Chapter 179: A Strange Dream (Part 1)
Chapter 179: A Strange Dream (Part 1)
"Your Highness Joshua."
Guided by a trembling maid, Emma, who was standing in for Lyon as the primary interrogator, entered the room of the spotted prince. Ignoring the chaotic state of the room, as if a storm had passed through, she politely greeted the tall and beautiful woman.
"It's been a while. You seem to have grown a lot since the last time I saw you."
Hmm? Upon hearing the tall woman's words, the spotted prince, his face filled with murderous intent, raised an eyebrow in surprise. He studied her for a moment before hesitantly asking, "You're... um... the woman who joined the Purge Bureau six years ago?"
"Yes."
Emma smiled gently and then, with a fluid motion, whipped out a bandage. She proceeded to right the furniture that had been kicked over, and then calmly explained her purpose, "Your Highness Joshua, our Maiden Branch Bureau received a plea for help this morning regarding an assassination attempt on the royal family by the rebels. We need you to answer some questions."
"As you know, our bureau also has the task of guarding the royal family. However, we've been short-staffed for a long time, and occasionally, there are unavoidable oversights. To better protect you and your family's safety, we hope you can cooperate with our investigation."
"Tsk... the Purge Bureau again..."
Hearing Emma's words, the spotted prince touched his face, his eyes still carrying a hint of lingering anger.
However, seeing the strange bandage that moved like a snake, he held back from saying anything harsh. Instead, he asked with discontent, "You know you're also responsible for guarding the royal family, right? Then why don't we have any of your bureau's staff by our side, like the royal families of other kingdoms or even the powerful nobles? Why are we left unprotected?"
"Please try to understand our situation."
Facing the prince's accusation, Emma maintained her gentle demeanor and responded calmly, "Our bureau's situation is quite unique. We have only a fraction of the personnel compared to other bureaus, sometimes even less than a tenth. Moreover, the kingdom has been experiencing frequent anomaly incidents in recent years, making it extremely challenging to spare fixed personnel for royal protection.
However, our director is always stationed in the capital, rarely leaving. He constantly monitors the palace and its surroundings using anomalies. As long as it's not an extremely special situation, your safety and that of your family can be guaranteed."
"Hmph!"
The spotted prince seemed still dissatisfied with Emma's response. He continued to nitpick, his expression turning unfriendly.
"If it's a regular situation, why do we need you? Isn't the purpose of your Purge Bureau to handle special cases? In my opinion, your director doesn't know how to prioritize. When there's a shortage of personnel, the royal family's safety should be the top concern, not dealing with all sorts of anomaly incidents!
If something happens to our royal family, the entire kingdom will fall into chaos. As for those incidents in other provinces, even if they escalate, it'll only result in the death of some commoners. They won't cause much trouble, so what's the harm in dealing with them later?"
"..."
After patiently listening to the spotted prince's lengthy speech, Lyon took a deep breath, his wrist trembling uncontrollably.
Damn, I really want to slap him!
This guy... who on earth raised him to be so infuriating? How can he be so punchable? And your sister's talent is intuition, is yours attracting hatred?
"Regarding your suggestion, I will convey it to the director truthfully after I return."
"Emma didn't get angry at the Spotted Prince's accusation, but instead smiled gently and gestured towards the sofa with a light pull."
"Prince Joshua, are you available for our inquiry now?"
"Ask away!"
Satisfied with Emma's respectful attitude, Prince Joshua took the lead and sat down on the single-seat sofa, while Leon and the other followed and sat across from him.
"Wait, who are you?"
Looking at the man in front of him, who was wearing a hooded robe and a mask, as if afraid of being recognized, the Spotted Prince felt a sudden surge of strange disgust. He glared at Leon's mask and scolded:
"She's a noble with the qualifications to sit in my presence. Who are you? After coming in, you didn't even greet me and just sat across from me? Didn't anyone teach you manners?"
"..."
The manners you speak of, is it that you want to gently caress my cheek?
Leon, whose temperament clashed with this 2B prince, bit his cheek under his mask. He was amused by the prince's absurd behavior and reached out to remove his mask, turning this inquiry into a full-on interrogation.
Just then, a warm and soft hand grasped his, gently catching Leon's right hand as he was about to remove his mask. She pulled him back and softly pressed down on his knee, signaling him to hold back his impulse.
"Prince Joshua, if you continue like this, you'll put me in a difficult position."
Emma, who seemed to never get angry, maintained her gentle smile even when faced with a living porcupine who seemed to have rolled in a pile of feces, ready to prick and disgust anyone he met. She said softly:
"He's my colleague and a junior I've taken under my wing. He's usually shy and not very familiar with the etiquette required when meeting royalty. So, please be patient with him."
"Additionally, he has extensive research in the areas of soul, will, and spirit. His abilities complement mine, so there may be times when you encounter minor troubles related to these aspects and require his assistance."
"..."
Facing Emma's gentle persuasion, as if she were adorned with a 'Calm Halo,' the Spotted Prince hesitated for a moment before finally putting away the spikes he had raised. He humphed and leaned back into the sofa, slightly impatiently urging:
"I have something else to attend to. Ask what you need to ask quickly."
"Okay, then the first question."
After gently patting Leon's hand to calm him down temporarily, Emma spoke with a voice as soft as a cloud:
"Prince Joshua, if you had an older sister who was superior to you in every way and was the first heir to the throne, how would you view her?"
(End of Chapter)
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