“Plop.”
The dull thud of a heavy body hitting the floor snapped everyone in the hall out of their petrified state.
Margo’s massive head was twisted a full 180 degrees, facing backward.
The last traces of shock and confusion in her eyes were frozen forever.
Her bulky body slumped limply onto the ground, not a sound escaping.
Dead.
The royal inspector sent by the Veid family—a noble from the Royal Capital—had just been slapped to death by the Eldest Princess?!
The hall fell into complete silence.
You could hear a pin drop.
All the commanders widened their eyes, holding their breath.
They stared at the still-warm corpse, a chill rising straight from their soles to their skulls.
Fear was spreading wildly in everyone’s hearts.
But closely following that was a ridiculous yet undeniable sense of relief.
Relief that they had sided with the right faction just now, relief that they hadn’t spoken out of turn or acted recklessly because of the Veid family’s former influence.
Amid the suffocating silence, Astreia’s cold and domineering voice broke through.
“Those who belong to me—are they anyone you can insult?”
That possessive declaration struck like thunder, pulling everyone’s attention away from the corpse and onto Wendy, whom she held protectively in her arms.
It was at that moment that everyone finally noticed something was off.
Prince Wendy’s signature green cloak and robe were gone, replaced by a silky, soft blue long gown. The style, the cut… it was unmistakably a lady’s nightgown.
Even worse, the prince was now weakly leaning against Astreia, his legs trembling slightly.
On that devastatingly handsome face was a faint flush still lingering.
In an instant, some experienced female soldiers exchanged knowing looks and whispered hurriedly in the corner, their voices low.
“Hiss… did you see that? Prince Wendy’s legs… looks like he’s totally become our princess’s man now. No wonder she got so angry she killed on the spot. Damn, I’m so jealous!”
“Jealous is an understatement! Look at how the princess is guarding her treasure, and then look at the prince’s pitiful ‘bullied’ expression… tsk tsk, I bet our princess is a ‘champion’ in bed too!”
“Of course! To be pampered this much that he even wears her nightgown—that’s some serious favor. For that kind of love, I’d gladly be bedridden for three days and nights!”
“So that’s what all those weird noises last night were about… hearing that just makes me tingle all over…”
Though the whispers were quiet, the atmosphere in the hall gradually grew strangely charged.
Fear still lingered, but now it was quietly mixed with envy, realization, and a hint of… inevitability.
So that’s how it is.
Prince Wendy had been thoroughly “claimed” by the Eldest Princess last night.
Insulting him was worse than slapping the Eldest Princess in the face. The consequences were far more severe.
“Enough!”
Wendy pressed one hand against his forehead, feeling that if they kept talking like this, his image would shift from “tragic prince” to “disastrous temptress.”
He subtly pinched the witch’s soft flesh, speaking just loud enough for her alone to hear.
“Astreia, hurry and help me recover my strength. This reputation is getting worse by the minute!”
Astreia flicked her right hand, using magic to shake off the bloodstains on her palm and clean herself.
Then she glared at Wendy and asked, “What? Do you really mind others knowing you belong to me?”
Only then did Wendy notice the magical markings beneath Astreia’s eyes, like tear stains. His heart skipped a beat.
Damn!
The corruption was worsening again?
Could it be from just being angry?
No way, just anger could deepen the corruption?
This was going to be troublesome…
He sighed quietly but knew this wasn’t the time to dwell on it.
Astreia had killed a royal inspector, and that was a serious matter.
In this world, there were unspoken rules among nobles—few dared to kill such a high-ranking official backed by great power.
Especially when the victim was the royal inspector appointed by the capital, representing both the crown’s authority and the Veid family’s influence.
If mishandled, this would be deemed open rebellion, and Astreia would be pushed into outright opposition against the kingdom.
Then she wouldn’t just lose control occasionally—she’d fall completely into darkness, becoming the true Witch Queen, and unleash a war that would sweep across the continent.
At that point, no matter how much he tried to “physically purify” her, he couldn’t turn her back into the pure Northern Lioness she once was.
With that thought, Wendy gently patted the arm Astreia was holding him with, signaling her to relax.
This soothing touch seemed to carry some strange magic.
The anger in her eyes quickly faded, and she huffed proudly but the fierce aura dissipated.
Still, she held him tightly, as if afraid he’d run away.
“Um…”
Wendy cleared his throat, speaking with a mix of lingering fear and righteous conviction to the crowd.
“Everyone has seen this. That royal inspector spoke with malice, openly insulting the Eldest Princess and a foreign prince—an act akin to slander, punishable by death. The princess’s actions were to uphold the dignity of the royal family.”
His words instantly framed Astreia’s on-the-spot killing as self-defense.
The commanders snapped back to reality, understanding immediately.
Exactly! That fat pig brought this on herself!
“Lord Wendy is right! That woman deserved to die for her filthy mouth!”
“Indeed! She even dared to question the princess’s military achievements—I say she’s a spy for the Orcs!”
Everyone piled on.
In an instant, the late royal inspector, Iron Butt Margo, transformed from a formidable foe into a universally hated Orc spy.
“Ahem.”
General Sera George, who had been silent until now, coughed heavily.
Her sharp one-eyed gaze swept over Wendy, then the corpse cooling on the floor, and she said gravely, “Boy, the woman is dead, but the Veid family won’t let this go easily. How do we report this to the Royal Capital?”
That was the real question.
Wendy smiled faintly.
He leaned halfway out of Astreia’s arms and turned toward Deputy Commander Kara, who stood pale and stiff in the corner.
“Kara.”
“Yes, Lord Wendy!” Kara snapped to attention.
“Draft a battle report immediately,” Wendy’s voice was low but clear enough for everyone to hear.
“State that this royal inspector was suspected of espionage for certain forces. Her mission was ‘inspection,’ but in truth, she was spying on our gunpowder and city defenses. When she attempted to poison us and assassinate Princess Astreia, the princess saw through it and executed her without mercy.”
“From her belongings, we ‘found’ secret correspondences with an Orc shaman, as well as a packet of… deadly poison.”
Wendy paused, scanning the room before adding one last line.
“Everyone present here is a witness. Do you understand?”
The hall sank into a strange silence once more.
All the commanders, including Sera, looked at Wendy with expressions as if staring at a monster.
This… wasn’t just twisting facts.
This was blatantly calling black white and gilding it with gold!
They finally realized the true nature hidden behind the prince’s charming face: a heart as venomous as a serpent’s.
After a brief silence, General Sera was the first to crack a smile, showing a mouth full of white teeth. Even her fierce scar seemed to soften slightly.
“I understand,” she grumbled, then waved her hand.
“Bring that spy’s body away and conduct a thorough ‘search’!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Two soldiers immediately stepped forward and efficiently dragged Margo’s corpse out.
The atmosphere in the hall instantly shifted from oppressive horror to lively excitement.
“Yes, yes! Search carefully! We’ll definitely find something!”
“I just knew she was suspicious—look at how sneaky she looked at us!”
“Lord Wendy is brilliant! The princess is awe-inspiring!”
Everyone felt lucky they had picked the right side.
This prince not only had brilliant strategies, but also dealt with matters decisively and ruthlessly.
Following him meant a sure chance to prosper!
The crisis was temporarily averted.
“Follow me.”
Only then did Wendy finally relax, taking Astreia’s hand as they headed toward his room.
Right now, he had to find a way to calm Astreia’s emotions.
If she could see the “farewell letter” with her own eyes and be convinced that he had no intention of running away with that female cleric, maybe her mood would improve and the corruption lessen?
Please, no more surprises…
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