539 Kritonia (2/2)
”You're my wife and my queen. Nothing is more precious than you.” Lucien realized that he might be talented at sweet talking after all.
Natasha chuckled and enjoyed what Lucien said, but she intentionally said, ”You picked three items from Mr. Rhine's place. Except for the scroll that you used yourself, you offered the other items to me. Your adventure proved to be for nothing.”
It was then that Lucien realized that the items he got from Mr. Rhine's treasury had been mostly offered to Natasha. However, it was definitely worthwhile as long as she was happy. Mr. Rhine was really a good man. When could he offer an opportunity to pick another item from his treasury?
”Right, did you have something you want to say?” Natasha was also relieved after knowing that Hathaway was around. She almost forgot to ask.
Lucien cast another spells cautiously in case of snooping. Then, he spoke to Natasha via the telepathic bond. ”Sard was the one behind the curtain. He wanted to…”
There was no need to keep it a secret from Natasha. As the queen of Holm, she would be involved in the matter sooner or later. Besides, her tendencies were rather obvious.
”I don't trust Sard. He has been too mysterious and unpredictable.” Natasha offered her opinion.
Lucien nodded. ”Nobody knows what he got from the World of Souls. It's not easy to infer his real purpose. We have to be prepared that he has great schemes.”
”His Excellency Kritonia was attracted to him… What's the result of your necropsy?” Natasha asked solemnly.
Lucien thought for a moment and confessed, ”The necromancers of the Hand of Paleness knew a lot about cells. Based on their knowledge system, they found out the age of the prince when he passed away. Although there's an error of about half a year, it is doubtless that the prince's actual age when he died was two to three years older than the age he should've been. You can ask Hathaway for more details.”
The test result was too important to be delivered through electromagnetism messaging. Lucien joined the party and met Natasha partly to forward the message, too.
Natasha listened and sighed in sorrow, ”I find Sard even less trustworthy…”
Then, she calmed down and smiled like a real queen. ”Rest assured. I will not be impetuous. It takes tricks and plans to crush the enemy in a head-on clash. I'll cooperate with them until the lands are separated. Then, I will bring Kritonia to trial for his crime. He will have no support.”
After learning the cause of her family member's death, she made up her mind. Sard couldn't have done it on his own. The pope and the Grand Cardinal must've given their help.
”The Congress and I will be on your side.” Lucien touched Natasha's hair, which made her slightly uncomfortable. She intentionally changed the subject, ”Right, Lucien, I'll tell you a secret…”
Hearing the secret in the telepathic bond, Lucien smiled. ”This is great. I feel relieved.”
Pausing for a moment, Lucien walked to the window and observed the nobles who were almost about to riot. ”Kritonia will be informed very soon. It's inappropriate for me to meet him. I'll leave now. Don't be scared when you face him. Her Excellency Hathaway is around and observing everything.”
”Okay.” Natasha suddenly put on a naughty smile. ”There should be a few more minutes. Lucien, my strength is not entirely back yet. Help me take off my clothes and put on new ones.”
Her hunting suit was transformed from a senior-rank knight suit. She couldn't have resisted Grunwell as long without it, but under the corrosion of curses and poisons, the suit had been completely ruined, with cracks and holes everywhere. Thankfully, she had a few more senior-rank helmets and knight suits after inheriting the throne, so she opened the storage bag and took out a knight suit that had been transformed into a purple long dress, as well as lingerie, silk stockings, etc.
Lucien's heart raced, and he breathed heavily, ”There's no time…”
”You are overthinking. I asked you to change my clothes for me exactly because there is no time.” Natasha said in a delightful smile, ”This is a 'reward' for you hugging me a moment ago.”
Lucien's smile was immediately frozen.
......
In another chamber where Duke James had turned on the divine power circle, Natasha arrived with her purple long hair tied again. The vague redness on her face still hadn't faded away.
At this moment, Duke James directed a grey-haired old man to enter the room. Inside his azure eyes, an ever-surging river of time seemed to be running.
”Your Majesty.” Kritonia bowed in a heavy mood. ”Duke York must be severely punished for his involvement in the assassination against you, but considering that he merely observed but did not participate in planning, and considering the loyalty of the Kritonia family for hundreds of years, please show him some mercy. The Kritonia and me will protect you even more loyally.”
He had already gained the confession from David. Therefore, he had come to Natasha to plead guilty and seek compromises and exchanges.
Natasha said solemnly, ”If I compromise and back off about someone who intends to kill me, wouldn't it be telling everyone that they are free to kill me because they wouldn't be punished whether they win or lose? I don't think I can survive for long in such a case.”
Kritonia was about to talk, only to be stopped by Natasha's gesture: ”So, York and Barady must die!”
”As a punishment of treason, the Barady family, who initiated the assassination, will lose their title and their fief lingdi. As for the Kritonia, since only York was mildly involved in it, he will be punished but his family will be unaffected.”
”Kritonia, what do you think of such a decision? I don't think there is only one grand knight in your household, is there?”
Easy compromises without principles would only make the compromises worthless.