"Please punish me, Your Highness." He cried out with a trembling sound without disengaging his head from being cemented to the ground.

If only he accompanied the prince on his perilous mission, he would not endure getting wounded. Even though he was waiting patiently for him at the coastline, he should have trailed after him. Uncontrollable tears were now welling in his anxious eyes.

Raigon admonished him with his authoritative hand and demanded him to rise up. Azra elevated his head, but he remained at his kneeling position in front of his beloved Crowned Prince with his head bowed.

"I am at fault here. You don't have to condemn yourself," Raigon calmed his faithful helper down in a stern voice. He flexed his knees and lifted Azra, so he could stand up. Azra complied in an instant.

"Do you have my coat with you?" He asked Azra as he enters the private boat that will transport them back to Terra.

"Yes, your Highness," Azra pulled out his sable coat in a flash. In a matter of seconds, Raigon draped himself with it and returned to being the grand Crowned Prince of the City of Terra.

He gazed at the nighttime sky as he pondered on the unique events that took place while he was being 'Red'.

He wasn't able to find the daughter of the lady who Zoe had a confrontation with. It was his specific mission to see her in order to figure out if there was a potential connection between her and the local owner of the accessories store. He wanted to know why she was wearing a Swarovski bangle that was crafted only in the unknown land of Terra.

The City of Terra, if anyone would have knowledge of it, is very tempting to subdue. There were many raw resources of incalculable worth. The fertile area itself is conducive to exceptional longevity and wellness. And most importantly, it is the prime location where the sacred tree that upholds life on earth itself is planted.

Even though the lady or her mother may look harmless, he couldn't merely allow trespa.s.sers in the land anymore. The bloodbath that happened fifteen years ago become enough for him to be wary of impending danger to their cherished city.

Though he couldn't carry out his intended purpose, he was satisfied with the imminent risk that he undertook just to get to Lord Howe Island. He saw Zoe again and had a magnificent time with her.

The thought of her lovely face grinning at him made his lips curved up. It didn't escape the eyes of his loyal servant, who is carefully observing him while he was oaring the boat away from Lord Howe Island.

His radiant smile didn't last long as he recalled the culprit of his injured arm. He furrowed his brows as he recollected him mentioning Lady Zhou. Although he wanted to defend his beloved city, he couldn't shake off the possessive instinct to protect her too.

"Are you familiar with Zhou's?" He asked Azra in a grave tone. He has never heard of that surname in the Land of Terra. But perhaps Azra knew.

His grandfather is a historian and has kept information dealing with the region and the surrounding islands. He knew Azra had been secretly snooping around his private library in his love for extensive knowledge. It is possible he had read something connected with them.

Azra mused about the curious Crowned Prince's burning question. He knew he read about the Zhou's somewhere. He searched around him to see if anything could give a clue to him. He glimpsed back at the Lord Howe Island, which seemed like a lighted lotus from where they are.

After a considerable time, he remembered. "The Zhou's are one of the original landowners of Lord Howe Island, your Highness. But they fled the island fifteen years ago after the Great Bloodbath."

He proceeded on. "A few years ago, they came back and re-established their household businesses, which are flouris.h.i.+ng now and generating enormous profits to the land."

"As of now,  Lady Claudia Zhou and her daughter Veronica, who are managing their commercial affairs, your Highness."

Raigon narrowed his eyes and stroked his chin. 'A mother and daughter tandem. Could it be the same mother and daughter that he was looking for?'

"Have they been at Terra before?" Raigon continued to pry on them.

"There is nothing recorded on the doc.u.ments about them entering our territory, Your Highness." He promptly reported.

After gathering the disclosed information, Raigon tucked his arm and contemplated in silence. If they haven't crossed the threshold before, are they attempting to do it now? Or was it the citizens of Terra who were going out of the island to negotiate with them?

And why is that man spying on them? Do they recognize him as a Crowned Prince? Or are they spying on Zoe? He recalled she also suffered some issues with that family a few days ago.

"I have to go back," he resolved to himself. He looked back at Lord Howe Island, beaming like a smiling moon at the dark canva.s.s of the dreary sky. 

At that point, he glanced at the Ball's Pyramid, which seemed like a worn rug compared to the former, with a murky foreboding shadow overclouding it.

It seemed too terrifying for a tourist to visit. But way beyond, remain a glorious and prosperous kingdom, thriving to maintain its splendor and stability amidst the decaying earth.

Both were beauteous and magnificent in their own way. And would remain to be if they would not be greedy to covet more.

"If only humans could learn to be contented," he sighed hopelessly as he got out of the boat and entered the abysmal depths of the dark, ominous Blackvine Forest.

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