[IFITAOAMV] Chapter 21

“My apologies. It was only out of concern.”

“My bride genuinely knows nothing.”

“How could that be?” Beryl, equally puzzled, asked with a serious expression.

“I’m just as curious. Where has my bride been all this time, and how did she survive?” Edwin mused.

From what Edwin could tell, Angelina appeared to be in her late teens, which meant she would have been about two or three years old when the Emperor conquered Jueri. His father had arrived in Ambria too late to save anyone—only corpses remained, evidence of the fierce battle that had taken place.

*The Emperor wouldn’t have spared a child, no matter how young.*

Who could have taken the child and hidden her? How had she ended up falling from the sky, and why had she lost her memory?

“Does God want to play another game with me? Should I raze the temple to the ground until I get answers?” Edwin muttered, a dangerous glint in his eyes that made both Seth and Beryl pale.

“I’ll investigate through Shark,” Seth quickly suggested, attempting to diffuse the tension.

Shark was the secret intelligence network of the ducal family, responsible for gathering information, conducting surveillance, and even carrying out assassinations.

“Even if we search, we might not find anything. Raven couldn’t uncover anything after all these years, and we don’t even know her name.”

“We’ll start by questioning those who suddenly appeared with a young child around fifteen years ago, starting near the desert,” Seth proposed.

“Make sure it’s done discreetly. We can’t let the Crown Prince’s crows catch wind of this.”

“Understood.”

“What have the crows been up to lately?” Edwin asked, turning to Beryl.

“They’re still searching through the desert,” Beryl replied immediately.

“Even the tomb raiders?” Edwin asked, his eyebrows furrowing as he rested his chin on his hand.

“Yes,” Beryl confirmed.

Edwin frowned deeper. “This is strange.”

“Are you referring to the tomb raiders?” Seth asked.

“They’re just irritating,” Edwin replied dismissively.

For some time now, tomb raiders had been flocking to the Muhas Desert, driven by rumours of hidden treasure—rumours that the royal family had deliberately spread.

“They know they'll die the moment they step into the desert, yet they keep coming. Persistent fools,” Edwin muttered.

Up until now, every single tomb raider who had entered the desert had been killed, with none surviving to tell the tale. Despite this, they continued to come in droves.

“They're blinded by greed,” Beryl remarked.

“They probably think they'll be the exception,” Seth added.

“Arrogance,” Edwin scoffed, curling his lips into a smirk. The idea that anyone could escape from a place guarded by Edwin Crawford was the height of arrogance.

“Continue to eliminate any tomb raiders you find. We need to make it clear that no one leaves the desert alive.”

“Yes, sir,” Beryl responded with a slight bow.

“Track the movements of the crows more closely and report back,” Edwin ordered.

“What exactly do you find suspicious?” Seth inquired, narrowing his eyes.

“Isn’t it odd? Why would Raven be searching the desert?” Edwin asked, his gaze sharpening.

“Aren’t they searching for the surviving Jueri?” Beryl suggested.

Edwin shook his head. “Ambria has already been exposed and destroyed by the royal family. Do you really think any survivors would be foolish enough to return?”

“But the guardian tree is there…” Beryl began.

“What power does a dead tree hold?” Edwin interrupted, his tone filled with disdain. *It couldn’t even recognize its own people,* he thought bitterly, recalling how the guardian tree had once tried to kill Angelina. The memory fueled his anger.

Seth rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “It’s true that luring tomb raiders to the desert is an unexpected move, given the royal family’s previous actions.”

“Indeed. They’ve always used Raven to search for Jueri in secret,” Beryl agreed, nodding.

“There’s something else going on,” Edwin concluded.

“You believe the royal family is searching for something else in the desert,” Seth said, his eyes narrowing with realisation.

“Huey is still investigating the tomb raiders, right?” Edwin asked.

Huey was the head of Shark, the ducal family’s secret intelligence network.

“Yes, he’s been so busy tracking them that we haven’t seen much of him lately,” Beryl replied.

“Tell him to dig deeper into the rumours among the tomb raiders,” Edwin ordered.

“Understood,” Seth responded.

“I’ll also intensify the surveillance on both Raven and the tomb raiders,” Beryl added.

Edwin nodded in agreement, his thoughts darkening. *What are they scheming now?* Just thinking about the royal family made his blood boil, his veins nearly bursting with rage. If it had anything to do with Jueri, he had to uncover the truth.

*I have to protect my bride,* he thought, his eyes glinting with a dangerous intensity.