ROYALTY: The Lord of the Glorious Water Element
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: INTRICATE INTRIGUE

The man cursed behind a dark wall. His heart was full of cobbleness. "Damn, my plan almost failed. But I'm going back into Royalty's room until it's completely safe. In a minute."

While making sure things are around, Edward is getting ready to come back to Roni's room. Footsteps at the eastern end sounded closer and closer, Edward was also more alert. Edward put his back against the wall, hiding himself in a dark shadow. Every second felt like an infinite amount of time as he waited for footsteps to approach. Carefully, he looked in the direction of the voice, making sure that it was not a threat.

Surprised, Edward faintly saw the shadow of a man, statured as Prince William was now seen walking closer to his spot. Edward quickly shifted to the opposite wall next to him and covered it from the man's sight. I don't know who.

The footsteps were getting closer, Edward's heartbeat was racing faster. Cold sweat began to drip past his temples. Suddenly Edward was surprised by one of the soldiers who knew his whereabouts.

"Hey you!" the soldier shouted while pointing at Edward.

Edward cursed and then rushed towards the dark side of the corridor that had not been seen by the approaching man. In desperation, he used his telekinesis skills to throw some small items at the soldier, leaving the soldier confused.

As the soldier was busy dodging the flying items, Edward seized the opportunity to run in the opposite direction of the approaching man. He took another path, sneaking through a hidden passageway in the palace.

With speed and dexterity, Edward manages to evade a man who looks like Prince William and the soldiers who are chasing him. He walked down the dark alleys, looking for a safe place to hide himself temporarily and plotting his next move.

Now Edward hid behind a high and large wall, the boundary of the palace's backyard and corridors. There is rarely passed by soldiers who patrol because it is a remote place in the palace.

"Damn, why is my plan getting harder and not to my liking. Uh!" Edward was very angry. Then he threw a tree branch towards the fish pond in front of him.

While the twig fell into the pond with a small rumble, Edward pondered in the darkness of the night. His breathing and heartbeat eased slightly after successfully avoiding the shock. Edward thought. It seems like it would be a waste if he just took Roni's ring. Maybe using other ways that can make Roni miserable deeper.

In the darkness of the night, Edward racked his brain in search of a new, more cunning and deadly way. His latest plan began to take shape, and his eyes lit up with renewed determination.

"Royalty's blessing with the ring wasn't the only way to drop it" Edward murmured to himself. He devises a more complex scenario, encompassing intrigue and deceit that could destroy Roni's reputation.

While remaining hidden behind the walls, Edward begins to plan a series of events that can exploit the weaknesses and secrets within the palace. He wanted to create a story that would tear down Roni's image in the eyes of the kingdom.

His next move will involve not only the robbery of the ring, but also manipulation, betrayal, and intrigue. Edward is convinced that by involving these elements, he can achieve his goals without the need to destroy Roni's life directly.

With a new plan in place, Edward smiled with confidence. He knew that this time, his attack would be far more destructive than just stealing the ring. Each of his steps will be designed to bring Roni to the brink of destruction, and Edward is ready to play his dark role in Andora's Palace.

"Huhah, Royalty. Maybe I can't steal your ring now. But I will make you look bad in the eyes of the royal family. Haha..." Edward laughed in the silence of the night. The quiet place made his voice sound louder. Then Edward went through a lonely shortcut to get to his room undetected.

In the morning, Prince Henry and the soldier who last night guarded in front of Roni's room seemed to talk and discuss about the incident last night. Especially the soldier also found evidence in the form of a knife that he found in the corridor of the palace.

Prince Henry looked at the knife seriously, realizing that this could be the key to revealing the matter within the palace. His handsome face showed an expression of confusion and worry.

"This knife doesn't belong to our royal soldiers, and I'm sure it belongs to someone who's trying to make a mess" Prince Henry told the soldier who found the knife.

The soldier nodded seriously. "Yes, Prince. Last night I caught someone wearing a black cape and a mask. The man also kicked me before he escaped. I chased him, but I lost track of him. Then I met another soldier in the west corridor, and then I found the knife, Prince."

Prince Henry thought through all of that information carefully. He felt there was something deeper than just the chaos of last night. And the man called the soldier was also just like the man who tried to steal Roni's ring the day before. Looks like that guy was obsessed with taking Roni's ring.

At the same time, Prince William came to Prince Henry and the soldier. Prince William also appears to have been a witness to the chaos last night, though he has no idea who the mysterious person he saw as he passed through the corridor last night.

Then Prince William said, "What happened last night, Prince Henry? I saw someone last night around the corridor, but I didn't get to see him for much longer and that person has already gone somewhere else."

Prince Henry gave Prince William a brief account of overnight events, including the discovery of a knife that was purportedly not belonging to the royal soldier.

"I think we should investigate this further. There's no way this is just a coincidence. Some are trying to wreak havoc inside the palace" Prince William said in a serious manner.

The soldier added, "I've caught the mystery man for the second time and I tried to chase him, but he managed to escape. He also threw some stuff at me. I wanted to teach him back, but I lost track of him."

Prince William is serious. "We need to know who is behind all this and what its purpose is. We can't let strangers into the palace."

Prince Henry then conveyed his thoughts, "If the person is from outside the kingdom, how could he possibly enter the territory of the kingdom with very strict guard? While the Andoran Kingdom has two security gates that are supposed to prevent foreigners from entering the kingdom. Most likely, the mysterious person who made a mess last night was someone who came from within his own kingdom."

Prince William and the soldier digested the words of Prince Henry who seemed to have the truth. There was no way a foreigner could enter the territory of the kingdom, whereas the territory of the kingdom was heavily guarded by many experienced warriors.

Then Prince William suggested, "It looks like we should check the security records and ask for information from the soldiers who served last night. I'm sure there's something we can find to unravel this mystery."

Prince Henry and Prince William agreed to immediately begin further investigations to uncover the identity and intentions of the mystery man, and find out if there was any connection to Roni's previous attempt to steal the ring. They together headed for the palace security room to check the records and coordinate with the soldiers who were on duty the night before.

Meanwhile, Edward who listened to the conversation between Prince Henry, William, and the soldier from a distance could only laugh. "Hahah, they won't know that I was the cause of last night's mess."