Chapter 160 Marley

Pablo stood with his hands behind his back, his expression heavy. “Why do you ask, Princess?”

“I can sense it–something happened to Oliver, hasn’t it?” Princess Aveline inquired.

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She knew exactly what kind of duties Oliver had been assigned, where he had gone. Doug had rushed off to Zloimond a few days ago, and since then, there had been no news from Oliver. Even at the North Camp, there had been increased military activity–intensive drills. The only logical explanation was that the court was planning some sort of operation against Zloimond,

With external threats just starting to ease, the King was certainly reluctant to risk civil war. If it weren’t urgent, no one would dare speak of war so lightly. Something had to have happened–otherwise, Doug wouldn’t have been sent to Zloimond.

And there was another point: Pablo truly admired Isolde, and he genuinely regarded Oliver as his own son. When someone had suggested that Oliver marry Isolde, Pablo had hesitated.

Princess Aveline, always sharper than most, had noticed his pause. Even the Queen Mother had once praised her keen intelligence, which was why she had been granted the title of Princess despite her commoner background and had risen through the ranks of the court.

Pablo sighed deeply, his brow furrowed in concern. “It seems nothing escapes the Princess’s attention. You are right. Something has happened to Oliver.”

“What happened?” Princess Aveline held her breath, her heart racing.

Pablo, standing beneath a flowering Judas tree, felt the yellow leaves flutter down onto his shoulder. He gently brushed them away before speaking again, his voice heavy. “Do you remember many years ago, when the Argentum River embankment collapsed and a great flood followed? You used sulfur and saltpeter to make gunpowder, and the Prince Regent took your explosives to destroy the lower dam to divert the floodwaters. That event shocked the kingdom, and you were honored by the Queen Mother with the title of Princess Aveline. Do you remember?”

Princess Aveline nodded, her eyes clear with the memory. “I remember well. The details of that day are vivid in my mind.”

Pablo nodded gravely. “It was after that, you see. The knowledge of gunpowder didn’t end with fireworks. Some people learned to replicate your methods and stockpiled it, planning to incite rebellion. The King received confidential reports and sent Oliver to Zloimond to investigate the weapons cache. He found it, but he was betrayed by an insider. Oliver had no choice but to act swiftly and destroy the weapon storage. The cache was destroyed, but Oliver didn’t come out.”

Princess Aveline’s body went cold. “Pablo, are you saying… Oliver sacrificed himself?”

find Oliver’s body. Only Darien came back with his life,

no one knows what happened?” Princess Aveline felt a deep ache in her chest. How could this be? How could Oliver be lost without

had advised. But unfortunately, the news leaked, and Oliver and his team were surrounded and attacked. They

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Fri, 14 Mar

Chapter 160 Marley

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knew exactly the power of gunpowder–even rudimentary gunpowder, if crafted with the precision she had once

his voice tight with emotion. I beg

tears as she nodded. “I

The external threats had only just subsided. The army was exhausted, foo supplies were running low. If word got out that there was internal unrest, another foreign attack could crush the Eryndral Empire before they even

to the idea of Isolde marrying Oliver,” Princess Aveline murmured. “It’s a shame. These two children would

in the yard, wearing a grey gown, her hair streaked with grey. She was sewing shoes, using long, thick needles and fine silk thread. Her hands were nimble, moving with the grace of a butterfly

Her eyes were calm, and her face wore a serene expression. Upon seeing Isolde, she smiled and said, “Mrs. Langley, the shoes will be ready soon. How are you today?”

but she called Isolde “Mrs. Langley,” which indicated

Ryker in shock. “You said she can’t speak?”

seen her several times, and they say she was poisoned— poisoned to the point of losing her voice. She hasn’t spoken a word since I brought her back. If you don’t believe me, I can call the doctor to

weathered lines on Marley’s face, her features were gentle, and there was no sign of disarray in her

Isolde called, her voice full of emotion and complexity. The woman before her had served Prunella for many years and knew everything about her.

at her. “Mrs. Langley, has Geoffrey still not come back?

at Marley. She could see that Marley had been well taken care of—her hair smooth and neat, her complexion rosy and healthy.

at Isolde with a fond smile.

chuckled softly, “You’re not old

be born, and you will be very happy,” Marley said,

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