The Princess' Harem
Chapter 33: The Culprit

Chapter 33: The Culprit

They were all ushered into a section of the dilapidated manor, with the knights forced to sit on the floor, their hands bound tightly.

Viana and her maid, Sina, were made to sit on a dusty old sofa. Sina, noticing the dirt, instinctively moved to clean it, but the Princess stopped her.

When Sina turned to look at her, Viana simply shook her head, then sat calmly and upright on the sofa.

And so, everyone sat quietly, including the knights.

Reyes and Joel glanced occasionally at the Princess, who had been sitting still, her gaze fixed elegantly forward.

Seeing her calm demeanor, Joel and Reyes breathed a sigh of relief. This ambush had been anticipated by Prince Rayne, and through Lysandra, the two of them had been instructed not to resist and to allow themselves to be captured.

And so, they carefully crafted a plan involving the Princess, Joel, Reyes, and a select group of trusted knights.

A group of armed guards kept a close watch on the captives, their eyes monitoring every movement.

Unbeknownst to the guards, Joel’s hands, bound behind his back, worked skillfully to loosen his restraints. He remained seated, his back nearly touching the wall, feigning compliance.

Suddenly, the manor’s entrance swung open, drawing everyone’s attention. Several individuals dressed in extravagant attire, complete with swords at their sides, entered, escorting a handsome young man with blonde hair and striking violet eyes.

Viana turned her gaze toward the entrance, instantly recognizing the young man. She hadn’t expected him to be the mastermind behind her abduction.

When the young man stood before her, she hissed, "Prince Arin."

The young man, revealed to be Prince Rayne’s half-brother, chuckled at her reaction. He then grabbed a chair near the dusty sofa where the Princess sat and positioned himself in front of her.

Viana squinted her eyes, staring at him as he now sat cross-legged with his arms crossed, gazing at the Princess with a condescending look.

"Surprised to see me, Princess? You shouldn’t be," asked Prince Arin, smirking as he looked at her.

Still squinting, Viana replied, "So you’re the one behind all this? You’re leading the kidnappings and the slave trade? Especially involving the Elysia Kingdom?"

Prince Arin chuckled again and retorted, "Who else did you think it was? I thought the Crown Princess of Elysia was someone who loved to indulge in luxury, but it seems you enjoy meddling in others’ affairs instead."

Viana hissed, her face still calm, but a flush of red was visible on her cheeks, showing her anger. "I underestimated you, Prince Arin, but I never thought you would sink to this level."

Prince Arin’s eyes widened briefly in mock surprise at her words. He uncrossed his legs, leaned forward, and said, "Low? Oh, Viana, that’s a harsh word. I prefer to call it ambition."

"Ambition for what?" she asked sharply.

"Do you think armies appear out of thin air? Wealth like this doesn’t just fall into my hands," Prince Arin said, a smirk appearing on his face.

Viana glared at him and said, "At the cost of innocent lives, Arin? You are exploiting them, treating people like mere objects to be sold. What kind of ruler sacrifices his own people for a selfish pursuit of power?"

Prince Arin’s eyes widened again at Viana’s words. He stood up and walked toward her, saying, "Ruler? Not yet. But soon. Very soon. And don’t lecture me about sacrifice. Everything in this world comes with a price, Princess, even your precious loyalty to Rayne."

Viana stared at the young man before her with a look of disgust, then replied in a cold tone, "If you think enslaving innocents and building an army in the shadows will earn you the throne, you’re delusional. Prince Rayne will not be defeated by someone like you."

Prince Arin chuckled at the Princess’s words, then stood very close to her as she sat, leaning his body forward until his face was just inches away from hers.

"You know, everyone says you’re a pretty but foolish princess, but the truth is, you’re far too clever," he said, brushing his finger along Viana’s cheek. "If you are willing to become the second most powerful person in the Empire after me, I might consider it."

Viana turned her face away in disgust. "You seem so sure of your victory, Arin. But remember this, empires built on betrayal and blood never stand for long."

Prince Arin narrowed his eyes, then the hand that had brushed her cheek grabbed her chin, gripping it firmly and forcing her to look directly at him.

Shocked by the treatment, Viana let out a small gasp, but her eyes eventually met Arin’s as he stared intensely into hers.

"We’ll see about that, Princess. For now, enjoy the hospitality of my domain. It might be your last chance to feel royal comfort before the fall."

Sina trembled with fear, watching the heated exchange between the royals of two different nations. However, upon seeing Prince Arin’s harsh treatment of her Princess, she instinctively moved as if to leap toward her to protect her.

But suddenly, one of the knights sitting on the floor spoke up, "Do you really think it’ll be that easy for you to seize power when you’ve already made such a fatal mistake like this, Arin?"

Everyone suddenly turned their attention to the knight who had spoken, including Prince Arin, who then released his grip on Viana’s chin.

Sina quickly rushed to the Princess, who was holding her chin, still sore from the Prince’s earlier grip.

"That voice..." Prince Arin murmured, then signaled to his guards to bring forward the one who had spoken moments earlier.

Several of his men immediately drew their swords and started walking toward the captives, but suddenly, someone at the very back stood up.

This person was wearing a hood and a face covering, but beneath it, he wore the uniform of Elysia’s Elite Forces.

Then, he removed his hood and face covering, leaving everyone in the room stunned.

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