As that Holy Knight collapsed, the people nearby immediately scattered, leaving a wide-open space for Lita and the fallen Holy Knight. Even more people dashed straight for the door and fled.
But most people still wanted to see how things would end, now that Lita had provoked a Holy Knight.
After all, anyone with common sense could tell that the sudden collapse of the Holy Knight had everything to do with Lita.
How to settle things? Simple—just produce her own Holy Knight credentials, and everything would be fine.
Lita lowered her head and slowly reached into her clothes. All eyes immediately followed her movements, eager to see just what she would pull out.
“Hm?”
Lita first let out a little “huh,” then patted her pocket, switched hands, and searched the pocket on the other side, as if looking for something.
After ten seconds or so, her expression shifted from calm to serious.
“That’s not right…?”
Something really wasn’t right. Where did her Holy Knight proof go?
Wait—she remembered!
That credential had always been on Cecilia’s desk in her room. When she read the little note Cecilia left her, it was right there!
“Guh… guh…” The Holy Knight on the ground struggled to stand, but with both legs broken, it was impossible. After straining for a long time, he finally looked, face twisted in pain, to the girl who had come with him:
“Call someone! Call for help! This person used sorcery to attack a Holy Knight! Hurry, call for help!”
The girl was so terrified she could hardly move. She’d only come to accompany him on a date and, taking advantage of the Holy Knight’s authority, thought to bully someone a little. She never imagined the tables would turn so quickly.
“Go! What are you waiting for?!” the Holy Knight roared. Then, pointing with a trembling finger at someone else trying to sneak away: “You! Don’t leave! None of you are allowed to go! Be my witnesses!”
Sigh, what a headache.
But Lita hadn’t planned to leave anyway.
After about ten minutes, several soldiers burst into the room. The leader wore a golden leaf at his waist, clearly also a Holy Knight. He took one look at the man collapsed on the floor and frowned. “Ari, what’s going on here?”
The man called Ari pointed straight at Lita. “Leif! It’s her! I was just here to buy some cake when this woman broke both my legs!”
Leif looked curiously at Lita, who was still standing by the counter, his brows furrowing slightly.
A few of the surrounding soldiers also glanced at Lita, some showing thoughtful expressions, though no one else seemed to notice.
Ari was still in his flashy armor, and there were no signs of a brawl. His opponent was just a young girl—how could Lita possibly have broken both of Ari’s legs through his armor without leaving a trace?
Leif knew exactly what kind of person Ari was: arrogant, bullying the weak and fearing the strong, only throwing his weight around over trivial matters. If he got a taste of his own medicine, it was well deserved.
But not just anyone could teach Ari a lesson. As a Holy Knight, any disrespect toward him was, in effect, disrespect toward the royal family. That’s the only reason Ari could get away with such outrageous behavior.
Still, Ari being forced to make a scene and accuse someone so shamelessly—this girl was really unlucky.
But Ari wouldn’t stop rambling, “She wouldn’t move away from the counter, and even dared to talk back to a Holy Knight! What happened to law and order, huh? Where are the laws?!”
“Is that really how it happened?” Leif asked.
“No, I was buying cake. He insisted on cutting in line, and when I wouldn’t let him, he tried to draw his sword on me. But before he could even draw it, he was already lying on the ground.” Lita blinked her eyes, looking completely innocent.
“No way! Ask the others if you don’t believe me!” Ari shouted, randomly picking someone. “You! Tell them what happened!”
“Well, this Holy Knight sir, he…”
He hadn’t even finished before someone beside him whispered, “She didn’t even touch him, and he just went down. I think it’s best if you don’t talk nonsense.”
Reminded, the person quickly changed his story, “Ah… Actually, I’m not really sure what happened. I hadn’t reached the front yet, and this Holy Knight just suddenly fell.”
With one person stepping forward, the others realized it was safer to stay neutral.
“Yeah, I didn’t see clearly. We were all lined up in the back.”
“I just got here, I have no idea what happened.”
Hearing these evasive answers, Leif frowned, guessing Ari had tried to harass someone and ended up humiliated.
Ari’s behavior was annoying, but letting him just sit there like this wasn’t right either.
“All right, Ari, try to stand up,” Leif said, grabbing Ari’s arm and hoisting him up. But as soon as Ari’s legs touched the ground, he let out a strangled scream and flopped back down with a thud.
Really broken?
Attacking a Holy Knight was no small matter.
“Did you do this?” Leif’s tone turned much more serious.
“What? I don’t know anything about it!” Lita looked completely innocent.
“You’re the only one who had a conflict with him. Who else could it be…”
Leif was still speaking when one of the soldiers stepped closer and spoke quietly.
“Sir Leif, could I have a word?”
Though puzzled, Leif glanced at Lita, then stepped aside.
The soldier immediately said, “A few days ago, I think I saw her during my patrol. She entered the palace together with Her Highness, the Fourth Princess, when she returned to the city.”
“So what if she entered the palace with her?” Leif hadn’t caught on, then suddenly realized what was odd. “The Fourth Princess?”
“That’s right, and there’s more.” Another soldier added, “Yesterday morning, I saw the Lord of the Silver Ashen Fang personally bring her into the main hall.”
Leif’s heart skipped a beat. Even among Holy Knights, the status of an Emblem Knight was worlds apart from theirs. Most Holy Knights were indeed prestigious, but compared to an Emblem Knight, it was nothing.
Someone led by an Emblem Knight… Leif didn’t dare to guess her true identity.
“And yesterday, I saw her leaving Lord Pierre’s estate.”
“Right, and I think she also visited Lady Melisandre’s manor.”
At this point, Leif felt a wave of relief. He’d sensed something strange about all this from the start, but now, with these reminders from his men, he was grateful he hadn’t tried to pressure Lita.
“So what do you all think we should do?” Leif asked for their opinions.
“No idea… should we keep reporting it up?” one soldier suggested.
“I think that’s reasonable…” another agreed.
As the group chattered on, the door to the sweets shop was pushed open once more.
“Oh my? So lively! What’s going on? Did something interesting happen?”
A girl with platinum-blonde hair skipped into the shop, immediately spotting Ari lying on the ground. Many in the crowd didn’t recognize her, but no soldier or Holy Knight could possibly fail to.
Leif instantly dropped to one knee, bowing his head, and the rest of the soldiers followed suit.
Ari wanted to kneel, but that was obviously impossible given his condition. He could only wriggle awkwardly, looking up at the girl as she approached.
“…Fifth Princess, Your Highness…”
“Oh—” Illya replied blankly, “What happened here?”
A dark look flashed through Ari’s eyes.
He couldn’t let this person who had humiliated him in front of the Fifth Princess get away with it.
“Your Highness, allow me to report—”
Ari recounted his earlier accusations, making them even more severe. Illya only listened with a cute, curious smile, saying nothing the entire time.
When Ari finally finished, Illya asked lazily, “So, is everything you said true?”
“I swear by my Holy Knight’s loyalty, every word is true! If you don’t believe me, you can ask the other witnesses! He, he saw it!” Ari hurriedly replied.
“Shh… Don’t say anything. I still think that girl isn’t someone ordinary. Let’s not talk carelessly,” a bystander whispered to his companion.
“Ah, I-I don’t know, Your Highness. I honestly didn’t see. I only saw the Holy Knight suddenly fall; I don’t know anything else…” the prompted person gritted his teeth.
Wherever Illya’s gaze swept, people quickly withdrew, repeatedly claiming they hadn’t seen anything.
Finally, her gaze settled on Lita.
Only now did everyone realize that Lita was the only one who hadn’t knelt to pay respects.
“Lita, was it you who did this?”
Hearing Illya call Lita by name, both the onlookers and soldiers—especially Ari—gasped in shock.
Someone the Fifth Princess knew by name—could such a person be ordinary?
Only Leif let out a relieved sigh, grateful from the bottom of his heart.
Lita, being called out directly, had no choice but to lower her head slightly, place her arm across her chest, and salute with the Emblem Knight’s gesture she’d seen used before to Cecilia.
“Your Highness, the Fifth Princess, it was me.”
The other party was, after all, the Fifth Princess—there was no reason to lie.
“Why?” Illya blinked.
“I originally intended to buy some sweets to comfort Lady Cecilia, but this Holy Knight seemed to grow impatient and prepared to draw his sword to challenge me for my place in line.”
Lita phrased it gently, but everyone could tell Ari had tried to cut in line and, when Lita refused, angrily reached for his sword.
Notably, Lita referred to Cecilia by name, rather than as the Fourth Princess. In public perception, only the king would use Cecilia’s name alone.
With the explanation of buying sweets for comfort, no matter Lita’s identity—even if she had none—just for that, a Holy Knight should never draw a sword on her.
“I see?” Illya tapped her lips. “You weren’t going to buy any for me? If you bought some for me, Herrag would let you pass her trial, you know.”
“I haven’t been able to buy any because of a little incident.”
“Wow, that’s bad!” Illya pulled a pitiful face, then looked over at Ari, who lay on the ground, shivering from head to toe. “It was him, right!”
Ari was already scared witless.
What were they even talking about?
He didn’t understand—he truly didn’t understand!
More frightening than the pain of his broken legs was the inscrutable, innocent Fifth Princess.
As a Holy Knight, a princess had every right to determine his fate.
No, not just his fate—even his life or death.
With other princesses, he might be able to predict their actions, but the Fifth Princess’s unpredictable nature was genuinely terrifying.
“You’re silent? Hmph.” Illya, seeing Ari trembling and unable to answer, sniffed and turned up her nose. “So, Lita, how do you think we should deal with him?”
“My only wish is to serve Lady Cecilia. As for other matters, I really cannot comment.”
“Stubborn!” Illya grumbled. “I’m asking for your opinion, not ordering you.”
Lita thought for a moment. “Then, let’s have him pay and buy some cake for Your Highness, the Fifth Princess.”