"How's the investigation going Father?" Ashleah asked Emperor Adler after taking the cup of tea from a maid. She then stood up straight, waiting for an answer.
"I really thought that I was getting closer to the truth to be honest, but I was wrong. Completely wrong." He sighed and slowly massaged his creased forehead. "It felt like the truth was so near, like any second I could grab it and finally bring justice to what happened, oh God this is very stressful." He chuckled lightly before taking a sip of his tea.
"Father, you could always ask some help from Duke Deoncan." Ashleah said, still standing high and tall. Her face didn't change or even bat an eye, never breaking the eye contact with her Father. "Are you really sure about not asking help from him? He's family and work is to help his Majesty, right hmm?"
The Emperor just shook his head after taking a sip and slowly puts the tea cup down with an amazed look plastered on his face. "I sure am very surprised that you were the one who calmed him down, hmm?" He replied, obviously teasing her daughter who was now eyes widened and coughing lightly as she covered her lips.
Ashleah also fell asleep while calming Nash down, and when Emperor Adler with Gab and Kian knocked at the door and no one answered, they opened it only to be welcomed by the sleeping Imperial Princess and Duke. The moment that Ashleah's Father chuckled, Nash slowly scratched his closed eyelids.
The Duke's eyes widened and quickly stood up making Ashleah wake up from her deep slumber and only to be surprised because her two personal knights were smiling and her Father was chuckling non stop.
"Ah, Greetings—" Nash couldn't finish what he was saying when the Emperor held his hand up and shook his head slowly meaning that the man who just woke up no longer needed to greet him.
"Duke Deoncan, you can always talk to me when you need me. Your Father was my bestfriend, hmm?" He smiled. But, one thing was for sure his smile had its meaning making Gab and Kian giggle behind the Emperor's back.
"Father, it's not like what you are thinking—"
"Oh, my daughter Ashleah please do calm down. I really am not thinking of anything else. I am only here to just check on you. It seems like we've ruined your peaceful nap, haven't we?" Emperor Adler smirked at both of her knights, making Ashleah sigh and pout her lips.
They both suddenly heard a loud knock from the Emperor's door, Ashleah quickly looked back and waited for her Father to respond to who it was.
"You may come in." Emperor Adler said, not looking back up at the door and still fixing papers that were from the current investigation that Kian was given.
"His Imperial Majesty, Emperor of Genry. Greetings!" Kian salutes to her Father and soon then bowed slightly. "I am here to report more things that I just found out about the investigation."
As soon as her Father heard the word INVESTIGATION, it quickly made him look up and they both can see it clearly that he was very interested with the topic and what Kian was going to talk about.
"Speak up Kian, we don't have that much time left. You do know that right?" Emperor Adler blurted out, Ashleah took a deep breath and released it while she was uneasy. It was indeed true that they have a very short amount of time before rumors spread out around the whole Empire and that would definitely damage her Father's image as an Emperor.
"They are nobles." The room went silent, very silent. You can even hear how the leaves outside crashed at each other. How the birds were twittering and small giggles from the maids outside the office. "As for the Father of the victim, the way they talked and composure was like a nobleman. If ever that his statement is true, we are going to strip their nobility your Majesty?"
His Majesty shook his head and took another sip from his tea cup before gulping it slowly and chuckled. "My, what are you talking about that we are just stripping off their nobility? We're also cutting off their pride. As a warning for any other male that would also try to do the hideous thing they did."
Her eyes widened and she slowly coughed it out. Still stiffling her laughter Ashleah took another deep breath and spoke up. "Father, are you really sure about that? You might get a lot of criticism fter."
"Ashleah, calm down. I am the Emperor, I make the rules around here. Nobles these days act so tough like they own the whole world. Too bad that they forgot that their Emperor doesn't like backing down." He said, he was about to say that Kian can now go back to his tasks but they heard another knock from the door. "Please do come in."
"His Imperial Majesty, Emperor of Genry. Greetings!" Nash popped out of nowhere. "I am here to help you with the current investigation. We can also ask Prescott from some help. Should we, your Majesty? I am not Duke Deoncan if I do not help you."
The Emperor chuckled, giving up he nodded his head. Agreeing to Duke Deoncan, the man smiled with his chin held up high. "Father, please do excuse us." Ashleah quickly said before slowly tapping Nash's shoulder, giving him signals that they should go talk somewhere else.
After walking from quite some time, Ashleah stopped and faced Nash. She prepared to lower her voice and puts a what the fvck face. "So, do you have any good news to tell me Nash? I have been researching about the magicians."
"I do have, and I think that I am a little getting closer to the truth who did those horrific acts to the woman. That is why I volunteered again Ashleah, even though I knew that his Majesty is quite worried because of what happened last time."
"Hmmm, good choice. I still think that they are hiding something from us. Father seemed so stressed these days even before the incident. But why? Even to you? You are his right hand, Nash."
"Fudge, I am really feeling uneasy of what's about to happen right now."
"It would probably be MESSY." both said in sync.