470 Collusion
Selma Payneâs POV:
I touched the soft fine hair and said to the observers, âContinue to observe any changes. If there are any unusual movements, report them to me immediately.â
âSo far, we still donât have any effective way to detect all the physiological changes in the little prince-â
âItâs okay. Your job is to observe and record. Itâs best if you can come to some conclusions. Itâs okay if you canât. After all, this is only the first time.â I said, âBut everything must be kept a secret. Is that clear, gentlemen?â
The three didnât seem to react when I said âItâs only the first time â. They faithfully guaranteed that they would keep everything that happened in this ward a secret.
It was already afternoon when I left the childâs place. I was hurrying to tell my parents about the childâs condition, so I didnât even have lunch. In addition, there was suddenly some official business for me to deal with. By the time everything was over, I was already famished and had to eat before dinner.
During this period, the atmosphere in the palace had been very gloomy. No one wanted to eat, so the kitchen was quite quiet. When they suddenly received the news that I would eat, the chefs seemed to have been injected with chicken blood and used all their knowledge to make this meal that was neither late nor mid-day, even more sumptuous than the one on my wedding day.
Looking at the table full of food, I didnât know whether to laugh or cry. âI canât eat so much...â
Kara placed a fruit platter on the table as she replied, âYou need to eat more to nourish your body. Look at how thin youâve become recently. Your skirt has loosened by two inches.â
âItâs not that bad...â
The dessert was doughnuts. Looking at the raspberries and cheese on the doughnuts, I suddenly remembered the night Avril announced her engagement. I was âdrunkâ back then, and Aldrich bought me doughnuts from a dessert car to dispel the alcohol.
Iâd forgotten the taste, but that uneasy night was vividly imprinted in my mind.
Back then, how could I have expected this day to come?
Aldrich...
The Spring Rain Pack reported Aldrichâs news to me steadily, it was still the same, neither good nor bad, and there was no progress.
The Crown Prince of the elven race was in cahoots with the cultists, but he had no reason to poison Aldrich. From him, I realized that the heretic cult believers werenât a bunch of completely irrational lunatics. They would also form cliques and factions, so it was normal for them to rope in some werewolves for their use.
The progress of the intelligence organization in this area was always fast. A detailed investigation report was placed on my desk three days after the child had finished spinning its cocoon.
âWhy donât I find it strange at all...â After reading the report, I rubbed my forehead tiredly. âThe Evaria Family... Are they really not crazy?â
âThis bunch of sons of b*tches,â Duke Frank cursed viciously at the people who dared to poison his son. âAre they crazy? Just to fight for power? How dare they cooperate with the cultists? Did they know who was behind this group of lunatics? The devil! An evil god! Dealing with evil will only result in you losing your soul!â
âWhen people were blinded by fame and fortune, they would be willing to exchange even their ropes for a second of authority. With the Crown Princeâs example, I finally understand how crazy people can be. I was afraid that the cooperation between the Evaria Family and the cultists is not as simple as we think. Aldrich... might not be the first person.â
Everyone present looked at me. I explained, âDo you still remember Layla? More than twenty years ago, she was slandered as the culprit who colluded with the wandering forces and caused my disappearance. Although the royal family trusted and protected her, she finally committed suicide amidst the rumors.â
My father immediately understood what I meant. âYou think thereâs more to Laylaâs death?â
âYes.â I nodded. âThe Evaria Family tried to kill me when I was a baby. However, they failed in the end and didnât clean up the traces. Therefore, they urgently needed a scapegoat to shift the suspicion.
âLayla became the best candidate. She controlled the armed forces in the palace and was deeply trusted by the Lycan King, so she could move freely in the palace. On the surface, she seemed able to cooperate with the wandering forces. Not to mention that she was born as a commoner and strictly abides by the boundaries. She has no supporters other than her parents and a powerful force.
âIf Iâve heard from others that Layla was a strong and principled warrior, then her suicide is really suspicious. She had always emphasized her innocence when she was at the heart of the struggle and never compromised with slander. Why did she commit suicide when she was about to be exonerated?â