492 Prosperity and Downfall
Selma Payne’s POV:
I was also inclined to cast a long line to catch the big fish, and Dorothy also reminded me not to forget the arrangements I’d made.
However, I would be reminded of the elves’ capital city’s tragedy whenever I thought of the demons.
Was this really the right way? Any mistake in the details could cause the tragedy of that day to repeat itself. Did I have the right to use my life to exchange for victory?
Dorothy could not answer my question, so I asked my father for his opinion. Although he had given me full responsibility for this, I urgently needed the guidance of an experienced elder.
Bertha told me that my father was meeting with the ministers, and the heads of many departments were present today. Handling the Evaria Family was a complicated process involving many interests, not to mention that it was a long-standing noble family.
There was no lack of nobles among the officials, and seeing the tragic end of the Evaria Family today, they inexplicably had some unnecessary ‘kindness’ to plead for the Evaria Family, as if the lives of nobles were lives, and the dead girls were street cats.
I listened to the entire conversation from behind the screen. Most people supported punishing the Evaria Family, while some felt it was better to be more restrained. The last time the werewolves publicly tried a noble family was 200 years ago, and if this got out of hand, it would affect the government’s image in the public eye.
Upon hearing this, I sneered silently. Did we still have a good image in the eyes of the people? If we didn’t explain, we’d all be in the same boat as the Evaria Family!
Thus, I pretended to have Bertha report to my father and then walk out of the screen three seconds later.
Even a fool could tell I had already heard the entire story from behind the screen. Thus, the faces of those officials who tried to smooth things over and even opposed the punishment of the Evaria Family turned pale. This was because I was an open and severe party, and my grudges with the Evaria Family were no secret in the officialdom.
I thought I would have a war of words with the group of Confucians, so I had already prepared a draft. Who would’ve thought these weaklings could adapt to the situation? After a few words, they saw that my attitude was unyielding, so they all fell silent. It seemed like they were unwilling to drag themselves and the family behind them into the water for the sake of the Evalia family.
As a result, the Evaria Family, who everyone had deserted, finally received their judgment. The people involved in the human experiment were sentenced according to the law. The person in charge and his minions had taken human lives, and there was a high probability that they would pay the price with their lives.
The Evaria Family would bear the compensation to the victim’s family, and any other tainted family businesses would be seized and subjected to a strict investigation.
What I didn’t expect the most was that my father actually seized Earl of Marlowe’s title because of ‘not being strict enough, negligence of duty, and causing a disaster’. Although he retained a part of his fief and the title of ‘knight’ for his past contributions, this was a devastating blow to the Evaria Family.
This family, which had always been proud of their bloodline and noble status, had suddenly fallen from its branches and into the dust. Without the title and land, anyone would understand that the family would never be able to rise again.
So what if they had children with royal blood? When one had power and influence, even if one randomly found an orphan, someone would write a perfect family background for him.
However, their flattering faces had to take a 180-degree turn in front of ordinary people. Only fairy tales would give the wandering princes and princesses a happy ending. In the world of power, twisting the truth was a basic skill.
I realized why my father didn’t make a fuss from the beginning to the end. It was because he had already seen how to defeat the enemy in one move before I did.
No one had any objections to this. Everyone could see this as killing the chicken to warn the monkeys. If they tried to stand out now, they would be blaming themselves.
After the officials left, I didn’t tell my father about my worries. Under his questioning gaze, I simply said I was here to ask about the Evaria Family’s punishment results. Now that the dust had settled, I had nothing more to ask.
Seeing that I had returned, Dorothy asked for my father’s opinion. I told him about my father and the ministers’ decision to deal with the Evaria Family and that I already had an idea.
‘We’re all together for good or bad. The Evaria Family ends up like this, and so will we.” I said, “If I turned a blind eye to the Evaria Family from now on, we will not be prepared when the demons attack. Blood and death will be inevitable. Since that’s the case, why don’t I grab the clues I can find now and work hard to find a way out for me and everyone else?
“You might die if you do it, but you’ll definitely die if you don’t. It’s a simple multiple-choice question.”
I ordered the Intelligence Department and mobile patrols to monitor the Evaria Family closely. Not long after, another piece of news reached me first.
Benson’s investigation had a lead.
