Gazing at the villa glowing with light in the darkness, Caine took several seconds to compose himself before stepping down from the carriage, walking up the three staircases to the main door, and entering the house accompanied by the officers on either side and the servants. Seeing Cynthia dressed conservatively at home due to the presence of others, Caine silently breathed a sigh of relief, maintaining his serious and composed expression as he walked steadily toward her. Cynthia's smile grew more evident as she gently pushed a few strands of hair behind her ears, revealing her long, fair neck, unadorned with any necklace. As the secretary, Lurain, and the officers of the guard either proceeded to their own rooms or dispersed to patrol outside, Caine, before Cynthia could embrace him, spoke firmly: "No need to prepare hot water—just a quiet room. I need to be alone for the night." "..." Cynthia looked at him, expressing her bewilderment and uncertainty. Klein surveyed the room and said in a low tone, "Something has gone wrong—I need to enter a deeply calm state to recover." As he spoke, he raised his right hand and slightly pulled at the sleeve, revealing distinct pale flesh buds. His poor physical condition, along with certain unusual reactions, had been the excuse prepared by Admiral Emirius for the previous traveling substitute, enabling him to avoid close interactions with Cyntha without revealing the issue. To strengthen his credibility, Klein deliberately used the "Faceless One" technique to present tangible evidence. Cyntha's mouth opened slightly, nearly gasping, but she promptly extended her hand to cover her voice and suppress the sound. "Is that all right? Should we call a doctor?" Cyntha slightly relaxed but immediately asked with concern, her care evident. "No," Klein replied, having already prepared his next points, "this is the necessary price of gaining great strength. I'll return to normal within two or three days of remaining calm." "Very well. Very well." Cynthia hurried to guide Caine up to the second floor, leading him into the quietest room. As for the master bedroom, she had not yielded it—she had lit several incense sticks and poured a few drops of fresh, subtle essential oils there. Watching the door close, Caine slowly exhaled, shed his ceremonial general's dress uniform, and settled comfortably onto the bed. In the master bedroom not far away, Cynthia, now worried and a little disheartened, took a hot bath and likewise slipped into bed. Her eyes fixed blankly on the ceiling, involuntarily recalling the instructions her parents had given her a few days prior. They had urged her to win over Admiral Emery, ideally to conceive a child with him, so that the family could secure additional shares in the naval fleet of Zhong Sunia. The general seemed to carry many things within him—so much so that his body had begun to show signs of disturbance. Cynthia drifted off into thought, her mind wandering aimlessly. She fell asleep without realizing it. In the distance, she felt a warmth spreading through her stomach and body, as if in her dream she had seen a vast, star-strewn night sky, with individual stars shining brilliantly. One of them, as though sensing her gaze, seemed to brighten even more. ... The next morning, refreshed and energized, Cline enjoyed a rich but unremarkable breakfast, and once again, under the escort of the general's guard, made his way to the Orlavi Naval Base, securing the most luxurious and spacious office. Following Admiral Emirius's usual routine, he takes time every two to three days to be alone, deeply studying and refining his exceptional abilities and developing more practical techniques. Thus, Cline would have a full afternoon free from interruptions, after which he would only need to attend to a few routine matters. In the quiet, spacious office, Caine either strolled leisurely back and forth or browsed books from the shelf, occasionally reaching into his coat pocket to touch the "Ninth Law" sigil, allowing it to emit a profound sense of dignity—this gesture was meant to reassure the golden-haired secretary, Lurian, that General Emery was in no way unwell. After some time passed, Caine began to feel drowsy and decided to take a short nap. At that moment, he heard a steady knocking at the door. Something important—Caine's brow furrowed immediately. It was unlikely that a mere secretary like Lurian would disturb General Emery during his focused practice! "Enter," Caine said, calmly settling his tone. The handsome, golden-haired young man Lurian turned the handle and stepped inside, holding a telegram in his hands. He spoke softly: "General, a telegram from Beckland. Oston's position as Governor has been rescinded, and he is now temporarily serving under the Mayor's office." "It's said the new governor will arrive today." Had Oston Levet been relieved of his post? Had their plot been uncovered? Indeed, the "Dusk Sojourners" had warned me—no, Emeric—indicating they had long known the specifics. Through the efforts of certain members, the matter would likely be resolved through a series of administrative changes, effectively erased from sight... They'd only just warned me last night, and now they're acting today. They must have been preparing for this for some time. Yes, the very fact that the new governor arrives today points to that. Caine was first startled, then found it entirely plausible. He adopted Emeric's posture when facing significant challenges, pacing back and forth, and spoke seriously: "I understand." Caine said nothing, issued no orders—his demeanor was profoundly solemn. Yet in reality, he hadn't yet decided what to do. Our culinary empire has a proverb: "Better to be still than to move." I wonder if Rosel has translated it over there... Caine thought to himself, half-self-deprecating, half-exasperated. Lueran looked up at Admiral Emirius, said little, and quietly stepped out of the office. Hmm... Caine paced once more, pondering what the true Admiral Emirius would actually do in this situation. This was an unforeseen significant event, with no corresponding contingency plan in place. Thus, Caine could only draw upon Emirius's character, his background, and certain self-asserted statements in the documents to make his own inference. He was a conservative man, even when moving among various ships in mid- or lower-ranking positions, rarely taking risks... He saw himself as a staunch Roon noble, deeply devoted to family, relatives, children, and emotional connections—a well-mannered, refined gentleman, indeed, quite appealing to women. Well, that last part might be questionable. Given his rank and status, even a mere golden-furred baboon would be favored by both men and women—no, perhaps even more so. At least the baboon wouldn’t deliver outdated jokes. A cascade of images and impressions flowed through Caine’s mind, weaving together into a vivid, three-dimensional portrait of Admiral Emirius. Immersed in this deep sense of identification, he suddenly heard the steady knocking at the door. "Enter," Caine’s spirit instantly tightened. Lauran, the golden-haired secretary, stepped in and gestured outward. "Admiral," he said, "Mr. Oston would like to see you." How had Oston arrived? Was he seeking protection from Emirius, or was he now making a final, desperate effort? Klein narrowed his eyes, realizing he now had to make decisions on behalf of General Emirius. "What would he do? After receiving the warning from the 'Dusk Sojourners,' he should understand that the situation had been exposed and that his target was already well-prepared. Given his conservative nature, he would likely choose something predictable... "Yet, he also values family—indeed, the records contain detailed anecdotes about Oston Levet, clearly revealing his elder brother's care and affection for his younger sibling... He doesn't enjoy marijuana or cigarettes; wine is merely for social occasions. Aside from a slight fondness for beautiful women, he has few notable flaws... "He holds family in high regard... family... "Klein quickly recalled, fully immersing himself into Emirius's identity, sensing the emotions and priorities that underlay his character. Family... At this moment, he felt as though he had become Emirius himself, yet maintained a detached perspective, analyzing the various issues with clear insight. After a pause of several seconds, Caine heard himself speak in a somewhat unfamiliar, detached tone: "Tell him I have many matters to attend to and don't have time to see him. Also, arrange for him a return ticket to Bakersland." Lueran, as if anticipating this, withdrew his gaze and responded calmly and without surprise: "Yes, Admiral." Watching Lueran leave the office to seek out Oston Levet outside, Caine sighed gently—just as true Emirius Levet would have done. He knew that if Oston had returned earlier, he would have made the same choice. After all, what mattered most to him was the family! With the plans now exposed, Emirius would not risk his final reserve, placing the family in jeopardy of collapse—so long as he remained uninvolved and still a half-god. Even if he no longer served as the supreme commander of the Central Sunia Navy, the Levet family would suffer only moderate damage. Having the secretary purchase the ship tickets instead signaled that Emilius still regarded Auston as a brother, and served as a warning to others not to harm him until the matter was clarified. After nearly a minute, the blonde secretary, Lurian, returned and said, "Sir, Mr. Auston has left." Emilius valued family ties deeply... Kline remained silent for two seconds, turned his back to the secretary, and asked in a low tone, "Did he say anything?" Lurian replied truthfully, "He said you are indeed a naturally cold person." Kline listened quietly, his lips slightly curled, offering a smile devoid of warmth. This was an instinctive response—but given that he had now fully integrated into Emilius's identity, he believed the admiral would express the same sentiment as well. The feeling, the emotion, was consistent! For the following period, Kline sat in his office, seeing no visitors and handling no official business, merely occasionally listening in silence as Lurian reported on the situation on the island of Orlavi. Nothing happened until the new governor arrived. In the late afternoon, he canceled his scheduled dinner and returned to the villa, where he embraced Cynthia as she approached. Then, he spoke calmly: "Austin has been removed as governor." All the sighs, all the murmurs, all the anguish were condensed into this statement devoid of emotional expression. "I heard about it. I think it'll be all right, don't you?" Cynthia asked, her voice tense. Clarence closed his eyes, refrained from elaborating, and simply nodded with a soft "yes." That single sentence was the most evident emotional outpouring a serious, reserved, and composed high-ranking official could make.