Chapter 412

Chapter 412 Chapter 412 ི 43%

“Master? Master!” Hearing a heavy thud from inside, his men called out a few times with no answer, then rushed in. They found Banon sprawled motionless on the floor, dead or alive, they couldn’t tell.

“The prince–the prince passed out.” They scrambled to lift him, hands slick with his sweat–he was drenched, like he’d just been pulled from a river. One gingerly touched his forehead, and his face cycled through shock, settling on pure terror.

By late July, the city gate guards reported Banon had returned to Hilltop City. No disguise, no tricks. After all that effort to escape and hide, he’d just given up and walked back in.

Nyx was floored when she heard. “What’s his deal?” Surrendering like that didn’t fit Banon at all.

“He’s sick–really sick,” Erik said. He’d gone to the gate himself to handle the handover and winced at the memory of Banon’s skeletal, haggard look.

“Sick?” Nyx nodded–that made sense. “What’s he got?”

“Dunno, and it doesn’t matter,” Aurelius said flatly. “He came back to Hilltop City because he’s probably dying and wants to save his skin. But why should I waste an imperial physician on a criminal?”

Live or die, it wasn’t his problem anymore. Whatever happened, Banon brought it on himself. Not killing him outright was already more brotherly kindness than he deserved. They’d dumped him at Four Peaks Mountain to fend for himself.

Nyx patted her partner’s hair soothingly, not arguing. She’d just asked out of curiosity–she didn’t actually care about the enemy’s health.

A guy who’d done so much evil getting what he deserved didn’t need her pity. The whole thing felt like a minor blip, and Nyx forgot about it fast.

Next time she left the palace, she swung by Marquis Anders’s place to tell the heir he could pull the wanted notice from the next paper. He didn’t need the heads–up–he’d already heard Banon turned himself in.

He crowed about it for a bit, crediting the newspaper’s bounty power, showering Nyx with praise while secretly patting himself on the back.

“Lady Nyx, let me treat you to a meal at the tavern!” he said, bowing dramatically with a flourish.

He’d done a bang–up job and scored some reward cash. Sure, he’d never lacked money growing up, but earning it himself felt different. He tucked the silver into his pocket, eager to splurge on Nyx.

Seeing him strut around like his tail was sky–high, Nyx smirked to herself but didn’t turn him down.

Their first real connection started at the Mermaid Tavern across from the glass shop–where they’d patched things up and struck a deal. For this treat, the heir wouldn’t pick anywhere else–only that meaningful spot would do.

Same top–floor private room. The owner personally brought dishes she’d like, plus a chilled ice bucket. Nyx fanned herself lightly, gazing out the half–open window at the glass shop across the street.

“Been open so long, and the glass business is still booming,” the heir said, following her gaze to the bustling crowd outside. He tried to guess the profits and whistled. “Man. They’re raking it in!”

“Lady Nyx, I’ve always been curious about something,” he said, leaning in with a conspiratorial wink. “That glass business–is it yours?”

He had no proof, just a gut feeling. All the wild, amazing stuff in the world seemed tied to Nyx somehow.

1/3 16:14 Mon, 17 Mar M Chapter 412 3 43%

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Nyx didn’t expect him to be so sharp. She raised an eyebrow but didn’t confirm or deny. To the heir, that was as good as a yes.

His face lit up red, and he fidgeted, rubbing his hands. “I’d never tell a soul! My lady, could you sell me a life–sized glass statue?

I want to give it to my dad for his birthday!”

A statue that big–outside palace tributes, it’d be one–of–a–kind in Hilltop City. His dad would be over the moon. After that, his dad might stop chasing him with a stick, yelling about what a rotten son he was.

The heir had been dying to get his dad a big gift for ages. Problem was, he’d haggled with the glass shop owner for years, and they always said they were out of stock or couldn’t make it.

“Please, I’m begging you–name your price!” He clasped his hands, pleading with puppy–dog eyes.

If her partners pulled that cute act, Nyx would’ve melted. But coming from the heir, it just gave her goosebumps–she couldn’t look at him.

“Your love for your father is really touching,” she said, turning away with a faint smile. “Ask again in a couple months- maybe a miracle’ll happen.”

As for the price, she wouldn’t gouge him–might even throw in a friendly discount. Not like she was hurting for cash.

“My lady, you make all this money–where’s it go?” the heir blurted out, too excited to keep his questions in check.

Nyx’s food, clothes, and stuff were top–notch, sure, but the palace covered that. She didn’t seem to have pricey hobbies or live extravagantly like other rich folks.

“You’ve eaten up plenty of it,” Nyx said, sipping her iced drink, unbothered by his nosiness. “The Ministry of Works has too.”

Gunpowder, farm tools, printing, cement–research and infrastructure weren’t cheap. She was basically robbing the rich to help the poor.

“Wait–that big donor Master Voss who sent supplies to the frontier army. That was you too?” the heir said, a lightbulb going off as he connected more dots.

At the sound of Master Voss, Nyx’s face stiffened, and she gripped her fan awkwardly.

When she was cuddling both her guys at home, she sometimes felt like a big–shot with a harem. But hearing that title slapped on her for real, she felt a shiver of mortifying shame.

Nyx ducked her head and stayed silent. The heir took her reaction as proof.

His face lit up with awe and a touch of guilt. “I–I won’t take reward money anymore.” Forget rewards–he’d work for free. He’d do anything for Nyx.

“No need,” Nyx said, waving him off as his emotions spiked. “Things are on track now–not much big stuff going on. I don’t have a ton of places to spend it.”

She liked keeping rewards and punishments fair. No point pinching pennies on his pay or bonuses.

Hearing that, the heir slunk back to his seat, nodding obediently. Then something hit him, and his brow furrowed. “Speaking of big stuff, my dad said the south’s been a little shaky lately”

16:15 Mon 17 Mar M80.

Chapter 413