The first heavy snowfall drifted down, blanketing all of Sewell City in white in the space of a single morning.
Count Samo stared at the snowflakes falling outside his window, his expression unusually grave.
Princess Royal Servini had been back in the Lampari Kingdom for a month.
At first, everything had been perfectly normal.
After returning to Anvilmar City, Princess Royal Servini had calmly attended the funeral of Eric, His Majesty the King, but had revealed nothing else from beginning to end.
Everyone had expected that, since Princess Royal Servini had resolutely abandoned her chance to compete with King Eric for the throne, she would now continue to support his son, Prince William, in succeeding him.
Yet, to everyone's surprise, Princess Royal Servini had given no indication of such support. She had even obliquely questioned the succession.
Count Samo had grown wary at the time.
This time, Princess Royal Servini might well make a choice that surprised everyone.
Sure enough, half a month later, after attending King Eric's funeral and leading her Private Guard back to her own private fief, Princess Royal Servini had suddenly announced that King Eric had not died a natural death. He had been poisoned!
The news had immediately shocked the entire Lampari Kingdom.
When Princess Royal Servini announced it, she had pointed the finger directly at Duke Stark!
Princess Royal Servini declared that she had obtained sufficient evidence to prove that Duke Stark had ordered someone to poison King Eric. In her capacity as Princess Royal, and as the first rightful heir to the Lampari Kingdom's throne, she proclaimed that Duke Starr had poisoned the king and committed the most heinous act of treason!
The entire Lampari Kingdom erupted.
Over the preceding two years, the Stark Family had controlled nearly every aspect of affairs throughout