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Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
The morning of the great ceremony finally arrived.
The Demon Imperial City was loud and full of energy.
Thousands of people gathered around the main hall.
Inside his private manor, Duke Ming stood in front of a tall mirror.
He wore a dark, heavy robe.
He smiled at his own reflection.
He looked very pleased with himself.
His son walked into the room and bowed.
"Is everything ready?"
Duke Ming asked without looking away from the mirror.
"Yes, Father,"
His son answered.
"Our hidden guards surround the Imperial Hall. The other noble families have agreed to support you. No one will stand with the Empress today."
Duke Ming laughed softly.
"Good,"
He said, adjusting his sleeves.
"She has held that seat for too long. Today, I will finally take what is mine."
"What if she fights back?"
His son asked.
Duke Ming smiled coldly.
"If she fights, we kill her. If she steps down, I banish her. Either way, the throne belongs to me by sunset."
Duke Ming turned around and walked toward the door.
He felt no worry at all.
He had planned this exact day for a hundred years.
He had poisoned his rivals.
He had removed every single enemy.
He believed he controlled every piece on the board.
To him, the victory was already perfectly in his hands.
The massive doors of the Imperial Hall swung open.
Duke Ming walked in.
He kept his head high and his steps slow.
He stopped at the bottom of the stairs.
He looked up at the throne with absolute arrogance.
"Your time is over, Little Empress,"
Duke Ming declared loudly.
"Give me the crown. Do it now, and I will let you live."
He waited for her to shake.
He expected her to cry or beg for mercy.
But Huan Caiyi didn't move.
She just sat there and watched him.
Her face was completely calm.
She wasn't afraid at all.
Duke Ming frowned.
A sharp wave of confusion hit him.
"Did you hear me?"
He asked, his voice dropping in anger.
"You have no army. You are completely trapped. Why are you smiling?"
Huan Caiyi did not answer right away.
She just glanced to the side.
Sam stood quietly in the shadows near her throne.
No one else could see him.
He had stayed by her side for the last three days.
In that short time, she had felt the true depth of his power.
She finally understood exactly how strong he was.
She knew that if Sam wanted to, he could erase Duke Ming with a single thought.
The arrogant man shouting at her was nothing more than a bug to Sam.
But Sam just leaned against the wall.
He didn't step forward.
He had already explained the rules to her.
"I could kill him before he even blinks,"
Sam had told her earlier that morning.
"But I will not. If I fix this for you, the realm will never respect you. This is your battle. You and your family must be the ones to defeat him. That is your fate."
Caiyi looked away from the shadows.
She focused her eyes back on Duke Ming.
Her smile grew a little wider.
"I am smiling because you are blind,"
She answered him clearly.
"You think you control the board. But you don't even know what game we are playing."
Duke Ming stepped forward, his eyes narrowed.
"The game is over,"
He sneered.
"Who is going to save you now?"
Suddenly, the great doors at the back of the hall groaned.
They were pushed open with a sound like a cracking mountain.
Every noble in the room turned around.
A tall, older man walked into the light.
Behind him walked a younger man and a beautiful woman.
They walked with their heads held high and their eyes bright with life.
The room went completely silent.
"It is the Yun family,"
Someone whispered in the back.
"Look at them. They look... different."
The other nobles stared. For years, they had seen the Yun family as a dying house.
They had pitied the pale, broken father in his wheelchair.
But there was no wheelchair today. Yun Qinghong walked with a firm, steady stride.
His wife walked beside him, looking stronger than she had in decades.
And at the very front, the old man led the way.
Duke Ming's face turned pale. He gripped his sword hilt so hard his knuckles turned white.
"Yun Canghai?"
Duke Ming gasped.
"That is impossible!"
Yun Canghai did not even look at the Duke.
He walked straight down the aisle.
Every step he took seemed to vibrate through the floor.
The nobles quickly moved out of his way, their hearts pounding in their chests.
He stopped right at the foot of the throne and bowed to Huan Caiyi.
"Your Majesty,"
Yun Canghai said, his voice deep and calm.
"The Yun family is here to serve."
Huan Caiyi stood up.
She looked down at the Duke, who was still trembling in shock.
"You asked who would save me,"
Caiyi said to the Duke.
"Here is your answer."
Yun Canghai turned around. He looked at Duke Ming.
His gaze was like cold steel.
"Duke Ming,"
Yun Canghai spoke.
"I have been gone for a hundred years. I hear you have been causing a lot of trouble while I was away."
"You...,"
Duke Ming stammered, backing away.
"How…?"
Yun Canghai didn't answer.
He just took one step forward, and the entire hall felt the pressure of his power.
"Today,"
The old man said,
"We settle every single debt."