CHAPTER 536: A BRILLIANT PLAN

While an elite circle in Calma busied themselves with preparations for the grand coronation of the first emperor of Azurverda, which was to take place in a month’s time, a darker plot brewed in the shadows of the secret chamber in Zura.

Turik and the other Zuran generals met in secrecy, whispering of a bold and dangerous plan—to kidnap Lara, the betrothed of Alaric.

When Turik first proposed the scheme, their spies had already infiltrated Calma. From the shadows, these spies had mapped out every detail of Lara’s life—her schedule, the people in her company, and the rare moments when she was unguarded.

They had learned that each Sunday afternoon, Lara would escort the children back to her master’s manor.

That day, the children had begged her to accompany them to the marketplace, for it was the final day of the Food Festival—a week-long celebration organized by her brother Peridur, alongside the sisters Zeeta and Leah, and Mona, the gifted fashion designer, who had blossomed into a striking dark-haired beauty. Together, they had introduced an array of new delicacies that drew crowds from across the city.

The festival’s most beloved attractions, however, had been born from Lara’s passing words. During a family dinner, she had idly mentioned to Peridur the quaint wonders of cotton candy and popcorn makers—machines that looked ordinary in her past life, but unknown in these old lands.

The next morning, inspired and curious, Peridur sought out his mentor, Master Hephastus. Within days, the first cotton candy machine stood gleaming in the master’s workshop.

Hephastus tried the machine, and his eyes sparkled when the machine heated the sugar until it melted, then, using centrifugal force, spun the liquid sugar through tiny holes. As the thin, hot strands are flung into the air, they cool and solidify into fine, hair-like threads.

Peridur’s eyes brightened like those of a child as molten sugar spun into hair-thin threads, catching the light like strands of silk.

Lara used her finger to collect the web-like delight that gathered at the side of the candy maker. When she tasted the delicate sweetness, forgotten childhood joy flooded back to her. Peridur and Hephastus soon followed, laughing in delight as the airy confections melted on their tongues.

Lara eventually taught them how to spin the sugar onto bamboo sticks, crafting fluffy, cloud-like candy that enchanted everyone who saw it.

Meanwhile, Matthias and his son Barney worked tirelessly on the popcorn maker. When the first kernels burst into puffs of white and gold, their excitement rivaled that of children discovering magic. Lara added crushed salt and powdered cheese, and the group marveled at how such simple corn could transform into something so wondrous.

On the final day of the festival, the streets of Calma were alive with color and scent. Stalls overflowed with roasted nuts, grilled meats, and sweets wrapped in banana leaves. The children’s faces glowed with anticipation, and when they turned to Lara with pleading eyes, she could not deny them.

They set out to where the cotton candy and popcorn were. With Benwick, the knight her father had assigned to her protection, and her cousins Abel and Barett. The children—Ivan, Ivy, Pamela, and the ever-polite Sandoz—bounded ahead through the lively crowd.

Ivan and Ivy pulled Lara straight to the cotton candy cart, their laughter ringing through the air. Pamela followed, her curls bouncing, while Sandoz trailed behind, as proper as a little gentleman. The air was sweet with the scent of caramelized sugar. The children teased each other as they tried the cotton candy on a stick, and the popcorn, served in neat banana-leaf cones.

Lara handed sticks of the pastel-colored candy to Abel and Barrett, who hesitated, embarrassed. "Come on," she coaxed with a smile. "You must try it—it’s heavenly." Reluctantly, they took a bite—and immediately, their eyes lit up in astonishment.

Even Benwick, the stoic knight, accepted one from her hand. He chuckled softly as the sugar dissolved on his tongue, its sweetness cutting through years of discipline.

Then, chaos erupted.

A wave of rowdy children and teenagers surged toward the cart, pushing and shouting to buy cotton candy and popcorn. The air filled with noise and laughter, but beneath it, something sinister stirred. When the crowd finally thinned, Lara turned—and froze.

"Ivy?" she called. Her voice trembled. "Where is Ivy?"

Benwick was gone.

He noticed it earlier when two teenagers sandwiched Ivy and pushed her aside. He followed them as they entered the stall area where other delicacies were sold at a cheaper cost. But he was blocked by another group of children who pushed him. When he looked around, Ivy disappeared into thin air.

Moments later, he returned, face pale. "Miss... the little one—she’s been taken."

Lara’s blood ran cold. Ivan began to sob, blaming himself for letting go of his sister’s hand. Abel and Barett scattered into the crowd, searching frantically. When they returned, they were pale and breathless.

"No trace," Abel said grimly. "It’s as if she vanished."

Lara’s expression hardened. "Abel, find your father and Uncle Lenard. Tell them everything. Barett—take Sandoz, Ivan, and Pamela to Mendel Manor and report this to my master."

She made a subtle hand signal, and four men seemed to materialize from the shadows—Alaric’s elite guards. One of them, Redon, stepped forward.

"Redon," she ordered, "take two of your men and go with Barett."

He hesitated. "But, my lady, our orders are to protect you."

"Two guards are enough," she said firmly. "I won’t have the children traveling unprotected."

Redon bowed. "As you command." He turned, leading Barett and the children away into the crowd.

As silence settled, Lara’s mind raced. Who could have taken Ivy—and why? Her thoughts were interrupted by a child’s soft voice.

"Big Sister," said a thin, dirt-smudged girl, holding out a folded note. "A man told me to give this to you... and you’d give me food."

Lara hesitated, then took the letter. With gentle eyes, she handed the child a loaf of bread which she bought from a nearby stall, along with a stick of cotton candy and a cone of popcorn. The girl’s eyes widened, and she immediately squatted by the roadside, eating with desperate hunger.

Meanwhile, Lara unfolded the note. Her pupils contracted sharply as she read the words within.

Whatever warmth the dat had held vanished—replaced by a chill that cut straight to her heart.