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"What—" Klydeur closed his eyes, contemplating with himself whether or not he'll talk back to me and start another arguement. "Are you saying I'm impulsive?"

"Indeed." I responded rather quickly for him to react. "The fact you said you can help through healing magic that you've learned from Eldest, means that you must be expecting the missing nobles to be hurt, don't you?"

He blinked his eyes, surprise evident on his face. "That's what is likely to happen anyway." He reasoned, furrowing his eyebrows. "What else could happen when they have gone missing?"

I shrugged, not bothering to give him the answer as I chose to keep it for myself. "I need to talk to mama." Standing up, one of the knights decided to escort me out.

Klydeur wasn't able to react and before he can protest, I quickly left the room and walked downstairs, with one knight behind me and the other is left with Klydeur.

If I want to help without looking suspicious as to how I knew of the planned situation, I need to devise a plan and take a different approach.

My only problem is: I don't know how.

"Crown prince?"

I only made eye contact with the people around me as they dared not to approach me. My silent stares probably terrified them in their spots and chose not to block my way.

As soon as the crowd dispersed, making way for me to walk towards the Empress, the knight behind me followed suit with no objection nor hesitation.

I like this knight.

"Your majesty." As soon as I reached the front, I bowed down to the Empress and decided to greet her formally. "May I have a word about the situation?"

The higher ranked nobles around her soon gazed down at me. Some due to curiousity, while some can't even hide their intentions.

"You may." The Empress simply responded as she signaled for me to rise, and so I did. Eldest and Ashley stood there silently, confused why I bothered to get involved with the situation.

I smiled calmly at her, glancing towards the nobles swarming her. "I believe the situation is in dire need of attention. Thus, you've sent the knights ahead. However, I can only think that it will be in vain."

"Are you saying the Empress made a rash decision?" One of the elder nobles chose to talk back to me, raising an eyebrow. "You may be the crown prince, but this matter is not in your reach somehow."

The nerve of this noble. Let me finish, will you?

"Think about it. You yourself said that the Empress won't make any rash decisions." I spoke slowly, trying to make a point as I made myself sound persuasive enough to pique their curiousity. "I believe the Empress won't be so rash to announce the event today if there were a problem in this area."

The nobles went silent. None of them uttered even the slightest bit of murmurs. They all seems baffled and in a daze, not knowing or getting my point.

"Eldest, remember that there are 3 standing authority that guides and leads the empire?" I shot a question, and everyone gazed around with silent murmurs, as if gossiping about something that didn't fit with my question.

"From what I know, there is the Imperial family, the sacred temple, and the tower of the Arhams." Eldest responded, counting with her fingers, and the nobles soon gazed down to her with their eyes wide open and mouth agape.

They soon started to whisper and murmur with each others louder than earlier, which surrounded the area as I squinted my eyes. What's wrong with these nobles? Why are they acting like some sort of an anti-fan or paparazzi? I don't get it.

"Is that Eldest? The rumored of the empire?"

"Impossible. That can't be Eldest."

"From the appearance, it seems that is Eldest."

"He? Isn't that girl a she?"

"Foolish, you wimp. Eldest is a deity. Do you expect them to have genders?"

"Fair enough."

I blinked my eyes, staring at the growing commotion all because I mentioned Eldest. The latter doesn't look bothered at all. With one wave of a hand, the Empress managed to seal their lips forcefully, making them all lower their heads as apology.

"Silence." She stated rather maliciously, glancing at each and every higher ranked nobles who disrespected me. "Do not talk when a member of Imperial blood is speaking."

The remaining nobles who weren't inflicted by the Empress' magic nodded their heads.

"What are we supposed to get from the three authority of the Empire, if you don't mind me asking, your highness?" Ashley asked, a hand on her hip. Eldest frowned beside her.

"I'm stating that everything that happens today will be from a rebel, or a betrayal. And either of the three mentioned could be involved in this scheme." I jested, earning an interested looks from the nobles. "Now which among the two scenarios sounds best?"

They all looked at each others, as if on cue, they started to talk about it. "It can't be a rebel. They are usually ordinary people, no more than a commoner."

"Then that leaves the group of traitors." One familiar noble spoke, his cherry-blonde hair sparkled into the sun, making me cringe internally. I don't have any ill will towards the Marquis, but he reminds me of Lady Mia, his very own daughter.

Other nobles agreed with the Marquis, as they all waited for me or the Empress to speak again. Right, they must have learned their lessons. "If the traitors were all behind the schemes, I can't say for sure whether they are talented people or no ordinary nobles."

"Yes—wait, nobles?" Ashley raised a brow, before shutting her mouth. "Apologies."

"It is fine." I remarked, waving a hand. "And yes, I meant, nobles. Not all of them are loyal anyways, and it would be cumbersome must I point those who are not trust-worthy."

"If that's true, then I believe the magicians are involved." Ashley replied hesitantly. "But didn't the magicians of the empire already disposed?"

I nodded. "That's right. But that doesn't mean that nobles who are talented with magic can't be as good as the Arhams."

Pointing at the forest where the knights had entered to search for the said missing nobles, I continued. "What were the other nobles doing while the participants has entered the forest?"

There was hesitation among them, before the Marquis himself took the initiative to reply. "We were all doing our own affairs and luxury to pass time, your highness."

"Indeed so, your highness." One countess agreed, her head slightly bowing. "The ladies all gathered to the tea party I've hosted, while the gentlemen all did their own things. But may I be so impudent as to ask, why is the crown prince interested with our actions?"

Eyeing the countess, I sighed. She doesn't look bad nor fake, so I guess I can try to atleast respond. "Since everyone is busy doing their own things, how did the news about the participants going missing spread like wildfire?"

"I just heard it from someone."

"Me either."

"There was someone who announced and said they heard about the news."

I nodded. "And to whom did you exactly hear the news? Have you verified it as truthful and not false? I doubt it, since only we, the Imperial family, were able to watch the participants and figured that they are missing." Looking back to the spot where we are in earlier, there I saw Klydeur watching us from above.

"It would make sense if you heard the dissapearance of the nobles through our announcement. But it only makes it suspicious if you say you heard it from someone you don't specifically know."

That alone was enough to raise suspicion. When it all sank in their minds, they looked at me in awe. "The crown prince is brilliant. How could we not thought of that?"

"It's only natural to not know about the source of information. Besides, once in a panic, our minds will find it hard to respond and think rationally." The Viscount from earlier, named Viscount Fregossa, beamed a smile at me. "Hadn't it for his highness who explained the possible scenario, we might be dwelling about the news."

I smiled back, before glancing towards the Empress whose staring at the direction of the forest. "Few knights are left in the area." As she spoke, everyone went silent again. She then looked at the nobles, her silver eyes glinted with suspicion.

"Who among you had ordered my knights to begin a search party?"

"."

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/N:

Pardon me if ever there are wrong spellings or grammars. I'll check them again if I had the time. Anyways, I wasn't able to update for the week of last week, so I decided to split this chapter and post another one. So, a double update it is!

Now excuse this smol author! (´｡• ᵕ •｡')

-ShaneRRR🧁