Chapter 137: Chapter-137

“Legal channels that the Emperor authorizes. There’s a difference.” Elara pulled out maps. “We need to move quickly though. If Duke Harland realizes Eleana betrayed the conspiracy, he might destroy evidence or accelerate the assassination timeline.”

“Then we move tonight,” Sera decided. “My agents hit Duke Harland’s estate in three hours. We secure the evidence, present it to the Emperor tomorrow, and start arrests by the end of the week.”

“Aggressive timeline.”

“We’re in the endgame now. Eleana is finished. Lera’s murder is exposed. The First Consort is facing double murder charges. The noble conspiracy is about to collapse. This is when we consolidate power completely.” Sera looked at Elara. “Are you ready for this? Because once we start, we can’t stop. We either win completely or lose everything.”

Elara met her sister’s gaze. “I’m ready. Let’s finish this.”

—

Three hours later, Sera’s agents raided Duke Harland’s estate.

They found exactly what Eleana had described: a ledger with coded entries, payment records to known assassins, correspondence between multiple noble families coordinating the plot.

The conspiracy was real.

And comprehensive.

Noble families involved:

– Duke Harland’s family (Second Consort’s relatives)

– Baron Veltri (who’d attacked Port Crestfall)

– Count Hadrian (also involved in Port Crestfall siege)

– Viscount Marrs (who’d broken her neutrality agreement)

– And fifteen other families, all with members in various consort factions

Total funding: 52,000 gold

Target timeline: Within two weeks

Targets:

– Fourth Princess Elara Blackwood

– Third Princess Sera Blackwood

– Duke Romian Ashford

– Helena Ashford

– Key beast knight commanders

– Elara’s Port Crestfall administrators

Methods: Poison, magical attack, staged accidents, and direct assassination during public events

It was a comprehensive plan to eliminate Elara’s entire power structure in coordinated strikes.

If Eleana hadn’t provided the warning, it might have worked.

—

The next morning, Elara and Sera presented the evidence to the Emperor.

He read through everything in complete silence.

Then he stood, walked to his desk, and pulled out the imperial seal.

“Arrest warrants for all conspirators. Military forces to secure their estates. Assets frozen pending investigation.” He started stamping documents with sharp, angry motions. “They planned to murder my daughters. To assassinate imperial family members. That’s treason of the highest order.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” both princesses said.

“How many families total?”

“Eighteen, Your Majesty. Plus associated retainers, guards, and administrators. Probably two hundred people directly involved.”

“Execute the leaders. Exile the supporters. Seize all assets.” The Emperor’s voice was cold. “I’ve spent forty years tolerating these noble families because I thought political stability required it. But they’ve crossed a line. Planning assassination of imperial blood? No. That ends now.”

He handed the stamped warrants to Sera.

“You two wanted to reform the empire. Here’s your opportunity. Use this conspiracy to purge the corrupt noble families completely. Restructure the power system. Build something better from the ashes.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Elara said.

“Don’t thank me. Just make sure it works.” The Emperor sat back down heavily. “And Fourth Daughter? What happens to First Princess Eleana?”

“The investigation into Lera’s death will proceed. Eleana will be convicted. But she did provide the intelligence that exposed this assassination plot. That should be considered during sentencing.”

“You’re suggesting leniency.”

“I’m suggesting her cooperation has value. Execution eliminates any future intelligence she might provide. Life imprisonment or exile keeps her available if we need additional information about noble family operations.” Elara paused. “Though I recognize Lera’s murder demands severe consequences.”

The Emperor nodded slowly. “I’ll consider it. The Justice Council will make final determination. But I’ll ensure they know Eleana cooperated at the end.”

He dismissed them.

As they walked back through the palace corridors, Sera spoke quietly. “You could have demanded Eleana’s execution. After everything she did to you.”

“Execution is emotionally satisfying but strategically wasteful. She’s broken, cooperative, and possesses extensive knowledge of noble family operations. Keeping her imprisoned but alive provides future value.”

“That’s very cold-blooded.”

“That’s practical. Lera would probably want justice, not revenge. This achieves justice while maintaining strategic assets.”

Sera—Sera—smiled slightly. “You know, before I became Third Princess, before they gave me the name Sera, I was just Sera. A girl from a minor noble family who got brought to the palace at sixteen.”

“Why tell me this now?”

“Because Lera used to call me Sera. She was one of the few who knew my birth name and still used it. When she died, I had to pretend to be someone else completely—the cold Third Princess Sera who didn’t care about family.” Sera’s voice was quiet. “I’ve been wearing that mask for three years. But with you as an ally, maybe I can be both. Strategic Sera when I need to be. But still Sera underneath.”

Elara processed that. “You want permission to be yourself instead of just playing a role.”

“Yes. And I think you understand that better than most. You can’t feel emotions normally, so you’re always performing what others expect. We’re both wearing masks. Maybe alliance means we can take them off sometimes.”

“I don’t perform emotions. I just don’t experience them.”

“But you calculate what responses are expected and provide them. That’s still a kind of performance.” Sera looked at her directly. “What I’m saying is: when it’s just us, you don’t have to pretend. And neither do I. Deal?”

Elara considered. “That’s… acceptable. Though I’m not sure what ’being myself’ means when I don’t have strong emotions to reveal.”

“It means you can stop calculating optimal responses and just say what you think. Like you did with the Emperor—brutal honesty instead of political maneuvering.” Sera smiled. “That’s the version of you I want to work with. The one who tells uncomfortable truths and doesn’t apologize for being different.”

“Understood. Then in private, I’m Elara who doesn’t feel emotions but operates efficiently. And you’re Sera who remembers her sister and pretends to be cold Princess Sera for political purposes.”

“Exactly.”

They had reached the point where their paths diverged—Sera toward her chambers, Elara toward Duke Romian’s estate.

“One more thing,” Sera said. “Thank you. For not demanding Eleana’s immediate execution. Lera wouldn’t have wanted that. She believed in justice, not revenge. You honored that even though you never knew her.”

“I honored practical efficiency. But if it also honors Lera’s memory, that’s acceptable additional outcome.”

Sera laughed quietly. “Only you would frame compassion as ’acceptable additional outcome.’”

“I don’t experience compassion. But I recognize justice serves multiple purposes. One of which is honoring victims like Lera.”

“Close enough.”

They parted.

Elara returned to Duke Romian’s estate where preparations were already underway.

Military forces mobilizing. Arrest warrants being distributed. The purge of corrupt noble families beginning.

Within forty-eight hours, eighteen noble families would be destroyed. Their leaders arrested, their assets seized, their power completely eliminated.

The assassination plot would be exposed and crushed before it could be executed.

And the succession battle would enter its final phase.

Elara and Sera versus whoever remained after the purge.

Which, realistically, was no one of significance.

The younger sisters would fall in line. The remaining minor candidates would withdraw. The noble families who’d opposed them would be gone.

In three to four months, one of them would be Empress.

The only question was which one.

But that was a problem for later.

Right now, they had a conspiracy to dismantle and an empire to purge.

Efficiently.

Thoroughly.

Irreversibly.

Just like everything else.

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