Damian Landis' private laboratory was located deep within the main palace, hidden behind narrow corridors known only to a few. The room looked more like an alchemist's room than a place where a crown prince should be. The smell of metal, herbal fumes, and the hissing sound of boiling liquid filled the air.
Damian, the crown prince of Landis, stood amidst the chaos.
Under the dim light of a crystal chandelier, he was developing an Elixir, a high-grade healing potion that could cure all kinds of poisons and diseases. The potion could only be made by members of the Landis royal family. It was their main source of income. Thanks to that knowledge, they became the second most powerful kingdom on the continent.
Damian's green hair fell to his forehead while his gray pupils stared intently at the potion in front of him. His hands deftly measured out the crimson powder into the bubbling purple liquid. Every movement Damian made was calculated. Now and then, his brows would furrow, then return to normal when he saw nothing wrong with the potion he was developing.
Suddenly, a knock came from the thick door of the laboratory.
Damian frowned. Not many dared to disturb him while he was working, except in urgent circumstances.
"Come in," he said without looking away from his work.
A knight in light armor entered quickly, then bowed respectfully. In his hand was a letter with a unique seal that was easy to recognize.
"Your Highness, you have a letter from the Magenta Kingdom," he said.
Damian glanced at it briefly. The crest on the seal of the letter did belong to the Magenta royal family. Even so, the letter was not important enough for him to interrupt his work.
"Leave the letter on the table."
"Err... the courier said you will regret it if you ignore this letter, Your Highness."
The knight swallowed his saliva roughly when Damian gave him a sharp, warning look. He also knew that Damian hated being disturbed while he was working. Even so, the courier who had come earlier had continuously emphasized that the letter must be read immediately.
It was not like Damian would waste much time reading it. The knight remained persistent. He stayed there until Damian lazily stretched out his hand.
"Give it to me."
With a quick movement, the knight handed the letter to Damian. He immediately went out again after that. His duty was only valid until the letter reached Damian's hands.
Damian frowned, opened the seal on the letter, then read the first sentence of the letter.
For the first few seconds, his brow furrowed.
Damian thought that the only person who dared to disturb him was King Arkadion. But when Damian saw who sent the letter, he remembered the masked figure who claimed to be Cecilia's twin.
Cecilion.
Only then did Damian know that even King Arkadion had a secret that he didn't know about.
Damian usually ignored letters from other princes or princesses. But this time, he read it. He wanted to know what Cecilion wanted to say that dared to disturb him like this.
"..."
But as his eyes went down the page of the letter, his expression slowly turned colder.
Cecilion talked about the Magenta Kingdom's plan to open a new path through the Erebos Forest and how they had Nerva's Blossom and Mira Root growing naturally in their place. Cecilion wanted to use those plants to cooperate with him. It was an attractive offer indeed.
Even so, Damian couldn't just dismiss the fact that the Magenta royal family knew about his family's secret. Nerva's Blossom and Mira Root were poisonous plants that were considered pests in the past. Because of their natural effects, people exterminated the two plants until they were almost extinct.
Now, someone who should have just surfaced knew about the secret that the pest plants were something he needed. Cecilion did not specify whether he knew what Damian needed the two plants for. Even so, Damian could not help but suspect the purpose of that letter.
He closed the letter slowly, his eyes now cold as ice.
"Sir Lenton," he said to his knight, his voice flat but full of power.
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"Cecilion, the prince of the Magenta Kingdom, will be coming to our kingdom soon. You send a messenger to ensure his safe journey to Landis."
The knight looked surprised. That was the first time he had seen Damian receive a guest on his own accord. But he quickly bowed when Damian frowned slightly.
"Right away, Your Highness."
Once Sir Lenton left, Damian fell silent and then looked at his messy laboratory.
Damian put the letter in his hand on the table, then walked to another table to pull out a large map showing the boundaries of the Erebos Forest.
"Breaking through the dangerous forest to open a new trade route," he muttered. At first, Damian seemed fine. But after a while, he began to crumple the map in frustration.
"A masked prince who only appeared after his twin sister's death dares to ask for my help while stating what I need."
Damian's gaze narrowed. If the Magenta Kingdom were to have its own trade route, it could naturally restore its economy that had been affected by the policies of the Blaine and Landis Kingdoms. But if Damian ignored his request...
Damian didn't want to miss the opportunity to obtain the materials for making the Elixir just like that. Damian thought. If he could get the whereabouts of the two plants from Cecilion, he could get the plants and destroy Cecilion once and for all.
No one was allowed to know about the secret of making the Elixir. Not Cecilion or anyone else.
Damian let out a long sigh. For the first time in years, someone could finally make him feel excited about something.