LYDIA'S POV

　　The early morning light filtered through the dense canopy of the forest, casting dappled shadows on the ground as I knelt beside my father's grave. The simple gravestone bore his name, Rufus Carpenter, a stark reminder of the man who had fought tirelessly for justice in this kingdom. My hands trembled as I opened the small, weathered chest we had unearthed, knowing the contents could hold the key to bringing Oleg to justice.

　　As I lifted the lid, a stack of papers greeted me, yellowed with age but meticulously preserved. My heart pounded in my chest as I reached for the first document, my fingers brushing against the familiar handwriting of my father. Taking a deep breath, I began to read. So, my father found the evidence against Oleg, and that is why Oleg removed him from his path.

　　The first note detailed a series of mysterious disappearances. Villagers, merchants, even minor nobles—people who had opposed Oleg or spoken out against him had vanished without a trace. My father had suspected foul play and had documented each case, connecting the dots that pointed to Oleg's involvement.

　　"Missing persons," I murmured, my voice barely a whisper. "How many lives has he destroyed?"

　　There was an entire list of about three pages filled with names of the people who had died because they tried to stop Oleg. Brandon and Evan stood a few paces away, giving me the space I needed but ready to offer support. I felt their presence, a silent reminder that I was not alone in this fight.

　　I turned to the next document, a ledger of financial transactions. My father had uncovered a web of corruption that ran deep within the kingdom's financial institutions. Oleg had been embezzling funds for years, diverting money meant for public works and social programs into his own coffers. The amounts were staggering, and the implications even more so.

　　"Oleg's greed knows no bounds," I said, anger boiling within me. "He's been bleeding this kingdom dry."

　　"There's a chance that the finance minister is also involved in this," Evan said, his eyes scanning the ledger over my shoulder. "There's no way that Oleg has been doing this for years without being unnoticed by the ministers. He must have bribed them."

　　"He either bribed them or maybe he threatened them," Brandon added, his voice grim. "He is more dangerous than we actually thought."

　　They both were right, and my mother still trusted him blindly. I needed to save her.

　　The next set of papers revealed something even more sinister. My father had discovered that Oleg was manufacturing harmful drugs within the kingdom. He had set up clandestine labs in remote areas, using coerced labor to produce these dangerous substances. My hands shook as I read about the impact on the population—addiction, illness, death. The drugs were being smuggled out of the kingdom, funding Oleg's ambitions and spreading misery far and wide. Maybe he was using some of that drug on my mother too, to control her.

　　"How could he do this?" I said, my voice breaking. "He's poisoning our people for his own gain."

　　Brandon stepped closer, his expression hard. "He's a monster, Lydia. We've always known he was ruthless, but this…"

　　"It's worse than we imagined," Evan finished, his voice filled with disgust. "Now we know how he got stronger over these years. He has got money, and with that money, he can buy as many people as he wants. So, this is the true reason our kingdom started hating King Rufus because everyone thought that it was the king's doing, but in reality, Oleg was behind everything."

　　"When our father was investigating these cases, he came across multiple people who thought King Rufus was a bad person and had lost his mind after losing his daughter. But the main reason was that Oleg was the one who was feeding those lies to those people. No wonder people started resistance groups to dethrone the king," Brandon said, and I sat there in shock, not even knowing that things were that bad in the kingdom.

　　I continued reading, each new document revealing another layer of Oleg's depravity. There were records of bribes to key officials, ensuring their silence and complicity. Detailed plans of how he had framed my father for crimes he didn't commit, turning the people against him and isolating him from potential allies. It was all here, a testament to Oleg's meticulous planning and cold-blooded ambition.

　　"Oleg considered these notes trophies," I said, my voice trembling with fury. "He buried them here as a twisted celebration of his triumph over my father."

　　Brandon's jaw clenched. "We need to get this evidence to the right people. This can't go unpunished."

　　Evan nodded. "This is our chance, Lydia. With this, we can expose him and bring him down."

　　I took a deep breath, my resolve hardening. "We need to be careful. Oleg has eyes and ears everywhere. We'll have to be strategic about this."

　　Brandon and Evan nodded in agreement. Brandon spoke first. "We can start by copying these documents. If we get separated or if something happens, we'll have backups."

　　"Good idea," I said. "We should also reach out to those we know we can trust. The underground resistance, former allies of my father—they need to know about this."

　　Evan added, "And we'll need to protect ourselves. Oleg won't hesitate to eliminate us if he finds out we have this evidence."

　　We carefully gathered the documents, ensuring they were securely hidden. As we prepared to leave the gravesite, a sense of purpose filled me. The path ahead would be difficult, but I knew that with Brandon and Evan by my side, we could succeed.

　　"We need to move quickly," I said, my mind already racing with plans. "We'll take this evidence to those we can trust. We'll build a case against Oleg so strong that he won't be able to escape justice."

　　Brandon and Evan nodded in agreement, their expressions mirroring my resolve. The fight for justice, for my father's legacy, for the kingdom's future, had truly begun. We set off through the forest, the weight of our mission heavy on our shoulders but our hearts lighter with the knowledge that we were doing what was right.