"Your Majesty, if you have something to say, please go ahead!" Grace said.
"Your mother looks much better now. You must feel relieved, right?"
Grace forced a bitter smile and shook her head. "The Imperial Advisor said she can only live for another year."
"Everyone has their own fate, and it's hard to go against the will of heaven. Try not to worry," Colin Gu comforted her.
"Yes, thank you for your concern, Your Majesty," Grace replied, her tone lukewarm.
"I heard from the Prime Minister that you want to join the military, and even go to war?"
Grace was stunned.
Join the military?
Go to war?
How did she not know about this?
"This expedition will definitely be a bloody battle," Colin Gu said. "You must be careful."
"Oh..." Grace was confused, but didn't show it.
What was her father up to?
"Grace..."
"Huh? Is there something you need, Your Majesty?"
Colin Gu looked at her distant expression and gave a bitter smile. "I know you're deeply disappointed in me."
For so long, this was the first time he'd brought it up with her.
Grace lowered her eyes and said nothing.
"But now, compared to the Vermilion Kingdom, the Blue Moon Kingdom is like an egg against a rock," Colin Gu said. "I can't sacrifice the entire Blue Moon Kingdom, the whole Gu family, just so you and I can be together forever."
"Your Majesty, I understand," Grace said.
"Do you really understand?"
"I really do," Grace said. "I don't blame Your Majesty for anything. If I have to blame someone... I blame fate for playing tricks."
"Grace!" Colin Gu suddenly grabbed her hand. "Would you be willing to wait for me?"
"What?"
"One day, I will definitely bring you back," Colin Gu said, his eyes full of ambition and pain. "Wait for me!"
Grace pulled her hand away and said, "I don't want to think too much about the future. For now, Your Majesty, it's best if you keep your distance from me. If word reaches the emperor of the Vermilion Kingdom, Blue Moon Kingdom could get dragged into trouble."
"Grace, did the emperor of the Vermilion Kingdom say when he'll come for you?"
"No," Grace shook her head.
Colin Gu didn't say anything else.
...
Colin Gu was the emperor; he couldn't stay long.
Seeing that Lena was safe for now, he returned to the palace.
Lillian Lee, however, said she wanted to stay and spend a few days at her brother's place.
Colin Gu wished she'd never return to the palace, so he readily agreed.
And so, the 'missing persons trio' reunited again.
Watching them whispering together, Grace hurried over and asked, "Hey! Well? Well? Is it my mom?"
Bianca Whitefan looked at her with slightly sad eyes and said, "Yes."
"It's really my mom?" Grace looked at them curiously. "Then, do you know my mom's background? Is she also from Vermilion Kingdom?"
"Well, you could say she's our fellow countrywoman," Bianca Whitefan said, choosing her words carefully.
"Are my grandparents still alive? Does my mom have any other relatives?"
"They're all gone. Your mother's relatives are few and far between."
"Huh?" Grace frowned. "Then why did she end up in the Blue Moon Kingdom?"
"It was probably enemies chasing her. It happened twenty years ago, so we don't know all the details."
"Oh..." Grace nodded. "Why were you looking for her?"
"Uh..." Bianca Whitefan looked at Leon Zane.
Leon Zane looked at Evan Xiao.
Evan Xiao said, "Fan's master is a powerful talismanist. His divinations have never been wrong."
"Divination?"
Evan Xiao nodded. "He predicted that my family would face a disaster, and only by finding your mother could it be resolved. That's why we've been searching for her."