His Majesty, who had been in a coma all this time, finally woke up.
But Duke Daggs did not feel the slightest bit of excitement; only a faint bitterness swirled in his heart.
He gave Princess Ruiya a deep look, then slowly walked toward the great door and gently pushed it open.
The crowd watched him enter the room, and the door closed, leaving only silence behind.
Wilson first glanced at the door, then looked at Princess Ruiya, who was standing there looking somewhat lost.
"Are you truly the real Princess Ruiya?" Wilson asked in a cold voice.
Ruiya lowered her head and remained silent.
Inside the room, heavy curtains hung down, leaving the bedchamber dim and lightless. Daggs approached a stone pillar embedded with mana crystals and blew gently, causing a cold light to bathe the massive bed in a sea of ghostly blue.
The hall flickered with light and shadow, and Daggs saw the man on the bed.
By all rights, King Weis should have been in his prime, and he should not have appeared this aged. However, he now looked like a withered skeleton, filled with a void of deathly silence.
Yet he had finally opened his eyes, though they were clouded and weak, lacking even a fraction of the sharpness he had possessed in his youth.
"Your Majesty, you are awake." Daggs bowed slightly in salute.
Even though King Weis looked as if he might pass away at any moment, this Duke, who held an extremely special status in the Katar Kingdom, remained deeply respectful, showing not a hint of irreverence.
This was because they were not just sovereign and subject, but also friends of many years.
King Weis stared at him intently. In those clouded, dark green eyes, Daggs saw such a strong desire for the first time.
"Ruiya... Where is Ruiya?" King Weis gripped Daggs's arm.
Despite his arm being as dry as kindling, he could still exert a surprising amount of strength, which genuinely startled Daggs.
But Daggs could not allow that unidentified imposter princess to get close to the King.
So he shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, Princess Ruiya has not returned. What you heard just now was merely an illusion."
"Nonsense!" King Weis's emotions became agitated. "That was clearly Ruiya's aura. The one standing outside is Ruiya. Don't even think about fooling me!"
He was already like rotting wood, and Daggs feared that a single emotional outburst might send him to his grave. He hurriedly comforted the King, urging him to calm down.
However, he still insisted, "Your Majesty, that is not Princess Ruiya. She is merely an imposter pretending to be the princess."
King Weis looked at him quietly. After a moment of silence, he said, "Daggs, do you truly believe I have become so senile that I cannot even recognize my own daughter?"
Daggs wanted to say "perhaps," but facing His Majesty's eyes, which had unknowingly become somewhat clear, he found himself at a loss for words.
"She is Ruiya. I know our bloodline connection better than anyone. No one understands her better than I do."
King Weis spoke slowly, his voice reaching Duke Daggs's ears clearly.
"Let her in. Perhaps she has become a stranger, but to me, she will always be my daughter." King Weis's final words were almost silent, yet Daggs heard them perfectly.
This was the tacit understanding they had shared for years. Even if Weis only slightly moved the corners of his mouth, Daggs would know what he wanted to say.
Daggs sighed deeply. To fulfill his old friend's final wish, he decided to do as Weis said.
He returned to the doorway and fixed his gaze on the silent, head-bowed Princess Ruiya.
He knew in his heart that her identity was fake, yet he could not expose her.
"Princess, His Majesty is calling for you," Daggs said through gritted teeth.
Ruiya raised her eyes toward him in confusion.
"Me? Is it me?"
For a moment, she could not believe this outcome.
"Yes," Daggs continued through gritted teeth.
Knowing the person before him was an imposter but being unable to expose her identity made him feel incredibly frustrated.
Wilson also looked at him with some confusion, blinking his eyes.
His expression seemed to ask if His Majesty was serious.
Daggs only felt annoyed, so he ignored Wilson. He slowly pulled open half of the door for Ruiya, and she followed him inside, nervous and uneasy.
Just as she was about to pass through the door, Daggs suddenly leaned down and whispered in her ear:
"Do not think your identity is safe now. If you do anything dishonest in there, I will kill you immediately. If you know me, you should know I have the power to do so."
Ruiya's body tensed, and she trembled violently.
She had completely displayed her unease on her face. Even the guards watching from the side could see that something was wrong.
Ruiya did not respond to Daggs as she walked into the room.
Daggs followed close behind. Just as he was about to close the door, King Weis on the bed suddenly said, "Daggs, let us father and daughter talk alone, alright?"
Daggs froze instantly and shouted in disbelief, "But, her... her identity... This won't do, my King! I must stay here and watch her!"
"It is fine. She is my daughter. Daggs, you must have faith in our Katar bloodline," Weis said.
Seeing Weis's insistence, Daggs could not say anything more. He bit his lower lip and gave Ruiya one last threatening glare before leaving in a huff.
Inside the bedchamber, only a dazed Ruiya and the dying King Weis remained.
"Your Maj... Father."
Ruiya nearly misspoke, correcting her address in a moment of panic.
Weis looked at her with a beaming face, his smile kind. "Ruiya, there is no need to be so nervous. This is your home. It has always been your home."
Perhaps it was because Weis's presence felt very close to her, or perhaps because Ruiya realized the King did not suspect her identity, she breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed completely.
She approached Weis's bedside and leaned down slightly.
Now, she could see more clearly that Weis's face had darkened to an extreme level.
From his appearance, he was not far from death.
Ruiya pursed her lips.
She naturally knew why such a change had occurred in King Weis's body, because it was inextricably linked to her.
During the time she had been playing the role of Princess Ruiya, she had ground the Plague God's body into powder and mixed it into King Weis's daily meals.
In other words, King Weis's body had long been eroded by the corruption of the Plague God. He had completely become a puppet or a vessel for the Plague God.
She did not know with what mindset she should face King Weis.
She could only constantly deceive herself in her heart, telling herself that these sins had nothing to do with her and that Moen had forced her to do it all.
"Ruiya..." King Weis's voice rang out again. He suddenly gave a silent laugh and said apologetically, "I am sorry. I also do not know whether I should call you Ruiya or by another name."
"How should I... address you? My daughter."
Ruiya was struck as if by lightning, freezing in place. Her emerald pupils nearly bulged out as she stared at the dimly lit yet gently smiling King Weis with a look of extreme disbelief and terror.
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