Chapter 78: A Timely Intervention

The sky was a blanket of dark clouds, as oppressive as Norria’s mood.

Lilith supported his arm, guiding him step by step toward the Aredys carriage. Her pace was slow, tears glistening in her eyes.

His father-in-law, Carloman… no, Carl, was ready to return home. He ordered the servants to quickly load the carriage and depart, with no intention of lingering.

After all, anyone who had dared to set up a plot to murder their own son and heir at someone else’s wedding would want to return to their own territory as soon as possible.

But Norria knew the truth: Charles was the real Emperor Carloman. Carl was merely a puppet. Now, this puppet had killed his ancestor to become the true emperor.

Norria had little connection with Charles, so his death didn’t affect him much, but Lilith was devastated.

“Ugh…”

Lilith’s eyes were swollen from crying, and she was still sobbing. Yet she dared not wail aloud—after all, her father would not be pleased to see this.

“Go ahead and cry. Let it all out.”

Norria gently stroked Lilith’s hair. She buried her face in his chest, soaking his clothes with her tears.

Norria’s head still throbbed from the heavy blow, but luckily Lilith’s constant presence helped him recover slightly. He supposed this was a kind of repayment.

But the flood of information that followed only worsened his headache.

“Looking for a scapegoat… Do you have any ideas?” Carl’s voice came from the closed carriage.

“That Chloe person might work.”

“You can’t call it taking the blame; after all, old Carloman was indeed killed by her.”

“Haha, true. You’re very clever, Your Majesty. Shall we issue a wanted order for her? We could even use it as a pretext to reclaim the Avros border territory.”

A scapegoat? They were going to frame Chloe?

Norria bit his lip. Those damned old men took no responsibility for their own actions.

Chloe was merely an innocent dragged into this. No, he had to stop their conspiracy!

Norria deliberately stomped his feet outside the carriage door, making a loud noise. The whispers inside ceased abruptly.

Lilith tightened her grip on Norria’s arm, looking at him blankly. “My love, what are you going to do?”

My… love? It took Norria a long time to accept the address. He remembered that they were already married.

He had never wanted to marry Lilith. If not for Carl threatening his life and even endangering Lady Xina’s safety, he would never have agreed.

But now, as Lilith’s husband, he had to tell her: “I need to talk to His Majesty about Chloe!”

“Are you insane?”

Lilith’s eyes were vacant. She stepped in front of Norria to block him.

“Please, don’t cause more victims…”

“What do you mean?” More victims? Norria was extremely puzzled.

“This is just the beginning.”

The carriage door slid open slowly. Carl sat upright in his seat, and across from him sat a stranger wearing a wolf mask.

The wolf-masked man chuckled. “You have a fine son-in-law, Your Majesty.”

An unpleasant aura emanated from him, and his tone was sarcastic. Norria loathed such people.

“Daddy…” Lilith panicked and quickly shielded Norria with her arms.

“Norria, eavesdropping is not befitting a ruler of a kingdom.”

Carl stroked his beard, looking sternly at Norria.

Norria swallowed nervously, fear spreading in his heart. But when he thought of Chloe, he stood firm.

“Your Majesty, I believe it is unjust to place all the blame on Lady Chloe.”

“Unjust? Indeed, you are nothing but a guard. Can’t even speak properly?” the wolf-masked man taunted.

“Blame? Chloe plunged a dagger into my son’s chest with her own hand. Everyone saw it.”

“Everyone saw it, or are you completely bewitched by Lady Chloe’s beauty?”

Norria wished he could tear off that wolf mask and punch the man.

His eyes blazed with fury, reflected in the hollow eye sockets of the wolf mask.

“Father… who is he?” Lilith pointed at the wolf-masked man, her voice trembling.

Carl hesitated, but finally sighed. “There is no point in hiding it anymore. You should know that Charles was a vampire, and this man is one of his descendants.”

“I am Laiwan. Greetings, Princess Lilith and Prince Norria.”

Laiwan removed his wolf mask, revealing a handsome young face. He brushed his brown hair back, his crimson eyes fixed on Norria.

“Wait… Laiwan? Aren’t you the commander of the Imperial Guard?” Lilith exclaimed in surprise.

Commander of the Imperial Guard? Norria recalled the barrel of ale that had beaten him up in the tavern earlier—that man had also been in the Imperial Guard.

Carl nodded heavily. “In fact, many important officials and powerful vassals in Aredys are Carloman’s descendants.”

What? Then the Aredys Empire was a nest of vampires?

Because of his younger brother’s death, Norria had a physiological aversion to vampires. Though they were half-brothers, he still had deep affection for his brother.

“I am the youngest son of my father, so I could only secure this modest position of Imperial Guard commander,” Laiwan said with a grin.

“So, ‘more victims’ means…” Norria seemed to catch on.

“After Carloman’s death, his followers are still scattered across the country. I intend to eliminate them all, and I need Laiwan and his companions’ help for that.”

“In return, I will obtain the territories of my dear brothers and sisters. A win-win situation.”

Laiwan rubbed his hands together, greed shining in his eyes.

This scumbag—not only did he kill his own father, but he also planned to go after his siblings?

Norria’s disgust for Laiwan was plain on his face.

“So why frame Lady Chloe?”

Lilith held Norria’s hand, looking frightened.

“Frame? As I see it, His Majesty merely attended the wedding as usual. Who knew Chloe was dissatisfied with the groom and took the opportunity to murder her husband?”

Who would believe that!

Norria wished he could make Laiwan’s handsome face kiss his fist. But reason told him to calm down. He didn’t mind dying alone, but he didn’t want Lilith to suffer.

“I don’t want to be known as ‘Carl the Kinslayer.'”

Carl’s face was grim, growing sterner.

“Afraid of being reviled for eternity?” Norria blurted out.

Lilith quickly covered Norria’s mouth, but it was too late.

Laiwan’s fist flew toward Norria’s face. He was knocked to the ground.

“Show some respect, boy.”

Norria got up, anger on his face. He continued relentlessly, “What right does a man who uses others as shields have to be emperor?”

Laiwan tilted his head, seemingly surprised by Norria’s stubbornness. He stepped out of the carriage but didn’t come toward Norria. Instead, he grabbed Lilith by the collar.

“How about this: every time you say something like that, I’ll leave a mark on your dear wife’s face.”

Norria immediately shut up. He glared at Laiwan with rage. Carl didn’t even blink as his daughter was about to be struck.

“Glaring counts too.”

Laiwan clenched his fist and swung at Lilith’s face.

Norria rushed toward Laiwan, but he was clearly too slow.

“Enough.”

Norria stopped in shock. The one sent flying was not Lilith, but Laiwan.

Laiwan slid far across the muddy ground before finally stopping. His hair was covered in mud, but his wounds healed quickly.

“Who?!”

Laiwan looked around furiously. A silver-haired girl was walking slowly toward them.

She had a neat short haircut and delicate features, but exuded a cold aura. She was wrapped in a gold and red robe—the mark of an elder.

Norria held Lilith and moved aside.

“An elder…?”

It wasn’t Chloe, but another person he knew. Her name was Wuxu.

She held a flute in her hand and walked solemnly toward Carl.

Carl’s eyes widened, his face flushed, his heart seeming about to leap out. He scrambled back into the depths of the carriage.

“Lady Wuxu? I… I didn’t mean to do this! Carloman’s death has nothing to do with me!”

Was she going to silence Carl? After all, she seemed to favor Carloman.

Though it was unfair to Lilith, Norria secretly hoped for that outcome.

Wuxu faced Carl, her blue eyes scanning his carriage.

“Your carriage is quite spacious.”

Huh? What was she saying?

“Can you give us a ride to Avros? We’re heading the same way.”

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