Night hung heavy over the palace.The extinguished candles in Ken's quarters looked like thoughts that had died before they could take shape.
Marvin sat by the window, waiting, until faint footsteps echoed from the far end of the corridor.A young man in his early twenties appeared — tangled brown hair, cautious eyes that darted like prey sensing a trap.It was Eren, the record clerk working inside Darius's financial division.
He stopped before Marvin, offering a sealed folder with both hands. His voice was low — barely enough for the walls to hear.
"This is everything I could copy without being noticed…If they find out, I won't last a single night in the palace."
Marvin took the file, his tone calm but firm.
"No one will find out — as long as you stay silent."
The young man nodded once and disappeared back into the dark, as quietly as he had come.
Moments later, Marvin entered Ken's study, where both the prince and Gray awaited.He opened the file across the desk, and three pairs of eyes fell upon the papers as if searching for betrayal between the lines.
Marvin read aloud the first heading:
"List of Investment Rewards — Projects Funded by the D.O. Financial Division…"
But he didn't get far.Ken suddenly froze, his fingers stiffening on the edge of the paper.
His voice came out low, carrying both disbelief and anger:
"Duke Van Loren…"
Marvin looked up slowly.
"Yes. He received direct funding after the Fourth Crisis.The port reconstruction — it was his project.Or rather… Darius's."
Gray frowned.
"Van Loren… isn't he Lady Elaine's father?"
Ken stayed silent for a moment before answering in a cold, distant tone:
"Gold binds everything — even the smiles that greet you."
The next morning, in the palace gardens, Elaine stood near the marble fountain, reading a small book beneath the pale sun.Ken approached quietly, his voice soft, deliberate.
"I didn't expect to find you here, Lady Elaine."
She smiled faintly and raised her eyes.
"Solitude suits me, especially after the crowded councils.The air here feels more honest than people do."
He stopped beside her, his tone calm but layered.
"I heard your father worked on the harbor project years ago.It must have been exhausting — and costly."
Her expression shifted for just a second before she replied:
"Yes, but fortune was on his side.Friends from the court helped him — as they helped everyone."
Ken's voice turned almost casual — but not quite.
"Friends… like Darius Orvalis?"
She hesitated, then gave a light, practiced laugh.
"You princes are far too skilled at politics.I prefer gardens and books, not whispers and power.Let's talk about something less tense, your Highness."
He smiled faintly — a polite mask over quiet disappointment.
"Sometimes, tension isn't something we choose, Lady Elaine.It's the air we breathe here."
She left soon after, the scent of her perfume lingering in the air — along with a glance between them neither truly understood.
Later that day, Gray entered the study with a new report in hand.
"My lord… something strange.Some officers in the capital are receiving financial grants from Duke Van Loren — under the title 'Support for the Special Forces.'"
Marvin raised an eyebrow, concern flashing across his face.
"The army, funded by nobles? That's a dangerous precedent."
Ken closed the previous file, his voice sharp and cold.
"Gold no longer serves the sword…The sword now serves gold."
That evening, the study drowned in paper.The large map on the wall was filled with red lines — connecting noble houses, companies, ministries.
Marvin pointed toward the center, where every line converged.
"He doesn't buy people, my lord.He makes them believe the gold belongs to them."
Ken's gaze fell on the name in the middle — Darius Orvalis.
"And Lady Elaine's father… is one of them."
Gray hesitated.
"Should we tell her?"
Ken's reply came without pause, firm and controlled:
"Not yet.I want to see where the lines lead… before I cut them."
Two days later, the Noble Council convened in the grand hall.The king sat at the head of the table, Darius beside him — surrounded by the wealthiest lords in the kingdom.
The room buzzed with talk and polite laughter, but Darius commanded attention without even trying.When he rose to speak, the hall fell quiet.
"Gentlemen," he began, voice calm and assured,"the future of Orvalis will not be written by swords — but by harbors.The Unified Maritime Trade Project with Savina will make us the center of commerce between East and West.But to achieve that, we need one economic leadership to guide and balance our wealth — a hand that knows how to steer the ship."
Silence followed.A few nobles nodded eagerly; the king gave a small approving nod — silent consent.
From the back row, Ken sat uninvited, watching his brother with a gaze that burned quietly.Marvin leaned closer, whispering without looking up:
"He's declaring control — right in front of everyone."
Ken's answer was barely above a whisper, edged like steel.
"No.He's taking it — because no one dares tell him no."
When the speech ended, the room erupted in applause — hollow, rehearsed.Darius turned slightly, his eyes finding Ken's across the distance.They didn't speak.They didn't need to.That single glance was enough — the opening move of a silent war.
Ken rose from his seat and walked out slowly, Marvin and Gray following.As they reached the corridor, Ken spoke without turning:
"From this day forward… we won't just watch."
Marvin asked quietly:
"Then what will we do, my lord?"
Ken's reply came calm, deliberate — the tone of a man making a dangerous promise.
"We'll pierce the heart of his circle.Gold fears no blade —but it trembles when its secrets are exposed."
Outside, the royal lights shimmered across the still surface of the lake.The palace stood beautiful and serene — a perfect image of peace.But behind its walls, a silent war had begun —one fought not with swords…but with numbers, gold, and cunning.
End of Chapter .