Meanwhile, the four of them successfully ruined Alston's plan to take possession of the spiritual treasure. After that, they returned to Evian City with a great deal of satisfaction. There, they spent a couple of days in peace.
Finally, Rocky had the time to attend to Isis and their son. He could now fulfill his responsibilities as a husband and a father.
However, their happiness was short-lived. Three days after their return, their joyful family reunion was spoiled by an unexpected turn of events. Rocky and the others were shocked by the news that came from the Ji Clan regarding Sabina. After hearing about it, her delicate expression became cold as ice. Even the area ten meters from her was frozen.
Apparently, Alston issued an imperial edict. Sabina would be married off to Daniel, the fourth prince of the emperor.
The news quickly traveled far and wide. Soon enough, the entire Holy Dragon Empire knew about it. Naturally, it caused an uproar in everywhere. Everyone knew that if the Ji Clan agreed to Sabina and Daniel's marriage, then the clan's fate would be closely tied to the royal family. It also meant that Alston could easily meddle with the Ji Clan's affairs because he was the current representative of the royal family. Moreover, he was the acting emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire.
Any simple-minded person would think that Alston made a wonderful move. He might be able to put the Ji Clan in the awkward position since they didn't allow Jason to take the empress back to the Palace City. This even backed the Ji Clan into a corner.
They were the second largest clan in the entire Holy Dragon Empire. The mere rustling of leaves within their mansion might cause turmoil in the empire. Furthermore, it could also affect the empire's fate as a whole. As soon as Sabina had successfully married into the royal family, Alston would definitely benefit from it. Being the one who issued the imperial edict that dictated their marriage, he would be able to secure his position with the support of the Ji Clan.
"It seems like Alston sees you and your clan as a thorn in his side because we ruined his grand plans, one after another. So now, he wants to force you and the Ji Clan into a tight situation. If you refuse to honor his edict, there will only be two options left. And that will be either going against the royal family or sending your elder sister back to the palace. Neither of those choices will do your clan good. Alston presents you and your clan such a tough riddle to solve!" Rocky's brows were furrowed. He could see through Alston's plan. If Sabina agreed to marry into the royal family just like he planned, it would mean that he had successfully taken the Ji Clan under his command. If they turned him down a second time, Alston would certainly take this opportunity to make trouble. This time, he might not just send a master of the Divine Stage to negotiate with the Ji Clan. He might do something more violent.
"If he keeps putting pressure on us like this, I will just give up my title as the heir and completely sever my relationship with the Ji Clan. I refuse to be manipulated by anyone. Alston can go to hell! This whole marriage thing is plain rubbish!" Sabina was fuming with anger. In the past, she also ran away from home once because the emperor during that time wanted to put pressure on her marriage. Worse came to worst, she would completely disengage from the Ji Clan. This time, it would be permanent. In any case, she didn't have much connection with her clan. She only came back to the Ji Clan after Rocky had supposedly died because it changed a part of her. But now that he was actually alive, she didn't see the need to stay with her clan.
"So, what do you think, Allen? Care to give a different solution?" Rocky slightly shook his head upon hearing Sabina's childish conclusion. So, he turned to Allen and asked for his opinion.
"Alston really puts our clan in such a difficult situation!" Allen paced back and forth. "Obviously, the Ji Clan must do something about it. Whether we agree or not, the outcome will still be in favor of Alston. It's really troublesome," he continued. "We are not afraid of confronting the royal family. However, the pros and cons are not as simple as it seems. Unless we take the initiative, the situation will only get worse in time." Allen began to analyze the situation calmly.
"You're absolutely right. It won't be easy for the Ji Clan to get through this! What it needs is a perfect plan." Lance nodded as he raised his thick eyebrows.
"Excuse me, can I just say something?" Lucilla, who was silent the entire time, suddenly chimed in.
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