NOW, IN FRONT of Rowan, Crown Prince Yei Lin, and Allistair, Tori shredded every ounce of pretension she had. Gone was the loving smile she always for as a façade to her raging emotions. Walking back toward the two princes, not minding the way they looked at her, Tori stopped a meter away from them. She took the hood off to show her face without obstruction. She needed to be clear in conveying her honest reason.

Here goes nothing. I only have just connected the points of the incident before, but this theory of mine proved to be correct after all when Lady M provided me the information from that incident which resulted in Allistair being separated from his family at a young age.

"I'm going to ask you this, Crown Prince Yei Lin, the moment after the mourning of Prince Allistair who was believed to be dead. Who came and reach out their hands for you?"

Not waiting for the crown prince to reply, Tori turned to Allistair. "At the time before you were abducted, do you remember which faction the Kingdom of Monakre was supporting in the empire? You did, did you not?"

Understanding and realization dawned upon the two, but the crown prince shook his head as if telling Tori that what she said was absurd. "What are you trying to say?"

"Do you want me to spell it out for you? I rather doubt the rumors of your astounding intelligence." Tori threw off the same statement that he used towards her the other day at his office. His face creased with disdain. Not minding the obvious contempt from the crown prince, Tori continued"Well then, the Kingdom of Monakre is a port country, they hold the biggest shipping companies and the largest port city that connected the empire to the commercial country, Ming country. The friendship between the previous kings of the two countries which is passed down to the two of you made the two countries as invincible as the Eckrett Empire. However, the obvious friendship of Monakre's royalty to the aristocratic faction posed a great threat to the noble faction. They could not afford to let the Kingdom of Monakre take the side of Prince Corean, who is from the aristocratic faction because if they do, the Ming country will follow to support the second prince. The moment that the two young princes visited the Eckrett Empire, a group of vagabonds caused that incident before reaching the borders of the empire, which makes the latter one not responsible for the young prince's demise. After the young prince of Ming country mourned for his beloved friend, the noble faction's Prince Lauren offered you his hand. Prince Lauren was the one who told you that the lost prince Allistair might be alive. And let me guess, he made you a promise, that if he becomes king, then he will let you search for the missing prince freely in the Empire and he will also lend you a hand in the search. He said that, didn't he?"

The shock written on their faces almost made Tori cackle.

Underestimating me and then becoming astonished later on is a tiring cycle already.

"What she said, is it true Yei Lin?" Allistair practically growled his words.

His rabid behavior from being a slave for many years will be a challenge to tame, but there will always be rebellious ones in a group of pets.

It took the crown prince a good minute before responding, "I heard about the Kingdom of Monakre's support to the aristocratic faction, but since you were gone, the royal family mourned for you longer than anyone else. Prince Lauren told me that a sighting of a slave with the same features as you happened in the Eckrett Empire, so I told your father. Now, the two ironclad countries support the noble faction of the empire."

Allistair staggered, "I suffered all those years just for some sick power struggle?"

Tori was quite shocked to watch the proud crown prince shed a tear. She did not know what that was for if that was for sympathy for his friend's fate or was it for being fooled by the first prince and the scheme of the noble faction. As I observed the noble faction, the way Marquess Zoliel always seeks the aid of Duke Rozenreff, I can safely deduce that my so-called father is the brain of the noble faction.

"I can help you. I can help you take your justice if that's what you want to call it."Tori stared directly into their angry eyes. "If it is justice that you wish, then it is justice that you shall get. After all, we will benefit each other."

Crown Prince Yei Lin's doubtful eyes scanned her. "You're the heir apparent of Duke Luwen Rozenreff, who's a member of the noble faction. Now tell me why should I trust you when the very blood in your veins runs the same blood as the people who betrayed us?"

Blood-related, yes. But there's nothing more that binds us. "A child can't choose her parents. But the rarest of beasts devour even their offspring. That's my father. You cursed the goddess for enduring the fate of being used. We share the same sentiments, your highnesses. As we speak, my father and my half-sister are in cahoots with the noble faction. I may be the heir apparent in the public, but the moment we come of age, my sister will snatch that right to claim the Duchy. Every day I wonder when I will die when my father will abandon me, or when will fate turns her back on me. But I won't let some people or deities dictate my present and my future. You might not know this, but I am the newest member of the aristocratic faction. And I will do everything just to stay alive, even if that means I will destroy my father who condemns you two to suffer. Now tell me, Crown Prince Yei Lin, am I required to walk the same path with my kin?"

"You talk as if you will die in the future," Allistair replied after observing Tori's hate-filled eyes that glistened in her red eyes.

Oh, trust me. I will die in this wretched plot, but hell will freeze over before I will let history repeats itself.

"Death only waits for those who lose the inheritance to the title, a tragic faith shared by siblings. Lucky are those who were born as an only child."

The crown prince butted in, fully grasping the situation. "Your father was the one who did that. No, more on he helped in planning it. Duke Luwen Rozenreff is too cunning to dirty his hands."

"You do realize that if we aim for your father, the historical Rozenreff Duchy will surely perish. No one can withstand the wrath of the Monakre Kingdom's royal family."

Wickedly smiling at them. Tori replied, "Who says about destroying the Duchy? You are way too straightforward, your highness Allistair. Should you do that, you will give the noble faction, no, even the royal family of Eckrett Empire the right to destroy your kingdom. The Duchy might be no match for you, but the Empire's stronghold is something that the world fears."

"Then let us destroy the members of the noble faction one by one by underhanded means!" Allistair's fury erased the reason behind his words but the crown prince did not, which made Tori approve of his collectedness even when he's fuming mad.

"You can't. They will suspect the aristocratic faction."

"The hell I care about politics! They robbed me of my freedom! I will destroy them if I see fit!"

"You need to calm down, Alice."

"The hell I will! If I can't destroy them upfront, I will start by killing her!" Allistair pointed at her, which made Rowan shield his body in front of her. But Tori did not even blink.

Instead, she replied in a bored tone.

I am so fed up with your bullshit Allistair. Try to act regally than a common vagabond.

"You can't quench a wildfire with fire, your highness. Even if you parade my head in front of my estate, you are just doing them the favor. To win this, you need to start a war using power and connections. That's the only thing that could shake them and defeat them, especially that the king favors the noble faction more."

Finally, Allistair became silent after realizing the weight of their situation. The crown prince snapped his attention back to Tori, who's now behind the calm yet alert, Rowan. "You know very well, Lady Victoria, that we can't partake in politics in the empire."

Ooh, so now you're calling me by my name, huh? What change, Yei Lin?

"Oh yes you can, your highness. You can proclaim your support to the aristocratic faction, specifically; you can publicly acknowledge Prince Corean as the future king you wish to be on the throne."

With this, the connection that the second prince made will be too much to ignore for the king. This will balance the scale of power between Prince Lauren and Prince Corean. Then, the second prince can partake in the Hunt for the Elysian Crown with ease.

"You support the aristocratic faction, I see."

"I told you, didn't I? I am a member of the aristocratic faction."

Allistair replied for the first time after calming himself. "You can betray your family without even blinking with conscience, how sure can we be that you won't do that to us?"

"I see that your trust issues are rooted in your awful experience, but you are barking at the wrong tree, your highness. After all, how can I bite the hands that will help me become the Queen Regent someday?"

The silence that engulfed them after the incoming steps of someone broke her declaration. Just as the darkness unveiled the person, Tori's smile faltered. "Prince Corean, what are you doing here?"

"I was here the whole time. I asked Lord Tofera to do so. Though I hope it won't offend all of you. Let me properly introduce myself. I'm the second prince of the Eckrett Empire, Prince Corean Shuia Eckrett."

Tori finally composed herself and introduced her companions. "Blessings to the Empire's star, Prince Corean. These are Crown Prince Yei Lin of the Ming Country and the lost prince, Prince Allistair Damon Monakre of the Kingdom of Monakre. Your highnesses, this is the leader of the aristocratic faction, Prince Corean."

"There's no need to be so formal. I am just here as a third party who simply watched Lady Tori with her endeavors, but her cute declaration made me come out... Though I do agree with Lady Tori, you can't partake in the politics here, you can show some support publicly. This would shift the tides of favor from the common folks." Prince Corean's light aura contrasts with Tori's manipulative stance.

Tori spoke in a no-bullshit tone. After all, this would be her first and last chance to convince the two princes"By supporting the second prince, I can freely move to destroy the noble faction. And I will start it with Duke Rozenreff and his chosen successor, Lady Sabina Rozenreff."

That filthy half-blood.

"I will become queen by winning the Vesta challenge while Prince Corean will become king by winning the Hunt for the Elysian Crown. With the help of the allegiance from the kings of the ironclad countries of Ming and Monakre." With this, we will start an era for villains.

Allistair nodded at Yei Lin, who later on offered their hands to Prince Corean and Tori. "I will take Alice with me to the Ming country before taking him to the Monakre Kingdom. It will take us six months before we can come back here, but when we do, we will announce our support to the second prince and you, Lady Victoria."

"We, Monakres, never break our promise. And this I swear, I will repay you both when the right time comes."

"Thank you for safely securing Alice, your highness, Lady Victoria."The two took their turn in kissing the back of her palm and shaking the second prince's hand.

"We will wait for your return." But you will return immediately.

After all, I already sent a letter to your fathers under the identity of Benefactor T. That will serve as my insurance until you come back. You may become the king in the future, but I needed the power now.