As ILYA gave the order, she sensed the atmosphere was wrong. Her face darkened as she looked toward the landing platform, where a baroque carriage-style airship was slowly descending at the entrance, trailed by two strings of bodyguard airships. Those in the Crystal Palace, seeing the carriage from afar, rushed out in a throng, their eyes—without exception—reflecting a look called "hope."

ILYA gave a cold laugh. Someone was offering her a pillow just as she was about to sleep. Queen Fia had arrived at the perfect time, saving her the trouble of marching to the Queen’s chambers.

The Queen slowly disembarked from the carriage, supported by her bodyguards.

Tormented by the poison needle, the Queen appeared much thinner than before, her cheeks sunken, her complexion deathly pale and bloodless. The suit she wore seemed too large for her frame, and the jewels adorning the world-renowned "Queen's Shoes" looked dull and lifeless.

However, none of this diminished the Queen’s inherent dignity.

Having reigned for twenty years, the Queen had long mastered the art of remaining unperturbed by fortune or disgrace. No matter the internal tempests, the Queen maintained a smile on the surface.

Reporters seemed to materialize from nowhere, swarming the Queen, thrusting microphones toward her chin, almost knocking against her teeth.

"What is the current status of the Crystal Palace?"

"Will Fia divide into numerous Legions?"

"What measures will you take to address the schism?"

"What is the root cause leading to Fia's division?"

"..."

Questions erupted one after another, surging like a tide.

The people of the Crystal Palace realized that being photographed by the press at this moment was ill-advised and hastily retreated inside.

The Queen smiled, facing all the reporters, and spoke eloquently: "The situation of division will not last long; we Fia people will not fall. Regardless of the reason for the current predicament, it is not important now. What matters is that we Fia people will work together to overcome this difficulty."

ILYA retreated back into the Crystal Palace, watching the Queen of Fia from a distance, coldly sneering as she listened.

Work together to overcome the difficulty? Heh.

Queen Fia did not keep her waiting long. Once her statement was delivered, she fell silent, merely allowing her bodyguards to clear a path as she entered the Crystal Palace.

The gates of the Crystal Palace were always open, but the reporters dared not take another step, watching helplessly as Queen Fia’s silhouette vanished within. They maintained their vigil, waiting for the next opportunity.

Once inside, the Queen removed the smiling mask from her face, revealing a trace of weariness.

Though externally she appeared to be in her early thirties, her actual skeletal age was well over sixty. Furthermore, having lain in the medical bay for half a month, the toxins in her body had not been fully purged. Compounded by the severity of Fia's fracturing, she looked far from well overall.

She gazed at the colossal Legion Crest dominating the center of the Crystal Palace, closed her eyes briefly, then reopened them, giving an order: "Summon all Elders. Meeting in one hour."

"Your Majesty, you have finally arrived; we have waited a long time for you!" A voice called out from ahead.

Queen Fia frowned, and then ILYA emerged from behind one of the grand columns in the hall, her eyes red and brimming with unshed tears that seemed perpetually on the verge of falling.

This person was indeed ILYA.

Queen Fia observed her impassively.

She still had not uncovered who administered the poison needle, but only her husband or her daughter could have done such a thing. Either way, it was a bitter blow.

ILYA was her own flesh and blood; the Queen knew her temperament inside out.

ILYA had always been stubbornly resistant to yielding since childhood, never giving up until her objective was met. This pitiable display was the first time the Queen had ever witnessed such a thing from her.

Was she frightened by the recent turn of events?

Queen Fia slowly shook her head.

ILYA approached the Queen’s side, knelt directly before her, and choked out, "Mother, I am sorry."

Queen Fia had intended to ignore her, but she was, after all, her daughter. She sighed and reached out to help her up. "What is it?"

ILYA remained kneeling, refusing to rise, her face etched with remorse, tears and snot streaming down as she wailed, "Mother, I was wrong. I will never act rashly again. If I hadn't been reckless, Fia would not be in this state."

Queen Fia sighed again. "Repentance comes too late now. We should focus on how to salvage the situation."

ILYA knelt on the floor, tilting her head up, her tear-filled eyes conveying the pain of abandonment. "Mother, you refuse to forgive me?"

Queen Fia paused, then reached out again to assist her.

Truthfully, the Queen felt that having this daughter or not made little difference. She reached out only because so many people within the Crystal Palace were watching, most of whom had close family ties. If the Queen simply turned away while her daughter knelt before her, it would chill the loyalty of those relatives.

The moment she grasped ILYA’s hand and began to pull her up, ILYA suddenly gripped her wrist in return. The Queen started in slight shock and prepared to pull away, but a faint stinging sensation registered along her radial artery.

Queen Fia looked down. Her already pale face instantly turned the color of parchment, devoid of any other hue.

—She had fallen for ILYA's trap!

ILYA used the leverage of the Queen’s hand to stand, then reached out to embrace her, whispering close to her ear, "Dearest Mother, I have good news for you: I have destroyed all of your clones."

Queen Fia’s whole body trembled, unsure if it was the lingering effect of the poison or sheer rage. She finally understood that the previous poison needle had also been administered by ILYA. But now, she wouldn't even have the chance for revenge.

ILYA’s ruthlessness far surpassed her own from years past.

She could only conclude: as expected of her own child.

The notions of blood being thicker than water were lies; the people of Fia, deep down, were driven solely by the pursuit of power.

Queen Fia pitched backward stiffly.

ILYA feigned extreme shock, crying out, "Mother, what's wrong with you? Mother!"

ILYA’s plant among the bodyguards immediately shouted, "The Queen’s old ailment has recurred!"

In the instant the Queen collapsed, she cast a faint, cold smile toward ILYA. ILYA possessed cunning, yes, but her pettiness and malice were too great; she could never hold the throne. The Queen had kept one last contingency; if ILYA killed her now, she would forfeit any chance of ascending to the seat of power...

The bodyguards rushed forward, hoisting Queen Fia into their arms and carrying her toward the medical bay within the Crystal Palace.

ILYA trailed behind, running and weeping.

ILYA was certain that Queen Fia would not open her eyes again this time. The concentration of her poison needle was a full twenty times stronger than the last, and it had been injected directly into the wrist artery. Even a great tiger would be down in half a minute, let alone Queen Fia, whose body was already half-ruined.

She followed only to ensure no last-minute complications arose.

The people of the Crystal Palace would not have another opportunity to interact with Queen Fia.

After weeping for a while, ILYA waited until the area was crowded, and when no one was paying attention to her, she decisively headed to the Queen’s office to claim her army.

As long as the armies controlled by the Queen fell into her hands, she wouldn't worry about securing her position.

ILYA ransacked the office but did not find what she sought. She rushed to the Queen's residence and searched there too, still finding nothing.

Enraged, ILYA swept everything off the executive desk onto the floor, shattering every piece of crystal she could find.

She knew the Queen possessed a specially trained private army. That was what she craved—with military backing, she could simply eliminate anyone who disagreed, swift and decisive. But now, she couldn't locate it! She couldn't find the documentation for that army, nor the command codes to mobilize it.

She was unwilling to accept this outcome!!!

ILYA searched the Queen's frequent haunts and residences back and forth for three days, nearly driving herself to mental collapse, yet finding absolutely nothing.

She sat in the Queen’s office, hating the Queen for thwarting her even in death, and hating herself for not understanding the necessity of organizing an army back then. Only by controlling the military could one truly command authority.

ILYA felt her gut twist with regret. After deep contemplation, she decided to abandon the pursuit of the army for now, allowing the people in the Crystal Palace to grope around; once they uncovered the information, she would execute a hostile takeover.

She was not one to sit idly by. If she lacked an army, she would borrow one!

She dialed KARU’s Ultra-Com, using a saccharine tone: "A'lu, where are you? Why haven't you come to see me?"

KARU replied coolly, "I am in Fihua rescuing my son. We can talk later if it's important." He hung up instantly, without waiting for ILYA’s reply.

ILYA narrowed her eyes. Fleeing under the pretext of being busy once her utility ran out? Not so easily!

ILYA decisively added KARU to her blacklist.

She refused to believe she couldn't become Queen of Fia without KARU!

Composing herself, ILYA opened the Star Map and surveyed the nearby Legions.

The first to catch her eye was the Angelic Domain. Their military strength had been growing recently, and the Legion Commander, AN JUNLIE, was a man of decisive action, unlike the soft-shelled crab that was KARU.

The image of AN JUNLIE’s perpetually serious expression flashed in her mind as she contemplated how to approach him about borrowing troops.

Borrowing an army was a double-edged sword. While possessing their troops constituted a threat to the Angelic Domain, viewed from another perspective, having the Angelic Domain’s forces inside Fia was also a threat to Fia. AN JUNLIE was a smart man; he understood the balance of interests. Even if he hesitated, she would have an opening to secure his agreement.

In her estimation, AN JUNLIE, in his late twenties and a Legion Commander, still lacked a true companion by his side and rarely generated rumors; he must be greatly unfulfilled.

If she could satisfy him...

ILYA was supremely confident. In planning this, she had already devised a strategy to detain the Angelic Domain’s army for her own use.

Having made up her mind and done her research, ILYA set off for the Angelic Domain, accompanied by her bodyguard PEI ZHE and PEI ZHE’s clone.

At the very moment she departed, AN JUNLIE was setting off for the Xilian Star System.

Lately, AN JUNLIE had been experiencing a growing sense of foreboding. He felt that ZIYE was deliberately avoiding him. He didn't yet know the reason, but he would absolutely not allow that to happen!