Chapter 520: An Empty Palace
Chapter 520: An Empty Palace
What?!
Upon hearing Lyon's third question, not only did the Emerald-Eyed Maiden's face turn pale in surprise, but the four Scorpio Division Purifiers also trembled involuntarily, their eyes widening in shock as they looked at Lyon.
"No way?" one of the female Purifiers exclaimed in disbelief.
"I've already accompanied the Director on an investigation, and although the Corlock Royal Family keeps a low profile, there have been signs of their activities in recent years. Even at the end of last year's celebration, the King of the Corlock Kingdom made a public speech. It's hard to believe they're almost all gone!"
"Mona, I'll explain why I'm so suspicious later. For now, please don't interrupt me."
After giving the female Purifier a subtle nudge, Lyon fixed his gaze on the slightly bewildered Emerald-Eyed Maiden, his tone leaving no room for refusal.
"Princess Felicia... Although I'm not sure what's going on with you, I'll call you that for now... I want to hear your honest answer. Are there any other living members of the royal family? Yes or no!"
"Of course there are!"
Interrupted by the female Purifier, Princess Felicia regained some composure, blinking her large eyes as she spoke, "I'm not sure about others, but my father and mother are still alive, and so are the others I know. I even greeted my mother the day before you kidnapped me."
Could I have guessed wrong?
Lyon couldn't help but furrow his brows at her answer. Meanwhile, Frankie, still in the sheep's mouth, carefully examined Princess Felicia's soul state and said cautiously, "I'm not very sensitive, but I do have some understanding of soul matters. She's probably telling the truth."
"..."
Phew, I managed to get through that...
Seeing that Lyon didn't refute Frankie's judgment but instead furrowed his brows in silence, Princess Felicia secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
I never expected that while eavesdropping, my slight joy would be noticed, almost exposing me completely. I even guessed part of the royal family's situation. This is truly...
Princess Felicia stole a nervous glance at Lyon, and although she lacked the computational power of her core, she managed to mimic her usual "behavior model," blinking her eyes in a pitiful manner. "Ask me anything, I... I'll answer. Just don't hurt me, I'm telling the truth."
It's all true...
Lyon glanced at the weak and adorable Emerald-Eyed Maiden, his furrowed brows relaxing slightly as if he had received a crucial reminder. He fixed his gaze on Princess Felicia once more.
Truth can't prove anything! When dealing with internal investigations in the Purification Bureau, I also spoke the truth. But did that stop me from attacking the palace?
"Let me rephrase the question," Lyon said, his brows smoothing out as he understood. Then, in the Emerald-Eyed Maiden's anxious gaze, he asked again, "Aside from you and Prince Andre, are the other members of the Corlock Royal Family in their original bodies? Do they still possess their original souls? Or, to go deeper, when they say they're 'alive,' does that mean they can run, jump, eat, and chat like normal people, or are they simply still 'existing'?"
"..."
...
Just as Princess Felicia struggled to find an answer, the usually indolent Prince Andre, instead of basking in the sun on his balcony, arrived at the Corlock Kingdom's palace in a royal-exclusive floating vehicle.
"Dong~~~"
Accompanied by the melodious sound of a giant pendulum striking a gong, the steam clock towers on both sides of the palace gate twisted slightly, and the large, somewhat worn-out cogwheels on the bronze doors opened to the left and right, revealing a brightly lit glass corridor behind them.
The corridor, adorned with countless hanging lamps, was spacious and magnificent. On either side, behind pristine glass walls, lay a grand hall divided evenly in half by the corridor. Within the hall, hundreds of small exhibition stands were arranged in a pleasing and orderly manner.
Compared to the palace where the royal family resided, this building resembled a massive exhibition hall more than a palace. On the smaller exhibition stands below, which featured clock-like markings, intricate and exquisite mechanical creations were on display.
There were airships, floating vehicles, mechanical hearts, towering differential drive units, and nearly five-meter-tall mechanical giants. Even on the largest stand to the left, there was a miniature model of an entire kingdom, resembling a Rubik's Cube, constantly twisting and turning.
Beneath these exquisite exhibits, on intentionally sloped platforms, detailed records were displayed, documenting the inventors and functions of the mechanical creations, the iterative design processes, and even the more core design concepts and reasons behind them. Almost every exhibit was a rare treasure.
However, Prince Andre, with a hint of fatigue on his face, ignored these treasures that could drive any kingdom mad. He walked indifferently through the glass corridor, passing by a clock-shaped circular corridor used for concealment, and entered the main hall at the back of the grand hall.
"Who's there?"
Just as Prince Andre stepped into the main hall, a slightly puzzled voice of inquiry sounded from the depths of the hall.
Prince Andre followed the voice and saw a brave middle-aged man on the high platform facing the entrance, holding a gem-studded timekeeper staff and wearing a royal robe. He stared at Prince Andre with a look of surprise.
"You are..."
The emerald-eyed maiden stared at Prince Andre for a moment, then the brave middle-aged man on the throne widened his eyes unconsciously. He first looked at the 12 or 13-year-old boy beside him, then at the young man in front of him who was probably 27 or 28 years old. He then asked with a puzzled expression, "Who are you? Why do you look so much like my Andre?"
Compared to the front hall, which had numerous exhibition stands but was empty, the main hall of the Corlock Palace was several times smaller but much livelier. In this more private main hall with all windows sealed, there were over thirty rows of seats, accommodating nearly one hundred and fifty people.
Upon hearing the brave middle-aged man's inquiry, the people sitting on the seats turned around in surprise and looked at Prince Andre, exclaiming in astonishment.
"It really is..."
"He does look so much like him!"
"In fifteen or sixteen years, Prince Andre might look just like this."
"Indeed, but his face is too cold, not as cute as Prince Andre."
"Hey! Who are you?"
"What an impolite fellow! Guards! Where are the guards?"
Strangely, despite the various words spoken, including those from the brave middle-aged man on the throne, no one in the main hall stood up. Instead, they remained firmly seated, straining their necks to look towards the entrance.
The main hall wasn't particularly spacious, so some people, no matter how hard they tried to turn their heads, couldn't see Prince Andre's appearance. Even if they could have just slightly shifted their bottoms, they still didn't stand up, preferring to twist themselves into odd positions while remaining seated.
"...
After standing silently at the entrance for a few seconds, Prince Andre didn't respond to anyone. Instead, he strode into the main hall, stepping on the red carpet that led through the rows of seats, and stopped in front of the brave middle-aged man.
(End of Chapter)
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