Chapter 21: Broad Daylight, Forcing a Girl?

Inside the Great Hall, after paying their respects to Emperor Rubas, the two princesses silently took their seats without uttering a word.

While they remained quiet, Emperor Rubas did not stop speaking.

“Willis, you have deeply disappointed me. Two assassination attempts within a single day—this is an utter disgrace to our imperial family’s honor! Is an Empire Princess nothing but a pawn to be mocked like this?”

What followed was a rapid-fire scolding.

“Of course, there are undercurrents stirring within the Empire, so I don’t entirely blame you… Just be more careful in the days to come.”

“Yes, Father Emperor!”

Willis responded respectfully.

But after finishing with Willis, Rubas turned his attention to scolding Hill Yu.

“Hill Yu, as the First Princess, you idle away your days without purpose…”

“Father Emperor, how am I supposed to—”

Before Hill Yu could protest, she was immediately cut off.

“Silence! Listen carefully!”

“Oh~”

Then, Hill Yu followed in Willis’s footsteps.

But compared to the stiff concern and unreasonable reprimands Willis received, the Emperor’s rebuke toward Hill Yu seemed genuinely filled with care.

Still, Willis paid little mind to this.

She lowered her eyes, lost in thought, replaying all the recent events in her mind, trying desperately to trace those invisible hands behind them…

Yet, with her original memories as reference, she could not find a suitable target that fit.

Could it be that I’m overthinking this?

Just then, Emperor Rubas, seated at the head of the hall, ceased his lecturing of the two princesses.

Today, he had exchanged his light armor for the magnificent Emperor’s Attire.

Seated at the head, his imperial aura was undeniable.

With his lessons finished, the Emperor shifted his gaze toward the silent ministers of the Church of Judicature standing nearby.

“Rodmenlin Lot, the Empire’s Inquisitor, speak.”

The man summoned was middle-aged, dressed in the Church’s official black and white robes.

On his chest gleamed the Seven-Petaled White Lotus, radiant and striking.

Yet, facing the Emperor’s interrogation, the pressure on him was immense.

Though the Inquisitors wield great power throughout the Empire, here before the Emperor, this broad-faced, round-eyed man appeared somewhat subdued.

Still, Willis could sense a venomous aura from him, like that of a snake…

The information the Emperor requested had been reported many times already by the Church of Judicature, for which they had been reprimanded.

But now, with the arrival of the two princesses, Rodmenlin Lot spoke steadily, revealing intelligence that even Willis and Hill Yu were unaware of.

“Your Majesty, according to the Church’s investigation over the past day…”

“Among those who attacked the Second Daughter yesterday morning were elves, as well as members of the recently risen Glorious Restoration Church within the Empire…”

Pausing briefly, Rodmenlin continued.

“Additionally, it seems members of the Storm Revolutionary Army were also involved…”

Upon hearing this, before Willis and Hill Yu could respond, Emperor Rubas slammed his gilded chair and cursed angrily.

“Scoundrels!”

“Your Majesty, please calm yourself!”

For a moment, the hall was filled with kneeling ministers.

Scenes like this had occurred many times before the two princesses arrived.

Rubas Egbert’s outburst was limited to that single curse, followed by a sigh of resignation.

“Enough, rise.”

His tone revealed a mixture of helplessness, anger, and above all, exhaustion.

“Continue.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Rodmenlin responded cautiously, then resumed.

“The Church has sealed off that area but has found no trace of the assassins. Most of the elves who usually travel through the Imperial Capital were relocated the night before…”

“It’s clear they were prepared. We cannot pursue the elves’ caravan—any indiscriminate actions may provoke conflict with the elves, which requires Your Majesty’s approval…”

At this, Rubas merely snorted coldly, withholding comment.

Seeing this, Rodmenlin pressed on.

“We managed to capture about twenty members from the Glorious Restoration Church and the Revolutionary Army, but they are all low-ranking minions who die without revealing useful intelligence.”

“Then there were the assassins who struck last night…” Rodmenlin paused, signaling for Normankev to step forward.

Knowing escape was impossible, the man shuffled out timidly, lacking the ruthlessness he had displayed while confronting the previous attackers.

“Your Majesty, Your Highnesses, after last night’s interrogations, we can only confirm they are from the Glorious Restoration Church. They bit and spat their defiance even in death, so…”

Normankev swallowed hard, sweat dripping from his forehead.

“In short… no useful information was obtained.”

“Worthless! A bunch of worthless fools! Is this how the Empire’s servants repay us?”

Rubas raged.

At that moment, Hill Yu stepped forward, cupping her hands respectfully.

“Father Emperor, it is indeed unrealistic to expect progress within such a short day. Please calm your anger. The Church of Judicature is surely doing its utmost.”

“Heh, if only that were true.”

Rubas scoffed, then said no more.

Instead, he looked to the two princesses.

“Willis, Hill Yu, you are the parties involved. Share your thoughts.”

They naturally agreed and shared all they knew, though Willis withheld her deepest suspicions.

Given the short timeframe, solving the case would take more time.

“A Mage-Swordsman, a disciple of Swordmaster Krenis, and the elf Winnie Kanasha?”

Rodmenlin bowed with a hint of excitement toward the princesses.

“Thank you for the information, Your Highnesses. With these leads and what we have gathered, I believe we will solve this case soon!”

Though Willis doubted this, she asked, “What do you plan to do? Issue a warrant for their arrest?”

“No. If we issue a warrant, they’ll grow cautious. Only by feigning ignorance can the Church gain more opportunities.”

With that, the matter was temporarily closed.

Emperor Rubas also asked the princesses for their views on the Empire and surrounding situation…

Finally…

“Willis, you have your own territory. You’re allowed to expand your personal guard by one thousand soldiers. Hill Yu and Chris will each transfer one thousand soldiers from the City Defense Army to your protection.”

“Hill Yu, as the eldest, go inform Chris.”

The Chris Egbert mentioned was the Empire’s Third Princess and Willis’s own younger sister.

In contrast, Hill Yu Egbert, Willis’s elder half-sister, maintained the closest relationship with that younger sibling.

The Emperor’s orders were quickly dispatched.

Given the two assassination attempts on an Empire Princess within a day, expanding their guards seemed routine.

But for Willis, it was deeply unfair.

She had to find the thousand soldiers herself, while Rubas provided Hill Yu and the Third Princess’s forces ready-made?

Such blatant favoritism left Willis standing silently, her expression as calm as still water.

Hill Yu, however, moved to defend her sister.

“Thank you, Father Emperor! But why does Willis…”

“That’s enough!”

A commanding voice interrupted Hill Yu.

“Chris has fallen ill and remains at home. As the eldest, you can visit her on your way. Court dismissed!”

Without waiting for further protest, Rubas left immediately.

“Willis… if you want, I can give you my thousand troops. After all, I’m a swordsman and don’t need guards.”

Hearing this, Willis smiled warmly.

“No need, Elder Sister. That would be disobeying the Emperor’s orders. Let’s go.”

Exiting the palace gates, Rodmenlin Lot and the Church’s senior officials bowed and took their leave.

“Thank you for your help today, Your Highnesses. The Church will be at your service whenever needed. We take our leave.”

Rodmenlin and his group departed, while Hill Yu headed to deliver the troops to Chris.

She would also, per Emperor Rubas’s wishes, check on her ailing younger sister.

At last, Willis was left alone, quietly settling into the carriage home.

But along the way, she suddenly felt a flush of heat spreading through her body.

That was because she spotted a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl standing absentmindedly by the roadside.

“Stop the carriage!”

The coachman obeyed Willis’s order and brought the carriage to a halt.

Willis stepped down briskly and slowly approached the girl.

When the girl sensed the shadow over her and looked up in surprise, Ofilia Laiensi’s beautiful eyes filled instantly with fear.

“Wi… Willis?!”

“How dare you call me by my personal name!”

Willis said sternly, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

“Isn’t this the Second Daughter of the Laiensi Family who stole the show at yesterday’s inauguration speech?”

Faced with Willis’s taunt, Ofilia instinctively clenched her fists and avoided her gaze.

“What’s wrong? No words? What are you doing here?”

“No… no comment!”

With great effort, Ofilia squeezed the words out through clenched teeth.

But judging by her trembling form—caught between wanting to strike and yet fearful of something—she was a fascinating sight.

At this moment, Willis’s eyes glistened with a hint of red.

“No matter what you’re doing here, come with me now.”

“In broad daylight, you… how dare you!?”

Ofilia’s whole body tensed.

Willis smiled wickedly.

“I don’t care. My reputation is already ruined. But surely you don’t want the entire Empire to know that the Laiensi Family’s Second Daughter has become a withered flower used by me, Willis?”

“You!!”

In that instant, an unfathomable terror flashed across the blonde girl’s face.