Chapter 230: Are You Sure?

Ashley shook her head slowly, glancing back. Confirming she was alone, a shocked and pained expression crossed her face. "Grandfather," she said anxiously, "Forgive my inability to explain fully in such a short time, but believe me. I never intended to aid a traitor. My actions are solely for the Zloimond people. Someone from the court arrived, claiming a rainstorm will strike on the nineteenth, causing calamity. The King has come to verify this. You must tell me the truth; otherwise, the Zloimond people will suffer."

Finnian, observing her sudden change in demeanor, looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

On the verge of tears, Ashley replied, "After this is over, I will explain everything clearly. I've received your teachings since childhood, and I will never forget you gave me my name. Please believe me."

Finnian regarded her skeptically. After a long pause, he said, "Invite Kamari in."

"Grandfather," Ashley pleaded earnestly, "be careful with your words. The King is headstrong and violent. Do not provoke him before the Royal Court makes its decision."

Finnian's eyes shot up at the mention of the Royal Court.

"Grandfather, I will explain later," Ashley said softly.

"Alright, I believe you," Finnian finally conceded.

Ashley stood, bowed, and went to invite Kamari, sighing in relief. She understood both Finnian’s and Kamari’s temperaments. Finnian loathed rebels, making this the only way to ensure his safety. The prince respected scholars, but Kamari disliked offensive words. If Kamari killed Finnian in anger, it would cut off her escape route.

Kamari, pleased with Ashley’s recommendation, showed Finnian respect and praise. Finnian, though disliking hypocrisy, heeded Ashley's warning. While unhappy, he merely smiled faintly.

When Kamari questioned the impending flood, Finnian’s expression grew serious.

"I'm no Imperial Astronomer," Finnian admitted, "but there have been unusual phenomena lately. The prolonged drought, followed by these anomalies, suggests a reversal—a flood, I fear."

Kamari's expression shifted slightly. "Then Isolde is truly here because of the flood?"

Finnian remained silent, feigning incomprehension.

After a long silence, Kamari asked, "Considering your assessment, how should we handle this disaster?"

Finnian smiled faintly. "Benevolence is people-centered. Those who win the hearts of the people will win the world!"

Ashley, slightly stunned, quickly glanced at Finnian, signaling him to stop.

Finnian stood, cupping his hands. "That is all I can say. Your Majesty, you are wise; I trust you will make the right decision."

Kamari nodded. "I understand. Thank you."

Ashley felt disappointment. Finnian's words implicitly urged Kamari to send troops to prevent the flood. However, Ashley's plan was different; she intended to use the storm's chaos to eliminate Isolde and her soldiers. Afterwards, the deaths of those 3,000 could be attributed to the flood, shielding them from further investigation.

If the storm failed to materialize, it would expose the Royal Court's deceitful actions, allowing them to claim the court intended to destroy Zloimond. This would both defame the Royal Court and regain the people’s trust.

Furthermore, deploying soldiers for flood prevention would necessitate using only the prefectural soldiers. While five thousand prefectural soldiers could potentially resist three thousand enemy troops, it remained risky. Ashley's plan needed to be foolproof.

Leaving the house, Ashley asked Kamari, "What are your plans?"

Kamari pondered. "We will see tomorrow. By the way, what is the Royal Court army doing?"

"Reportedly, Isolde dispatched a team to build sandbags," Ashley replied.

"Then the flood will really come?" Kamari questioned.

On August 19th, the weather was splendid: gentle breezes, bright sunshine, and clear skies. The autumn chill was intensifying, painting the ground golden with fallen leaves.

Doug and Kolton, observing the fine weather, felt uneasy. It was the nineteenth, yet there was no sign of a storm—not even a light rain.

Kolton's unease was more pronounced, stemming from his general's experience. His only chance was to storm Kamari's mansion after the storm. He could not retreat without engaging, and his 3,000 troops were insufficient to challenge Zloimond's army in a direct confrontation.

"Mr. Becker," Kolton asked, "what should we do?"

Doug was at a loss. "We can only wait and see."

"I'll go ask Isolde," Kolton offered.

Doug restrained him. "Kolton, let's wait. She's probably distraught. As elders, even a simple inquiry could be perceived as a reprimand. Let's consider other options."

Kolton's expression was grave. "Leading the troops out, I felt uneasy—Isolde rarely utilized her troops. However, assuming the Queen Mother’s decree implied a sound strategy, I never imagined an unknown storm and flood. I'm thankful the heavens are on our side; otherwise, we'd have failed."

Doug stated, "Our stealthy advance prevented Argentum spies from informing Kamari, giving our people time to spread rumors, creating a pretext for attack."

Isolde's voice startled them. "Maintaining a low profile prevented Argentum informants and spies, hindering Kamari’s preparations, and buying time to spread rumors in Zloimond."

Doug was taken aback. "Argentum informants?"

"Yes," Isolde replied. "We don't know who Kamari's man in the court is. This is why the Queen Mother ordered me to leave the capital on the wedding night. I didn't even request rations from the Ministry of War; I'll handle that later."

Doug and Kolton, hearing her explanation, deemed the plan reasonable. Yet, they simultaneously looked at the sky—a storm would have made this perfect, but only brilliant sunshine met their gaze.

Kolton couldn't bear it any longer. He looked at Isolde and asked, "Are you sure the storm will come?"