one saw me.”

Only then did Tu Nan feel at ease.

“Have you found Nemesis?” Xu Duoyi asked. “Why haven’t I seen her?”

“I’m here,” Nemesis said.

Both of them jumped at the same time.

At some point, Nemesis had appeared behind them without making the slightest sound, as if she had materialized out of thin air.

Nemesis glanced at Xu Duoyi, her tone flat. “I heard you became the Saintess. What happened?”

“How did you know?” Xu Duoyi’s eyes widened. “It’s a long story…”
“What do you think I’ve been doing all this time?” Nemesis gave a cold snort.

Tu Nan glanced around. Fortunately, no one was paying attention to them. She lowered her voice and said to Nemesis, “The Woman sitting beside the King is the Queen.”

Nemesis looked in the Queen’s direction.

Tu Nan and Xu Duoyi exchanged a glance, both of them growing nervous despite themselves.

Although every clue they had so far pointed to the Queen, neither of them dared to be certain before Nemesis confirmed it.

Nemesis stared for a long while, her brows knitting slightly.

Tu Nan’s heart sank with a sudden thud, and an ominous feeling rose in her for no reason.

“She isn’t Aphro,” Nemesis said with certainty.

“She isn’t?” Xu Duoyi’s eyes widened. “But we really did find the Magic Mirror in her bedroom.”

“That doesn’t prove she’s Aphro,” Nemesis said expressionlessly.

She closed her eyes for a moment, unable to tell whether she felt disappointed or relieved.

“After all, nearly twenty years have passed,” Tu Nan said hesitantly. “Could Aphro have changed her appearance, so…”

“Impossible.” Nemesis’s sharp gaze swept toward her. “I’m certain. She is absolutely not Aphro. She isn’t even a Witch.”

“As for why she has the Magic Mirror…” Her voice grew even colder. “We’ll know once we catch her and ask.”

“You absolutely cannot act rashly!” Tu Nan hurriedly said. “She is the Queen, after all. We still need to plan this carefully.”

“I can’t wait any longer!” Nemesis stared fixedly at the Queen and involuntarily took a step forward. “I have a feeling she must know where Aphro is.”

A Witch’s intuition was never wrong.

Tu Nan quickly shot Xu Duoyi a look.

“Teacher, you’ve already waited so many years. Why rush at this exact moment?” Xu Duoyi immediately grabbed Nemesis and urged her, “Now really isn’t a good time. Why don’t we wait a little longer?”

With Xu Duoyi pulling her back, Nemesis regained a little clarity.

Now really was not a good time.

She frowned. “My power will recover tonight. She’s only an ordinary person…”

Her meaning was perfectly clear.

Before Tu Nan could say anything, a commotion suddenly broke out ahead of them.

“What happened?” the Queen’s urgent voice rang through the hall. “Doctor! Where is the doctor?!”

“Father, Father, what’s wrong?” Maria’s voice followed at once.

The hall instantly became noisy.

Tu Nan shot to her feet and looked toward the center of the uproar.

She was tall, and when she rose slightly onto her toes, she finally saw the expected scene through the gaps in the crowd.

The King was coughing up blood, his eyes shut tight, unconscious as he lay collapsed in the Queen’s arms.

Maria crouched beside the King, her face full of tension, tears pouring down like a string of broken pearls.

Tracy was at her side, comforting her.

On the surface, the Queen looked deeply worried, but she calmly swept a glance at Eugene. The shock on his face was unmistakable; clearly, he had no idea what had happened either.

“How could this happen?” someone in the crowd cried out.

“Why did the King suddenly cough up blood?”

“The King was getting worse and worse some time ago. Could it be…”

“Wasn’t he already getting better?”

“Quiet!”

Maria suddenly stood and shouted sternly at the crowd.