Raizen didn't even stand up from the couch. He turned his head slightly and looked at both of them.

"Princess Rinna, Princess Eula, we've been waiting for you," he said.

His eyes moved between the sisters in one calm glance before resting on Eula.

Rinna blinked, clearly surprised, then bowed politely.

"Good afternoon, Headmaster."

Eula stood there silently, her expression was calm, she had to make it look calm.

'What happened? Why is he here? Why did he call us?' her thought ran wild.

Her thoughts were genuine, but she stayed composed despite it. There was no way he had come here for her. Even if he somehow had suspicions, she had covered her tracks perfectly.

Eula decided to speak normally, observe him carefully, and understand the purpose of his visit first, before planning her next move.

Their father raised his hand slightly, stopping her before she could speak.

"Sit down first," the King said.

Eula and Rinna exchanged a brief glance before sitting down in front of the desk.

The atmosphere in the room was heavy, almost uncomfortably thrilly. Even the faint ticking of the clock could be heard clearly from where she sat.

"What happened?" Rinna asked quietly.

She could sense something unusual in her father's eyes, something that hinted at worry.

It was strange that no one else was present here. Not even their elder brother was here, who should have attended if this meeting was important.

'Oh right,' Rinna recalled after a moment. 'He went for a dungeon expedition yesterday.'

That must be why only the two of them were called today.

As if reading her thoughts, Raizen spoke.

"We did send word to the prince," he said casually, "but it seems he is too far away to return in time."

"Oh, I see," Rinna muttered softly. But the way he spoke unsettled her a little.

'How does he read my thoughts so easily?' she wondered, lowering her gaze.

This Raizen felt different from the one she knew at Eclipse. There, he was friendly and calm, and almost easier to approach. But here, he looked like someone who had just walked out after murdering an entire gang.

"Raizen, you are scaring my daughters," the King said suddenly.

Raizen blinked and gave a short, dry smile.

"My apologies, Your Majesty. It is an old habit of mine."

He straightened himself and looked at the sisters again. "Anyway, shall we begin?"

The King gestured toward them.

"Go ahead."

Raizen nodded once and leaned forward slightly.

Eula kept her posture straight.

'Let's hear him first,' she thought, watching his every move.

"Don't be afraid," Raizen began. His voice was calm but carried weight. "I am not here as your Headmaster today… but as the Special Force Leader of Authority."

"Huh?" Rinna blinked in surprise. She looked between Raizen and her father, confused. "Special force leader?"

Eula's brow twitched slightly.

'Yeah,' she thought dryly, 'that's definitely not helping anyone feel less afraid.'

Both sisters sat quietly and waited for Raizen to begin.

"You must have heard about what happened at Shinra a few weeks ago, right?" Raizen asked.

Rinna blinked, looking confused, but Eula answered instead. "It's a known incident."

Raizen nodded. "Of course it is. That wide smile in the sky was seen by everyone after all." His tone shifted into something sharper. "It has been confirmed that the Twilight Order was behind it."

"The Twilight Order…" Rinna repeated under her breath. "Isn't that the underground organization? The one that targets corrupt nobles as well as demons?"

Raizen nodded once more. "Yes, and you are somewhat correct. This group has been responsible for most of the major incidents in the kingdom. And now, reports show they have spread to another kingdom as well."

"Oh." Rinna's eyes widened. She almost looked impressed, which made Eula glance at her briefly.

Eula then asked, "Are they planning something new?"

Raizen looked at her for a moment before replying, "They might be, but we are not sure yet."

Eula leaned forward slightly. "Then why did you call us here?"

Raizen folded his hands. "It is nothing serious. We only have a small request for both of you."

Eula raised an eyebrow. "We?" She turned her head toward her father, who had been silent the whole time. "Father?"

Rinna connected the dots quickly. "What are you two planning?"

The King remained quiet and gestured to Raizen to continue.

"Yes, about that," Raizen said. "The request is simple. For the next two days, both of you must cut off all outside contact and stay inside the palace."

"Huh?" Eula's voice rose slightly.

Rinna frowned. "Wait, are you saying we are being grounded for two days?"

Raizen didn't flinch. "Yes. Starting from today. In the next two days, we will begin our operation to capture every known member of the Twilight Order. To ensure your safety, His Majesty and I have decided to keep both of you secured inside the palace."

"What?!" Rinna jumped from her seat. "Father, how could you agree to this? We are not children anymore. We can handle ourselves!"

"Enough," the King said firmly. "It is only for two days. It will pass before you realize it."

"But Father," Rinna protested, "this is too sudden. We just arrived and this is what we hear? Are you serious?"

"Rinna. Sit down." It was Eula who called her name this time.

"What? Sister?" Rinna looked at her in disbelief.

Eula crossed one leg over the other and looked at her calmly.

"It is a national matter. They are doing this for our safety. We can cooperate for two days. right?"

Rinna's mouth hung open. "No. Why? You too? Don't you think it's strange? They are grounding you as well. You can handle danger better than anyone—"

"Charlotte was more capable than Eula."

The King's words silenced the room.

Eula bit her lips hearing this. Rinna froze in her place. Her shoulders trembled slightly.

"How dare you…" she whispered.

"What did you say?" The King's tone hardened. "Repeat it if you dare—"

"How dare you, Father."

This time her voice was clear.

The temperature in the room began to drop. The air turned sharp as ice crystals formed faintly near Rinna's eye lashes. A blue aura spread around her, as her skill had activated unconsciously.

[Command of Grace]

Rinna activated her skill.

"Rinna, stop," Eula warned, standing up quickly. "Control it."

But Rinna could not stop. Her power was unstable, and once it reacted to her emotions, it never listened easily.

Raizen watched quietly from his seat, his eyes following her closely. The King stayed calm despite the pressure. He had seen and experienced this before.

"Eula," he said calmly.

Eula sighed and shook her head. "Do not ask me, Father. You should handle her."

The King exhaled and rubbed his temples.

"If your mother finds out, I will be the one suffering again." He raised his right hand, and his eyes shone briefly with blue light.

The next second, Rinna collapsed onto the floor. The blue light around her vanished.

"Huh?" She blinked, confused. "What happened?"

Eula walked over and patted her head gently. "Let's get you to your room."

"Sister? But the two days—"

"It's fine. I will be with you, silly."

Her words calmed Rinna a little. Eula helped her up and supported her carefully.

Before leaving, Eula turned toward Raizen. "Headmaster, do whatever you think is best. But please… don't let the past repeat itself."

Raizen's expression softened slightly, and he nodded once.

"Excuse us," Eula said as she led her sister out.

Rinna did not look back at their father even once.

Walking down the aisle, Eula held Rinna's hand and gently pulled her along. Rinna squeezed her sister's hand in return, her voice was quiet but firm.

"Sister… why didn't you oppose him?"

She looked at Eula, clearly expecting her to have resisted their father's decision. But Eula remained calm the whole time.

"They have already decided," she said simply. "My opposition would not have changed anything."

Rinna frowned, watching her closely. "How are you this calm?"

Eula glanced at her with a faint smirk. "What do you mean? This is how I usually look."

"Huh… no, you are not," Rinna said stubbornly. "You only act calm when you are thinking too much about something."

Eula chuckled softly.

"Haha, well, maybe. But right now, there is no reason to be worried. Think of it this way. While they are busy capturing members of the Twilight Order, we will have two full days to catch up and talk about our own lives at Eclipse."

Rinna narrowed her eyes. "Don't try to change the subject, Sister. Be honest with me. You already knew about this, didn't you?"

Eula looked forward as they walked, her calm smile not fading. Inside, she sighed.

'Oh my, she is getting sharper,' she thought.

She decided not to deny it.

"You're right," Eula said at last. "I heard a little about the ongoing situation in the capital. To be honest, I already saw this coming."

Rinna's lips parted slightly. "You… did?"

"Hmm," Eula nodded. "The signs were there. I just didn't expect the Authority to get involved this quickly though."

Rinna stayed silent for a moment, then muttered, "Sometimes you act all high and mighty. That's why people think you're hard to approach."

Eula let out a short laugh. "Haha, don't worry. I am too amazing to be hated."

Rinna stared at her blankly, then sighed. "Oh please…"

Eula smiled wider. "Anyway, we still have a few hours before we get locked inside. What do you say? Should we go out before that happens?"

"Mhm!" Rinna's eyes lit up instantly. "I love you, Sister. You are the absolute best."

"See?" Eula grinned. "What did I tell you? I'm too amazing to be hated."

Rinna giggled at her smug tone. The atmosphere between them had lightened. The tension that filled the royal office earlier was gone, replaced by the warmth only these two siblings could share.

"But where are we going exactly?" Rinna asked, tilting her head.

Eula crossed her arms thoughtfully. "Hmm, I heard there will be a large market today. We should go there."

"A market? Sounds perfect. I wanted to go window shopping anyway."

Eula nodded. "Then it's settled. It's in a town near the Valentine Dukedom. It shouldn't be far from here."

Rinna smiled wide. "Then let's go before anyone finds out."

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[A/N: 100 PS in 24 hours, for 2 extra chapters]

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