In the quiet night, moonlight shone through the stained glass windows of the crystal tower. Punya sat at a simple wooden table, in front of which was a forbidden fruit in a golden container. She was recording its properties in delicate handwriting, her face full of determination.
As she was recording, a soft voice whispered in the darkness.
"You shouldn't meddle in matters that don't concern you… Punya."
Punya paused, her heart beating rapidly. She quickly looked up, her gaze scanning the darkness around her. The room that had previously seemed safe was now filled with oppressiveness. A vague shadow moved quickly past the window.
"Who is it?" She asked in a harsh tone, but deep inside she was afraid.
A man in black appeared in a corner of the room. His face was covered by a mask, revealing only sharp eyes that stared at her coldly.
"Who do you think you are, daring to meddle with the power of this garden?" The man said in a calm but powerful voice.
Punya tried to regain her composure. She took a small step back, her hand gripping the quill tightly as if it were a weapon. The man did not move closer, but instead threw a letter onto the table in front of her.
"I just came to warn you… If you don't accept the eldest prince's offer, your life and the lives of the people you care about… will never be safe, and don't even think about returning to your hometown!"
As soon as he finished speaking, his figure disappeared into the darkness, as if he had never existed. Punya looked at the letter with slightly trembling hands, before slowly picking it up and opening it.
The contents of the letter were written in dark black and had the eldest prince's seal on it, clearly stating the threat. She read it carefully, before quickly folding it up.
"Prince Li Cheng sent me a letter to threaten me… My eldest brother is just as bad as my younger brother…" She muttered.
The next morning, Punya asked Prince Xiao Yang about this in his private hall. Princess Mei Lin and Mei Ling also came to listen.
"Do you know about this?" Punya said, his face serious.
"I admit that I am bad, but the one who is worse than me is my eldest brother." Xiao Yang picked up the letter and looked at it, before chuckling softly, his face indifferent as if nothing had happened.
"This is not strange. The eldest prince is someone who likes to use this kind of method." He placed the letter on the table carelessly.
"What do you mean? This is serious!" Meiling said, her voice filled with anger and worry.
"The enemy who shows himself so clearly is easier to deal with than I thought… Humph! Big Brother shows himself so fast…" Xiao Yang replied with a faint smile, his tone so calm that it surprised everyone in the room.
"Then what should we do next? Let him threaten Punya like this?" Meiling still objected.
"Sometimes… we have to let the enemy think that we are afraid so that they will reveal their weaknesses," Xiao Yang said confidently before turning to look at Punya. "You should calm down and continue to do what you are good at. I will handle this matter myself."
His words were confident, but they did not help Punya's worries. She could feel that this conflict was about to turn into a bigger war than she had expected…
--
Inside the secret conference room of the palace, a place used for important discussions, the walls were decorated with mysterious floral patterns, a circular conference table in the center of the room stood tall, around the table were important figures representing their positions.
Princess Lingya Sitting at the head of the table with an elegant demeanor, but with a worried look in her eyes, she scanned everyone present before starting her conversation.
"What happened last night wasn't just a simple threat. It's a sign that the enemy is on the move, and they may have more important goals than we realize," she said in a resolute tone.
Punya, who was sitting next to her, nodded and began to recount the events of last night, including the contents of the letter and her concerns about the forbidden fruit that might be the target of the eldest prince.
"These forbidden fruits have immense power, powers that I myself cannot fully understand. However, if they fall into his hands…" Punya paused for a moment before continuing, "It will be a disaster for this kingdom."
Li An, an expert researcher, listened intently before giving an academic opinion in a resolute tone.
"Oh! Before, he was suspicious of me and people everywhere. Turns out, he wasn't that good himself."
Li An continued, "The power of the forbidden fruit is not only positive, it can also be destructive. If the eldest prince uses it in the wrong way, the entire kingdom will be in danger, not just us, but all life in this land."
His voice made everyone in the room go silent for a moment.
Xian Lan, who was in charge of the palace's agriculture, The one who was familiar with taking care of the orchard spoke up. She immediately proposed a defense plan.
"Perhaps, we should hide those fruits in a secret place. I can arrange to find a place where no one can find them, so that they will be out of the reach of the First Prince… and Second Prince."
Xian Lan's suggestion made everyone nod at first, but Punya had a look of disapproval on her face. She took a deep breath before retorting in a firm tone.
"Hiding the fruit may help keep the enemy from seeing it at first, but think carefully. If they find out that we are hiding something, they will not give up and will target us instead," she said. "Instead of hiding, shouldn't we find a way to control its power so that it will not be used for the wrong purposes?"
Punya's words made everyone in the room fall silent again. Princess Lingya, who had been listening intently, looked at Punya with admiration.
"Do you think there is a way to control it, Punya?" Lingya asked.
Punya thought for a moment before answering, "It might be possible, but we need to understand its power more, and that might take time."
Princess Lingya nodded in agreement before concluding with a decisive tone.
"We will keep this plan a secret until we are ready." She looked around seriously. "This matter must not be leaked out of this conference room, especially the two princes. They must not know about this matter!"
Everyone in the room nodded in understanding. Tension filled the entire space. No one said anything more, but deep down, everyone knew that this situation was bigger and more dangerous than they had ever encountered before…
--
Moonlight filtered through the shadows of the large trees on the path leading to the Crystal Tower. Punya and Princess Meilin walked side by side, the sound of dry leaves under their feet rhythmically.
"I feel that this is getting more and more dangerous," Meilin said, glancing around suspiciously. "The threatening message last night still kept me up at night."
Punya smiled faintly, but said nothing. She knew that Meilin's worries were not exaggerated. The situation in the palace was now full of uncertainty.
Suddenly, heavy footsteps came from behind. They turned around to see a group of black-clad mercenaries led by Yang Sheng, a skilled warrior who was now the eldest prince's confidant.
"Punya?" Yang Sheng asked in a low voice. He stepped forward confidently, his tall figure looking intimidating in the darkness.
"It's me," Punya replied, holding his hands tightly to suppress his excitement.
Yang Sheng smiled slightly, before speaking in a calm but terrifying tone, "I was sent to deliver a message from my master… "The eldest prince."
Mei Lin moved closer to Punya, her face showing displeasure. "What do you think you're doing? Sister Ling Ya hired you, and you're just going to change sides?"
"I don't dare, but I was ordered to protect the palace and the orchard from the beginning, so if anyone seems dangerous to the palace, I'd rather choose to be on the opposite side."
"Hey! You think I'm dangerous?!" The princess' face flushed.
Yang Sheng lowered his head and took a step back. "I apologize, princess. It's true that Princess Ling Ya hired me, but you told me from the beginning that my job was to protect the palace."
"You! Traitor!"
Yang Sheng turned to look at Princess Mei Lin with a mocking gaze, before turning back to Punya and ignoring her. "The eldest prince doesn't want to destroy you, Punya. He just wants you to cooperate. He knows that you have a special ability to deal with magical fruits, which will be of great benefit to him."
He paused for a moment, glancing at Mei Lin who was staring at him with displeasure. Before making a cold offer, "If you cooperate, everything will be easier for all parties. But if you don't…"
"So what if you don't?" Punya asked back with a resolute tone, even though his heart was filled with fear.
Yang Sheng smiled faintly, before speaking in a cold tone, "Your life and the lives of those you love will no longer be safe."
The surrounding atmosphere was tense as if it had stopped. Punya tried to calm down and look for a way to avoid a possible confrontation.
But before Yang Sheng could say anything more, the sound of footsteps could be heard, along with the tall figure of Prince Xiao Yang, coming out of the darkness, along with the armored guards.
"What are you doing here, Yang Sheng?" Xiao Yang asked in a cold tone, his face expressionless, but his eyes filled with power.
Yang Sheng turned to look at Xiao Yang, the faint smile on his face did not show any fear. "I was just sending a message from my prince. There was no need to make a big deal out of it."
"A message laced with threats is not a good message," Xiao Yang replied in a calm tone. "And if I find out that you have harmed my people again, You will not go back to your master, remember that."
Xiao Yang's words were full of power, causing Yang Sheng to be silent for a moment, before he sneered and retreated.
"I only sent a message, I did not harm anyone," Yang Sheng said, before turning back to Punya, meeting her gaze with a deep meaning.
"You have no choice but to join, remember my words."
He turned around and walked out with the group of mercenaries, leaving behind a tense atmosphere.
Mei Lin let out a long sigh before turning to look at Xiao Yang, "You seem to have known he was coming, why didn't you tell us?"
Xiao Yang smiled faintly, but did not answer Mei Lin's question. He walked towards Punya and said in a softer tone,
"You are safe, they will not dare to do anything in front of me."
Punya nodded slightly. She knew Xiao Yang's intentions well, that he was only doing good to attract her to join his group, but her heart was filled with questions and worries. She knew that Yang Sheng's words were not just a threat, and she had to prepare for what was about to happen soon.
Furthermore... The behavior of the Second Prince recently seemed so strange that it was beyond trust...
--
The faint moonlight shone through the tall windows of the crystal tower, reflecting off the cold stone floor. Punya sat alone in the reception room, her face showing a look of exhaustion and anxiety. The events with Yang Sheng earlier were still fresh in her mind. She tried to think of a way to avoid the approaching danger, but every choice seemed to lead to risk.
There was a soft knock on the door before it opened, revealing the figures of Li Shan and Wen Qing Who walked in
"We arrived just in time," Li Shan said as he closed the door behind him. His tone was serious but also gentle.
"Li Shan… Wen Qing." Pun Ya got up from her seat. Her face showed a little relief. "Why are you here? It's dangerous…"
"I don't think it's as dangerous as you sitting here alone," Wen Qing replied firmly. She walked closer and stopped in front of Pun Ya. Her sharp eyes were full of determination.
"We're here to warn you," Li Shan said. He placed his hand lightly on Pun Ya's shoulder. "The eldest prince is making a move. He plans to use the forbidden fruit to gain power, and I'm afraid that you might be an important piece in his plan."
Pun Ya's eyes widened. "Important piece? What is it…"
"Because you're the only one who can discern the power of those fruits," Wen Qing explained. Her tone was cold but firm. "You understand their power more than anyone else, and that's what makes you a target."
Pun Ya lowered her head. She felt the weight of the increasingly pressing situation. "What am I going to do? If I refuse?" He will use coercion…"
"You always have a choice," Wen Qing said. She lightly grabbed Punya's arm, her eyes filled with determination. "You don't have to fight alone. We will protect you."
Wen Qing's words made Punya feel warm inside, but she still couldn't let go of her worries. "I'm afraid that protecting me will put you all in danger."
Li San smiled faintly before speaking up. "Danger is something we know very well, and we are ready to face it. You are too important to let me face it alone."
Punya looked at the two of them, tears welling up in her eyes. Her worries eased when she knew that there were people who were ready to be by her side.
"Thank you," she said softly, but it was filled with sincerity.
"No need to thank me," Wen Qing replied with a slight smile. "We will start making plans tomorrow, but tonight, go rest. You still have your own strength to preserve."
Punya nodded. She looked at the two of them walking out of the room, feeling relieved that there were people by her side. But deep down, she knew that facing the eldest prince and his evil plans would not be easy…