Immediately after Crystal left the Enchanted Palace, the broker who'd received her shocking offer moved with unusual urgency. He abandoned his post at the service desk and made his way through the underwater marketplace's back corridors, heading toward the administrative sections where the palace's real power resided.
He reached an ornate door marked with subtle formation arrays and knocked twice in a specific pattern.
Inside the office, a beautiful woman sat behind an elegant desk. Her presence radiated Master Phase cultivation, power barely contained beneath a veneer of civilized grace. She was reviewing documents when the knock came, her expression focused and severe.
Beside her stood a figure in a black cloak, face completely obscured by the hood. The woman had been kneeling to this figure moments before the knock, showing deference that suggested the cloaked person's status far exceeded even a Master Phase expert's authority.
When the beautiful woman heard the knock, the cloaked figure moved with supernatural speed. One moment they were visible beside the desk, the next they'd vanished as if they'd never been there at all. The woman's expression didn't change at all, as if people disappearing into thin air was completely normal in her presence.
"Enter," she called out, her voice carrying absolute authority.
The broker opened the door and stepped inside, bowing deeply.
"Forgiveness for the interruption, Second Administrator, but something unusual has occurred that requires immediate attention."
The woman—the Second Administrator of the Enchanted Palace—gestured for him to continue.
The broker explained quickly and precisely what had happened. Crystal Aserra removing her mask. The offer to purchase the entire Enchanted Palace. The cryptic statement about providing "what they've always wanted."
As he finished his report, the cloaked figure materialized again beside the desk as if they'd never left. The Second Administrator glanced at them, clearly seeking guidance.
The figure was silent for a long moment. Then they spoke, voice distorted by some technique that made it impossible to identify gender or age.
"Interesting. Very interesting. Crystal Aserra shouldn't know anything about our true operations or what we seek. Yet she makes this offer with complete confidence."
The figure paused, then delivered new orders.
"We have to move our plans forward. You have ten days to eliminate Lyra Valen. Make it look like an accident or an attack from a rival faction. Under no circumstances can it be traced back to the Enchanted Palace or our operations."
The Second Administrator bowed her head. "It will be done. But what about the Aserra girl's offer?"
"Ignore it for now. We'll see how events develop. If she somehow survives what's coming, we can revisit the conversation."
With that statement delivered, the cloaked figure disappeared again. This time, the sense of their presence vanished entirely rather than just being hidden. They'd actually left, using some transportation technique that bypassed normal movement.
The Second Administrator looked at the broker.
"You heard your orders. Begin preparations immediately. Dismissed."
The broker bowed and retreated, leaving the beautiful woman alone with her thoughts and her impossible orders.
A while later, Crystal arrived back at the Asura mansion. She went directly to her room, dismissing Mari with instructions to arrange housing for the two assassins they'd brought back.
In her room, the blood-red katana still lay on her bed where she'd left it that morning. She looked at it for a long moment, remembering how it had felt in her hands, remembering all the deaths this blade had witnessed in her previous life.
Then she walked toward the private chamber attached to her bedroom, intending to change out of her street clothes into something more comfortable.
Just as she was removing her outer robe, a maid knocked urgently on her door.
"My lady! My lady, you have a visitor! Someone important is here to see you!"
Crystal sighed and pulled her robe back on. "Who is it?"
"The fourth prince, my lady! Prince Faren has come to call!"
Crystal's expression shifted slightly. Faren. She hadn't expected him to arrive so soon. Her intelligence had indicated he was still in the wilderness on a training expedition.
"Tell him I'll be down shortly. Have tea prepared and brought to the receiving room."
"Yes, my lady!"
Crystal finished dressing properly and made her way downstairs. As she walked out to the receiving area with a maid trailing behind her, she saw him.
Faren stood waiting, still wearing traveling clothes dusty from the road. He was tall and powerfully built, with the bearing of someone who spent more time training than attending court functions. His face lit up when he saw her approaching.
Crystal walked toward him, and before anyone could say anything formal or proper, she hugged him.
All the guards and maids around immediately turned away, giving them privacy despite remaining in the room. It was improper for an unmarried young woman to embrace a man who wasn't family, even if that man was a prince. But everyone present pretended not to notice, understanding that some bonds transcended strict propriety.
Crystal held onto Faren for a moment longer than was strictly necessary. Despite all the changes she'd undergone, despite the cold calculation and strategic thinking that now dominated her personality, she was still only seventeen years old. Still technically a child by the standards of noble society. And Faren was safe. He'd always been safe.
"You came back early," Crystal said as she finally released him, stepping back to a more appropriate distance. "I thought you wouldn't return for another month at least."
"I heard you were injured," Faren replied, his voice carrying genuine concern. "Some incident at a pavilion. When the message reached me, I cut my training short and came straight back."
He looked her over carefully, checking for signs of injury or illness.
"But you look well. Better than well, actually. More focused than I've seen you in years."
Crystal smiled, and for this moment, it was a genuine expression rather than a calculated mask.
"I'm fine. It was nothing serious. Just a minor accident that people exaggerated in the telling."