Asti, shedding tears, uttered a single word, and the Sultan and Karina were so shocked by that single word that they couldn’t say anything.

Sultan, who had never experienced such shock even when hearing news of the empire invading the desert, when the price of rice suddenly skyrocketed to three times its usual, or when a desert storm blew up and exploded the outpost of the external guard, was shocked to this extent.

Her words were so powerful.

“I… not eating is because of Father and Mother. Hng.”

“Our Star Candy…!”

Didn’t Karina herself say that there is no winning against a child?

Although Shurak was a precious child to Karina, he ruined everything by deceiving her with his business and leaving the palace. There was no need to mention that he found Asti more beautiful than Shurak.

“Sultan, please, Hades’ Frau…! If we keep going like this, our Princess Asti will die…!”

Karina pleaded, dragging Rashid. Rashid sighed quietly and massaged his forehead.

“Oh no!”

This was a checkmate of Rashid and Karina, who overlooked that Asti and Latifa had become so close, and it was a valuable victory that the illiterate Princess Asti achieved on her own.

Evening’s hustle and bustle had long been gone, and it was already a deep night. Except for the merchants preparing for the early morning business, it was a quiet night where everyone was asleep.

A carriage with two horses pulling it was quickly running along the narrow main street of the bustling Grand Bazaar.

The carriage had dark green curtains, making it impossible to see who was inside.

However, with the golden cobra and silver scorpion depicted, it was likely a carriage for nobles or royalty.

Two well-bred sorrel horses with golden manes were kicking up dust, crossing the road at a fast speed.

Hee-haw!

Eventually, the carriage arrived at the Calab estate, known as the most prestigious estate in the Grand Bazaar.

Dressed in elegant white and green attire, the coachman, following the Sultan’s strict order, respectfully got off the carriage and lifted the green flag.

Soon, a tall woman with flowing silver hair cautiously got off the carriage, and she quickly ran to the large oak door of the estate, knocking on it.

Thud, thud. Thud, thud.

“Who’s there on a night like this when there are no guests?!”

The nighttime gatekeeper, speaking in a slightly tired tone, opened a small hole in the oak door to check who was outside.

Then, after confirming the woman outside, his eyes widened, and he quickly opened the door, urging the other gatekeepers beside him to hurry.

And in a matter of seconds, the massive oak door opened with a creak, enough for one person to pass through, and the woman swiftly passed through the opening.

Of course, she did not forget to express her gratitude to the coachman who carried her.

“Who are you? Who came at this hour? No one can enter here at night.”

“You know the situation here isn’t good. If Lord Hades finds out, he’ll be furious. Uh…?”

While the estate’s guards, who guarded the estate at night, were cautious, they soon recognized her identity and quickly cleared the way.

“Hurry, please go inside.”

“He’s waiting for you.”

Whether the path in front of her was quite familiar or not, the silver woman quickly accelerated her pace through the arch gallery of the Calab estate, and, if that wasn’t enough, she gradually increased her speed.

Her heartbeats thumped rapidly, and in her warm breath, a strong scent of jasmine emanated.

The small shadow of the beast that came with her, pricking its ears, hopped around on the sandcastle wall of the Calab estate, keeping an eye on her path with its small eyes.
Soon, a tightly closed wooden door appeared in front of the figure, and next to it, two small torches were flickering in the night breeze of the desert.

As the small, white hand cautiously pushed the wooden door, the dark interior was revealed. Inside, a strong scent of rotten fruits filled the air, reminiscent of intense hedonism.

Despite the strong smell of alcohol, she stealthily entered the dark room.

There was no lantern or any source of light in the room, but the bright moonlight pouring in from the window made it relatively easy to distinguish objects.

The silver-haired figure leaned against the moonlight, glancing into the room. There was no particular order; sunshades were scattered around, large and small bottles rolled on the floor, and neatly arranged books and scrolls were nowhere to be found.

On the topmost seat in the bedroom, a man, whose clothes were not properly fastened, lay sprawled with closed eyes, basking in the pouring moonlight.

Though his hair was disheveled, indicating a messy state, his balanced chest rose and fell slowly, conveying the rhythm of life. The long, black eyelashes trembled, indicating that he was in a light sleep.

Soon, the slender fingers of the white woman, reflecting the blue moonlight, began to gently sweep over his sharp nose.

Thud!