After the attempted murder, the following weeks were dedicated to my recovery. By some miracle, the hooded assailant narrowly missed my vital points, which ended up saving my life. During this rest period, Emi was by my side most of the time, while my family came to visit me every day, and Emi's family appeared occasionally.

In those days of rest, the persistent thought that if I had a sword or knife with me, I could have changed the outcome of that situation haunted me constantly. The feeling of helplessness in the face of the attack and the uncertainty of who those men were and why they wanted to harm me still echoed in my mind.

At least, from all this, I managed to identify one of the possible culprits of the attack. To me, it was clear that Edward was involved, but I also had a strong feeling that he was just being used by those men. I decided to share all the events at the museum with everyone, including my main suspect at the moment.

Additionally, I expressed my view about those men, making it clear that they were clearly dangerous and probably part of an organization or something even worse. The safety of Emi and everyone I love is my priority, and I am willing to do whatever it takes to protect them.

That's why I had already decided what my next steps would be once I got discharged and returned to my territory. Overall, the recovery was slow but pleasant. I talked a lot with Emi and my family, as well as Emi's family when they visited us. Although they constantly thanked me for saving Emi, they were also angry with me for not thinking about my own safety.

But, to be honest, I don't regret my actions. Even if everything happened again, I would do it the same way. After all, my biggest fear was not dying, but witnessing Emi lose her life before my eyes without me being able to do anything to protect her.

"Good morning, Ren. How are you doing?"

The person who said this while entering the room where I was resting was Asia, accompanied by Emi. In fact, Emi came to visit me every day, even after I said that she didn't need to come daily. However, she refused to accept my suggestion and has been coming every day without fail since then.

"I'm fine, and I'll probably be discharged next week"

I said, with a slight smile on my face. The dawn had just broken, and we could hear the birds singing from outside. Even so, I knew that this morning would probably be relatively long, as Asia had come along without making any comments about what I had just said. She approached where I was and lifted my shirt, showing my belly.

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"Just as I thought, the scar really didn't fade"

Asia said with a complicated look on her face. Just as she said, a scar had formed where I had been stabbed. To tell the truth, this was something I had already expected, as there is no medicine or remedy in this world that helps with this.

"Well, I'll just think of it as a scar of honor"

I said, chuckling. Hearing my words, Emi and Asia looked at each other for a few seconds before smiling in defeat. After that, we started talking about various things before I finally asked something I had been wanting to know for some time.

"Speaking of which, where's Albert? He hasn't visited me since I got hospitalized"

Asia shrugged and replied.

"He went to Storne to talk about your attempted murder. Well, when I saw the look on his face when you mentioned the possible culprit, I knew he wouldn't let it go"

Asia explained. Hearing her words, I raised an eyebrow, intrigued about what she meant by that. I felt a mix of curiosity and anxiety imagining what Albert might be planning. As always, I had no clue what was going on in his mind.

"You mean when I was telling him? But he wasn't wearing his usual smile?" I asked Asia, puzzled. Hearing my questions, Asia looked surprised and said, "I thought you already knew"

"Albert is skilled at hiding his emotions. Even though he seemed to be smiling on the outside, I'm sure he was boiling inside"

Asia's words made sense, and I had certainly noticed Albert's ability to conceal his emotions, but not to the extent of understanding what he was really thinking. With all these doubts, I began to wonder what Albert might be doing in Storne right at that moment.

***

In a long and dark corridor, a young man walked with firm and confident steps. His walk showed no hesitation or doubt. Although the place was dark since it was underground, he clearly had a noble appearance. The walls seemed to be carefully maintained, and the floor was always clean.

After walking for a few seconds, the young man arrived in front of a cell. The place seemed somber and austere, with the cold cell bars separating him from whoever was inside.

Although the place should clearly be a prison, it wasn't what it seemed at first glance. Surprisingly, the environment was quite luxurious. The walls, adorned with finely carved details, seemed to belong to a royal palace.

The impeccably polished floor and sophisticated furniture suggested a level of refinement not common in ordinary cells. This place was reserved for royalty members who committed vile acts, a sort of prison for high lineage nobles.

"Long time no see, former Prince Edward"

Hearing the voice coming from outside, Edward quickly turned his head towards the person in question. Outside, Albert was standing, looking at Edward with a smile on his face.

"You, why are you here?"

Said Edward, surprised and confused. While trying to grasp what was going on, his mind was racing. Edward could predict what might be happening; he was suddenly apprehended and taken to prison. Although he didn't know the reason, not even his father could help him. There was only one reason for this to have happened.