Sandworth advanced a step toward the steps leading to the throne, his face hardening into a grim mask.

The woman’s brow furrowed slightly. “What is it?”

“This matter is of grave importance and will have far-reaching consequences for the Empire. As Regent, I must advise Your Majesty, and I beg your pardon if I overstep.” Sandworth’s gaze fixed upon the woman, sharp and predatory, as if the roles between them had suddenly reversed.

The woman’s body gave a subtle tremor; she seemed to know what Sandworth was about to bring up, her hand tightening stealthily beneath the folds of her robe.

Fortunately, the throne had been used by generations of emperors, imbued with the very authority of a Fourth-Level sovereign, creating a psychic field. Even Sandworth, a peak Fourth-Level existence, could not perceive her subtle reaction.

“Regent, speak plainly. If it truly benefits the Empire, why would I take offense?” the woman said.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Sanddqing bowed slightly before straightening. “I speak of the continuation of the Imperial bloodline.”

A chill shot through the woman’s heart, and her fist clenched tighter. Yet, her voice remained level. “The continuation of the Imperial bloodline is a private matter for the Imperial House. It is none of the Regent’s concern. Given your position—”

“Your Majesty is mistaken!” Sandworth cut across her sharply, ascending another step. “Only through the continuation of the Imperial line can the true human race endure! The Great Calamity ten millennia ago made this perfectly clear. Ensuring the perpetual legacy of the Imperial blood is the shared duty of both the Imperial and Noble houses. How can I, as Regent of the Empire, claim this is unrelated? And Your Majesty, as the last direct descendant of the Imperial House, is duty-bound to bear the responsibility of continuing the line. My proposal is merely the execution of my sworn duty.”

The woman countered, “I cannot evade the responsibility of continuing the Imperial bloodline, but it is far too early to press the issue now. Many of our ancestors did not father offspring until after they reached one hundred years of age.”

“But they did not ascend to the throne as young as Your Majesty!” Sandworth retorted fiercely. “If the late Emperor were still alive, and Your Majesty remained a Princess, the nobles would not object to a marriage and progeny after your hundredth year, for you and the Second Princess would still sit as heirs apparent. But now, with the late Emperor deceased and Your Majesty reigning, there is no heir apparent. Forgive my bluntness, but what if an accident were to befall Your Majesty?”

The woman fell silent.

Sandworth moved another step closer, pressing his advantage. “Your Majesty, the late Emperor passed nearly ten years ago. A decade without an heir apparent is unheard of in Imperial history. Ten years ago, I proposed Your Majesty marry swiftly, but the Empress Dowager delayed, citing your youth. Now, three months remain until the Emperor’s Tenth Death Rites. When shall Your Majesty hold the grand marriage? Should you not provide a definitive date?”

As he spoke, he continued his ascent toward the throne, bypassing the two lower chairs and climbing higher. The authority condensed upon the throne pressed down on him like a tangible force, causing ripples across the fabric of his robes. Yet, Sandworth moved like a small craft navigating a swift current—not a rudderless vessel, but a great ship—and the minor turbulence could not halt his ascent.

The closer he drew to the throne, the more his spirit began to pierce the psychic field, perceiving the tension beneath the woman’s composed facade. A cold smirk touched his lips.

“Regent, step down!” The woman felt Sandworth’s aura pressing down upon her, treating her as though she were already a lamb destined for slaughter. Fury surged within her.

“Halt!” A regal, commanding voice stopped Sandworth in his tracks. A dignified, magnificent noblewoman emerged from the door behind the throne. “Mother!” the woman cried out.

“Empress Dowager.” Sandworth’s expression soured, yet he managed a low bow.

The noblewoman moved to the woman’s side. She appeared to be in her mid-thirties, standing beside the woman like an elder sister, yet possessing a more mature bearing. Her face was stern as she looked down at Sandworth, placing a hand upon her daughter’s right shoulder.

“Regent, you have exceeded the bounds of your authority. Do you believe that because we are two women, we are easy targets? Are you attempting a coup?” the noblewoman pointed at Sandworth and spoke with sharp intensity.

“I dare not.” Sandworth, unwilling to give them grounds for accusation, retreated two steps, stopping on the landing where the left chair rested. The right chair was one step higher than the left.

“The matter of the Empire’s bloodline continuation is for the Imperial House to resolve. With me, the Empress Dowager, here, it is not your place to dictate,” the noblewoman declared, her delicate eyebrows drawn in fury.

Sandworth’s eyes flashed with cold light upon hearing this.

“Regent, withdraw. We shall discuss this another time.” The woman seized the moment before Sandworth could object and issued the dismissal.

Sandworth glanced at the noblewoman, then at the woman on the throne, a chilling smile playing on his lips. “Since Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager have other plans—and it is not a matter of days, after all—I shall seek an audience another time.” With a slight bow, he turned and descended the steps.

The mother and daughter—

“Oh, yes,” Sandworth said, pausing halfway down and looking back. “Empress Dowager, the Little Princess has been missing for ten years. Is there any news of her? If Your Majesty bears no sons, the Little Princess is the only one with the qualification to be heir apparent. If she could be found, the issue of the bloodline continuation could be postponed indefinitely.”

“There is none,” the woman replied coolly.

“Then there is nothing to be done. With the status of the Little Princess, if she were within the Empire, the Sea of Force would surely pinpoint her location. Since she is not, it means she is outside Imperial territory—either in the Hunter’s Arm or the Perseus Arm. Coincidentally, I am planning an expedition to subdue the Fifteen Clans of the Perseus Arm. I shall search for her along the way. Perhaps I can bring the Little Princess back, reuniting the Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, and the Little Princess! Hahahaha!”

With that, Sandworth lingered no longer. He laughed heartily as he strode out of the great hall.

Once his shadow vanished, the noblewoman and the woman on the throne visibly relaxed, as if a great weight had been lifted, though the younger woman’s expression remained tinged with worry.

The noblewoman placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder. “Elise, be brave. Do not let his arrogance crush you. Sandworth, that old viper, poisoned your father ten years ago and now covets my daughter. He shall not have her! I would sooner give my own life than let him touch a single hair on your head!”

The woman suddenly embraced the noblewoman, burying her head in her chest. “Mother, Sandworth is going to search for Sophie! My heart is in turmoil. What if he finds her? I had Cicely take Sophie and flee. Sandworth’s men never caught them, which means she successfully escaped beyond Imperial borders. Now, if Sandworth goes to the Perseus Arm, and Sophie happens to be there amidst the chaos… I am truly terrified.”

The noblewoman cupped her daughter’s face. “Sophie is your sister, and she is my daughter, too. I worry for her safety, but worrying here achieves nothing. You have done wonderfully these past years, haven’t you? You used the power of the Sea of Force to suppress perception throughout the entire Empire, shielding Sophie from Sandworth and other ill-intentioned individuals. That is protection, is it not?”

The woman nodded, her emotions slightly stabilizing. She managed a weak smile. “Yes, me being here is the best help for Sophie, Mother. Do you know, sometimes I miss her terribly? I wonder what that little thing has grown into now? Oh, her tenth birthday is in a few days, isn’t it?”

The noblewoman smiled faintly, a trace of warmth touching her features.

Sadness clouded the woman’s eyes again. “Cicely must know her birthday; she will surely celebrate with her. I truly wish I could be there. I want to know where she is, if she is happy.”

“No!” The noblewoman’s expression shifted drastically. “You must remember, you absolutely cannot seek knowledge of your sister’s whereabouts. You have inherited the Sea of Force from your father for less than ten years and have not yet gained full mastery. If the Sea of Force reacts to your desire to find Sophie and actually locates her, that would truly harm her.”

“Sandworth is an Elder in the Elder Council of the Concubine Clan and possesses partial access privileges to the Sea of Force. While his access is limited, his understanding of it far surpasses yours. He cannot sense Sophie because you have sealed the perception across the Empire. But if you use the Sea of Force to find Sophie, he can leverage his connection to the Sea to gain intel about her.”

“The only reason he has not moved against us, mother and daughter, is because he cannot locate Sophie. If he kills you, the Sea of Force, following succession rules, will automatically search for Sophie as the next inheritor, and Sophie is not under his control—he dares not take that risk. But if he captures Sophie, the three of us will be finished. His options will multiply, and we will be entirely at his mercy.”

The woman gasped, instantly grasping the consequence. “I am sorry, Mother. I was wrong.”

The noblewoman sighed, reaching out to stroke her hair. “Elise, you’ve carried too much. Think of yourself ten years ago, only seventeen, suddenly burdened with such heavy responsibility. It must have been agonizing.”

The woman grasped her mother’s hand softly. “Mother, you too. Do not grieve too deeply. Seeing you so sad only makes me feel worse.”

The noblewoman’s smile bloomed once more, filled with gratification. “My girl, you are already a Fourth-Level entity, yet you still act so spoiled.”

“Mother,” the woman leaned back into her embrace.

“Elise, trust me. Sophie is alive and well, and happy. Stop dwelling on darkness,” the noblewoman advised gently.

“How do you know, Mother?” the woman looked up.

“Heh. Stop dwelling on her location. Just ask your own heart—what is your heart telling you?” the noblewoman guided her.

The woman placed a hand over her heart, pausing for a long moment before smiling. “She is alive, living well, and happy.”