Chapter 160: Before the Dawn

Inside the lord's mansion, Lord Arild Ulixan sat numbly at the threshold, gazing blankly into the night outside. In his hand, he held a moonlight crystal glass, a specialty of the Ross Empire, yet it was filled with the fiery Ulie wine of their own Byra!

Ever since the afternoon, when he learned that Batu's Red Lotus Guards had been utterly annihilated, he had remained slumped here in such despair, sitting motionlessly for the better part of a day.

After a long while, from the lord's garden, the Lady of the House—none other than the former Second Imperial Princess of the Ross Empire, Mina Tyrell—approached slowly, clad in a pale blue long dress.

Ulixan gazed with dazed eyes at the wife who utterly captivated him. Under the moonlight, her pale yellow hair, finer and softer than silk, cascaded over her shoulders, and her eyes resembled the delicate blue of cornflowers. Her cold, aloof gaze carried a touch of noble dignity, which, paired with her innate royal bearing, gave off an unapproachable aura!

Even after many years of marriage, Ulixan remained deeply intoxicated by this temperament, willingly letting a woman take charge of numerous matters. This was exceedingly rare within the cultural environment of the Byra royal court, particularly among the nobility.

Mina looked at her defeated, hound-like husband, a flash of complex emotion crossing her eyes. To be honest, she did not dislike him. As a political sacrifice sent for a political marriage, her fortune could already be considered quite good, having encountered such a gentle husband. One had to know that the men of the Byra dynasty were mostly violent in temperament, entirely lacking the gentlemanly grace of the Ross Empire's nobility, and women's status was far inferior to that in her homeland.

Yet she was fortunate to have met a husband so infatuated with her, one willing to tolerate her caprices. His character lived up to his very name: Ulixan meant the gentle light of the morning sun. True to his name, this man was tender and considerate, serving as a thoroughly perfect lover.

Yet he was by no means a man upon whom one could truly rely. Mina's expression grew slightly gloomy, and she said coldly, "Do you intend to just stay dead drunk like this, and wait for the soldiers breaching the city to cut off your head and claim their merit?"

"What else can be done, My Lady?" Faced with his wife's angry interrogation, Ulixan offered a bitter, wretched smile. "It was you who persuaded me not to abandon the city in the first place. Now that all four gates are surrounded, what do you suppose I can possibly do?"

"You..." Mina bit her lower lip, her expression vexed. That proposal had indeed originated from her; she had simply overestimated her own standing, or perhaps her perspective was truly too shallow. She had foolishly believed that her father's affection for her and her relationship with her fourth brother would make peace negotiations a straightforward matter. Yet she failed to consider: if her standing had truly been so lofty, how could she have ever been sent away as a bride to a hostile nation?

Now, besieged on all sides, they truly had no way out. It was hardly incorrect to say that all of this was her fault. Yet, in her mind, how could a responsible man shift the blame entirely onto a woman after the fact?

People are often contradictory creatures. Initially, she wished for her husband to obey her, accommodate her, and even heed her every word. But when things went awry, she blamed her husband for lacking backbone and a sense of responsibility. This was the psychological norm for most people, for precious few are ever willing to admit that they themselves are entirely in the wrong.

A mocking sneer surfaced on Mina's delicate features. "Even if I had urged you to flee in advance, would you have been able to survive?" Pausing briefly, she stated coldly, "The first law of Byra: a lord abandoning his territory is the empire's supreme iron law. Anyone who violates it is stripped of their title and sentenced to death!"

"That cannot be..." He suddenly stood up, agitated. "His Imperial Majesty loved me so dearly. Even if I abandoned this city, I would not be sentenced to death!"

"Is that so?" The mockery on Mina's face deepened. "I used to think the same. I believed that a father who cherished me and a brother who respected me would never treat me thus—and look where that led us?" She paused again before continuing, "Moreover, have you forgotten? That father of yours who loved you so dearly has already died a sudden death. Do you truly believe that if you return at a juncture like this, anyone can protect you?"

"I..." Ulixan was left speechless, then collapsed powerlessly to the ground, utterly despondent. Taking this in, Mina felt a profound wave of disappointment. She finally understood why all her sisters were so obsessed with marrying the strong; for at the critical moment, only the strong could offer true peace of mind. No matter how kind a weak man might be to you, what use was it?

"My Lord!" A maid's inquiring voice drifted from afar. The shrewd knights of the estate had already deserted in droves, knowing that the mansion would become a perilous place once the city fell. However, the less worldly maids thought otherwise. Believing that the lady of the lord's mansion was a princess of the Ross Empire, they assumed this must be the safest sanctuary of all. Thus, even now, these maids maintained their utmost respect.

"What is it?" Mina was the one who replied. Although the servant addressed the Lord, he merely retained a shred of nominal face; in most matters, the Lady made the decisions. This was even truer under the present circumstances, where everyone's hope for survival rested upon the Lady, naturally aligning their loyalties with her.

"Lord Ounchi requests an audience!"

Hearing this, Mina furrowed her brows, thinking to herself: *Why isn't he organizing the defenses at the city wall at a time like this? Why come running here? Could the city already have fallen?* A flicker of panic crossed her face. Taking a deep breath, she nodded and said, "Let him enter."

After a short while, Ounchi walked in, accompanied by Guo Lang and a few others. Upon seeing Mina, Ounchi executed a solemn, standard knightly salute. "Greetings, Your Royal Highness!"

For many years, this was how he had always addressed Mina, and it was a form of address she tacitly permitted.

"Has the city fallen?" Mina asked anxiously, going straight to the point.

Ounchi shook his head. "Not yet, but it will be at most in a few hours. The city will fall by daybreak. The noble warriors stationed on the ramparts have already quietly slipped away under the cover of night. None of them are willing to waste their strength defending the city anymore; instead, they hope to pool their remaining forces and break through the chaos when the time comes, seeking a sliver of survival!"

"And what about you?" Mina raised an eyebrow. "Did you abandon the city wall without permission simply to seek a sliver of survival for yourself as well?"

Hearing this, Ounchi dropped to one knee and saluted. "I will not abandon Her Royal Highness. Even in death, they must first step over my corpse!"

"Chris..." Mina trembled slightly, uttering the Ross Empire name Ounchi had used in the past with a complex expression. After a long silence, she sighed, nodded, and said, "I appreciate your loyalty."

Only then did she begin to notice the group behind Ounchi, asking with a trace of curiosity, "And they are?"

Guo Lang, who had been standing by as a bystander, finally saw that the principal figure had noticed him. He stepped forward leisurely, bent slightly, and executed a standard Night Elf greeting. "I am July Shadowsinger of the Night Elf race. Greetings, Your Highness!"

"Ah..." Mina was stunned, hurriedly bowing back in return. She dared not even use her own royal etiquette; the grace of the other's bowing posture was something Mina, who had studied various forms of etiquette since childhood, had never witnessed before. It made her own royal etiquette suddenly seem somewhat childish and laughable.

"What brings you here, sir?" Through that greeting alone, how could Mina fail to realize that this young man was certainly not one of Ounchi's subordinates, but rather someone brought in by him? Coming here at a time like this... A thought flashed through Mina's mind. Could it be...

"A distressed traveler, merely seeking refuge," Guo Lang replied with a slight smile.

Ounchi, standing to the side, curled his lip. Did this guy not even need to change his lines?

"You jest, sir. This palace is now nothing more than a gathering of withered bones awaiting death. How could we possibly offer you refuge?"

*Those lines?* Ounchi was momentarily stunned. Why did they sound so familiar?

Guo Lang did not beat around the bush any longer, stating directly, "Your Royal Highness, you remain of imperial blood. With your status and position, that Fourth Imperial Prince at least wouldn't dare issue a direct order for soldiers to harm you, am I right?"

"That is true." She paused, frowning. "But he also won't explicitly provide protection. In other words, if I die in the military chaos or by assassination after the city falls, he will have a convenient excuse to justify it."

"Meaning that as long as you do not die by assassination or in the initial military melee, there is nothing he can do to harm you, correct?"

Mina's eyes lit up, the notion in her heart growing increasingly intense. She nodded in agreement. "Indeed. The successor to the throne has not yet been decided, and various factions are plotting against one another. Although my fourth brother has rendered monumental service this time, if he were accused of personally ordering the execution of his own sister, it would undoubtedly constitute a massive political stain. I trust he is not that foolish!" Pausing for a moment, she asked eagerly, "Sir, do you mean to say that you can protect me through the initial military chaos?"

Guo Lang did not evade the question further, nodding and speaking candidly, "Ah, yes, that is precisely what I mean."

Both Mina and Ulixan behind her wore expressions of wild joy. Mina took a deep breath to steady her emotions, yet still asked with lingering agitation, "Then, sir, how many men have you brought with you this time?" In her estimation, to stop the bold advances of those violent marauders amidst the chaos would require at least three hundred elite knights. When had such a powerful faction ever existed within St. Landburg?

Hearing this, Guo Lang smiled, while Ounchi beside him wore a rather awkward expression. This atmosphere caused a trace of unease to flicker across Mina's heart... Sure enough, the next moment she watched as the young man before her spread his hands and said, "As you can see, there are five of us in total!"

These words struck Mina and her husband like a basin of cold water poured over their heads, leaving them feeling as though a myriad of mythical beasts were stampeding across their hearts.

If foul language were permitted, Mina would have dearly loved to blurt out: "Are you fucking kidding me?"