Shien’s blunt words not only stunned the Stalim family but also angered the female knights of the Severed Blade Knights.
“How dare you be so disrespectful to the Princess…!?”
The female knights pointed their weapons at Shien. Some even raised their hands, magic power surging around them, seemingly ready to cast spells.
“Stop!”
Capeline raised her hand, stopping them.
“Princess!”
The female knights seemed unwilling, not understanding why Capeline stopped them.
Capeline said coldly, “You are no match for him. He has plenty of ways to deal with you. Don’t humiliate yourselves.”
Capeline’s words were met with a regretful expression from Shien.
“Actually, you could attack me.” Shien curled his lip and smiled. “After all, there weren’t many spectators last time. This time, the rough guys from the Stalim Duchy’s First Knight Order are all here. Letting them see something you can be proud of would be quite nice, wouldn’t it?”
The members of the First Knight Order looked at each other, confused.
But the female knights of the Severed Blade Knights understood.
Something to be proud of?
What was that?
Obviously, it was their alluring bodies beneath their armor.
With just a snap of his fingers, Shien could destroy all their armor, exposing their bodies.
“So, ladies, did you wear more layers this time?”
Shien’s seemingly kind words made the female knights’ faces pale, their hands trembling as they gripped their weapons.
Especially the two female knights who had been stripped naked by Shien before, their faces were filled with terror.
Last time, being almost completely seen by Shien had already traumatized them. If this time they were exposed in front of everyone, seen by people from the Kingdom, the Empire’s rival, and these people were from the Stalim Duchy’s First Knight Order, who had been guarding the border and preventing the Empire’s invasion, they would definitely kill themselves.
“P-Princess…?”
The female knights looked at Capeline, on the verge of tears, completely at a loss.
Capeline continued to stare coldly at Shien.
“You can choose to hide it.” Capeline said, “But we will consider this as the Kingdom hiding something from us, and the Empire will strongly suspect that the Kingdom is behind this incident.”
Capeline tried to force Shien to explain from a diplomatic standpoint.
But she clearly chose the wrong person.
“That’s funny. Hasn’t the Empire always suspected that the Kingdom is behind this, which is why they sent you here to investigate?” Shien said disdainfully. “If you say so, then I can also say that the Empire orchestrated this incident to frame the Kingdom.”
“You’re saying we’re framing you?” Anger surged in Capeline’s eyes.
“Don’t act like I’m slandering you.” Shien, unfazed by her anger, said with an impassive face, “Everyone witnessed what happened ten years ago. It’s not like the Empire isn’t capable of such a thing. Are you afraid of being slandered?”
Capeline’s breath hitched.
The incident Shien was referring to was naturally the large-scale assassination that occurred in the royal capital ten years ago.
On the surface, people only knew that the Kingdom’s capital suffered this tragedy because of the Old Demon Faction’s invasion. Only a few high-ranking officials knew that the Old Demon Faction was able to invade the capital because of the help of spies from the Empire.
That’s right, Shien was referring to the incident with Diere’s mother.
Diere’s mother, Aldia’s wife, a noblewoman who married into the Kingdom from the Empire, was actually an Imperial spy.
Thanks to her, the capital’s barrier didn’t activate in time, allowing the Old Demon Faction to invade freely.
And all of this was orchestrated by the Empire’s high-ranking officials.
But afterwards, the Empire claimed that they hadn’t ordered it and that the noblewoman had acted on her own, that she had fallen and colluded with the Old Demon Faction.
Under such circumstances, the Empire shifted all responsibility, causing the Kingdom to suffer a great loss.
Others might not know the truth, but Capeline, as an Imperial Princess, definitely knew.
Therefore…
“You’ve already done the same thing once. I think it’s quite convincing to claim that you’re trying to do it again.”
Shien smiled at Capeline, but there wasn’t a hint of mirth in his eyes.
Capeline was speechless.
Precisely because she knew the inside story, she couldn’t refute anything.
If it were those qualified politicians, they could probably deny it with an innocent face, but Capeline couldn’t.
Although Capeline was overly persistent, stubborn, and somewhat neurotic, she was a person of high moral integrity, forthright, and righteous.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t be called the Valkyrie.
Therefore, Capeline couldn’t refute Shien’s words.
Even though she was only seven years old when that incident happened and it had nothing to do with her, it was indeed orchestrated by the Empire’s high-ranking officials. Capeline had to admit that.
But she couldn’t admit it either, or it would cause big trouble for the Empire.