Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

Zanak remained silent, his eyes swirling with complex emotions, as if he were weighing something.

After a long while, he nodded slightly.

"……I see."

Rune knew that, given Zanack's character, he would do his best to do so.

Lei Wenhou's expression remained largely unchanged, but his eyes showed more approval.

Only Lana continued to look at him sideways, her eyes gleaming with an even deeper, unsatisfied desire, which made Rune feel somewhat ashamed.

Rune couldn't bear the scorching light any longer, so he stood up and tried to create as much distance as possible between himself and Lana.

“Your Highness, Marquis, Princess,” Rune bowed, “I shall take my leave now.”

Zanack nodded, and Ravenhou also nodded slightly.

Rune turned and walked toward the door. He pushed open the half-closed door, and the wall lamp in the side hall followed him from behind, casting a long, narrow shadow on the floor.

The door closed gently behind him.

The footsteps faded away along the corridor, eventually disappearing into the silence around the corner.

The side hall was quiet for a moment.

Lana's gaze was still fixed on the closed door, her eyelashes drooping slightly, as if she were savoring something.

"...It's really delicious."

Her voice was soft, yet it carried the joy of someone secretly eating candy.

With a slight smile, his fingers rested lightly on the edge of the table, as if he was still trying to catch the lingering trace of that figure from just moments ago.

Zanak coughed, interrupting the delicate atmosphere between Lana and her, as if to remind her that there were other people present.

The pleased smile on Lana's lips slowly faded a little.

She turned her head, finally shifting her gaze from the door panel to Zanak's direction.

An innocent and carefree expression returned to her delicate face, as if the brief moment of distraction was merely an optical illusion caused by the flickering light of the wall lamp.

She turned to Zanak, tilting her head as if she were truly just a sister who listened to her brother.

"Brother, I lost my composure."

Zanak looked at the face that was completely different from before, and did not reply.

He was well aware of Lana's pretense and knew that what she said might not be entirely true.

But Lana seemed to be seriously considering the conversation. She lowered her eyes, remained silent for a few moments, and then, as if remembering something, raised her head again.

“Speaking of which,” Lana’s voice returned to its gentle tone, but with a chilling calmness, “it would probably be better to give up the traitor’s interests in exchange for peace.”

She still had a smile on her face, but the smile in her eyes suddenly became somewhat frightening.

Chapter 132 Schemes

After Lana finished speaking, she ignored the shocked looks of the second prince and Lord Raven and took her leave of the second prince.

Her movements as she stood up were still very elegant, her skirt spreading out gently with her movements, like a flower slowly closing in the sunlight.

She took two steps toward the door, her steps unhurried, and then she stopped by the door.

Lana paused slightly, slowly turning her head to gaze precisely at Zanak's simple face.

"Speaking of which... elder brother."

She maintained her gentle tone, but now it carried an added subtle meaning.

"Don't forget our deal."

Zanak's eyebrows twitched slightly.

Lana's tone was light and airy, her deep blue eyes reflecting the soft, bright light of the wall lamp, but the curve of her lips carried an undeniable air of authority.

The air in the side hall seemed to freeze for a moment.

Zanak calmly returned the gaze to the slender figure. After a moment, he nodded slightly and replied with equal certainty.

"Do not worry."

He paused.

"That's what I wanted too."

Lana's lips curled up a little more, this time her smile seemed more genuine.

She didn't say anything more, withdrew her gaze, and turned to leave.

The door to the side hall closed gently behind Lana, the intricately carved door separating her slender figure at the other end of the corridor.

The footsteps faded away along the ground, growing fainter and fainter until they finally disappeared completely at the end of the corridor illuminated by the wall lamps.

The side hall was quiet for a moment.

The light from the wall lamp fell on the long table, illuminating the dark wood grain with a warm luster.

The second prince, Zanak, remained seated, his small eyes fixed on the door, as if confirming that Lana had indeed gone far away.

Lei Wenhou sat beside him, his slender blue eyes slightly lowered.

"Your Highness."

Zanak turned his gaze back to Ravenhou.

"Are you really not worried?" Lei Wenhou's tone became more serious.

He raised his blue eyes and met Zanak's gaze.

"Given Aindora's wisdom and Princess Lana's monstrous intelligence, if they were to actually marry... it would probably have quite a negative impact on Her Highness."

Zanack did not answer immediately.

He leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful expression appearing on his sturdy face.

After several breaths, he slowly spoke.

"Don't worry, there won't be any problems."

Lei Wenhou's expression remained unchanged as he quietly awaited what would follow.

Zanak rested his face on his hand, his posture somewhat casual, clearly having relaxed considerably since Lana left.

"Only if Rune marries Lana can I truly feel at ease."

Lei Wenhou's eyes flickered.

"Your Highness means..."

“You know very well, don’t you, Lord Raven?” Zanack lowered his voice, as if afraid of being overheard. Although the soundproofing in this side hall was good enough to ensure the safety of the conversation, he still subconsciously softened his tone.

“Lana… she’s not someone you can fathom with common sense. If her wishes aren’t fulfilled, I can’t even say for sure what she might do.”

He paused for a moment, as if recalling his observations of that younger sister over the years.

"She outwardly supports me and helps the country develop... but in the end, she does these things just because she finds them interesting."

"But what if one day she gets bored?"

Zanak's voice trailed off, like water flowing under a rock.

"At that time, she will stand against me without hesitation. Lord Raven, you and I both know very well that Lana, that monster... if she really gets serious, she could cause immeasurable damage to the kingdom."

Lei Wenhou nodded slightly, not denying the assessment.

“So,” Zanack continued, his voice regaining some of its composure, “we need to find someone who can restrain her, someone who can attract her a lot of attention and provide her with emotional support.”

Zanack looked directly into Ravenhou's eyes.

“And Rune Aindora… is that person.”

Lei Wenhou remained silent for a moment, and the thoughtful look in his blue eyes gradually settled, turning into a kind of sudden realization.

"Your Highness means..."

"Although I can't see through the deeper meaning behind some of Rune's actions," Zanak said, his gaze falling on a certain spot in the void as he recalled the subtle details of his encounter with Rune.

"But at least one thing I'm sure of is that he didn't do those things to gain power in the kingdom."

He paused, then added a sentence.

"He is probably... doing something for humanity."

Lei Wenhou's eyes held even greater admiration.

“Therefore,” Zanack concluded, “using runes as a shackle to restrain Lana is the most appropriate thing to do.”

Zanak paused to think for a moment, as if he were making a final review of the reasons for his judgment.

“Think about it, Lord Raven. If Lana’s attention is always focused on Rune, she won’t have the extra energy to think about how to manipulate this country. And Rune… although I don’t understand some of his actions, at least what he does doesn’t harm the kingdom.”

“Using runes to lock up a monster, and then borrowing its power beforehand, is a really good deal.”

After hearing this, Lei Wenhou remained silent for a moment, then a very faint smile appeared on his pale face, like a ray of sunlight filtering through the clouds in winter.

"Your Highness has this idea... very good."

He nodded slightly, his slender blue eyes gleaming with approval.

“However, there is one thing I don’t understand.” Lei Wenhou’s tone returned to its usual composure. “When did Your Highness begin… to consider these things?”

Upon hearing this, Zanak's lips curved slightly, his smile carrying a hint of self-deprecation.

"A long time ago."

He leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the closed door, as if he could see further into the distance through its texture.

“I’ve been thinking about these things since I was just the second heir…”

His voice trailed off, as if he were talking to himself.

“My foolish older brother… if he were to ascend the throne, given his personality, he would surely become an enemy of Rune Aindora.”

He shook his head.

“That fool will turn a sword that was meant to protect humanity… against himself. He will drive the Eindora family to the opposite side and deprive the kingdom of a truly capable person.”