Chapter 173
He had sent five guards. And yet, none of them had been able to overpower a single opponent. That alone said everything.
But more than that, it convinced Gabriel that Eliza had taken Sophie. After all, the estate’s defenses were no joke.
For someone to bypass all the layers of guards and silently sneak into Sophie’s courtyard and then whisk her away without leaving a trace that was not something an ordinary person could do.
“Send more men. Keep searching the Saint Grace Nunnery. Lady Sophie must be found.” Gabriel fell silent for a moment before issuing the command.
“Yes, Your Grace,” came the firm reply.
On the second night, another group of shadow guards slipped into Saint Grace Nunnery, this time, ten in total.
Gabriel had been confident this would finally do the trick. But to his dismay, the result was exactly the same.
The next morning, when word reached him, Gabriel’s face turned an ominous shade of black. “How is she pulling this off?” he muttered.
Whoever was guarding Eliza had to be exceptional. Even among the elite shadow guards trained by the royal family, someone capable of defeating ten men single–handedly would undoubtedly rank in the top ten.
To Gabriel, Eliza had never been anything more than a pretty face. He could not, for the life of him, understand why the royal family would go to such lengths for her, let alone assign her such a formidable protector.
Gabriel took a long breath to calm his fury.
“Should we keep sending more?” a man asked.
Losing fifteen shadow guards in two nights was no small matter. Even Gabriel, for all his wealth and power, was beginning to feel the weight of the cost.
Training these men required tremendous resources, money, time, and manpower. And yet, Sophie remained missing.
After a long moment of hesitation, Gabriel turned to his personal shadow guard. “You will lead tonight’s mission. Avoid engaging with Eliza’s protector unless absolutely necessary. The only objective is to locate Lady Sophie. If you cannot find her, withdraw immediately.”
“Yes, understood,” he said.
On the third night, Saint Grace Nunnery was crawling with shadows. Shadow guards lingered in corners, hidden in the darkness, waiting to strike.
Inside her quiet room, Eliza sat calmly at her desk, a glass of water and a well–worn Bible in front of her. Her eyes were closed, her voice low and steady as she recited scripture.
Too many lives had been lost here in the past few days. The Nunnery needed purification, especially tonight, when even more blood might be spilled.
Outside, Tina stood silently on the rooftop, surveying the courtyard from above. She could sense the intruders creeping through the shadows.
There was only one in her immediate vicinity, the same one she had seen before, Gabriel’s personal guard. The others had scattered across the grounds, searching elsewhere.
This one had come specifically to distract Tina. Too bad for him, she was not alone tonight.
With a quiet breath, Tina pressed off the rooftop, launching herself into the air In a blink, she descended, sword flashing as she struck.
And at that moment, the hidden Black Flag members stationed around the Nunnery revealed themselves and launched their
1/2
own attacks.
Boom!
“Capture them all.”
“Don’t let a single one get away.”
Shouts echoed through the once–serene Saint Grace Nunnery as chaos erupted from every corner.
Inside, Eliza smiled faintly. ‘Father really does think I am someone he can push around, doesn’t he?‘ she wondered.
Three nights in a row, he sent wave after wave of shadow guards into her place. But honestly, it was the perfect chance to weed out her father’s loyal men.
And so, after the second night, Eliza had wasted no time in filing a formal complaint directly with the king.
“Assassins have infiltrated Saint Grace Nunnery two nights in a row,” Eliza said. “They came with the intent to kill me. Your Majesty, I ask for your protection and justice.”
