Chapter 141: A Rumor…?

“Fa-Father… You said you came here specifically to find me?”

Field could faintly guess the reason His Majesty the King had sought her out. Most likely, it was related to the rumors that had been spreading.

But what puzzled Field was how the King had come looking for her so quickly after she arrived here.

“How… how did you know I was here?”

“I saw you through the window.”

His Majesty the King looked at Field and spoke slowly.

“I came to the Academy early this morning. I heard you all run a Yorozuya, so I went there first to look for you.”

“When I found you weren’t there, I asked other teachers in the Academy. The Grade Director said you had gone to the Dungeon together, so I waited for a while in the Grade Director’s office and listened to him talk about what happened during the Cultural Festival.”

“Then I saw you and the others hurrying into this building from the office, so I followed to see what you were up to.”

Hearing this, Field finally understood.

So her father had already been waiting at the Academy for some time.

From the Yorozuya to this building, it was true that you had to pass by the Grade Director’s office.

She must have been seen by His Majesty the King at that time.

“So what happened here? Why were you fighting privately?”

His Majesty the King’s solemn voice echoed in the classroom.

Eric’s heart turned cold.

Even though it looked like Liyakade was the one beating him up one-sidedly, when he thought about what he had done, Eric had no confidence left.

If His Majesty the King weren’t here, he might have just endured a beating and that would be the end of it, but now, if Liyakade and the others reported his actions to the King, he would be finished.

“Father.”

Sistem picked up the conversation, looking at His Majesty the King.

“Did you come today because of the rumors about Field circulating in the Academy?”

“Mm.”

His Majesty nodded slowly.

Since Sistem had already brought up the topic, there was no reason for the King to hide anything.

“That is exactly why I came. Field, I’ve never heard of you having such preferences. What is going on?”

The King’s tone was not harsh at this moment.

He believed there must be some hidden truth behind all this.

Faced with this question, Field suddenly found herself in a dilemma.

To be honest, even though Eric spread these rumors to slander Liyakade and the others and destroy Field’s reputation, it wasn’t exactly a lie.

They had just confirmed their relationship in the Dungeon yesterday.

Eric’s rumor had accidentally hit the truth.

If Field told the truth now, she didn’t know how her father would react.

Seeing how he had rushed to the Academy early in the morning, he must be taking this matter seriously.

If he opposed it, Field might be punished with imprisonment or even more severely, His Majesty might banish Liyakade from the country, and Field would never see her again.

If she tried to dodge responsibility and claimed everything was just Eric’s rumor, things could be delayed for a while, but since their relationship was already confirmed, they would only become more intimate, and Liyakade’s preference for girls was already well known.

If Liyakade stayed close to Field, the King would inevitably become suspicious.

In the end, they would still have to face His Majesty directly.

“I…”

Field stared at her father’s dignified and serious face, hesitating and not knowing what to say.

However, at that moment, Sistem made the choice for Field.

“These past two days, all the rumors spreading in the Academy were fabricated by that guy over there.”

Sistem stepped forward and pointed at Eric not far away, answering His Majesty on Field’s behalf.

It was over.

Hearing Sistem’s words, cold sweat poured down Eric’s back.

“All these photos were secretly taken by Eric. He even added false details to the photos to slander Field and the others.”

Sistem picked up a few scattered photos from the floor and handed them to His Majesty the King.

Of course, she did not pick up the photo with the collar, as such a questionable prop would surely raise suspicions.

“That’s why we came to settle accounts with him!”

Chloe also quickly chimed in after hearing this.

“I see.”

His Majesty the King took the photos.

At most, the photos showed Liyakade and Field holding hands.

In fact, he had already collected and examined many photos earlier in the day.

Judging by the photos alone, there was no way to conclude they had a forbidden relationship.

The King turned to look at Eric.

Seeing Eric’s pale, trembling face, His Majesty felt it was a clear sign of guilt.

“Eric, are Sistem’s words true?”

The King’s solemn and weighty voice felt like a heavy hammer smashing into Eric’s heart.

“No, it’s not like that! I didn’t spread any rumors!”

Seeing Eric still trying to argue, Sistem took out the Magic Detector.

“Then let’s check the residual magic traces on the photos and see whose magic it is.”

“The photos were printed by me!”

Realizing he couldn’t escape, Eric admitted this much, but insisted that was all he did.

“But I didn’t make up any rumors! It was others who saw the photos and jumped to conclusions on their own!”

Eric tried to absolve himself, claiming he only provided the photos and the rest was just rumors that spread on their own.

However, even if Eric said this, it was useless.

First, secretly photographing Liyakade and the others already violated royal dignity.

Second, the King was no fool.

Judging from Eric’s words and actions, it was obvious what he had done.

“Take him away.”

“Yes!”

“These rumors really have nothing to do with me! Your Majesty! Please spare me!”

At the King’s command, the Guards quickly stepped forward, cuffed Eric, and dragged him into the corridor.

Even as he was being taken away, Eric continued to argue until the Guards finally gagged him into silence.

The King no longer bothered to look at Eric.

He planned to send Eric straight to prison once this matter was settled, then decide how to deal with him.

“You must be this year’s Festival Flower, Liyakade, correct?”

His Majesty the King looked at Liyakade.

After learning the truth and resolving the issue, he seemed to be in a much better mood.

The severity on his face softened.

“Yes… Yes, that’s right.”

Liyakade nodded nervously.

“I heard about you from the Grade Director this morning. Even though you’re only a first-year, you managed to defeat Sistem and become this year’s Festival Flower. Your future achievements must be limitless.”

The King stroked his beard and praised Liyakade, then suddenly shifted the topic.

“I heard you openly confessed your preference for girls during the Cultural Festival. That’s admirable and courageous. Everyone has their own orientation—this is normal. However, since you’ve made your preference clear, be more mindful of your interactions with other girls.”

“I know that among girls, holding hands and hugging are common things, but since you’ve already come out, you need to be careful with how close you get to other girls.”