Meanwhile, Arlo was utterly enfeebled, and he had no idea what was coming, as he was drifting in and out of consciousness from sheer agony.Amidst his anxiety, he suddenly heard a knock on the door. Callum then announced respectfully outside, "Governor, you have a video call from Lord Griffin. He's waiting as we speak."Arlo frowned—Lord Griffin naturally meant his great-granduncle, Tarlon.However, he couldn't understand why Tarlon had contacted Callum instead of Arlo himself directly.Amidst his confusion, he felt a twitch in his eye—a bad omen.Still, he didn't dare delay as Callum had announced that his great-granduncle was waiting, and it most definitely was something that Callum should know as well.He struggled as he pushed himself off his feet and opened the door. Callum walked in, and he held the phone screen out to Arlo, who saw Tarlon on the screen and quickly said, "Come on in."Callum entered with his phone while speaking, "My Lord, I have the governor here."T

Callum quickly said, "Yes, Sir! Right away, Sir!"However, just as he was about to leave, Tarlon called out from the other end, "Wait."Callum promptly turned and asked, "Yes, My Lord? What is the matter?""Consul Biffle," Tarpon said slowly. "Lady Griffin has demanded that you sacrifice yourself to uphold the Qing Eliminating Society's secrecy."Callum's face turned pale, and he dropped Arlo's severed hand.Even as despair showed all over his face, he begged, "Please, My Lord! You can tell Lady Griffin that I won't ever breathe a word about this! I swear it on my own life, and I humbly request that she take into consideration the fact that I've dedicated my whole life to her service and the Qing Eliminating Society! Please, spare my life so that I may continue to serve!"Tarlon remained impassive. "Do you think I could sway Lady Griffin's orders? Don't worry. She assures you that you will be posthumously promoted, and your family will be afforded the protection of a high-ranked

Arlo regained his composure right then and quickly said, "You're absolutely right, Gramps! I will go to the hospital immediately because it's the best place for me right now!"Tarlon nodded. "Yes. You've been put through a lot these past few days, and it has most certainly taken a strain on your body. Take your time and rest at the hospital. When the time is right, I'll inform your brother to bring you home. But that's not right now… so take your time, get some rest, and stay at the hospital until we send for you.""Yes, Gramps!" Arlo nodded. "I understand!""Good," Tarlon said. "Now, go."After hanging up the phone, it took Arlo considerable difficulty to slide his severed left hand into Callum's clothes with just his feet. He then immediately called for Marvin from Moore Trading.Naturally, Marvin was stunned by the horrific sight before him, while Arlo didn't waste any time explaining as he barked, "We don't have time to play 21 questions—dispose of the consul's body right no

Charlie nodded. "Penny is talented, and she is very young, too. But having come to know her, one can see that she's a warrior, not a statesman. Even if I had never captured her, she would never have been able to elevate the Qing Eliminating Society as a whole. Aside from the mind of a war strategist, they sorely need a mind that can keep up with the times."Pausing, Charlie then continued, "Oh, and considering Arlo's abilities, he wouldn't die even if he loses both hands—heck, he wouldn't even need a hospital. That's why it's puzzling why he would go to one and publicly, at that… Why do you think that is?"Merlin thought about it. "Well, considering what you did to him, they would understand that Arlo has been compromised. Going straight to the hospital only goes to show there's no point if he hides or not."Moreover, I imagine Fleur is worried that you might feed Arlo another Regeneration Pill. See, every time we encounter a murder, especially one with no known motives and an unusu

Vera and Helena were the best of friends by the time Charlie and Merlin returned to Norway.It was late winter, and there was barely any sunlight, so the whole country was basically going into hibernation, and the royal family was no different.Foreign and domestic events were mostly suspended while the Queen stayed in seclusion, avoiding public appearances unless it was absolutely necessary. Without much else to do, Helena spent nearly every day with Vera.She had bought and tidied up the farm Charlie had asked her to purchase, and she would spend the day there with Vera whenever they could, tending to the livestock as well as taking strolls with the cats and dogs.Still, after spending so much time with Vera, Helena's curiosity toward her grew.She noticed that despite Vera's youthful appearance, there was a calm air and maturity about her, and she possessed way too many skills without any prior instruction. She was certainly surprised that someone so young would have mastered