Chapter 60: Cutting Through the Tangle with a Swift Blade

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The Rose Princess, Lilia von Ayn, found herself in dire straits.

It had been nearly a year since Queen Eliza narrowly escaped death. Despite careful treatment and the best doctors and nurses, the queen’s health had visibly declined year after year. She was not yet on her deathbed, but her days were numbered.

As the struggle for the throne grew overt and fierce, the nobles who once hovered around the Rose Princess, hoping to rekindle old alliances, now distanced themselves one after another. Even Queen Eliza, who had always favored her, ceased to hint at Lilia’s prospects as heir.

Though the queen cherished Lilia and despised her second son, she could not forget that he, too, was her blood. Seated on the throne, she had long since transformed into a pure political creature. In stable times, sentiment might have prevailed, but the Tulip Kingdom had clearly fallen on hard times—ambitious nobles eyed the throne, while frictions with neighboring nations never ceased.

At such a time, the second prince, Walk von Ayn, though ruthless, possessed the vision and capability the kingdom needed. His ascension might spell misfortune for the other children, but for the survival of the Tulip Kingdom and the Ayn family's supremacy, he was the logical choice.

Thus, feeling her end near, Queen Eliza pinched her nose and demanded Walk swear a deadly oath: unless absolutely necessary, he must guarantee her kin a life of wealth and comfort. Only then did the queen make her decision.

In just a year, Lilia von Ayn, whose status was almost entirely built on the queen’s affection, lost the composure she once effortlessly maintained. Even the new nobles who had supported her succession out of loyalty to her father now subtly suggested that she relinquish her claim. They promised to send her abroad—to the Morningstar Alliance, to the Dawn Federation—to live as a wealthy heiress.

But Lilia could not accept this. Not only was her father’s murder an unpardonable crime, but the sense of the throne slipping further and further from her grasp was unbearable.

Born royal, Lilia had always been drawn to that supreme seat of power. For more than a decade, she had moved ceaselessly toward it, every moment of her life shaped by its pursuit.

To ask her to give up was to deny her entire existence up to this point.

But what could a powerless weakling do? If she was denied, she was denied. Was there really any way forward?

Yes.

Late one night, bypassing every guard and martial artist without raising an alarm, Liu Tian slipped into Lilia’s bedchamber.

For certain reasons, Lilia’s security had increased rather than diminished, rivaling that of the royal palace. Yet for Liu Tian, such measures were now trivial.

Unconsciously, through sheer effort, Liu Tian had reached this point—one of the five mightiest in the land—capable of disregarding most conventional forces.

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Reflecting on the past eleven and a half years, Liu Tian could only sigh at the blood and sweat it had cost him.

As he gazed at the lightly sleeping Lilia, he was not captivated by her innate grace. Not yet having reached the pinnacle of power, brimming with confidence, his mind was consumed only by one thought: accelerate—accelerate toward greater strength. He had no interest in admiring the view along the way.

So, seeing Lilia wavering between dream and wakefulness, Liu Tian roused her without hesitation and declared, “Lilia von Ayn, I bring you a proposal.”

With precise control over his strength, he stifled all her resistance, leaving her unable even to call out.

Liu Tian did not fear trouble, but he wasn’t a madman—avoidable complications were best left avoided. Pointless slaughter held neither meaning nor appeal. “I am Liu Tian. This is our first meeting. I wish to invest in you, to help you ascend the throne.”

“In exchange, for ten years, you must provide me each year with a thousand different artifacts from the Lost Empire. I do not require ownership, only the right to appreciate them for a time. Of course, I will decide whether they are genuine relics of the Lost Empire. Alternatively, if you find two prisms like this, our transaction ends immediately.”

He paused, drawing a prism from his coat and displaying it.

By now, he no longer cared if certain people discovered he possessed the prism or harbored an obsession for it.

After all, he was strong enough. And with Blue Dream Corporation acting as they were, there was no resolving matters without a direct confrontation.

If Blue Dream threatened his parents, he would, in turn, threaten Blue Dream.

Only equal threats made for true negotiations.

“All right. You may speak now.” Satisfied that Lilia had memorized the prism, Liu Tian put it away and released his grip.

Panting heavily, Lilia made no attempt to scream—she merely gasped for breath to steady herself after being so utterly at another’s mercy.

Within moments, the Rose Princess regained her poise, her brilliant eyes fixed on Liu Tian. “How can you determine what truly counts as a relic of the Lost Empire? Shouldn’t we set a clear standard?”

“I have my own methods,” Liu Tian replied with a slight smile. Commanding the situation entirely, he had no intention of establishing any standard with her. “Rest assured, I only want temporary access to admire them. There’s no need for deception.”

“And besides,” he added, “what if I did deceive you?”

“Fair enough,” Lilia sat up, unconcerned with her half-bared state. “So, what will you do next?”

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“The dead cannot contest the throne with you,” Liu Tian replied evenly to her inquiry.

“But my foundations are too shallow. I might provoke resistance from others and be unable to control the kingdom,” Lilia admitted, showing not the slightest inclination to plead for her uncles’ lives—after all, if they could act first, why couldn’t she strike back?

There was no such thing as absolute kinship within the royal family.

However, the Tulip Kingdom was not a centralized empire; the great nobles’ opinions mattered greatly. Thus, Lilia asked in advance, “If the great nobles oppose me, or only cooperate half-heartedly, I might not meet your demands.”

“The dead cannot oppose you,” Liu Tian answered, unperturbed, his face betraying no concern.

“If all the great nobles die, who will defend the borders?” Lilia blinked, her thoughts unreadable. “What if our neighbors invade under these circumstances?”

“That is your problem, not mine.” Liu Tian would not be caught out, but he still offered her a sliver of hope. “But our arrangement can continue...”

“When will you act? I have no desire to see my two uncles again,” Lilia asked, making it clear she had accepted the deal—one with no guarantees, no contract, built solely on Liu Tian’s character.

Power, vengeance, the future—a thousand motives entwined. Even if the deal was with the devil, Lilia would not regret it.

How could she?

In her eyes, Liu Tian’s figure shimmered and faded, vanishing as quietly as he had entered, leaving only a faint voice lingering in the air:

“The first transaction—ten days from now. Show me your strength!”

The next day, news swept the Tulip Kingdom: Second Prince Walk von Ayn and Third Prince Murphy von Ayn had both died of sudden heart failure after overindulging at a banquet...