Elara leaned against Benedict and felt the boy in her arms struggling to hold back his anger. His weak chest rose and fell rapidly. In her heart, she calculated just how much influence Lord Gregory had over Benedict while quietly watching Lord Gregory.
"Back then, my brother gave Lord Gregory everything he wanted because he trusted him. Even that Qi family tiger seal he asked for last time, I was persuading my brother to give it to him. But today I merely left the palace for some fun, and yet this dog under Lord Gregory's command dared to lay hands on me. Does what Lord Gregory said back then mean nothing now? Was he just toying with me and my brother, lying to both of us?"
Benedict's anger, which had already started to fade, surged again at her words.
His drunkenness had mostly cleared. Although his expression wasn't as out of control as before, the hidden fury and suspicion on his face weren't only directed at Yang Shu, who was kneeling, but also included Lord Gregory.
Lord Gregory had always been the one who best understood how to please Benedict and follow his will. But no matter how well he pleased him, Elara, who shared his blood, would always be the most important person in Benedict's heart.
That was one of the reasons why, even after so many years where most of the royal family had died or disappeared, only Elara still lived so extravagantly.
Sensing that the boy in her arms was looking at Lord Gregory, Elara subtly shifted her body and pulled his attention back to herself. She didn't let their eyes meet.
Lord Gregory narrowed his eyes for a moment when he heard Elara mention the tiger seal.
He had chosen the royal siblings because they were foolish, weak, and easy to control.
So even though Benedict always cared about his sister, Lord Gregory hadn't paid much attention. After all, they were just two idiots. What could they do except be controlled?
But now, looking at the two of them acting no different from usual on the surface, he sensed something was off.
Elara had thrown tantrums before when her outings didn't go well, but this time, he could vaguely hear a tone of negotiation in her words.
He stared at Elara for two seconds, then suddenly smiled and respectfully cupped his hands.
"Princess, Your Majesty, you're overthinking. I would never joke about what I've promised. But every matter must be judged with logic. So please allow me to investigate and clarify what happened. Rest assured, once I understand the full story, I will make sure justice is served for both of you."
Elara laughed coldly in her heart. Lord Gregory, just a court official, now dared to speak so naturally about giving justice to the kingdom's ruler, as if Plumera Kingdom only functioned under his word.
And now he wanted to talk about logic and cause. But when Yang Shu had barged into her quarters trying to grab Uno, did he talk about logic then? No. He only said a prisoner was a prisoner just because Yang Shu claimed it.
How convenient that they always got to decide whether to follow rules or not. Truly shameless.
But right now the enemy was strong and she was still weak, so Elara held herself back and kept watching him perform.
Lord Gregory turned to the kneeling Yang Shu.
"General Yang, tell me, is what the princess said true?"
Yang Shu's face was already red with anger from Elara's accusations. Now that he was asked directly, he quickly answered.
"No, Lord Gregory. I only entered the Jade Pavilion because a prisoner had escaped into it. I was worried for the princess's safety, so I had no choice but to go in and try to capture the fugitive. I never touched the princess at all. She suddenly coughed up blood and insisted I attacked her."
It was true he didn't strike her, but he had acted violently. And "no choice but to enter"? "Worried for her safety"? Back in the bathing pavilion, his posture had clearly been aggressive. If she hadn't still held the title of princess, Elara had no doubt he would've acted then and there. Now he dared say this? Disgusting.
Elara calmly asked Lord Gregory another question.
"Did you catch the prisoner?"
Yang Shu paused, then glared at Elara with hate in his eyes. "No, Lord Gregory. The prisoner looked decent and caught the princess's eye. She was holding him in her arms. I wanted to capture him, but the princess stopped me. I feared harming her, so I had to back off."
Wonderful. Now he wasn't only twisting the truth but even accusing her of lusting after the fugitive.
Lord Gregory raised his hand with a wave.
Yang Shu saw the gesture and couldn't help smiling. He gave Elara a mocking look before getting up and standing behind Lord Gregory.
Lord Gregory turned to Elara and Benedict again, cupped his hands, and spoke slowly.
"Princess, Your Majesty, I now understand everything that happened."
He waved his hand, and a servant stepped forward.
"Go fetch the imperial physician for the princess. She needs a thorough check. And that fugitive—Yang Shu, I suspect he injured the princess while she was holding him. You must capture him at once and make him pay for what he's done."
So this was their final verdict. Completely ignoring what she had said and taking Yang Shu's words as truth.
Yang Shu's smug expression only grew. He looked straight at Elara and bowed mockingly in acceptance.
Lord Gregory motioned him away, then slowly walked toward Elara and Benedict again, still wearing that fake smile and pretending to advise them kindly.
"Princess, even if you enjoy the company of men, you must be more cautious. Don't take in just anyone. If danger strikes, Yang Shu may not always be there in time to protect you."
So not only did he dismiss her accusation against Yang Shu, he even confirmed the injuries came from the fugitive and praised Yang Shu for protecting her.
Elara sighed. These two really were from the same kennel. They lied without hesitation.
Whether before she came here or after, she hadn't experienced such an outrageous injustice in hundreds of years.
It almost made her laugh.
If she were really just the original princess, she and Benedict would be stuck in Lord Gregory's hands for life.
She stared at Lord Gregory. Just as he turned calmly, ready to end the matter, Elara gently hugged the frowning Benedict and suddenly sighed again.
"Brother, I really thought Lord Gregory would be the fair and loyal pillar he promised to be for us. But now… I see we're truly on our own in this palace. The end of the year is near. The messenger from the Regent must be approaching the capital soon. Since Lord Gregory won't support us, we'll have no choice but to write to the Regent and tell him everything that's happened. We'll ask him to return and stand up for us."
As soon as she said that, the whole hall fell silent.
Lord Gregory's casual expression froze. Yang Shu's smug smile disappeared.
Even Benedict looked at her in disbelief. "Sister, you..."
Elara squeezed his hand to stop him from speaking and continued to Lord Gregory with a sigh.
"I really have no other option. I may fear the Regent, but at least when he was around, no one in this capital dared to twist the truth and insult me like this."
She slowly sat up straighter from Benedict's arms, cupped his face, and said seriously.
"Brother, you saw what happened today with your own eyes. I kept saying it was Yang Shu who hurt me, but Lord Gregory only listened to Yang Shu and blamed me instead. He's not protecting us. We were wrong to trust him. If we want justice, we must bring the Regent back."
Her words finally broke Lord Gregory's calm. His face darkened completely.
He stared coldly at her for several seconds. The vague discomfort he'd felt earlier was growing stronger. He gave a low laugh.
"Princess, I made my decision after listening to both of you. How can you say I was unfair? Besides, who in this capital doesn't know the princess has a taste for handsome men? Yang Shu is the head of palace security. His duty is to protect you and His Majesty. How could he possibly hurt you?"
"Also, Princess, Your Majesty," he paused, his black eyes fixed on them both. "Have you forgotten how the Regent treated you before? If he returns, you can forget about living comfortably like now. He'll lock you up again. You won't be able to go anywhere. Just like those ten years in the past. Have you really forgotten?"
Benedict's body slowly tensed.
It had always been like this. Whenever the original princess or Benedict started to resist Lord Gregory's control, he would bring up the Regent.
The Regent, Shuting Yu. The only non-royal duke in the kingdom. Only twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. But the moment his name was mentioned, no one in Plumera Kingdom dared to breathe.
If there was anyone left who could truly shake the foundation of the Plumera Kingdom in its current rotten and broken state, it could only be him.
This man, though feared by the corrupt officials as a ruthless and iron-blooded prince, was still seen by loyal ministers as a usurper worthy of contempt. They cursed him for taking control of the army, for turning against his promises, and for dreaming of making himself emperor.
So on the surface, he sounded like a cruel and dangerous figure full of contradictions.
At present, aside from the military power still held by the Qi family, all remaining troops and resources had been taken by him when he marched north.
The chaos in the southern part of the Plumera Kingdom could be partly blamed on him. But even with the kingdom in such a mess, nearby countries like the Rain Nation still hadn't invaded. Besides the desperate resistance of the Qi family, his presence as regent had also played a big role in keeping them at bay.
Elara didn't know much about this regent. All she had were a few fragments from the original owner's memories and some bits and pieces she had picked up from others since arriving.
Even so, it was enough for her to understand roughly what kind of man he was.
Everyone in the Plumera Kingdom feared him. That included the original Elara and Benedict.
Even as princess and emperor, the two of them couldn't help being afraid of the regent. Over the years, Lord Gregory had used that fear again and again to threaten them, both openly and in secret.
So when Elara suddenly said out loud that she wanted to invite the regent back, not only Lord Gregory, but everyone present was shocked.
Lord Gregory narrowed his eyes and stared at Elara, a gloomy look on his face. For the first time, he felt that something he thought was fully under control might be slipping away.
Elara held Benedict's tense body, rubbing his back gently, while facing Lord Gregory's cold, fixed stare and continued her act of "sorrow."
"Lord Gregory, I really have no other choice. Even if my brother and I suffer once the regent returns, at least back then, even when he locked us up, he never allowed others to insult or threaten us as they pleased. We could still protect our positions. But now... ha, if I keep staying under your wing, I might soon be accused of crimes I didn't commit and dragged off to the royal prison."