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Join the ServerAt that moment, urgent shouts suddenly erupted from outside.
“You cannot enter!”
“This is Duke Yass’s private residence! It is noble territory! You have no right to trespass!”
“Stop at once!”
“No matter who you are, you must abide by the kingdom’s laws! This is a private estate!”
“Halt, you reckless knights! Did your knight’s handbook not teach you proper etiquette?”
The shouts grew closer, accompanied by the clang of footsteps. These were the sounds of knights’ iron boots striking the floor, a dense and numerous arrival.
Crowlina’s brows suddenly furrowed. She led Gina and three maids into the corridor. Just as she locked the door and turned, she was met by a troop of Valga knights.
Crowlina intercepted Betty Lane, who led the charge, and preempted her. “The honor of Valga’s knights is being squandered by you boorish louts.”
Betty Lane remained unfazed by the taunt, her expression serene.
Betty Lane had come with the mission to find Lucia. She had dispatched seven other squads to raid other suspicious locations, while she personally led a team to conduct a surprise inspection here. Her plan was already well-formed.
“A criminal has fled after committing a crime. Witnesses provided a clue that the perpetrator entered this estate. We are here by His Majesty’s command to search for the criminal.”
Crowlina crossed her arms, her face etched with displeasure.
“You dare to suggest my Yass family would harbor a criminal?”
“That single statement is a slander against the Yass family, an insinuation of Duke Yass’s disloyalty to Valga. Do you comprehend the gravity of baseless suspicion against a grand duke of Valga?”
“I mean no offense,” Betty Lane apologized with her lips, yet her stance remained unyielding. “I am merely executing His Majesty’s orders; there is no intention of disrespect. The criminal may have coveted the estate’s wealth and is hiding here. My search for them also ensures Your Highness’s safety.”
“Spare me. My Yass family’s estate is naturally guarded by my Yass family. There’s no need for you uncivilized knights.”
“This is His Majesty’s decree,” Betty Lane stated firmly.
Having gained no advantage verbally, Crowlina devised another plan.
“Gina, block these insolent individuals.”
Gina stepped forward, placing herself before the knights, her keen gaze piercing Betty Lane.
Crowlina knew full well that one Gina could not hold back a troop of knights, especially with Gina currently in a maid’s uniform, without even a piece of armor.
She merely intended to use Gina to escalate the situation. Gina, despite her current attire, was an honorary baroness, a noble. If Gina were to perish during the obstruction, the matter would involve the death of a noble.
Such a demise would be enough to derail the situation, buying Crowlina precious time to move Lucia away.
Betty Lane had anticipated obstacles. She drew a scroll from her lower back and unrolled it before Crowlina.
“This is His Majesty’s official decree.”
“During the search, should any obstruction be encountered, even from a noble, we have the authority to apprehend them. If fierce resistance is met, they shall be executed on the spot, regardless of their title.”
Crowlina’s eyebrow twitched, and she gritted her teeth in silent frustration. At this point, even if she herself were to die here, she could not delay them.
“Gina, stand down.”
“Thank you for Your Highness’s cooperation.” Betty Lane put away the decree, raised a hand, and her knights dispersed to search. No one dared to stop them.
Betty Lane herself stepped past Crowlina, scanning the corridor. From the positions of Crowlina and the maids, she deduced the room they had been in.
Betty Lane turned the doorknob, producing a locked ‘click’ sound.
“Please open the door for my inspection, Your Highness.”
Crowlina smirked with disdain. What could Betty Lane do if she refused to open it?
“My apologies,” Betty Lane said perfunctorily. She drew a short dagger, infused it with magic, and thrust it into the door panel. After prying it back and forth several times, she dislodged the lock.
“You uncouth knight!” Crowlina shrieked in exasperation, yet she was powerless to stop her. Visible veins pulsed on her forehead.
Betty Lane ignored the curses and entered Lucia’s room. Her gaze swept across the space, revealing a bed, a table, a wardrobe, and common furniture—a typical noble’s sleeping chamber.
Lucia, under the influence of the medicine, had fallen into a light slumber. Startled by the sound of the door being forced open, she stirred awake, hearing the footsteps of several people entering the room.
The leading footsteps were particularly heavy. After entering, they did not head directly towards her but instead roamed around the room.
Even with her consciousness hazy, Lucia sensed the abnormality of the situation.
After about a dozen breaths, Lucia’s somewhat fragmented mind finally deduced that the leading footsteps belonged to a knight’s iron boots.
‘A fully armed knight is wandering in my room? And Crowlina is openly mocking that knight, not even bothering to hide her hostility.’
‘It’s a knight, and not Crowlina’s knight. That knight is… my guardian knight, Betty Lane!’
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