Chapter 32

32 The Rumor (Part 2)

The moment when the servants announced her majesty the empress’s arrival, Justice knew he was going to get into trouble. The door opened, entered a beautiful woman with red flaming hair, glaring at the crown prince.

“Justice Hargreaves Valorian... Who... Is in his right mind... HELPING A CERTAIN GIRL TO AVOID A PENALTY THAT SHE DESERVED IN FRONT OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS?!”

The four young men that were in the room now stood up straight while looking at the furious empress in front of them. Justice was nervous. For him, it is easier to face his three fathers than to face his mother when she is in a rage. The empress’s fiery temper is a significant trait of her red hair, and that’s why she was an amazing Magic Knight in her time. Her temper was also the reason why King Leon, the former crown prince, chose her as the empress.

Justice tried to hide his fear from her and smiled, “Mother, it is good to see you, how are you...”

“SHUT YOUR D*MN MOUTH!”

The other three knew that was the cue for them to go out of the room. They said goodbye as quickly as they could and left Justice alone with his mother.

“Is it wise to leave him alone?” Muttered Henry, outside the crown prince’s study.

“Oh yeah, absolutely!” Xavier and Vale answered him at the same time.

Henry, Xavier, and Vale decide to wait for Justice in the glass house, knowing very well they have dodged the bullet. Justice, on the other hand, is inside the study being berated by his mother.

.....

“That was a huge mistake, son! Now everyone will know you have a favorite, and everyone knows you would do anything to save one girl, even bend the rules!”

“Not everyone, mother, you’re exaggerating.” Said Justice while massaging his temple.

“No... Son, it is...” Her majesty the empress no longer has the high tone on her voice, the sound now calmer yet trembles, “When you’re the crown prince in one of the powerful kingdoms, every act, every move that you take will be scrutinized! What you’ve done today, will possibly do more harm to the girl than you.”

Justice heard her, her words ran deep. He knows that was a mistake, but somehow it was a mistake that he would gladly repeat if it meant helping the girl. He looked at his mother and tried to ask for help, his eyes locked on hers, but his mouth never spoke the words.

Her Majesty, the empress Liberty, baffled by her son’s act, had sensed something, a glimpse of magica seeping out from her son. It wasn’t his son magica, it was someone else.

“Justice, I wanted to ask you, when you were on your hunting trip almost two months ago, did you meet her?”

“Meet whom, mother?” Asked Justice, still pretending to play coy with his mother.

“Oh, don’t you dare to lie to me, son! I know that you’re hunting...”

Before empress, Liberty completed her words, Justice was already in front of her and grab her shoulder. She was shocked, not because of the sudden movement of her son, but by the fear in his eyes.

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“Mother... Refrain yourself... Do... Not... Say her name.” The tone of his voice, and the glare in his eyes, made the atmosphere heavier and grim.

Liberty tried to calm her son, “Alright, Justice, Don’t worry son, I’m not going to say her name, alright?”

The persuasion is working. He began to release his firm grasp on his mother’s shoulder, Liberty warmly smiled at him. She had bore five sons for Valorian, even though the officials expected her to give birth to an heiress. She is always proud of all of her sons, especially Justice, the son with many achievements and the only true son of Leon.

Justice looks disarray, his eyes wandering around, “I... I need to go, I have a duty right now.”

“Yes, of course, I think your friends were outside, in the palace glasshouse. I’ll send the maid to bring you some refreshments.”

Justice nodded to his mother, he stepped outside from his study, while Liberty’s eyes followed him from behind.

“You know there’s something happened to my brother, right?”

A voice came from the hall. Liberty turns to the source of the voice, to see a man with red hair and green eyes.

“Javier, I thought you had your duty in the south?”

“I’m coming for the ball, mother. Also, I have yet to announce my engagement.”

“Don’t tell me, you intend to announce it at the ball? That’s ridiculous!” asked Liberty. She knew there was more than met the eye when it involved her second son, Javier.

Javier grinned, then on a theatrical act of grabbing his chest and pulled a sad face, “Must you hurt me like that, mother?”

“I must if that involved you and that woman!”

For a second, there was rage coming from Javier’s eyes, but he immediately subsided, and thus another smile came to his face, “Only you would think Amelia as such a woman.”

“Because I’m the only one who sees her as what she is! a woman with big ambition.”

“What of it? You know that is a fine quality in a woman, you also have the trait.”

Liberty takes a sigh, she walks through the door, and stops beside her son, “That’s why I know, she is a dangerous woman.” She was gone from Javier’s side afterward.

While Liberty tried to avoid her son, Justice met with his friends again inside the glasshouse. He glared at the three of them with his hands on his hips.

“Unbelievable! You left me alone with her when the only thing she wanted to do was to fry me and grill my *ss!”

“Well, you deserve it.” Said Xavier with a bemused on his face.

“So, what did she tell you about Anne?” Asked Vale, he was in the middle of admiring a rare orchid inside the glasshouse.

Justice flopped himself on one of the lounge sofas, he stared at the sky above, while scoffing at his friends, “Fine! You guys were right, it was too hasty for me to act as the hero for her, happy?”

Xavier, Henry, and Vale looking at each other, hearing the way he has spoken about it, and also how the royalties and officials scolded him, makes the three of them feel a bit sorry for justice.

“There’s nothing wrong with admitting your false judgment, although we knew the reason behind your rash decision.” Said Henry, he flicked Justice’s forehead and smiled, “Is it worth it?”

Smiling while his eyes still admiring the stars above, “For her? yes, it is.”

Justice is sincere, he meant it, like how he meant to begin planning something for her. Vale could see it, the passion that emitted inside of him. He recognized it because he had the same passion for her as well. Only the passion of Henry and Xavier reminds a mystery. Taking a sigh, Vale sat down on the sofa and addressed the problem because of Justice’s actions.

“Although we need to do something about the rumor, I can assure you she’s being scrutinized by her fellow applicants now.” Said Henry to the other three.

Somehow, instead of being worried, Justice calmly said, “No, I believe in her.”

He has a feeling for Anne, but he doesn’t want to be coveted by his feeling. Besides, he had already made a mess by helping her. Now, it will depend on how strong she is able to face the rumors. The night began to drift away. Anne, the girl who’s the hot topic of the day, is in the middle of cleaning her room. But it was just one of her reasons for her friends to be able to avoid another celebratory party. The applicants throw a small party at the end of the first exam in the restaurant nearby.

She didn’t want to hear the murmuring of people, it was hard enough for her to get stingy eyes and some indecent word from another applicant, she just wanted peace and quiet for now. Anne was wondering who had the high authority to let her take the exam. Was it Henry? He is a high noble, and also a knight, or Vale? Respected magi.

Chikara suddenly appeared. He had just gotten back from his hunting days. The demon kitten rubbed his body on Anne’s cheek while purring excitingly.

“Welcome back, did you have a good hunt?” Anne asked her demon kitten, her smile blooming just by looking at her familiar.

Chikara meowed at her and gave her another rub before he went to his bed and closed his eyes. She took a deep breath and resumed her work. Not long after, a knock came on her door.

“Anne, it’s me, Darla.”

Anne opened her door immediately, but not before she ruffled her hair as a sign of unkemptness from cleaning the room. Darla glances at her friend and scratches her head.

“You know, you ought to make more effort if you wanted us to believe that you were cleaning the room?”

Bashful by Darla’s blunt reason, Anne gave her friend a smile while her hand tried to fix her hair.

“Sorry, guess the cat is out of the bag now... hmm... I thought you were at the party with David?”

Darla squinted her eyes at Anne, “Let me tell you something, not even the slightest we believed that you were not coming to the party because you wanted to do some cleaning, and there’s someone looking for you in the lobby.”

Anne tilted her head, trying to remember about any appointment ahead of time, “There’s someone? Who?” Asked Anne, confused about a sudden visitor.