The Sorcerer's Castle, located north of Azeroth Palace, began to fill with important figures from the kingdom. The castle is a separate building from the palace, standing 55 meters tall with a diameter of 14 meters. The roof is cone-shaped, and there is a flag of the Kingdom of Azeroth there, as well as two guards. The building is dark gray in color and is commonly used as a meeting place for ministers and members of the royal family.
Following Nych's arrival yesterday afternoon, the royal court immediately convened an emergency meeting with the ministers and relevant parties. Discussions about this creature spread rapidly, causing the people to grow anxious. King Raiden de Tyrone had just arrived, and everyone in the room stood up to pay their respects.
"I am deeply concerned about the current state of Azeroth, which is far from safe. As the Minister of Defense, what will you do, Noah?" the King asked.
Noah nodded once and looked at everyone present, then stood up. "I have gathered all the best wizards, Your Majesty. My efforts are supported by Headmistress Miranda and Duke Aron. Meanwhile, others are helping to calm the people and tighten security."
"Have we determined how the Nych managed to enter Equastria?"
"Not yet, Your Majesty."
"Even if the Nych have taken control of Azeroth as they did in the past, don't you possess the same power as our grandfather, Raiden?" Aron Novtiglass's voice caused a moment of silence, followed by whispers among the others. Meanwhile, King Raiden glared at his brother.
Noticing the sudden tense atmosphere, Prince Roger cleared his throat, and everyone fell silent. The prince looked at his uncle and smiled warmly, "Uncle, please tighten security in the southern region, especially around Dark Mountain. I will provide healers to assist there. Then, Baron Lucas can go to the Kingdom of Soho and request them to send another thousand of their finest soldiers. The rest of you, continue with your duties as before."
Then, the discussion continued smoothly and in a coordinated manner. When it was over, only Duke Aron, King Raiden, and Prince Roger remained in the room.
"Nowadays, Uncle rarely visits the palace," said the prince.
"You are indeed a good nephew, Roger. But why would Uncle visit the palace when you are busy at the academy?" replied Duke Aron.
Prince Roger smiled slightly, pouring tea into Duke Aron's cup and his father's cup as well. "Please enjoy. I added some energy-restoring ingredients," said the prince.
Although Duke Aron deeply disliked his younger brother, he cared for his nephew because Prince Roger had always helped him overcome his sadness in the past. In fact, he remembered when the prince was still a child and said that he could take the king's place because Roger didn't want to be king.
"I can't stay long, Prince. I have to check on Noah's injured child with Lily," said Duke Aron.
***
Lily Novtiglass replaced the red roses in the vase with the lavender she had brought. The woman in the dark dress also placed food from her home until Violet awoke from her sleep. The girl's nose itched as an unpleasant scent filled her nostrils. Violet sneezed once, twice, until her nose turned red, and only then did she feel better.
"Violet, are you okay?" asked Duchess Lily.
Violet turned her head, looked at the woman, and tried to remember her face. Unfortunately, she couldn't recall the image Nalina had shown her before. Just as she was about to speak, Edgar entered the room and immediately kissed Violet's forehead with a bright smile.
"My mother is very eager to visit you, dear," said Edgar.
Violet felt like vomiting at Edgar's sweet treatment, but she could only smile, remembering that it was Edgar who had helped her during that incident. Then, Duchess Lily opened the lid of the ceramic bowl she was carrying, and Violet immediately vomited beside the bed. Edgar grimaced in disgust, as did the duchess. The woman with red lipstick immediately shouted at Violet's maid, who was standing outside the door.
After Violet finished vomiting, she said softly, "I'm allergic to celery, Duchess Lily. I'm sorry."
Duchess Lily's expression was complicated. Allergic? Since when had her beloved future daughter-in-law been allergic to celery? Wasn't it one of the ingredients that had to be included in Violet's favorite venison soup?
Seeing her mother's shocked expression, Edgar and Violet exchanged glances for a moment. Finally, Edgar said hesitantly, "It seems Violet's stomach is sensitive to strong smells, Mother."
"What? Do you mean... Violet is pregnant?"
"Violet is pregnant?" Duke Aron, who had just entered Violet's room, couldn't pretend not to hear his wife's hysterical scream. He was just as shocked. Meanwhile, Violet could only stay silent and hold her head, which suddenly ached. "You must hurry up with the wedding. You can't wait until next year; if possible, your wedding must be held next week," he continued wisely.
Edgar stood up from his seat, smoothed his hair, and put on an innocent expression. "It's up to Mom and Dad," he said.
"Ed!" Violet snapped. She clearly disagreed. She wasn't pregnant, because she and Edgar had never done such things.
"Violet, pregnant women shouldn't yell. No wonder Edgar was so worried about you yesterday. It turns out you're carrying his child," said Duchess Lily.
Violet sighed and remained silent; no matter how much she denied it, Edgar's parents wouldn't believe her. Meanwhile, Wine, who was beside Violet, growled lowly and glared at Edgar with a hostile gaze. Violet stroked Wine's head, moving the animal closer to herself.
On the other side, Prince Roger, who could see what was happening in Violet's room through Wine's eyes, immediately threw the glass he was holding. Violet was pregnant with Edgar's child? The news cut deeper into his heart than being stabbed with a sword. "Damn Edgar," he hissed.
On the fifth day after the attack on Nych, the situation at Equestria Academy had begun to stabilize. The parents who had previously been rushing to the academy to check on their children were no longer seen. The damage to several buildings and gardens had been repaired, as had the reinforcement of the barrier surrounding the academy. Miranda hoped such an incident would never happen again.
Prince Roger, who was in Miranda's room, remained silent and let the oval-faced woman complain about how difficult it was to be a school principal. He stared out the window directly opposite Violet's room, even though it was 2 km away. Just looking at the wall of Violet's room was enough to calm his heart.
"What would you do if the man you loved impregnated another woman, Miranda?" Prince Roger asked suddenly.
Miranda's chatter stopped. Her brown eyes looked at the prince's back with a furrowed brow. She cleared her throat and walked slowly to stand next to the prince, of course keeping a safe distance. She also looked at Violet's bedroom wall with a smile and replied, "The royal family does not prohibit men from marrying more than one woman. And if Your Highness means that Violet is pregnant with Edgar's child, shouldn't it be confirmed first? If it turns out to be just a rumor, it would be better for you to make Violet pregnant with the heir to the throne."
"How dare you, Miranda," the prince replied.
Then, in Violet's room, Noah arrived with the physician at her residence. Though Violet had already mentioned yesterday that she was only allergic to celery, her father insisted that celery was her favorite vegetable. So, when the physician arrived, Violet simply lay there and allowed her abdomen to be examined.
The doctor placed his palm on Violet's stomach and she flinched slightly, but did not move her hand away. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at Violet, and when his palm felt hot, the doctor stopped scanning.
"Miss Violet is not pregnant, sir. It's possible that the Novtiglass family misunderstood," said the doctor.
"Then what about this? The rumors have spread and are being widely discussed." Noah was very uncomfortable with the news. Even though they were going to marry, there were still those who disapproved of it. "Violet, forgive me, but your marriage to Edgar seems to need to be expedited."
Violet sighed softly, shifted her position, and turned her back to Noah and the doctor. Talking to the wall felt better.