CHAPTER 142: YOU’RE CRAZY

Henrietta folded her hands on her lap, her tone calm but firm as she began to explain. "The Empire of Rus is not like the kingdoms you are familiar with, Xavier. The winters there are brutal, the kind that bite into a man’s bones and never let go, yet the people endure it as though it were nothing. Their strength was forged in that cold, and it is why they are feared across the continent. Their armies are vast, disciplined, and unyielding, their cavalry unmatched, and their navy able to traverse frozen seas that would cripple others. They hold more land than any other realm, stretching further than maps are even able to properly capture, and they count among their allies some of the fiercest tribes and clans that dwell on the edges of civilization."

Lucas leaned slightly forward, his eyes narrowing as he listened closely, trying to picture in his mind the great empire she described. "So they command both land and sea," he muttered thoughtfully, "no wonder no kingdom dares to challenge them."

Henrietta gave a single, measured nod. "That is precisely the reason. To cross Rus is to invite ruin, they march with overwhelming numbers, and their presence on the battlefield breaks the spirit of even the bravest soldiers. When their banners rise, most enemies surrender before the first arrow is loosed."

Lucas remained quiet for a moment, absorbing her words. From her explanation alone, he could already sense the immensity of such power, and it unsettled him in ways he did not show. "Then tell me," he finally asked, his voice calm but probing, "are they the strongest nation in the world? Or is there one even greater than Rus?"

Henrietta’s expression darkened slightly at his question, and she tilted her head as though carefully weighing her words. "No, Xavier," she replied at last. "Rus is not the strongest. There is another nation, far more feared. But they are not like Rus. They do not seek alliances or friendships, and no kingdom dares to draw close to them. They are far too domineering, their rule suffocating, their ambitions endless. Even the boldest rulers keep their distance, to be entangled with them is to lose one’s sovereignty entirely. It is not strength alone that makes them feared, but the way they consume all who come under their shadow."

Lucas raised an eyebrow, his curiosity deepening, though he did not press her for the name of this mysterious power just yet. "So Rus is mighty, but not the pinnacle. That in itself is... revealing," he murmured, his tone thoughtful as though he were carefully piecing together a puzzle.

Lucas leaned back, his fingers drumming lightly against his knee as he considered how much to reveal. Finally, he answered with deliberate calm. "Because it concerns Nyx. The king is preparing to seek the alliance of Rus, and the way he means to seal it is through marriage. Nyx is to wed the emperor of Rus."

Henrietta’s eyes lingered on the polished stone floor. She already knew King Alden was in quiet talks with the envoys of the Rus Empire. But when Lucas told her that Princess Nyx was to be the piece offered to seal the alliance, her heart had sunk. It was one thing to negotiate trade, or military support, but to give away Nyx’s hand as if it were a bargaining chip was something Henrietta had not expected, even from the king.

Henrietta looked up sharply, her voice carrying both disbelief and resignation. "I suppose he has decided already. Once he fixes his mind on something, nothing short of heaven’s wrath will change it."

Lucas moved closer, "I don’t intend to let that happen."

Her brows knitted together, and she studied him as though he had spoken madness. "What did you just say?"

"I said," Lucas repeated, meeting her gaze without flinching, "I’m finding a way to stop Nyx from marrying the Rus emperor."

For a heartbeat, silence hung in the air, broken only by the crackle of a nearby lantern. Henrietta blinked, genuinely taken aback. A short, disbelieving laugh escaped her lips before she could stop herself. "You must be out of your mind. Do you have the faintest idea of what you’re saying? This is not a matter of court gossip. It is the king’s will, sealed with diplomacy, with politics, with armies behind it. To defy that..." She shook her head, her voice hardening. "To defy that is to place your neck beneath the executioner’s blade."

Lucas didn’t back down. "If Nyx is married off like a pawn, she’ll be nothing more than a hostage draped in silks. You know what Rus is like."

Henrietta’s lips parted as though to speak, but she found herself without words. He wasn’t wrong. Everyone whispered of the Rus emperor’s reputation: ruthless, ambitious, and utterly cold in his politics.

Lucas continued, lowering his voice as though the books around them might carry his words elsewhere. "Nyx deserves better than that fate. And if no one else will protect her from it, then I will."

Finally finding her voice again, Henrietta leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. "And just what do you think you can do, Xavier? Stand in front of the king and demand he change his mind? Challenge the Rus emperor himself? Even if you were the greatest cultivator alive, even if you had armies at your back, this is not a battle you can simply win by will alone."

Lucas gave a short, humorless smile. "You underestimate me."

Henrietta studied him long and hard, searching his expression for some trace of jest, some indication that he was merely speaking out of foolish passion. But there was none. His eyes burned with conviction, and she realized he was absolutely serious.

At last, she exhaled slowly, shaking her head. "You are crazy," she said quietly, though her voice lacked its earlier scorn. "Crazy... but perhaps that is what makes you dangerous."

Lucas didn’t reply. He simply turned his gaze toward the shelves.