The hall was still weighed down by the clash between the two princes—but what followed was far more dangerous.
The envelopes began to open.
The nobles who had received the leaked copies of Ken's documents unfolded the papers one by one.Faces shifted.Hands trembled.And the silence grew sharper.
Inside the envelopes appeared:
Records of inflated debts
Financial orders signed by Darius
Direct transfers to companies under his control
Forced contracts and suspicious property transfers
No one shouted… but the words slipped out through clenched teeth:
"Fraud…""Exploitation…""Manipulation…""Forgery…"
Tension spread faster than any sound.
Among them, a duke who had benefited from Darius's influence stood up, his voice loud and clear:
"Your Majesty! Lord Darius has worked for years for the kingdom! Without him, we would all be bankrupt!"
It took only seconds before another noble fired back from the opposite side:
"Because you were his accomplice! Don't hide behind the Prince name!"
Voices rose…A table was slammed…Guards stepped in with measured steps.
Everything looked ready to explode.
Gray leaned toward Ken and whispered:
"Darius's special units are inching around the hall. This isn't normal."
Ken replied without looking at him:
"Stay ready."
Suddenly, the King of Safina raised his hand, his voice sharp:
"If this meeting is about to turn into a confrontation… then I will not sign an alliance with a kingdom whose king doesn't know what happens behind his back."
The words weighted the air immediately.
The king stepped back slightly, and the nobles fell into complete silence.
Darius clenched his jaw.He knew the blow came from outside this time.
The king attempted to answer:
"We—"
But the Safinan king turned swiftly toward Ken, as though sensing something from him.
Ken raised his head, meeting the Safinan king's gaze with a calm, direct tone:
"Your Majesty of Safina… we apologize for the tension.But… mind your tongue."
A soft gasp escaped one of the nobles.The guards froze.Even the king was startled for a moment.Darius could not believe Ken had said that openly.
Ken didn't wait for anyone.
He took the last paper from Marvin's box and raised it high:
"This… is an order for urgent funds during the fifth crisis."
He held it up for all to see.
"But the date—forty-eight hours before the official announcement of the crisis."
A muted shock rippled through the hall.
The king immediately extended his hand, seized the paper, and read it slowly.He looked again at the date… then at Darius… then at Ken.
His voice came out faint:
"Forty-eight hours… before the crisis?How… how did you know a crisis was coming before it happened?"
For the first time, Darius couldn't hide his unease:
"I had economic indicators… that's all."
Ken stepped forward slightly, whispering just loud enough for those nearby:
"A weak answer, Darius."
In the back, Elaine froze.Her eyes drifted between the document, the reactions, and her father—hiding behind the crowd.It was the moment she finally understood his fear… his hesitation… his brokenness.
The nobles began dividing openly:
Some shouting accusations
Some fiercely defending Darius
Some lost, not knowing where to stand
Safina's threat still hung in the air.Darius's special forces were moving.The king didn't know whom to believe.Darius was trying to regain control.And amid everything… Ken remained steady.
He stepped forward, looking the king straight in the eyes:
"There will be no signing… until all these files are opened before the royal council."
The king remained silent for a long moment.
Then he finally raised his hand, his voice tired but firm:
"There will be no signing… until we understand what is happening."
That single moment was enough for everyone to realize:
The game had changed.And what was once a hidden secret…had begun turning into an open war.
End of Chapter.