Time: TC1853.01.20 (Late Evening - approaching midnight)
Location: Imperial Palace - First District → Emperor's Private Study
The door opened. Kael entered with controlled urgency, his formal robes suggesting he'd been reviewing documents rather than sleeping.
"Father," he said, bowing before approaching. "What's happened?"
"Sit," Tianrong gestured to the chair. "I've just concluded a briefing with Senior Agent Chen from the SIS. The investigation has uncovered complications far beyond what we anticipated."
Kael sat with careful control, his expression shifting to focused attention.
"The SIS confirmed confessions regarding a baby swap involving three infants," Tianrong continued. "Federation DNA analysis suggests Mara Brenner may be Darian and Caelia's daughter—pending Empire verification."
Kael's golden eyes widened. "The Federation?"
"The girl arranged testing days before the banquet. Sent samples outside imperial jurisdiction where they couldn't be suppressed."
