Chapter 277 – A Hidden Enemy (1)
The rst item on the agenda was to report all small and large damages
caused by the battle. The main points of discussion were the numbers of
casualties and what the reaction of the neighboring countries would be.
Carlisle, who solved the realistic problems, looked at the nobles with a
subdued gaze.
“Why has no one brought news about the Empress and Redeld?”
“…”
Everyone in the large hall simultaneously fell silent.
“I had ordered the capture of the Empress and the Second Prince, but
no one has brought them to me.”
Carlisle no longer spoke of Ophelia with any tone of respect. She not only
tried to assassinate him, but also tried to install her son onto the throne over
the rightfully named successor. Following these events, they were no longer
worthy of any respect.
A heavy silence followed. The nobles kept their mouths rmly closed for fear
of retribution from Carlisle. His eyebrows furrowed deeply, and nally Smith
from the Casey family stepped forward and fell to his knees.
“I beg for your mercy, Your Majesty. I searched the whole palace, but I
could not nd the whereabouts of the Empress and the Second
Prince.”
“Are you admitting to your incompetence?”
His voice was emotionless and at, but the nobles were familiar with
Carlisle’s violent tendencies and they broke into a nervous sweat.
Kuung!
Everyone else in the room dropped to their knees after Smith.
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty!”
Carlisle stared at the crowd with a cold expression. As long as Ophelia and
Redeld were breathing, they should not have been allowed to escape under
any circumstances. Carlisle opened his mouth to speak again, when—
Kiiiig.
The door to the meeting hall opened, and a messenger rushed in with a
harried look.
“I beg to inform His Majesty that the body of the Second Prince
was found in the lake.”
“Redeld’s body was found?”
Carlisle’s blue eyes ashed with surprise. He hadn’t ordered Redeld’s death,
only his capture.
He wasn’t the only one that was taken aback by the news. Everyone in the
hall glanced at each other confusedly, and Carlisle quickly regained his
composure and spoke again.
“What’s the state of the body? What is the cause of death?”
“That is…the body was so disgured that it was almost impossible
to identify the Second Prince at rst. Not only did he lose his eyes, nose, and
tongue…but his limbs were cut o as well.”
Following the messenger’s report, the meeting hall was lled with the stunned
murmuring of voices. Redeld was not simply killed; he was deliberately and
cruelly murdered by someone. It was clear he suered terrible torture before
his death.
‘Who the hell…’
There was one gure that came to mind. It was the one he had put on the
back burner for the moment; once he had taken control of the Imperial
Palace and neutralized Redeld and Ophelia, then he would deal with the
hidden enemy.
Paveluc.
Carlisle turned towards Zenard below him.
“Where is Grand Duke Lunen now?”
Last Carlisle heard, Paveluc was staying somewhere in the palace. Zenard
answered.
“I was about to report it…but Grand Duke Lunen is nowhere to be
seen inside the palace. Why do you ask?”
Zenard had no knowledge of Paveluc’s plans yet, and he was puzzled to be
asked about him so suddenly. Carlisle had no intention to explain in it detail,
and he simply knitted his eyebrows and mumbled to himself.
“…Was I one step too late?”
Carlisle’s gaze turned towards Elena standing next to him. Her expression had
also changed signicantly the moment she heard the messenger’s report.
For a moment, Carlisle and Elena looked at each other silently. They were the
only two that knew Paveluc would start a rebellion in the future.
‘Because my victory was decisive, chances are slim that another noble
would touch Redeld. If I had captured Redeld, I would punish him
anyways. There is no reason for anyone else to take it into their own
hands, no matter how much they wanted it.’
If anyone had found Redeld, they would have brought him to Carlisle rst, so
they could receive favor from the new emperor. And even if someone wanted
to kill Redeld themselves, it wouldn’t behind easy to nd him before Carlisle
did.
The motive for killing, the cruelty of the torture, the ability to handle things
secretly—there was only one man who met all these requirements. It was
Paveluc.
Many people knew of the struggle between Carlisle and Redeld for the
throne, but none knew that it was a three-way war with the Grand Duke. It
was not dicult to infer that Paveluc was responsible for Redeld’s death.
Carlisle spoke again.
“What of the Empress’ body?”
“Not yet found, Your Majesty. We have been searching the
surrounding area, but it has not shown up yet.”
While Ophelia was hardly powerless, there was nothing she could do without
Redeld and his right of succession. There was no longer any reason to care
about Ophelia’s whereabouts anymore. That didn’t mean Carlisle would leave
it alone, however.
“Find her. Whether she is alive or dead, bring her to me.”
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The reply came not from the messenger, but from countless kneeling
nobles.
“Yes! Your Majesty!”
Carlisle’s eyes were cold even after their chorus.
“I can overlook your incompetence only once. Do not test stretch my
patience, so keep that in mind.”
“Understood!”
The nobles’ shouts harmonized together. Now that the palace’s ruler had
changed, doubts of how to handle future events were long gone.