Chapter 102: The Grand Duke is Dead

In the castle beside Bild City, guards paced back and forth, their expressions stern and solemn. The security was far tighter than usual.

Upon hearing of the Grand Duke’s illness, many nobles had come to visit, but all were turned away at the castle gates. Numerous carriages were parked outside, and the nobles gathered to converse amongst themselves, their faces etched with worry. Whether their concern was truly for Grand Duke Ogden’s health, however, was another matter entirely.

As Grand Duke Ogden’s daughter, Verna could naturally enter as she pleased. She was already in the Grand Duke’s bedroom, sitting by his bedside and keeping him company.

But she was not the only one here.

First Prince Vincent, Second Prince Bennett, and the other princes and princesses were all present.

‘I didn’t expect Father to summon all his children right after I arrived. With so many people around, I can’t do anything even if I wanted to.’

Verna glanced around at the others, a trace of frustration simmering in her heart.

On the surface, however, she maintained a worried expression, her gaze fixed intently on Grand Duke Ogden as if she were deeply concerned for his health.

In the luxurious and spacious bedroom, everyone gathered around the bed.

“Cough, cough, cough… where is Salit?” Ogden, lying in bed, coughed once and cast his murky gaze around the room.

Among his many children, he favored Bennett the most, followed by Salit. After all, Salit truly resembled his mother, who had died in childbirth. Every time he saw Salit, he was reminded of that wife who had been so completely devoted to him.

He missed her again.

“Someone has been sent to look for him. I don’t know where Salit has gotten to,” Bennett said, putting on a helpless front.

“Still can’t find him?” Ogden frowned, a bad premonition rising in his heart.

Just then, a knock came at the door.

“I’ll get it.” Vincent stood up and headed for the door.

Ogden paid little attention and continued speaking with Bennett.

Walking to the door, Vincent glanced back at Ogden, a shadow falling over his heart.

Whether in childhood or as an adult, this man never spared him an extra glance. Just one more look would have been enough. Why did he never notice him?

Why?

Why?

Vincent withdrew his gaze, the flames in his eyes seeming to burn even fiercer.

He opened the door. Outside stood a man with a worried expression—the manservant responsible for Ogden’s daily life, a man Ogden trusted deeply, named Houston.

“Your Highness Vincent,” Houston said in a hushed tone upon seeing him. “Terrible news. Fourth Prince Salit has been murdered. The culprit is currently unknown.”

“What? Such a thing has happened? Why haven’t you come in to report it?” Vincent stepped aside to make way.

Houston, however, hesitated. He whispered again, “Your Highness, the Grand Duke is unwell. Would telling him such news directly be detrimental to his health? Perhaps we should fabricate a reason for Prince Salit’s absence, at least until the Grand Duke recovers, before revealing the truth.”

Vincent was not surprised by Houston’s consideration. After all, this was a man loyal to Ogden, constantly mindful of his condition. It was perfectly normal.

But it was precisely because of this that Vincent had been the first to rise and offer to answer the door when the knock came.

If it had been Bennett, or anyone else, they might have followed Houston’s suggestion and concealed the truth from Ogden.

But he would not.

After all… he was the one who had killed Salit!

Vincent’s face hardened, and he said in a grave voice, “Houston, do you know what you’re saying? My brother is dead, a prince of our nation is dead! How can such an important matter be hidden from Father? Come in immediately and report the situation clearly.”

“This…” Houston hesitated.

“Hurry.” Vincent urged him.

Seeing Vincent insist, Houston dared not resist. After all, no matter how close he was to Ogden, he was still just a manservant.

Houston entered the bedroom and approached Ogden.

“Ah, Houston. What is it?” Ogden asked upon seeing him.

“It’s like this, Grand Duke,” Houston replied. “Prince Salit is dead. His body was found in an alley in the White Maple District. The Security Office is currently searching for the killer.”

“What did you say? Cough, cough, cough…”

Upon hearing such news so abruptly, Ogden’s eyes widened. He broke into a violent coughing fit, his entire body seeming to burn with fever and discomfort.

“Father!”

The sight alarmed the surrounding princes and princesses.

Notably, along with the coughing, Ogden began coughing up blood, which was even more worrying.

“How could you blurt out such upsetting news at a time like this?” Bennett glared at Houston angrily.

“This…”

Houston felt somewhat wronged and glanced at Vincent.

“Arguing about that now is useless. Houston, go fetch the doctor immediately,” Vincent ordered.

“Yes, yes.”

Houston had no time to explain the circumstances. Getting the doctor did seem the more urgent matter, so he immediately ran outside.

Before the doctor arrived, Ogden’s coughing grew increasingly violent, and he eventually passed out.

Soon after, Houston rushed back in with the doctor.

Besides the doctor, priests from the church also arrived. Dressed in white robes and possessing a holy bearing, they were all Apostles, wielding the power of healing.

However, what the priests could heal were external injuries. Ailments caused by old age were beyond their ability to treat. Thus, the task of treating Grand Duke Ogden fell to the physicians.

While the physicians worked, the other princes and princesses watched nervously.

Vincent stepped back. While others were distracted, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. He grabbed Houston by the neck at the doorway, twisted it with a snap, and threw his body out the open window down the corridor.

Their level was the top floor of the castle, a considerable height. An ordinary person would have difficulty surviving the fall.

The entire process was incredibly swift, taking no more than two seconds. It was done so silently that no one present noticed a thing. Occasionally, someone’s gaze would sweep the area and see Vincent standing off to the side, as if he had always been there.

Only Houston’s disappearance went unnoticed.

After all, he was just a manservant.

Time quickly passed—half an hour.

In that half hour, the physicians exerted every effort. The priests, whether it would help or not, also came forward to use their healing abilities. Yet, nothing could be changed.

Half an hour later, the oldest physician, his face pale, said: “Grand Duke Ogden… has passed away.”

At these words, the entire bedroom fell into dead silence.

Vincent’s heart surged with joy, yet he plastered a sorrowful expression on his face.

He had merely tried to use Salit’s death to shock Ogden, to worsen his condition, and had prepared further measures to continue deteriorating Ogden’s health. He had never expected that the very first act would send Ogden directly out of this world.

Ogden hadn’t even had time to leave a will!

Without a will, there was no rightful heir. All opportunities still remained.

Bennett’s face was grim.

Although he was the most favored prince, without Ogden’s will, he couldn’t simply be acknowledged as the next Grand Duke. Claiming the Title of Grand Duke would require weathering a storm.

So, what should he do to minimize trouble?

Verna’s eyes flickered with thought.

The lack of a will was good news for her. It meant the identity of the next Grand Duke couldn’t be decided immediately. While others contested openly, she could secretly amass power.

When two tigers fight, even the victor is severely wounded. But aside from Bennett, was there another tiger capable of matching him?

At that moment, Verna, for some reason, recalled Amelia’s warning to be cautious of Vincent. She glanced subconsciously at Vincent and saw what seemed like leaping flames in his eyes.

That look made Verna freeze. She could no longer see the simple, honest demeanor Vincent usually displayed. In his eyes now was only a fire called ambition.

‘This guy… this guy really has been hiding his true nature? Amelia’s insight is so sharp!’

Not daring to look longer, Verna quickly averted her gaze.

But if Vincent had ambition, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for her. It meant he might pose a certain check on Bennett. Only if he could hold Bennett back would she have more opportunities.

Houston’s body had been discovered much earlier, but the physicians were still trying to save Ogden at the time, so it was inconvenient to report. Now, with Ogden dead, Houston’s fate had become utterly trivial by comparison.

==========

Amelia had already discussed follow-up preparations with Harold and Nicole. Afterwards, she returned to White Maple Academy by carriage with Eileen.

Back in the dormitory, Eileen started preparing lunch. Amelia sat unhurriedly in the living room, reading several afternoon newspapers.

The papers carried no particularly special reports, merely extensions of the morning’s news.

Just as Amelia was reading, the doorbell rang.

Before Amelia could rise, Eileen came running out of the kitchen. To Eileen, answering the door was a task she had to perform herself. Only after confirming the visitor’s identity was it appropriate for them to meet Amelia.

The visitor was Verna.

Verna entered the living room, glanced at Amelia, and said, “The Grand Duke is dead.”

The statement stunned Amelia on the spot.

Although she had wondered if he might die soon upon hearing of Grand Duke Ogden’s serious illness this morning, such an abrupt end was still shocking.

“Why so sudden? Did something special happen?” Amelia put down her newspaper and asked.

“The Grand Duke learned of Salit’s death and was dealt a huge blow. Treatment proved ineffective, and he passed away.” Verna spoke as if she were an outsider.

“Salit…”

When Amelia had learned of Salit’s death, she knew it was no coincidence. To think it had also accelerated Grand Duke Ogden’s demise.

She checked the Bullet Comments. The Grand Duke’s sudden death had the viewers buzzing with surprised discussion.

Verna came to Amelia’s side and briefly recounted the situation at the castle, quickly bringing her up to speed.

“The Grand Duke left no will whatsoever. There’s no clear next Grand Duke at the moment? This truly is an opportunity for you. Will you compete openly?” Amelia asked the girl beside her.

She knew Verna had an intensely strong ambition. The current situation, while not great for Verna, wasn’t bad either. It was an opportunity not to be missed.

“I don’t plan on entering the fray immediately. On the surface, I am currently a supporter of Bennett becoming the next Grand Duke. I intend to let Bennett compete with the other princes first, and I’ll clean up the aftermath.” Verna’s thinking was very clear.

At this point, she thought of Vincent and added, “Amelia, your judgment is truly keen. There is indeed something wrong with Vincent. I can see he also covets the Grand Duke’s position. This fellow will likely cause Bennett considerable trouble. Now I almost hope he is even stronger, so he can drain Bennett’s strength even more.”

Amelia: “…”

She couldn’t exactly say that Vincent might be even harder to deal with, because the current plot differed from the Original Plot.

In the Original Plot, Grand Duke Ogden died next year, allowing Vincent to secretly build up his strength for another year, enabling him to strike suddenly, eliminate Bennett, deal with all other competitors, and emerge as the final victor.

Now, with the timeline moved up by a year, had Vincent accumulated enough power?

“Have you investigated Vincent’s situation thoroughly?” Amelia asked after a moment’s thought.

“I had my people look into him earlier, but as you know, the situation within the duchy is changing too rapidly. I’ll need to send more people to investigate Vincent to potentially uncover something in a short time,” Verna said, her eyes glinting.

Since she harbored ambitions for the Grand Duke’s position, she naturally had some tricks up her sleeve. She had already extended her reach into the military.

At this critical juncture, it was time to mobilize her assets within the army.

“Also,” Verna smiled, “Bennett has already taken me as one of his own. My visit this time also brings his intentions. He hopes you will prepare, gather your forces. We might need to make a move soon.”

Verna understood that whatever preparations Amelia made could only help her, for they had already signed a Contract.

She, Verna, was Amelia’s ally.

“I understand the situation. Let’s wait and see, then.” Amelia looked out the window.

The wind, it seemed, was blowing more fiercely.