The World Is Mine For The Taking-Chapter 1290 - 197 - The Fall Of Milham Kingdom - Part 2 (5)

Chapter 1290: Chapter 197 - The Fall Of Milham Kingdom - Part 2 (5)

After the execution, the kingdom didn’t stay quiet for long. In fact, things began shifting almost immediately, like a still pond that had suddenly been struck by a stone. Ripples spread outward, slow at first, then wider and wider, until it became clear that the entire kingdom could feel the disturbance.

For one thing, the people who had been connected to the administrators wasted no time reacting. Messages began flooding the castle. Nobles, officials, merchants with influence, and even distant allies who had ties to the executed administrators all started sending letters. Some were polite. Others were barely hiding their anger.

Most of them demanded the same thing.

Why were the administrators executed without any form of trial?

They kept asking why the castle had not even attempted to determine whether those people were guilty or not before sending them to the gallows. Some of the letters read like formal protests, carefully written with noble etiquette. Others sounded more like accusations dressed up in fancy words.

And now it had escalated even further. An official appeal had already been submitted, and certain factions were openly trying to condemn the castle for the decision that had been made. It was obvious that people were not going to let this go quietly.

The academy wasn’t doing any better either.

The tension there had become thick enough to almost feel it in the air. The higher-ups of the institution, the very people who were supposed to guide and oversee the academy, had just been executed. When people with that much authority suddenly disappeared overnight, it left behind a massive vacuum.

Because of that, classes had been cancelled for the rest of the week. The academy grounds were probably filled with confused students whispering to each other, speculating about what had happened. Professors were likely just as uneasy.

Right now, it was only natural to feel like the kingdom itself had become unstable.

Not collapsing, not yet, but definitely wobbling.

Like a chair with one leg slightly shorter than the others.

I stood near the window of her room inside the castle, quietly looking outside. From up here, the view stretched across the castle grounds and beyond, giving a clear look at the city below.

And strangely enough, everything looked normal.

The sun was high in the sky, its rays pouring down brightly over the rooftops and streets. People were walking outside, carriages moving along the roads, guards patrolling the walls like they always did.

The weather was actually really nice today.

If someone didn’t know what had happened recently, they would probably think it was just another ordinary day in the kingdom.

But that was only on the surface.

Because the atmosphere around us didn’t feel good at all.

It was subtle, but you could feel it if you paid attention. Something underneath everything had shifted. A tension that wasn’t visible to the eyes but could still be sensed.

It felt like the entire kingdom was hanging by a thread.

"Myrcella," I said, breaking the quiet. "Is this really how you’re planning to end the corruption in the kingdom?"

"What do you mean?" Myrcella replied.

She was lying flat on the bed, staring straight up at the ceiling like she had nothing to worry about in the world. Her body was stretched out, hands resting calmly beside her.

Honestly, she looked like someone who had just finished a long day and decided to relax.

Which was kind of ridiculous considering she had literally ordered a group of powerful administrators to be executed not long ago.

Most people would probably be sweating buckets after pulling something like that.

Not her though.

"It’s not really that easy to erase corruption entirely, Leon," she said after a moment. "I don’t think that’s something I can deal with right now."

Her eyes didn’t leave the ceiling.

"At least, not at this point in time. Not yet."

She made that part very clear.

She didn’t claim she could wipe out corruption instantly. She wasn’t pretending to be some perfect ruler who could fix everything with a snap of her fingers.

But the way she said it made something else clear.

Eventually, she was going to do it.

"When I do," she continued, "I’m going to clear this kingdom of corruption."

She paused briefly.

"And I’ll make sure it’s done properly."

There was conviction in her voice. Real conviction.

The kind that didn’t need to be loud to be strong.

I couldn’t help letting out a quiet breath.

Well, I probably wouldn’t have fallen this deeply for her if she didn’t have that kind of resolve.

A queen like this was someone people could look up to. Someone who could command respect without needing to scream for it.

Someone who had the presence to bend the kingdom itself under her rule.

After a short moment of silence, there was a knock on the door.

"Princess."

It was Lilia.

"We have a problem."

***

The news wasn’t good.

Apparently, several nobles who were affiliated with the Princess had been assassinated last night.

According to Lilia, there were no signs of forced entry.

It was as if the killers had simply appeared, done their job, and vanished.

"Who could possibly have done this...?" Myrcella said, her teeth grinding slightly.

She was clearly angry.

Well, I could already guess who was responsible.

Moriarty.

That guy had a woman working under him who could move through walls like they were nothing more than mist. If she wanted to enter someone’s room without being noticed, it would be ridiculously easy.

She could slip through the wall, walk up to the sleeping noble, and end their life before they even realized what was happening.

Then she could leave the same way.

Pretty convenient ability for an assassin.

After a moment, Myrcella closed her eyes and took a slow breath.

When she opened them again, her expression had steadied.

"Good, Princess," Lilia said. "You cannot lose your composure in a situation like this. You already considered this possibility, didn’t you? In this game of chess, pieces on your board will be taken one by one."

She looked directly at Myrcella.

"It’s only natural. You took lives from their side. It’s only natural that yours would be taken as well."

It was something Myrcella had already anticipated.

Executing the administrators was basically a declaration of war. Especially against people like Gaspard, who were already connected to someone as dangerous as Moriarty.

Myrcella gave a small nod.

"I know."

Her voice was quieter now, but still firm.

"Still... I didn’t expect Sir Gaspard and Julius to move this quickly and start eliminating people affiliated with my faction."

"They must be getting anxious," Lilia replied.

That sounded about right.

Myrcella let out a faint breath.

"Considering the stunt you pulled by executing those old bags of bones," Lilia continued, "they’re probably starting to get a little wary of you, Princess."

"Well," Myrcella said.

"They should be."

Her eyes sharpened slightly.

"After all, this is a war."

She spoke the word plainly.

"It wouldn’t mean much if the people involved weren’t wary of each other."

Right as she finished speaking, someone began approaching us from down the hallway.

Lilia noticed immediately.

Her reaction was instant.

The sword in her hand rose in one smooth motion, the blade pointing directly at the approaching figure.

"Eeek!"

The person froze.

It was a woman.

She practically jumped when she saw the weapon aimed at her.

"I-I am not an assassin!" she blurted out quickly. "I didn’t come here to assassinate the Princess!" 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Myrcella and I both turned to look at her.

For a moment, I had to blink.

Because it was someone I hadn’t seen in quite a while.

"Miss Hertrude?" Myrcella said, clearly surprised.

"P-Princess," the woman replied.

Her voice trembled as she spoke, and her hands were slightly shaking.

"I... I can’t really explain how or why..."

She hesitated.

Then she forced the words out.

"But you are going to lose."