As the king left, and Kite took a seat nearby, friends also took their places around the two.

“Hey, is that person in the navy suit Duke Partur?”

Ruella asked Kite, pointing to a middle-aged man who was staring at her fiercely.

Kite checked where she pointed and nodded. “Yes, he is. He’s a key figure among the nobility and also part of the royal family.”

“Royal family? So, he had ambitions for the throne.”

“He originally intended to marry his daughter to me.”

Hazen, sitting next to Kite, interjected in the conversation. “But somehow, the plan went awry. What happened?”
“Since hearing from Senhwe that Kite is engaged, things have been suspicious.”

“How could he know that if he continued to stay in Hellane? Does he know anyone among the Kurran nobles?”

“Kurran opened the port, so through shipping, they could have planted a few spies.”

“That’s quite fast. Upon hearing that, he immediately aimed for the throne.”

In admiration of Ruella, Kite twisted his lips.

“Or perhaps, from the start, the daughter was just a distraction, and he had other intentions.”

Ruella’s gaze turned to the black-haired woman standing quietly next to Duke Partur.

She looked in this direction with a stern expression but quickly turned her head away when their eyes met.

“Or maybe he tried to indulge his daughter’s caprices.”

“Regardless of the reasons, that person indeed plotted treason. Count Tamare was a loyal servant of the king, one of the key figures in the royal faction, and an excellent person in terms of character and everything else. He killed such a person. It’s absolutely unforgivable.”

Mitchell’s angry voice was heard from behind.

“Mitchell, calm down. We prepared thoroughly for this. We may not be able to expose all of the author’s sins today, but at least we can raise suspicions and pin the strange rumors targeting Kite on the mastermind.”

Despite Raphael’s comfort, Mitchell’s indignant breathing continued for a while.
Judging by their reactions, it seemed unfortunate that Count Tamare, who Mitchell greatly respected, had become a target. In the future, there might be ongoing incidents involving someone’s death or false accusations of conspiracy. This place was one where alliances could change overnight due to political issues, where people could get married or killed. Living in a place where one couldn’t let their guard down for a single day. The fortunate thing was that Kite was there, and she had friends who considered her family. Although it was a world unfamiliar and constantly demanding caution and vigilance, with them around, she felt she could endure. Lost in various thoughts, she grew quiet, and Kite reached out to hold her hand. When Ruella smiled at Kite, he also smiled back, exchanging glances with her. “Sorry to interrupt, but it seems we need to get started. People are looking at us with faces wondering what will happen next,” Haizen pointed out. Responding to Haizen’s observation, Kite regained focus and turned his head. After that, he ordered the witnesses who had been prepared to come forward.

“So, are you saying you spoke as instructed by someone you don’t even know?”

“Yes. I just didn’t want to die. Who would resist when a villain comes with a sword and threatens you? The expression ‘demon with black hair and red eyes’ is also something they instructed us to use. I never thought it referred to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”
Mitchell and Raphael didn’t need to buy or threaten the Tamare family merchants they brought. When they accepted the sudden invitation from the woman who appeared out of nowhere, a strange window appeared before their eyes. Curious about what it was, they lost consciousness and, when they came to, found themselves transported to the capital. It happened in the blink of an eye. Shaken by the shock, they were scared and had no choice but to spill everything when Senhwe asked them questions.

The same thing happened when they were dragged out to the main square. They were so frightened that they couldn’t even look in Ruella’s direction, and they detailed everything in response to Senhwe’s questions.

“How could anyone imagine that someone known as the capable Crown Prince would slander him? We thought the culprit spread false rumors to cover up what he did.”

“A man wearing a mask appeared in the middle of the night, killing people wherever he went. After setting the castle on fire, he chased after us and threatened that he would come back and kill us if we didn’t say what he wanted us to say.”

“Is there anyone here who committed such a senseless act? Even if they wore a mask, wouldn’t you have noticed their eyes, body shape, and clothing? Take a look around to see if there’s anyone similar.”

In response to Wisen’s question, the merchants cautiously looked around.
As soon as their eyes met Ruella’s, those who had been startled and turned their gaze away seemed uncertain for a while, shaking their heads as if they didn’t understand.

After all, even if the tragedy was attributed to Duke Patre, he wouldn’t have committed the act directly. Moreover, it was in the middle of the night, and the person wore a mask, making it unrealistic to expect them to recognize the perpetrator.

When Wisen signaled that there were no more questions, the king stood up from his seat. Then, he looked around at the nobles and citizens before speaking loudly.