The summer in Celestia Ridge was not overly hot. There was even a slight chill in the evening.
Sylas lived in seclusion within the small courtyard.
His days were spent playing with the cat, bantering with Crystal, guiding the county magistrate's office work, and securing some benefits for the local populace.
Surprisingly, the days of peace lasted a while.
As for Jade, it seemed she wouldn't be coming for quite some time.
Furthermore, Crystal vowed that her mother had agreed to let go.
If she didn't, her daughter would hang herself.
How Jade responded, Sylas didn't know.
But since Crystal wasn't forcing him, he decided to enjoy the peace for now.
His constitution was still too weak to withstand a woman's... attentions.
So, the priority was to recuperate properly and regain his strength.
Today, he leaned on a long bamboo pole, slowly pacing in the courtyard.
His physical functions had mostly recovered. Walking daily helped keep his muscles active.
Living like this, he felt he might reach seventy percent of a normal person's capacity in a year.
The courtyard wall wasn't high; beyond it was a green, wooded path.
This was the inner compound of the magistrate's office.
Usually, only people from the office passed by.
Sylas saw no one.
Many were unaware of his existence.
Even though Crystal had given him an alias, he forbade her from speaking of him.
Only the kitchen staff who prepared his meals and the local physician vaguely knew of him.
This was unavoidable; they knew before Sylas had woken up.
He didn't think his caution was misplaced, given Crystal's highly sensitive identity.
Isolde was like a dog with an extremely keen sense of smell; the slightest whiff could lead her to him.
Worse still, his tomb was empty.
That was the biggest flaw.
Jade had assured him. Isolde loved him so much she would never disturb his tomb.
But Sylas disagreed.
When had the Empress of Aethelred ever shown him respect?
She was utterly capricious and a definite woman of action.
He didn't see people, but that didn't mean he didn't notice the peculiarities of those around him.
The weight and pace of a passerby's footsteps.
The cough of the old man who often delivered meals.
These familiar noises assured him he was still safe.
Today was the same.
Luna lay on the roof, sunbathing and purring.
This cat was very perceptive.
Usually lazy, it couldn't even be bothered to meow.
Sylas looked at the white furball on the roof and smiled faintly, then lifted his leg to continue his exercises.
For a lonely person, having a pet was a kind of fortune.
But then, Luna suddenly stood up.
Its posture suggested it hadn't been sleeping but had been on alert all along.
It suddenly puffed up its fur, hissing towards the outside of the courtyard.
"Growwl..." Luna's cry even held a hint of a tiger's roar.
Sylas's heart skipped a beat.
This cat was extremely gentle and lazy; it had never puffed up its fur before.
What was wrong?
Thinking there might be a dog outside, he stood on tiptoe, looking in the direction Luna was focused on.
He saw a woman with an agile figure walking by.
She seemed to be just passing through.
But the woman appeared to be surveying the magistrate's compound, her gaze sweeping over.
Sylas's pupils constricted violently.
In that instant, a storm raged in his heart.
Then, his legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground.
She shouldn't have seen him, right?
Sylas lay prone on the ground, frantically crawling towards the house.
He locked the door and, in a stress response, grabbed a sword from the wall, shing, drawing it.
He stared at the main door, cold sweat pouring down his body.
This woman's face was unfamiliar, not a local.
Moreover, she was wearing the court attire of the Lorynth palace!
This was a guard from Lorynth!
Sylas was all too familiar with this type.
Every time Isolde... dealt with him, these guards would appear in his periphery.
He felt ice-cold from head to toe.
Only one thought occupied his mind.
Run! Now!
Run regardless of the consequences!
If they came in, he would fight them to the death!
But his right arm grew tired from holding the sword aloft, and the door remained still.
Sylas's breathing gradually slowed.
He slowly sheathed the sword, feeling he had overreacted.
People from the palace visiting was normal.
If Isolde planned to launch troops from Northspire, Celestia Ridge would naturally be surveyed.
After all, it was the only one in the area that had proactively built a road.
And this was the magistrate's compound; where else would palace attendants go if not here?
He hung the sword back up, wiping the cold sweat from his face.
Then he realized his back was soaked through.
This fear of being captured was truly etched into his bones.
Sylas sat at the desk, not even daring to open the window.
He was terrified a group of people would burst in, shouting, "That's Sylas! Seize him!"
Fortunately, nothing of the sort happened.
He endured until the room began to feel stuffy, then slowly opened the door.
Outside, it was as peaceful as ever.
Luna had also returned to normal. It lay in a corner, licking its fur.
Sylas suddenly thought of something. He felt utterly pathetic.
The slightest stir could frighten him to death.
So, to be prepared, he needed to do something.
Otherwise, even if he wasn't captured, the fear would make him sick.
Maybe... Move somewhere else?
Somewhere even an acquaintance like Crystal wouldn't find him?
Sylas's thoughts began to race.
He fantasized about what might happen if he went to a new place.
But then he felt this was the best choice.
Escaping Aethelred's jurisdiction would at least free him from constant fear.
It was time to go.
His mother and sister had settled on an island.
Why should he live under Isolde's watchful eye?
If it were Jade taking care of him here, he would marry her without hesitation to repay her kindness.
But the person here was Crystal. Someone in a particularly awkward position.
He really didn't want to make things more awkward.
So, before leaving, he had to do a few things.
At the very least, he couldn't implicate them.
In the afternoon, for the first time, Sylas walked out of the magistrate's compound.
If that female official had seen him in the morning, there was no point hiding in the afternoon.
He went to the only bookstore in the county town.
The money in his storage pouch was enough for the rest of his life.
He only bought some ordinary cultivation manuals, even some fabricated texts.
Once he had what he needed, he returned home.
Sylas's slender fingers held the pen, his pale, thin wrist suspended in the air.
The blank paper before him seemed like a silent battlefield.
Then, he began writing on the paper in tiny, meticulous script.
...
"Your Majesty, urgent report from agents in Celestia Ridge! A suspicious individual spotted!"
"Your Majesty, urgent report from the Thousand Talons Guard! A suspected special associate is near Crystal!"
One urgent report after another landed before Isolde.
Isolde looked at the compiled information, her pretty face as white as a sheet.
Her hands trembled, not daring to open the files.
The answer was within reach, but she was afraid to see the result.
Could it be?
Could Sylas be alive?
Impossible!!
Then whose body was in the tomb?
She slapped her wrist hard.
The tender skin of her arm instantly turned red.
The maids nearby, thinking she was having another episode, shaking in fear.
The pain brought Isolde back to her senses.
She opened the detailed report. "June 17th, Agent #125 of the Gate Ridge network spotted a man in the rear compound of Celestia Ridge bearing a striking resemblance to Sylas.
June 18th, contact with the magistrate's kitchen staff revealed Magistrate Crystal is caring for a bedridden elder brother named Silvanus, a distant relative.
The road construction in Celestia Ridge was suggested by this man named Silvanus.
Reason unknown. ..."
Piece by piece, the evidence pointed towards Sylas's location and identity.
Now, they hadn't seen him in person.
They couldn't confirm it was him.
But the answer was almost screaming out.
When all clues pointed to him, it was almost certainly him.
Isolde looked at these intelligence reports.
Her vision darkened, and she nearly fainted from excitement.
The maids hurriedly supported her.
Isolde closed her eyes, unsure whether to laugh or cry, and said in a soft tone, "Go. Go to the tomb. Go and see..."
"Your Majesty wishes to open the coffin for verification? Would that disturb the Lord's rest?"
"..."
She was silent for a long time, then finally gritted her teeth.
"Is he afraid of being disturbed? Open it! Now!"
She was ninety percent sure Sylas was in the Celestia Ridge magistrate's compound.
But at this moment of peak excitement, she forced herself to calm down.
She knew deeply that the greater the hope, the greater the potential disappointment.
She had to plug every possible loophole before verifying what was up with that detestable Sylas.
The tomb was opened easily; just a few crowbars were needed to pry open the coffin.
Then, the guards discovered there was indeed no body inside.
He had really run away.
Knowing this result, Isolde, supporting her belly, went to the Hall of Serenity.
She sat quietly, her expression extremely complex.
After sitting for half an hour, she finally couldn't help but laugh.
"Heh heh... Truly a strategist of Lyonesse. I knew it! How could he just die like that? 'Sylene', your father is really... Ah, so infuriating!"
After laughing, she stood up, extremely angry, and kicked the bed fiercely.
Thump!
The kick directly collapsed the bed frame.
How dare you, Sylas!
You made me shed so many tears, cry for so long!
Great scoundrel!
And you were still acting!
Weren't you good at dying?
Try dying again now!
This time, when I catch you, you'll spend the rest of your life in the dungeons!
Both overjoyed and furious, she commanded: "Relay my decree: Victoria is to guard Lorynth. I intend to go to Northspire to escape the heat! Heheh, hehehehe!"
She didn't plan to go to Celestia Ridge immediately.
This Sylas could fake his death once; he could do it a second time.
She would take it slow.
First, head to Northspire based on the broader strategic situation to attend to official business.
That way, Sylas wouldn't flee.
Then she could slowly corral him and devour him in one bite!
"Sweetie, just watch how your mother deals with your father.
You mustn't feel sorry for him.
When you're born, you have to help your mother blackmail your father too!"