NABC 112. A narrow victory
112. A narrow victory
This silent accusation is more powerful than any direct words.
Simeon's eyes finally changed.
He is re-examining an opponent he thought he knew well enough.
Sinley saw a solemnity in his eyes, the kind of solemnity a hunter displays when he discovers his prey is more dangerous than he imagined.
"Your reasoning is brilliant," Simeon said slowly, his voice still calm, but with a thin layer of coldness beneath.
"But reasoning is just reasoning. Only Simondo himself knows why he did this. I suggest that Simondo be immediately detained and interrogated to find out the truth."
Simeon is sacrificing his pawn.
Without hesitation, he pushed Simondo out, like removing a piece from a chessboard that had lost its value.
This action was so decisive that it sent a chill down Xinlai's spine.
Simondo was one of Simeon's most loyal subordinates, having followed him for at least ten years. And now, when Simondo might become a threat, Simeon handed him over without batting an eye.
But Sin Lai wouldn't let him succeed so easily.
"Brother Wang is right, Simondo should indeed be detained and interrogated," Xinlai said.
"But I believe that merely interrogating Simondo is insufficient. Simondo acted on the orders of my brother, the king, a fact my brother himself admitted. If Simondo's actions exceeded the scope of those orders, then naturally it is his personal fault. But if—"
He deliberately left the sentence unfinished, turning instead to Bermilt.
"Father, I dare to speak."
The case of the Marquis of Tansteen is of great importance, and if not handled properly, it could cause unnecessary suspicion and unrest.
Your Majesty believes that all those involved in this case should be subject to appropriate constraints until the truth is ascertained. This is not only for the sake of justice, but also to demonstrate the Royal Family's resolve to the Church, the court, and all of Asgard.
Xinlai spoke slowly, carefully considering each word.
He didn't say directly that "Simien's power should be limited," but the meaning was clear enough.
Since Simondo is implicated because he was carrying out Simeon's orders, Simeon, as the one who issued those orders, should naturally also be subject to certain constraints. Otherwise, the fairness of the royal family becomes nothing but empty words.
Bermilt remained silent for a long time.
Another part of the candle burned off.
Only the flickering candlelight and the soft breathing of the three people remained in the study.
The night breeze outside the window swept through the courtyard, carrying the distant chimes of the clock tower, which rang nine times.
Then Bermilt spoke.
"Simondo is to be immediately imprisoned and placed under the guard of the royal palace. No one is permitted to visit him. He will be jointly interrogated by the Royal Ministry of Justice and the Church Court, and the truth must be ascertained within three days."
His gaze shifted to Simeon.
"During this period, Simeon suspended all of the Crown Prince's powers, confined himself to his residence, and was forbidden from participating in any political affairs or meeting with any courtiers."
Then his gaze turned to Sinlai.
"Sinlai will temporarily assume the role of liaison between the Crown Prince and the Church, and will be responsible for coordinating cooperation between the Royal Family and the Church in this case. She will report to me on the progress daily."
Xinlai lowered her head, concealing the fleeting glint in her eyes.
"Your subject obeys."
Simeon lowered his head as well, his voice as steady as ever.
"Your subject obeys."
Bermilt waved. The two men stood up simultaneously, took three steps back, and then turned and walked towards the door.
Sinley's hand had already touched the doorknob when he heard Bermelt's voice behind him.
"Xinlai".
He stopped and turned around. "Father?"
Bermelt's gaze appeared unfathomable in the candlelight. He looked at Sinlai for a long time, then said something that chilled Sinlai to the bone.
"Your behavior tonight reminded me of your mother."
Xinlai's pupils contracted slightly.
"Go ahead." After saying this, Bermelt lowered his head again and picked up the quill.
Xinlai pushed open the door and came out.
The night breeze in the corridor hit him in the face, and he realized that his back was soaked with sweat.
He stood there, took a few deep breaths, and let his wildly beating heart slowly calm down.
Footsteps came from behind. Simeon walked up to him and stopped.
The two stood side by side in the corridor, about two steps apart.
Moonlight streamed in through the arched window, casting alternating light and shadow on the floor.
"You're better than I thought," Simeon said.
Xin Lai didn't look at him. "You flatter me, Brother Wang."
"I'm not praising you," Simeon said solemnly. "I'm just stating a fact. I underestimated you. This won't happen again."
After saying this, he strode forward. His footsteps echoed in the empty corridor, gradually fading into the distance and eventually disappearing into the night.
Xinlai stood there, watching Simien's figure disappear into the darkness.
He's right, this won't happen again.
Next time, Simeon will not give him the chance to strike first.
And he will never again have a perfect piece like Alaya to use.
But he won three days.
Simondo will be interrogated within three days, and he will participate in the entire trial as a judge.
Within three days, he had enough time and opportunity to get Simon to reveal things that Simeon didn't want anyone to know.
Once Simeon was completely out of sight, Sinley set off to return to the church to bring Eve back to the castle.
He hadn't expected that when he was only halfway there, the church's men rushed up to his carriage first.
"Your Highness the Third Prince! Your Highness the Third Prince!!"
Xinlai frowned slightly, lifted the carriage curtain, and was taken aback when he saw the church personnel riding on horseback, trying to keep up with his carriage speed.
"What's the rush...?"
"Your Highness! Lady Eve is in trouble!!"
Upon hearing this, Xin Lai's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately urged the coachman, "Speed up."
Eve is in the Church of Light, and with the old pastor and Alaya watching over her, it's unlikely that her true identity was discovered or that she was kidnapped due to external reasons.
There is only one possibility:
Eve has become a witch!
The sound of horses' hooves seemed particularly urgent in the night, as if even the horses sensed their master's anxiety.
Xinlai sat upright in the carriage, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the carved patterns on the armrest of the seat. Although he maintained the composure expected of the third prince, his slightly clenched knuckles betrayed his true emotions.
The shouts of church knights urging the horses on came from outside the carriage curtain, and the rumble of the wheels rolling over the stone road was like muffled thunder, striking his heart in waves.
As the kingdom's third prince, he learned etiquette, rhetoric, and the art of managing people from a young age. He can calmly handle any difficulties in the royal court and face the enemy's fiercest offensive on the battlefield.
But at that moment, facing a girl who had lost her father, he felt for the first time the powerlessness and inadequacy of words.
Eve calmed down considerably after being comforted and fell asleep from exhaustion.
He thought everything would gradually get better...
But now it seems he was terribly wrong.
The girl who was unusually quiet in her sleep was not healing, but rather suppressing all her pain, anger, and resentment into the deepest part of her heart, bit by bit.
Those suppressed emotions are like boiling water sealed in a jar; on the surface, there is no visible ripple, but inside, they have already surged to their limit.
Finally, the jar could no longer withstand the internal pressure and shattered completely.
What followed was the complete loss of control over the witch bloodline that had been suppressed within her, caused by intense emotional fluctuations.
Xinlai lifted the carriage curtain, and the night breeze, carrying the chill of late autumn, rushed towards her.
The buildings on both sides of the street rushed past, and in the distance, the iconic spire of the Church of Light could be seen, gleaming a cold white light under the moonlight.
"Faster," he said in a deep voice.
The coachman's whip cracked in the air, and the carriage sped up even more.