Later that afternoon…
The air buzzed with whispers and hushed conversations about the morning's shocking spectacle.
"Can you believe what happened? It was unbelievable!"
"Yes! I can't believe they tried to frame Lady Ariel and the Crown Prince for having an affair. So Scandalous!"
"And the audacity—to use people with similar features to impersonate them in such a disgraceful act. Unbelievable."
"I'm certain those impostors were the ones at the marketplace, pretending to be Lady Ariel and the Crown Prince, just so they could slander them later."
"Unbelievable! And I'm sure they weren't working alone. Someone powerful must have put them up to it. Someone like the Queen."
"I swear I think it was the Queen who planned all this. Did you see how pale she looked when those schemers were caught? It was as if she had just lost everything."
"I believe the Queen was involved. She must have done it to help her wretched niece from Draskia gain leverage in the competition—since Lady Ariel is such a threat."
"Unbelievable!"
"Totally shameless!"
.....
Daniel smirked as he stood by the window of his study, a glass of brandy in hand, listening to the gossip echoing through the palace about the morning's scandal.
It truly had been a spectacle—one he regretted not witnessing sooner.
He had rushed to the Royal Court to manage the fallout of being spotted with the Flamingo at the marketplace. The whispers were already spreading, and he was certain Slovak had orchestrated the scandal. A ploy to eliminate his Lover's Rose before she could gain footing in the competition and the royal court.
But Daniel was not one to be outmaneuvered. He had already devised a flawless plan to spoil Slovak's schemes—a message to remind the scoundrel not to meddle with what was his, unless he wished to be erased from the picture entirely.
Yet, what amused him most was discovering that his Flamingo had already been a step ahead, weaving a cunning plan of her own.
Her plan was even more ruthless than his—one that forced their enemies into a self‑destructive spectacle, leaving them stripped of dignity.
Now, reflecting on the scene, Daniel was certain his most notorious enemy—the one he had suspected all along—wasn't involved in the scandal at all.
Come to think of it, that man was far too calculating and intelligent to stoop to such petty levels. No, this was the work of fools—idiotic masterminds who didn't understand the true game of power. They thought they had ensnared the Queen, but in truth, she had been nothing more than a pawn in disguise. And in the end, they had humiliated themselves completely.
Daniel chuckled as he recalled Esmeralda's pale, ghostly face when she realized she had been played in her own foolish game.
He had wanted to laugh in her face, to mock her openly, just for the fun of it. But knowing her devilish cousin and her monstrous father—if it was true that neither of them had been part of her plans—tsk! She was already on her way to her own downfall.
Daniel smirked as his left eye caught movement in the nearby bushes.
The location was inconspicuous, cleverly hidden not to be spotted easily, yet not hidden well enough from his sharp eyesight. His gaze narrowed as he focused on the figure lurking in the shadows.
It was the man they had caught earlier in the garden—the one who bore an uncanny resemblance to him, and who had been with the woman that looked strikingly similar to Ariel.
Daniel raised an eyebrow. 'Wasn't he supposed to be in custody? What was he doing out here?'
Daniel narrowed his sharp gaze at the man.
The stranger glanced around nervously, clearly checking if anyone was watching.
Then, as if assured the coast was clear, he changed his appearance in the blink of an eye—his features shifting into those of an East Asian man. He stripped off the regal suit he had been wearing, revealing a black and gold ninja combat outfit beneath.
Daniel's eyes widened at the sight of the uniform. 'My Dragonfly? Impossible!' he mused, watching as the man carefully packed the discarded suit into a bag before pulling a black mask over his face.
The figure scanned the area once more, then leapt with acrobatic precision from the bushes onto a nearby pillar, vanishing into the shadows.
Moments after the man vanished, a royal servant in a gardener's uniform, face masked, approached the bushes. He raked a few leaves casually, then retrieved the bag and placed it in a plastic bin. For several minutes he continued his duties as if nothing were amiss, before slipping into a corner.
There, he too changed his appearance—this time into a man clad in a black and blue ninja combat outfit. With swift movements, he leapt to the same floor where the other man had disappeared. He placed the bag on a shelf lined with small statues, then moved away in the opposite direction.
Daniel watched silently, his eyes narrowing at the scene unfolding in front of eyes. Minutes later, another royal servant appeared—this one in a cleaner's uniform. She picked up the plastic bag, tucked it into her laundry basin, and walked away.
Daniel smirked as he followed her with his gaze. His eyes glowed a shade of crimson as he sipped from his glass, anger boiling at the thought of a ploy unfolding right under his nose without his awareness.
"What the fuck is going on in my house?" he muttered.
He drained the last of his brandy and called out, "Stinger!"
Immediately, a figure in black and gold materialized from the shadows and stood behind him.
"Yes, Your Highness. At your service," Stinger said, bowing in reverence.
Daniel did not address him at once. Instead, he turned from the window and walked to his desk. He retrieved his tablet, pulled up a live feed, and played footage of the palace laundry room.
He turned the screen toward Stinger, pointing at a woman with red hair tied into a bun, sorting clothes for washing.
"Bring her to me. And tell Spot we have a mole among us. He'd better find out who it is—and bring him to me."
"Yes, Your Highness," Stinger replied, bowing again as he turned to leave.
"Wait!" Daniel's voice cut through the air, stopping him in his tracks.
"Your Highness?" Stinger asked.
Daniel ran a hand through his hair and exhaled. "This mole is working closely with Fortmore and his daughter. I have a feeling this is more than the Sect. Someone else is involved—someone more powerful than the Sect. An even bigger foe we may have overlooked." He paused, pondering his thoughts. "Did any shadow demons report back about the Fortmores? What have they discovered?"
Stinger shook his head. "No, Your Highness. I haven't heard from them since yesterday. But considering your intuition, I suspect they're finding it difficult to uncover information. I will inform you as soon as I hear from them."
Daniel hummed and nodded. "Good. But make sure they conduct this search thoroughly. I want to know every single detail about the Fortmores. Everything."
"Of course, Your Highness," Stinger replied.
Daniel dismissed him with a wave. Stinger bowed, then melted back into the shadows, disappearing from the room.
Daniel exhaled as he gazed out the window, his eyes fixed on the scorching afternoon sun.
In the distance, a flock of flamingos soared gracefully toward the glistening sea.
He smirked as he watched them fly. "What an interesting mystery you are, Flamingo. It would have been boring if you were just a petty swan—same old story, from being an ugly duckling to beautiful bird. But you… I still can't figure you out." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Don't worry. Soon. Soon I will uncover what you're hiding beneath those pink feathers. Soon…"
He continued to watch the birds disappear into the horizon, his smirk lingering.
...
Meanwhile…
"Ha! Ha! Ha!" A hearty laugh echoed through the office as Alicia leaned back in her chair, laughing uncontrollably.
She paused to catch her breath. "Oh… I swear, I haven't laughed this hard in ages. This is wonderful—so wonderful I feel like throwing a grand party and dancing until I drop. Ha! Ha! Wonderful!"
"Yes, indeed. I'm glad I was present to see the show unfold," Lord Archford commended, seated across from her with a glass of whiskey in hand. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have believed you if you'd told me later. It was simply too good to miss."
He took a sip before continuing. "I almost thought our plans were spoiled when that servant caused a commotion in the Royal Courtroom. Considering we were already at each other's throats over that scandalous article that brewed the chaos, the spectacle felt like an atomic bomb dropped at the worst possible time. And those fools—so eager to take advantage—thought they could ruin everything. Too bad the explosion was waiting to detonate in their own faces, exposing them before they could secure victory. Bloody idiots. Now, just wait until I roast them alive in court tonight. I'm going to enjoy the show."
He took another slow sip, savoring the moment.
"Yes. I also thought our plans were ruined—that it would be impossible to pull Ariel and Daniel out of that mess without them getting burned. But who knew our dear ghost girl was already a step ahead of us all? I must admit, I'm impressed by what she did… but also a little frightened. She pulled us out of a fix, yes—but the means she used required a dangerous level of strategy. Ruthless strategy. And I wonder how she managed it."
"Hmmm…" Archford hummed thoughtfully. "You're right. I admit that I nearly underestimated the girl myself. But when she pinned the break‑in at the Royal Archives on that man and his criminal twin brother, I realized she's not someone to be trifled with. In fact, I believe she's even more dangerous and ruthless than Daniel. Or perhaps their power and calculative strategies are evenly matched. Either way, one thing is certain—they are meant for each other. That's undeniable. And I believe our dear boy is beginning to see it too. He's already allowing things to move quickly between them. He's hooked, eager to see how the game unfolds."
"But knowing Daniel… he must have already started digging deeper. If he discovers the truth about that girl—" Alicia paused, shaking her head slightly. "It will be difficult to get her out of that mess. Especially since Daniel was very fond of Felistus. He adored her dearly, just as he adored his mother. Of all of us, Felistus was the one who truly welcomed Monalisa with open arms, loving her like her own daughter. That's why it will be hard to convince him she wasn't responsible for her death."
"But don't you think, with the way things are progressing between them, he might understand—and even help her get revenge?" Archford asked.
"That's what I hope for, Archy. But the problem is, there's no evidence proving she wasn't the one who killed Felistus. Those bastards left everything spotless. I heard they even made the maid who witnessed the scene disappear—after she gave her confession."
Archford frowned. "But why kill her, if her testimony helped them get rid of our ghost girl? Why silence her then?"
"Because that maid was an old, loyal servant of the Sinclairs," Alicia explained. "Although she was told to testify only what she saw, there was still a chance she might say something that could cast doubt on the case. That's why they staged her death as a suicide—claiming it was from grief, since all her masters were gone. And so, nobody took an interest."
"Mmm…" Archford hummed and nodded. "But there has to be something...something Alicia. Something that maid must have left behind. I don't know what, but I have a feeling she didn't die without leaving a trace. We need to look for it."
"Mmm…" Alicia echoed thoughtfully. "You're right. But right now, we must deal with the situation at hand. As much as I'd love to completely destroy that wretched snake Esmeralda and her little minion, she is still the mother of my grandchildren. I adore Eric, Edward, and Elizabeth dearly. Seeing them hurt because of their mother's mistakes is something I cannot bear—at least not yet."
"You did the paternity test?" Archford asked.
"Yes. And regrettably, they are indeed Devontes. They carry the Devonte blood. That witch made sure of it, securing her position on the throne. But as matriarch of the royal inner court, I must punish her—whether she likes it or not. This time, I won't be too lenient."
Archford hummed in agreement.
"I'm afraid that's not going to happen anytime soon."
A new voice cut sharply through their conversation.
Both heads whipped toward the door to see Reginald casually walking in, his eyes narrowing as he studied them.
"I just received word from the royal prison. Our captives are dead," Reginald announced.
"What!" Alicia exclaimed. "Dead?"
Reginald exhaled heavily. "Yes, Mother. Dead. They both drank poison—something the royal guards failed to notice hidden in their pockets. Clearly, it was planted. But the worst part is that Minister George Flavio committed suicide an hour ago, leaving behind a letter claiming he was responsible for it all. And they did it right under our noses." He paused, taking a slow, rigid breath. "Looks like getting rid of our troubles completely is still not easy. We're back to square one."
Alicia tightened her grip on her staff, exchanging an angry gaze with Archford, whose expression was equally conflicted.
Just then, thunder echoed across the sky. All three turned toward the window to see storm clouds gathering, dark and fast.
A storm was building—and this time, it mirrored the turmoil surrounding them.
It was going to be a bloody storm.