Bigusler Family, the reception hall.
In this hall where the ceiling had been completely smashed open, the aftermath of the previous fierce battle had been meticulously cleaned up by the trembling servants.
Though the ceiling remained broken, a new set of sofas and a coffee table had been brought in and placed there, looking relatively tidy.
Rocque and Tilly sat together, seemingly waiting for something, silent.
It was not until a long time later that some unusual noises emerged in the reception hall.
Accompanied by a faint tearing sound through the air, three figures appeared before Rocque and Tilly.
They were three cloaked figures.
"Alright, we are here."
With a composed tone, Shane, holding Lasha in one hand and Lilith in the other, had not removed their cloaks and continued to conceal themselves, their hoods obscuring their faces, creating a highly mysterious aura.
Rocque and Tilly immediately stood up.
It was a reflexive action.
Tilly flickered her gaze towards the large and small figures suddenly accompanying Shane.
Rocque's expression shifted subtly, glancing at Lasha and then at Lilith, finally fixing his gaze on the latter.
He did not know who these two accompanying Shane were.
Without revealing their true faces, Rocque could not recognize either Lasha or Lilith.
Especially in the case of Lasha, who had no trace of Magic Power and had an unfamiliar aura, Rocque knew he had never seen this person before.
On the contrary, Lilith prompted Rocque to tighten his lips and reluctantly bend forward to bow in her direction.
Tilly was greatly surprised.
Evidently, the sight of Rocque respectfully bowing to what appeared to be a very young girl startled her.
Such Tilly did not know what it meant for those who had dealt with Shane before, the young girl beside him.
Though Rocque had not yet recognized Lilith's identity, since she was brought by Shane, the girl either had to be the dreadful Dragon Demon or the terrifying Evil God.
Sadly, no matter which it was, both were figures he could not afford to offend or show any disrespect to.
Thus, this bow was obligatory, both out of respect and propriety.
Tilly, ignorant of the rationale, naturally felt astonished.
But seeing Rocque bowing so respectfully to Lilith, Tilly also hurriedly followed suit with a bow, then started to scrutinize Lilith with a covert look, trying to penetrate her identity and understand why her father showed such respect.
Of course, Lilith did not care about these gestures.
Whether Rocque and Tilly bowed or not, it was irrelevant to her.
She simply showed her usual innocent demeanor, being led by Shane and curiously looking around at the surroundings.
As for Lasha, she would say nothing and do nothing, like a true puppet, faithfully following Shane's side, moving in sync with his actions.
Shane then, right before Rocque's eyes, came forward and sat down with great ease.
Lilith immediately leapt into Shane's arms and was held by him.
Lasha, silent, took out a tray with several steaming cups of tea on it, placing them before Shane, Rocque, and Tilly, then stood behind Shane, fully displaying what a competent maid should be.
This caused Rocque and Tilly to glance at her involuntarily.
Under such circumstances...
"Speak," Shane said indifferently, while handing the tea to Lilith, letting her sip it slowly, and then spoke carelessly to Rocque, "How did you fall to this state?"
Shane's words made Rocque's expression darken.
Subsequently, the strongest knight of the Empire sighed.
"It's quite simple," Rocque said lightly, "The Imperial Concubine struck against us."
As he spoke, Rocque explained the whole story to Shane.
It turned out, while Harvis took Rocque to the Kingdom, seeking allies for his plan to usurp the throne, the Imperial Concubine had not been idle and had, in their absence, spread rumors within the Empire that were very damaging to them.
The rumor was that Harvis and Rocque had the suspicion of treason and had long been colluding with the Kingdom.
It was an absurd rumor.
Because Prince Harvis and Knight Captain Rocque already held prestigious statuses—one hailed as the people's choice for the ideal successor to the throne, and the other as the Empire's strongest knight, an exemplary icon always revered by the Imperial People—it was inconceivable to them that such influential figures, with ample power and renown within the Empire, would be suspected of collusion and treason.
Mainly, there were no reasons for such treachery.
Why wouldn't the Prince, who possessed the primary right of succession, enjoy his position?
Why wouldn't the Knight Captain of the Imperial Knight Order relish his role?
After all, these positions were almost second to none within the Empire. The future of the Empire could be said to rest on these two individuals, so why would they need to betray their country and subjugate themselves to an enemy nation as mere subordinates?
Especially Prince Harvis, a direct descendant of the Imperial Family, long-time adversaries with the Kingdom's Royal Family. Both sides descended from the Hero, so what reason would he have to side with anyone else?
Absolutely unnecessary, right?
What would be there to gain?
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Add to this the fact that Rocque had always considered Aridia as a rival—common knowledge among the Imperial People—and it was believed impossible that either of these two could be traitors.
However, those with ulterior motives weren't actually looking to affirm the guilt of these two men.
All they needed was a seed of doubt about Prince Harvis and Knight Captain Rocque, a rumor spreading throughout the Imperial City, to tarnish their reputations and release some insidious hints; that would be sufficient.
As a result, whether the allegations were true or false, actions would inevitably be taken within the Empire: investigations into Prince Harvis, interrogations of Knight Captain Rocque, compelling these two to follow their bidding—thus their goals would be achieved.
Taking advantage of the situation, they could gradually undermine the influence and standing of Harvis and Rocque in the Imperial City.
Take Prince Harvis, for example. Initially, the people might trust he wouldn't commit treason, but if the Nobles in the palace kept advising him, creating an atmosphere that suggested he actually did something wrong, would the doubtful nobles who supported him continue to trust him staunchly? Would the people always believe he was innocent?
Or consider Rocque—if the Bigusler Family was subjected to frequent investigations and inquiries, creating a tense notion that there was indeed a problem with the family, wouldn't others begin to harbor doubts?
It's like how if someone is often visited by the police or invited for questioning, neighbors would first suspect they've committed some crime. Similarly, Harvis and Rocque had fallen into the enemy's trap and began to be viewed with suspicion.
By the time they realized what was happening, rumors of treason had already run rampant in the Imperial City, causing unrest and greatly affecting them. Both were severely hit—Prince Harvis was confined, forbidden to step outside the Imperial Palace, while Rocque's family members had been detained by the Empire, under the guise of investigation, but in reality, they were systematically weakening his camp's military strength.
"As you can see, besides some servants and maids who cannot fight, only my daughter and I are left. That's why the Renitra Family took the opportunity to force their way into the palace, attempting to create a fait accompli. Currently, the Prince's situation within the palace is said to be quite dire—nobles who initially chose to support him have either been coerced into defection or been framed as accomplices, and are under the same detention in the guise of an interrogation," Rocque said coldly.
"Now, both the Prince and I are isolated and unsupported. I've even been denied permission to see His Highness in the Imperial Palace."
If things continued this way, they would certainly be nailed to the cross by increasingly damaging rumors, ultimately left completely alone.
At that point, their enemies would be free to act without restraint, cementing their crimes of "collusion and treason."
For Rocque, the situation was indeed very distressing.
"I've thought about storming into the Imperial Palace multiple times to rescue His Highness. It took all my will to resist the impulse."
Rocque even harbored such intentions.
Shane rolled his eyes.
"Good thing you didn't," Shane said bluntly. "Otherwise, they'd easily label you both as fugitives, scared of being prosecuted, and definitively solidify your traitorous status."
If that happened, Harvis and Rocque would surely face relentless pursuit until they actually committed treason, seeking asylum with another country that would offer them protection.
Perhaps that was the goal of the Imperial Concubine?
"In any case, our current situation is very bad," Rocque looked at Shane as he spoke. "Since you've come to the Empire, does that mean you intend to take action against the Imperial Concubine?"
At these words, and before Shane could react, Tilly's face turned pale.
Was this mysterious powerhouse targeting the Poisonous Consort?
Yet Shane didn't answer.
"I'm asking you," Shane fixed his gaze on Rocque, "How is Tielle?"
This question first elicited confusion from Tilly, which was soon followed by Rocque's contemplation.
Rocque knew of Tielle's existence, as well as the fact that she had been targeted by Moro and subsequently came to the Imperial City, assuming the guise of the Strange Thief.
He didn't know what Tielle planned to do.
But he was aware of what happened to the Strange Thief.
Therefore, Rocque disclosed news that Shane couldn't just overlook.
"Not long ago, the Imperial Concubine left the Imperial Palace for reasons unknown, even departing from the Imperial City."
"Seizing the opportunity, that individual infiltrated the palace, only to fall into an ambush set by the Lefirut Family."
"William Lefirut ran her through the abdomen, and she fled with severe injuries."