At this moment, inside a grand and luxurious mansion, a deep voice suddenly rang out: "Lucian Vane! Lucian Vane!"
Upon hearing this, Lucian Vane's lips curled into a slight smile. He turned to face the man whose voice sounded unusually excited. "Imperial Physician Fuller, it's been a long time."
"Ah! Benefactor, benefactor, you're finally here! I never dreamed I'd see you again at my age!" Imperial Physician Fuller was overjoyed to see Lucian Vane. He hurried to the door, peeked outside, closed it, and came back to Lucian's side, whispering nervously, "Benefactor, why are you still here? The Empress—they want to kill you!" The whole Martial Conference incident is common knowledge in Draken City.
When he found out, he was deeply worried. Lucian Vane isn't an outsider—he's Felix Fuller's lifesaving benefactor. If not for meeting him back then...
Not only would he have died, but his wife too!
Five years ago, his wife fell ill with a strange disease, and as an imperial physician, he couldn't find the cause at all.
By chance, he met the legendary Sage Living Buddha, who told him to use a snow lotus as the medicinal catalyst, then added several herbs he'd never seen before, promising that if combined, his wife would be cured.
Everyone knows how precious the Tianshan snow lotus is. In the imperial palace, only the Empress has one. For years, countless people have searched for a Tianshan snow lotus, but no one has ever found it.
He knew there was no way the Empress would ever give him something so valuable.
But he couldn't give up. If he did, his wife would...
So, clinging to a shred of hope, he led his people up Tianshan in search of the snow lotus. But he hadn't realized just how vast Tianshan was—so big that no one knew where the snow lotus could possibly be.
One by one, his subordinates collapsed from Tianshan's brutal climate.
He lost all hope, certain he was done for too.
Still, he kept searching, driven by sheer willpower—until he finally collapsed from exhaustion. And that’s when he met his lifesaver: Lucian Vane!
Felix couldn't believe someone so young could actually heal him, but Lucian really did.
And he even gave Felix a priceless Tianshan snow lotus.
So Lucian Vane isn’t just Felix’s lifesaver—he’s his wife’s, too!
Seeing this, Lucian didn’t bother beating around the bush. He said directly, “That’s right, I’m the one the Empress is so desperate to kill. I came to see you—are you scared?”
"Benefactor, what are you saying? Honestly, I'm a coward who clings to life—let's not talk about life and death. My life is yours, you saved it! As for what the Empress and her people are doing... I just can't stand it." Imperial Physician Fuller shook his head.
Lucian smiled in satisfaction. "I knew you were a good person, Imperial Physician Fuller. Otherwise, when I found out who you were, why would I have saved you? There aren’t many imperial physicians in the palace who actually have a conscience."
"I'm ashamed," Felix Fuller sighed. Back then, if only he could've saved the Emperor, the world wouldn't be such a mess now. He's a sinner for the ages!
"Enough. I'm not here to catch up—I've got something I need you to do for me."
"Just say the word, benefactor! If it's something I can do, I'll help—no excuses."
"Good. I need you to take me into the palace!"
"Into the palace?" Felix's face turned pale. "Benefactor, what are you saying? The Empress is hunting you—why would you go in there? That's just walking into the trap! Listen, just stay here at the Fuller estate. As long as I'm alive, I'll risk my life to protect you!"
Lucian just smiled. "I don't need you to protect me. I only need you to get me inside. Relax, no one will notice you brought someone extra. Just leave a space in your carriage for me to hide, and take me in with you. Once I'm inside, my life or death is up to fate."
"Benefactor, that's... that's not possible! You have no idea how dangerous the palace is. Honestly, there are so many places even officials like me can't enter—hidden weapons everywhere! Our Imperial Infirmary treats so many guards every day who get killed by accident: stabbed, shot, you name it. The deaths are horrifying! That's why everyone inside is super cautious—no one ever goes off the safe paths." Felix tried to persuade him, clearly anxious.
"I know."
"Uh?"
"Don’t worry. I know all about the palace. Just get me inside." Lucian repeated himself, unwavering.
"Benefactor..."
"If something really goes wrong in the palace, well, that's just my fate." Lucian smiled indifferently. He couldn't stop worrying about her—last time, watching her fall from that cliff, his whole heart shattered.
If not for her last words, he definitely would've jumped after her.
That day, he swore he'd never let it happen again. Even if it meant jumping off a cliff, he'd do it without hesitation.
That's why he had to go to the palace—to help her, to support her.
If it really turned out like Adrian Night said—if he just got in the way instead of helping—he could use the poison he carried to take care of himself.
Honestly, he wanted to joke around and mess with the other guys, but... if one of them was missing, it probably wouldn't matter much, right?
"Benefactor..." Felix couldn't help but call out again, seeing Lucian just smiling in silence.
Lucian snapped out of it and smiled. "It's nothing. Felix, have you made up your mind? If you don't want to, I won't force you. But I'm going into the palace no matter what. Never mind, I'll figure something out myself." With that, he started heading for the door.
"Wait!" Felix suddenly called out.
"What is it? Felix, is there something else?" Lucian turned to study him.
"Alright. If you're determined to go, then I'll take you in myself. At least I can keep you safe through the first checkpoint." Felix sounded sad—the dangers inside really couldn't be explained in a few words.
Seeing this, Lucian smiled. "Thanks for the trouble!"
"Someone, prepare the sedan chair! We're going to the palace!" Felix called out loudly. He knew that only at night could his benefactor move safely—if they went in during the day, Lucian would never be able to walk around the palace unnoticed.
"Hey, you guys stay put! I need to take a leak—drank too much," a guard chuckled, waving at the others.
"Hurry up, we're about to change shifts!" the other guards called out.
"Yeah, yeah, quit nagging!" the guard grumbled as he headed into the bushes. A second later, the sound of urination could be heard.
Adrian Night had already been waiting here for two hours. Now was the perfect chance.
With a quiet thud, Adrian knocked the guard out, dragged him into the thick grass, and started stripping off his uniform.
A few seconds later...
"Hey, you done peeing yet?"
"Mhm," Adrian replied, head lowered.
"What's up with this guy? One pee and he won't even talk. Did he wet his pants or something?" One of the guards gossiped.
"Hahaha!" Everyone burst out laughing.
Just then, another guard said, "Alright, enough laughing—they're here to change shifts. Get in formation!"
Everyone immediately straightened up and stopped joking around.
The leaders of the two squads started talking, and the midnight shift change began.
Within minutes, they all fell silent and followed the group deeper into the palace.
Adrian Night walked at the very back. He quickly picked up on their walking style, so even as he disappeared into the distance, nobody suspected a thing.
Wearing the guard's uniform, Adrian followed along, but his brow furrowed. He knew they were heading to the guard barracks, but he needed to find Ivy. The palace was huge, and he had no idea where he was right now.
When they reached a garden thick with flowers and shrubs—perfect for hiding—Adrian flipped behind an ornamental tree, then leapt toward the more built-up parts of the palace. He had to figure out his location, and find Ivy as soon as possible.
********* Scene Break ***********