On the seventh day after the Regent King's death, the dark clouds over the Imperial Capital still had not cleared.
The rain of the past several days seemed intent on washing away some truth hidden in the royal city, yet it only made the air more oppressive.
Before the Imperial Hall, nobles and civil officials stood in orderly ranks. Wind and rain whipped their cloaks, but they stubbornly maintained their decorum.
Today was the day they would bid farewell to Regent King Arlens. By rights, it should have been a solemn imperial ceremony of the utmost grandeur.
But everyone could see the unsettling gulf between the scale of this funeral and the honors it ought to have accorded him.
The priests hurried through their prayers, the ceremonial officials walked noticeably faster than usual, and the coffin, escorted by a few honor guards, was practically rushed toward the underground tomb.
The nobles exchanged furtive glances. Some frowned, others whispered...
The Regent King had been dead for only seven days, yet his body was already being hastily buried. This violated ceremonial protocol.
It was too fast, as though they were trying to conceal something.
Besides... no one had actually seen the body.
They said the Regent King's illness had worsened before his death, leaving his face ulcerated. To avoid disturbing those present, the coffin could not be opened.
But that explanation only deepened most people's unease.
The Fourth Imperial Prince, Rhein, stood below the altar in black robes, his expression grief-stricken.
Beside him, Karen quietly reported the guest list, making sure no absent family would cause trouble.
Rhein merely nodded, as though every possible development was already under his control.
At least, that was how it looked.
In truth, he had scarcely enjoyed a full night's sleep in the past seven days.