Chapter 255: Conflict and Schemes
"You’re saying… you saw the 'Red Crow'?"
In the training field, the Second Prince took a clean towel and wiped the sweat from his forehead. The weather was chilly today, but it didn’t stop him from training.
As a prince, he wasn’t just expected to read books and write. Combat was also a basic skill.
After all, they were the king’s children. If the kingdom was ever invaded, they might need to lead soldiers themselves. If they didn’t know how to fight, then when the time came, all they could do was kneel and beg for mercy.
Still, compared to the "monsters" he trained under him, the Second Prince was a bit lacking.
The House of Nightingales only raised those who were truly worth training. Anyone who survived there and held status was born to be a fighter.
While hard work was important, natural talent played a big part too. Even though the Second Prince trained hard, he still couldn’t match the top-tier assassins. But at least, he had enough skill to protect himself.
"Yes. I saw her a few days ago, and the 'Red Crow' was with the 'Grey Dove'."
The person handing him the towel was none other than the “Cyan Hawk.”
Unlike the Red Crow and Blue Sparrow who were out on missions, the Cyan Hawk was the most reliable one at the Second Prince’s side.
As for the Grey Dove and White Dove. Those two were a bit odd, and the Second Prince never liked to interfere too much with them.
“...So she found her after all.”
The Second Prince casually tossed the towel onto a wooden training post, rested his sword on the rack, and sat down on a tree stump nearby, thinking for a while.
That Grey Dove really had a “Red Crow radar.” She actually managed to find her. Since she found her, she must’ve learned something too.
The Grey Dove might seem crazy, but to the Second Prince, her madness had limits. She acted like her whole mind was filled with just the words “Red Crow,” but she actually could think things through.
The Second Prince wasn’t worried that the Grey Dove would expose the secret that the Red Crow had become “Evelia,” because the Grey Dove knew what was serious and what wasn’t.
If she was the type to casually share that kind of secret with the enemy, the prince would’ve stopped her the moment she said she wanted to find the Red Crow.
Although the Grey Dove wasn’t as steady as the Cyan Hawk, the Second Prince still trusted her loyalty.
But when it came to the Red Crow who was sent out on a long mission, the Second Prince always had doubts.
The Red Crow was cold and emotionless, which made it hard for him to read anything from her expression or tone.
On the other hand, the Grey Dove was the opposite, so emotional that her thoughts were easy to understand.
Now, in the Second Prince’s mind, the balance was shifting. He actually found himself trusting the “crazy” Grey Dove more than the always-on-schedule communicator Evelia.
“Bring the Grey Dove to me tonight. I need to talk to her.”
If something really had gone wrong with the Red Crow, then the Grey Dove was his backup.
As long as he framed it as something that might threaten the Red Crow’s safety, that madwoman would get it done, quickly and cleanly.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The Cyan Hawk never asked unnecessary questions. He just nodded.
“And how’s His Majesty doing?”
When the Second Prince said “His Majesty,” he was, of course, referring to the current king, his father.
“His Majesty can get out of bed now. From what others see, it seems like his condition is improving.”
“Oh? Is that so? Then I guess I should make time to visit Father. For him to last this long… that’s no small feat.”
The Second Prince let out a small laugh, but the curve of his lips didn’t look like joy at all.
In this royal “arena,” no matter how high your status, in the end, you’re still just a life waiting to be used up.
The two princes had been fighting for years. Maybe the only thing they truly agreed on was their shared view of the old King.
From blood brothers to bitter enemies, that was the sorrow all royal heirs had to face. And the one who had pushed them down that path was none other than the King himself.
Their mother’s death? All because the King had “allowed” it to happen.
Their rivalry? Same thing, he let it grow.
The King refused to pass on the throne, so he deliberately fanned the flames of their conflict. To keep their power in check, he set traps for both of them, feeding their distrust and forcing them to turn against each other.
Even now, after uncovering many of the lies and misunderstandings the old King had planted between them, the two princes had already gone too far. There was no turning back.
In the end, only one of them could remain. But for now, they still had a common enemy.
That old King… he was probably still proud of himself for managing to get back on his feet.
He had gone from being too sick to leave his bed to slowly regaining his energy. He must be thrilled to see himself recovering.
But this so-called “recovery” was just something his two sons wanted him to believe.
The King’s illness had started with a cold, and at the time, there was a flu outbreak in the city. He caught multiple infections, which left him seriously ill and weakened his body.
While he was bedridden, the two princes began managing state affairs. That made the King feel threatened.
Unable to rest quietly, the old man began setting traps for them again. For the princes, who had already lost their mother because of him, this was the last straw. Especially when he never mourned their mother, and even wanted to remarry.
So they both, without needing to discuss it, decided to make him pay.
Later, during one encounter, the two princes discovered they had both been adding “extra ingredients” to their father’s medicine. And that marked the beginning of their cooperation.
The King’s medicine had long since been replaced. Even the royal physicians had switched sides.
They could see it clearly, the King’s days were numbered. It was better to serve the princes now than to be loyal to a dying man and risk losing their heads.
So whether the King’s condition looked serious or improving. It was all part of the act, all arranged by the two princes. Even what the doctors told him was carefully crafted by them.
While the old King plotted to take other people’s lives, others were already planning how to take his. Even if they were his own flesh and blood.
In the royal family, blood ties were both a ticket to glory and a curse that doomed relatives to turn against each other.
The King’s “recovery” was nothing more than a brief flicker before the flame went out.
The Second Prince could already picture it. His older brother was probably already preparing for their father’s funeral.
At that thought, the Second Prince finally smiled for real.
He curled his lips and let out a quiet, excited laugh.
If the King were to die one day, that would be the signal that started the true battle.
And once the mourning period was over—
No. Even before the mourning ended…
The two princes would finally begin a true, bloody war to decide the winner.