Chapter 17 - His own decision.

The Emperor’s Office was urgently set up in the Felice Kingdom.

Liam, Duke of Akshire, who was on the scene of the Wyvern attack, was the first person to be called.

“The Duke of Akshire meets Your Majesty.”

Liam gave a polite example, but Fabian lifted him up without even looking at him with a gesture. Fabian had a report about the Wyverns incident in front of him.

“I heard that the Duke was close to the Wyvern at the time of the attack.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Tell me in detail what you’ve seen and heard.”

Liam recalled the vivid roar of Wyvern. It was a moment that felt like an eternity for a second.

“The Wyverns suddenly appeared, covered the sky, and flew low near the plaza, and captured a man away. He was in the air….”

“No, I don’t need the part everyone knows. Tell me what only you’ve seen.”

Liam nodded in silence at Fabian’s cold voice. There were many rumors that the Imperial Emperor was exceptionally heartless and he didn’t mind that one of his people had been killed.

“I was on the platform with Prince Felice and the Pope. The Wyverns, who were making a fuss in the square changed their direction and flew to the podium.”

“Did the Wyverns seem to be aiming for something?” Fabian squinted his eyes.

“Or, anything suspicious?”

Fabian was suspicious of the Pope. No matter what he did, Fabian suspected that he had deliberately led the demons to the place where the people gathered and destroyed them.

“I couldn’t afford to observe them directly.” Liam answered, honestly.

“Then, what did you do then?”

“I had to protect the royal family of Felice according to my duty.”

He was right, but somehow Fabian looked dissatisfied with it.

“When the Wyvern rushed to the podium the princess threw herself on the prince’s side. I saw it and couldn’t do anything but cover her back.”

Fabian frowned his forehead.

“The Knight-Trained Duke like you, didn’t see the enemy properly?”

“I’m sorry.”

Liam was one of the people who didn’t hesitate in front of Fabian.

“I couldn’t stand still when I saw the princess throwing herself in a dangerous place. I immediately blocked the princess’s back, and I only heard later that the Paladin Knights had come out and killed the Wyvern.”

“Which means you haven’t seen any clues.”

“Yes.” Liam didn’t deny Fabian’s words as he grabbed the point.

“I couldn’t help it, because my duty was to protect Felice royal family.”

Fabian found Liam’s green eyes strangely annoying when Liam straightened his back and said confidently.

“Since when did the Duke of Akshire become the Felice Kingdom’s hunting dog?”

Fabian’s words crossed the line, but Liam remained calm.

“First of all, our families have long been close friends. That’s why I also played an important part in the festival, and fortunately I was close enough to protect the princess.”

Fabian had vaguely realized where his displeasure had come from. Whenever Liam said, “Princess,” for no reason, he was annoyed.

“It’s a long friendship between the two families who have left the relationship between master and slave.”

“Friendship…” Fabian spoke in a cold tone.

“That’s why you dare to help the Imperial Family’s divorce?”

It was the first time that Fabian had met Liam in person. Still, he knew that Evelyn played a key role in filing a divorce petition with the Vatican. Naturally, there was no way that emotion might be good.

“I am too foolish to understand your meaning” Liam stepped out of the situation with a gentle smile.

“Well, I’ll remember you.”

It was a voice mixed with threats. Close to the Vatican, he was the man who involved in his divorce with Evelyn. On top of that, Liam, who proudly claimed to have protected Evelyn, was very irritating.

“If something comes up about the incident, I’ll report it right away.” Liam responded flexibly.

“I don’t need it. I don’t have to listen to the words of a man who can’t even look at the enemy properly.”

“It can’t be helped, so I apologize. If you have nothing more to say, I’ll go back.”

Fabian didn’t answer and watched Liam with his cold eyes. Liam soon took an example and withdrew from Fabian’s safety. Even after he left, the feeling of displeasure still didn’t go away.

“The people who are associated with the Vatican are always disrespectful.”

On the one hand, it’s natural. While in an empire or under the control of an empire, Fabian ruled as Emperor. The Vatican was another mainstay of power.

Some small but wealthy countries such as the Felice Kingdom chose to side with the Vatican. And because they were guaranteed to be wealthy, their loyalty to Fabian was naturally diminished.

“Well, they have to ‘take root.”

Fabian muttered low.

“Serus.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

In the shadow, Serus quietly took a step. He was always standing by Fabian like air and only appeared when his name was called.

“What about that cunning old man?”

“He’s on his way to the Vatican, showing off his contribution to defeating the demons.”

Fabian frowned outright. He could fully imagine without seeing it.

“Are there any results of the investigation?”

“The body of Wyvern had decayed so quickly that little was left.”

“That’s crazy.”

If Fabian’s suspicions were correct, there must be some evidence. However, as soon as the Wyvern stopped breathing, the monster decomposed at a frightening speed and left nothing behind.

Fabian, angered by the fact that he was drinking water from the Pope, left the Imperial Palace and went personally. Still, this time, he was furious that he failed again.

“I’ve heard all the witnesses’ testimony. I’ll investigate further, but don’t look forward to it.”

Fabian thoughtlessly tried to nod his head and recalled the words left by an arrogant Duke a while ago.

“······Wait, there is still one.”

“We’ve done a full investigation.”

“The Duke of Akshire said, The princess first threw herself to protect the little prince and she protected it herself.”

“Yes.”

Serus nodded, not knowing what to say.

“The Duke of Akshire was trained as a knight. But it was the princess who moved first.”

“Ah…… That’s how it works.”

Actually, that’s the weird part. In such a critical state, the Duke moved slower than the princess, and it was such a brief moment that he could only cover her back. It was strange, some parts didn’t fit.

“Empre…., no. She is…….”

Fabian still couldn’t completely forget her title. He couldn’t help it because each time, he always called Evelyn by Empress’s name.

“She’s an ordinary woman, but she has a better sense of reflex than a man who has been trained as a knight, or he’s not as fast as he is. Well, she’s never been trained, and there’s no way she knows how to deal with demons.”

Were they the demons?

Fabian thought of Evelyn, who had her eyes wide open and scared by a single bug in the past.

“I’ll have to ask her directly.”

Fabian made his own decision.