A Force To Be Reckon With - Part 2

Carl didn't expect a question but quickly concocted a lie on the spot. 

"...Emma called me. She said that Hemal had called her at midnight, and she was afraid to go. How could I say no to my future wife? At first, I planned only to watch them from a distance, but he started using force on her. So, I had to intervene."

"I see, so that's what happened." Sofia started clapping in admiration while she took a few steps back and then addressed everyone, "Ladies and gentlemen, you all must be wondering what this bratty Princess is trying to do here. She came out of nowhere and started ordering around."

Many nobles wanted to deny her claim, but didn't get the chance. 

"Don't worry, you all will soon know everything."

She raised the thing she was holding for everyone to see. 

"Does anyone know what this is?"

It was a round metal thing. No one knew what it was. So no one said anything.

"This is an artifact that can record moments."

Many people gasped in realization, while others looked on in confusion. 

"Yes, you're thinking right. We can see what happened here last night."

A chill ran down Carl's back, and Emma just fell to the ground. It would be over if they were to see it. Carl thought of destroying the artifact, but if he were to do so now, he would admit he was guilty in front of everyone.

But could he even do that? He looked at the guards who accompanied the Princess; they weren't someone Carl could handle alone. He racked his brain, but nothing came to mind.

"Baron Fred, can you ask your servants to bring the projector from the venue?"

Fred looked confused; he had never heard of such a thing. He assumed it must be something familiar in the capital. Scot was a border estate, so they were mostly unaware of things around the capital.

"I am sorry, Princess, but I don't think we have this thing called a projector."

"Just ask the servants who prepared the venue; they would know where to find it."

Fred nodded and did the same. Soon, the projector was there. Sofia used a mana thread to connect the two artifacts. She mumbled something, and the projector started emitting light rays, blurry at first, but then a clear image.

It was an empty ground. But the place was the very same place they were standing at. She mumbled something again, and the image shifted. Two people could be seen standing there. One was Emma, and the other had white hair but was not Hemal, but Carl. The projection didn't have any audio. They couldn't understand what they were talking about.

Everyone looked at the projection; they were more amazed by the artifact than by what they were about to witness. Emma could be seen on the ground, and the next moment, begging Carl. Carl kicked her, and she fell aside. Carl then caught her hair and said something. After that, he unsheathed his sword and swung at Emma.

Everyone understood what had happened. Then they saw a man who blocked the sword with his bare arms. He was Hemal. There was nothing more to see. The truth was clear as day...

Many nobles started discussing among themselves. In reality, no one cared about the truth. Marriage was just a political tool for them, so they didn't care who married whom. Still, they couldn't turn a blind eye to this public display.

Helmik looked at Emma, but she was already unconscious due to the shock. He didn't know what to do, but he was sure that Emma had done something she shouldn't have. 

Only if she had consulted him, he could have prevented this from happening in front of so many eyes. 

Now that the truth was out, even he couldn't do anything. Soon, a noble stepped forward when everyone else was hesitating. He bowed to the Princess. She acknowledged his presence. 

"My Princess, if I may be so bold as to ask you," Sofia just nodded, and the noble continued, "How do you know about all this, and what is that artifact?"

That was the main question on everyone's mind. But Sofia looked at the noble disinterestedly, as if the question itself was foolish. She signaled her guard, and he vanished somewhere.

"You want to know how I know all this? When I just arrived today?" 

The noble neither denied nor affirmed. She just shrugged and looked at the spot where the guard had vanished. She hummed thoughtfully while the noble waited for her reply.

A few minutes passed, and no one spoke. Then, finally, the Princess pointed somewhere. Everyone followed where she was pointing, and there stood the guard who had vanished earlier, and next to him was Hemal.

He was wearing the same clothes as the previous night. The only difference was that there was no blazer, and his arms were covered with bandages. Bloodstains could still be seen on his clothes as he wore white.

Many still didn't understand the situation. Fred looked at Hemal, then at the Princess, repeating the scene like a loop.

The Princess cleared her throat and declared, "Hemal Rodrick is the inventor of this artifact, and he told me about it all."

Everyone now understood the situation: Hemal had left the palace, and when he had nowhere to go, he met the Princess, who heard his story and decided to help him. But why did she help him? What was the relation between them? The Princess implied she already knew him before the incident.

"What if..." one noble spoke, expressing the thought many others shared, "it's all his plan to shift the blame onto Carl?" Many nobles nodded in acknowledgment. "As the Princess said, he is the creator of this device. Then he can very much make up false evidence."

It was an unknown artifact. They didn't know the working behind it.

"So you're saying what Princess is saying is wrong?" another noble retorted, challenging the first.

"No, that's not what I said."

"You doubt your own Princess and call yourself a noble?"

The nobles started arguing back and forth. Hiroto remained silent and just observed the situation. The Princess raised one hand, indicating that everyone stop. Then she looked at the noble who had started the argument. The noble had a tense expression.

"Let's say what you said is correct," The noble smiled in relief, but the Princess continued, "Then tell me, where is our knight?"

It took a few moments for everyone to understand her words. They looked around. They could see Emma, unconscious in Helmik's arms, but Carl was nowhere to be seen.

"You get it, don't you?" She stepped forward, her voice ringing with authority. "The real culprit just ran away when he thought he was about to be caught."

The noble who had spoken had no words to say. Seeing that, she turned her attention to everyone else.

"Why is everyone standing here like a fool? Find the culprit and bring him in front of me!"