The Debt Of Fate
Chapter 118: Gentle facade

Chapter 118: Gentle facade

Four days passed with no news of Anastasia’s whereabouts. The king was furious when his knight reported that Anastasia had been kidnapped from the sea and brought straight to the royal palace. She was not mixed with other victims.

This greatly worried the king. After all, he was not willing to die, and the fact that she had escaped his grasp enraged him. "Investigate clearly what happened before they boarded the ship," the king instructed.

The Knight frown, he had investigated from when Anastasia left the palace. There did not seem to be anything suspicious but he did not dare argue with the king. He could only bow and leave.

Meanwhile, news of Anastasia’s kidnapping spread throughout the kingdom.

People reacted differently. Rosalind was deeply worried when she heard the news.

Others, however, were indifferent and treated it as mere gossip. Those in military were concern about the safety of their kingdom border and who would be punished for this mistake.

"I knew heaven had eyes," Elizabeth clapped excitedly upon hearing the news.

"Is she dead?" Elizabeth asked her mother after a moment of celebration.

"Unless those people are unaware of her identity, they would not dare to kill her. Your father said the king believes our kingdom may have spies from Gube, so everyone has been ordered to be cautious," Duchess Anita answered.

The situation did not please her in the least. She feared that those with military power would be blamed.

"Mother, why do you look worried?" Elizabeth frowned. Ever since her mother had decided to adopt Anastasia under her name, her behavior had changed.

Anastasia being held hostage was the best news Elizabeth had heard in months; since her sudden engagement to the crown prince.

"Your grandfather has been summoned to the palace. I heard the king may intend to send him north," Duchess Anita said.

"What?" Elizabeth had not expected such news. The war with Gube was fierce it seemed they had been planning it for a long time. Although she did not know the full details, there were also rumors that Anastasia had been kidnapped by spies from Gube. This was a serious issue.

After all, no matter how useless Anastasia was, she was still the wife of the crown prince. It would reflect poorly on the royal family if they allowed her to die.

Moreover, with how intense the war was, what if her grandfather died in battle? A military title was not like a dukedom that could be inherited by an heir. Although her uncle had joined the military, he was not qualified to take his father’s position. If her grandfather perished, her family’s standing among the nobility would also decline; something that would indirectly affect her.

"I knew nothing good would come from her marrying the crown prince," Elizabeth said bitterly. She felt that Anastasia had brought misfortune not only to her but to the entire kingdom. Why would she be stupid enough to get kidnapped.

"Don’t say such nonsense," Duchess Anita frowned. She felt her daughter was becoming foolish. Although she had pampered her, she had not neglected her training. How could she speak so carelessly?

Everyone in the kingdom knew that the king had approved of Anastasia’s marriage because she was believed to have a fortunate fate.

By saying that Anastasia’s marriage had brought misfortune, Elizabeth was indirectly implying that the king had made a mistake. Such a statement could be punishable by death.

"Mother..." Elizabeth felt wronged. It seemed her mother always found reasons to scold her recently.

"Why do you feel wronged? You dare to speak against the king? You are truly reckless," Duchess Anita rebuked.

Everyone knew that behind King George’s gentle facade, he was ruthless. He would never allow the daughter of a mere duke to get away with questioning him.

"Mother, I won’t say such things outside," Elizabeth quickly said, realizing that no matter what, she could never openly call Anastasia a bearer of misfortune. That would be equivalent to opposing the king himself.

Hearing this, the duchess felt relieved.

---

Royal Palace

King George sat on his throne, his gaze colder than ever. He listened to the latest war reports.

"Our soldiers have no advantage, especially with their supplies stolen. They are weak and barely holding on. I advise that His Majesty send a message to sue for peace," an advisor suggested after hearing the report from the battlefield.

"You think the people of Gube are fools? They will never agree. Besides, why should we beg them?" another advisor countered.

"Who says we are begging? I simply believe that delaying the fight by two or three days would give our soldiers time to rest and recover. Moreover, His Majesty has already sent additional supplies. They should arrive within those days, allowing our soldiers to regain the advantage in defending our land," the first advisor argued.

"Do you take the people of Gube for fools? What if they agree to peace talks on the surface but launch a surprise attack like they did before?" the second advisor challenged.

"The people of Gube will not entertain the idea of peace. Although we have managed to defend our lands, it is only because of the advantages provided by our location. If we attempt to sue for peace now, we will only confirm our weakness, and they will attack more aggressively," a military advisor interjected.

"He has a point. Our princess might even be in their hands. We cannot afford to show any weakness at this moment," another advisor added.

King George watched them argue back and forth. He did not truly care about what happened on the battlefield in the next few days. His only concern was finding Anastasia and using her for the sacrifice.

"We will not sue for peace. We gave the people of Gube a chance, and they did not appreciate it," King George finally spoke after the heated discussion had continued for a while.

The men exchanged glances, most of them agreeing with the king’s decision.

If Nixel surrendered to Gube, other kingdoms might start setting their sights on their lands. Moreover, it was clear that the king of Gube was playing a strategic game. Showing any weakness now might lead to the kingdom’s downfall.

"General Robert," King George called. He knew that no one would dare question his orders.

"Your Majesty," General Robert rose and bowed.

"The people of Gube have spies throughout the kingdom. Even the crown princess is likely in their hands. Since they have not attempted to force negotiations, it means we have managed to trap them within the kingdom," King George paused.

"You must lead your men to find their hideout and eliminate them. You must also investigate and locate the crown princess. She must return unharmed—we cannot allow them to use her death to boost their soldiers’ morale."