Chapter Twenty-One: Luring the Serpent from Its Lair (Please Bookmark and Recommend)

Arthur pondered for a moment and said, “We will not give up on Morgana.”

This was certain, for neither King Uther nor Arthur was the kind to easily change their minds. Simply put, they were both stubborn. To expect them to abandon their own kin so readily? Impossible.

Even if Gaius sentenced Morgana to death, they would still do everything in their power to cure her.

“We will try every possible means to heal Morgana!” Arthur, wise as he was, had by now roughly discerned the culprit’s intentions.

At this moment, even Merlin understood the plan of the sorcerer who had cursed Morgana.

King Uther was the monarch, and Arthur was his legitimate son, the rightful heir to all of Camelot! Their security was the tightest; any stranger attempting to approach them faced immense difficulty, let alone those harboring malicious intent.

So directly targeting Uther and Arthur was exceedingly difficult. But Morgana was different. Why she was different had been explained before and need not be repeated here. In short, the protection around Morgana was the weakest within the entire royal household—she was the easiest target.

Moreover, she was deeply beloved by King Uther and had a close bond with Arthur. Once matters concerned her, the two naturally lowered their guard, making it the perfect opportunity to get close to them.

Consider this: if events unfolded as the culprit hoped, and with Gaius at a loss, if someone appeared before them claiming they could heal Morgana, would Uther and Arthur hesitate to trust that person? At this stage, they had no other choice but to try, regardless of whether it was true or not.

Wouldn’t that give the culprit the chance to get close?

Seeing that everyone understood, Kay refrained from embellishing the story and instead proceeded to discuss what came next.

“Your Majesty, I believe the culprit will soon reveal themselves. I propose you spread the news of Morgana’s grave illness, then pretend to know nothing.”

“You want the culprit to come to us themselves, and then…” Having been king for twenty years, Uther was somewhat shrewd. Previously, he had been overwhelmed by worry, but now that he grasped the situation’s core, he knew exactly what to do.

“Exactly. However, I hope you won’t rush to execute the culprit. Let’s see what they intend first,” Kay replied earnestly.

---

“Do you mean you want that culprit to heal Morgana?” Uther immediately caught on to Kay’s plan. “Impossible! I will not allow those filthy scoundrels to lay a finger on Morgana again!”

King Uther was unwilling to let a malicious sorcerer come near Morgana once more; he could not bear the blow of losing her.

But Kay did not relent, simply gazing quietly at the king.

Seeing that familiar look in Kay’s eyes, Uther suddenly found himself at a loss for words. Since childhood, Kay had been a good boy—obedient, well-mannered, and mature. At times, Uther even thought Kay was too clever for his years. But that did not mean Kay was blindly obedient; on the contrary, Uther knew Kay had strong opinions and rarely changed his mind once he had made a decision.

Once, when Uther forbade Kay from leaving Camelot to travel the world, Kay had that same calm gaze. He did not throw a tantrum but remained composed. By the next morning, Kay was gone…

For ten long years, there was no word from him.

If Kay had been like Arthur, loud and argumentative in expressing his views, Uther might have persisted. But seeing the calmness in Kay’s pale blue eyes, his resolve wavered.

Uther took a deep breath and said reluctantly, “You must guarantee that bastard will not harm Morgana again.”

“Of course!” Kay smiled brightly once more.

...

From then on, the entire atmosphere in Camelot grew heavy, for their princess was gravely ill!

All the people prayed for the kind and beautiful princess—not only because of her great renown throughout the city but also because if Princess Morgana truly met misfortune, none could fathom how King Uther would react.

And it was unlikely to be a good reaction; after all, Uther’s reputation as a tyrant was built upon the heads he had severed. When angered, he truly was capable of killing!

Moreover, in recent days, Uther’s temper had grown markedly worse. Five servants had already suffered harsh punishment for minor mistakes… The entire city was shrouded in a dark cloud.

---

It was during this time that a man, his face hidden beneath a hood, arrived before the palace, heart brimming with delight as he watched his plan unfold perfectly.

...

Uther’s mood these days was terrible—not an act, but genuinely bad. Each time he saw Morgana lying on her sickbed, life uncertain, his heart felt as if it had been thrown into boiling oil, tortured beyond measure.

Thus, those who erred before him were thoroughly unfortunate. Even Kay had been reprimanded.

Arthur’s days were no easier. His sister Morgana’s uncertain fate weighed heavily on his mind. Yet, unexpectedly, his training had not ceased; it had intensified…

Kay thought Arthur too young, fearing that if he inadvertently revealed anything and the culprit caught wind, it would be disastrous. So he confined Arthur to the training grounds, leaving him no time to brood. Worse still, Kay had similarly confined Merlin and Weng to prevent any contact with the outside world.

The reasoning was much the same, and Uther was very pleased with this arrangement. After all, only a few knew of this matter, and Gaius was trustworthy. But for these two servants, Uther’s patience was thin. The fewer who knew, the better.

However, Merlin and Weng had little cause for Arthur’s concern. Though confined, they were well treated—fed and cared for—with no abuse, just limited freedom. It was little different from a holiday.

Only Arthur suffered the most.

Fortunately, at this moment, Kay was in Morgana’s chamber tending to the unconscious princess, so no one was watching Arthur. Frustrated and restless, Arthur seized a chance to slip out. He intended to stroll through the streets, hoping to encounter the culprit. Waiting passively seemed foolish; he could take the initiative!

As a brother wanting to find a cure for his sister, seeking treatment outside was only natural.

Yet Arthur did not expect to be stopped the moment he stepped outside...