"Solarheart Wyrmroot, Tears of Cold Ice, Blood-Enchanting Fruit, and Amaranthine Crownshroom," Prince Kael replied.
His gaze darkened slightly as he said those things. He had already investigated these thoroughly. Each one was an extrely rare treasure, sothing one might encounter by chance but could never deliberately seek out. Even after sending people far and wide, there had been no news.
Zora wasn’t surprised. These four were all top-tier dicinal treasures with extraordinary effects and harsh growth conditions. Rare as they were, however, they weren’t myths.
As long as they existed, she would find them.
Zora had encountered those four dicinal roots and herbs before, but gathering them had taken an enormous amount of ti, manpower, and resources. Each one was a treasure rarely seen even once in a lifeti, let alone all together.
"I’ll pay closer attention to these four herbs," she said softly, a bright and resolute light shining in her eyes. "No matter what, I’ll try to gather them as soon as possible."
These ingredients were crucial to Prince Kael’s future. If even one appeared before her, she would never allow herself to miss the chance.
"I’ve already sent people to inquire in other regions," Prince Kael replied calmly. "But these four herbs are far too rare. So far, there’s been no news."
He wasn’t surprised by this result. Heaven’s Gate’s resources were already vast, and many of the dicinal ingredients he had collected ca directly from the guild’s stores. If even Heaven’s Gate couldn’t find them, it only proved how difficult these four truly were to obtain.
"I’ll find them eventually," Zora said with a faint smile. Her tone carried quiet confidence, the kind that ca from deep conviction rather than blind optimism.
Prince Kael nodded slightly. There was no frustration or gloom in his expression. After all he had experienced, his heart had long since been tempered into steel. Until the very last mont, he would never give up.
As night fell, the depths of the palace gradually ca alive.
Palace servants moved swiftly between the tables, placing delicate pastries, exquisite dishes, and fragrant wines one after another. Rich aromas spread through the grand hall, blending into a scene of splendor and refinent.
By the ti Zora and Prince Kael arrived, most of the invited officials were already present. They had co a little late, but the emperor himself had yet to appear, which was customary for palace banquets. This gave the civil and military officials ti to exchange pleasantries and polite conversation.
Even so, the atmosphere remained restrained. Everyone knew that once the emperor arrived, even a banquet ant to celebrate would carry an invisible pressure.
The mont Zora and Prince Kael stepped into the hall, the lively chatter paused almost instantly. Countless gazes turned toward the pair who had beco the center of attention in recent days.
Prince Kael was dressed in a soft golden robe, his bearing dignified and commanding. His handso features and extraordinary aura made him stand out effortlessly among the crowd, as though no one else could truly share the sa space.
Scarlet looked at him from afar. Although she already knew he was no longer disabled, and although she had long known his appearance was exceptional, seeing him in person still filled her with shock.
That kind of presence, that kind of brilliance, surpassed the Crown Prince by miles. Even Emperor Alexander himself could not compare.
Such a man was undoubtedly the dream of countless young won.
Beside him, Zora wore a simple purple dressgown with a hat. Her figure was slender and graceful, her waist delicate, her brows elegant and distant. Her beauty had always been striking, but to Scarlet’s eyes, it now seed even more refined, even more captivating. It wasn’t just appearance anymore. It was temperant.
"This prince and prince consort truly look like a match made in heaven," an official sighed softly. "In all my years, I’ve never seen such a perfectly suited pair."
"The prince himself is a dragon among n," another official added with a smile. "Now that he has stood up again, it’s like he’s been reborn. Pri Minister Henry truly arranged a fine marriage back then."
Hearing this, Henry felt a bitter irony rise in his chest. Back then, he had never thought highly of this marriage at all. In fact, he had never imagined things would turn out this way.
Yet now, with everyone praising the match, he could only force a smile and nod along. "Indeed," he said dryly. "This old man never expected the two of them to be so... well-suited."
Scarlet’s hands, hidden beneath her sleeves, were clenched so tightly that her nails bit into her palms.
Zora had truly risen.
In the past, Scarlet had only ever regarded Luna as a rival. Zora had never even entered her field of vision. Yet now, that woman she once dismissed had reached a height she could no longer touch. The bitterness in her chest churned violently, sharp and unwilling.
"Darling, let’s sit down first."
Prince Kael held Zora’s hand openly and led her toward their seats. His voice was gentle, his movents natural and unguarded. That small gesture alone carried unmistakable affection, making more than a few eyes in the hall flicker with surprise.
Zora nodded lightly.
A faint smile rested on her lips as she took her seat beside him. It was the sa imperial banquet, the sa gilded hall, yet everything felt different now. The once-hostile glances and whispered mockery had turned into caution, admiration, and restrained curiosity.
From the mont she appeared, General Helius’s gaze had never left her. Looking at his daughter again after so long, he felt an indescribable sense of strangeness settle in his heart.
The General’s Manor had fallen into decline. After Luna’s downfall, the once-flourishing household is now reduced to a diocre one. The lively bustle of the past had vanished for good, and in a short span of ti, General Helius seed to have aged years.
"Father," Icarus said coldly, his eyes dark with resentnt. "She’s here, yet she doesn’t even co to pay her respects. Isn’t she being far too arrogant?"
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