“You’re being rude! Speak who you are!”

“Why don’t you ask this SAP, sad and pathetic, Blayne here who’s cry-ogenic and had SAD (seasonal affective disorder)? He became blue while feeling blue, down in the dumps. I wouldn’t be a happy bunny after being loudly enchanted with screams of pride-protection and magnanimous Vietnamese manners.”

Xenos argued with the King as the blades of swords and spears surrounded him. He didn’t raise his hands… He can’t. Gavin clung to his hands, full of tears flooding his face. He might’ve been concerned about Mary who wasn’t able to get home since yesterday.

Xenos’s gaze accompanied by his furrowed eyebrows pierced through me. He growled, “How dare you defile my kissable lips, Miss Suppose.”

I didn’t respond to him. Instead, I pointed my fingers at him and said to the king, “I suppose I don’t know him.”

Xenos shouted, “HEY! How dare you! Do something here Rox! I’m in the predicament of living for the sake of peace or dying a virgin!”

“SHUT UP!” The king Ar shouted, silencing everyone in the hall. He sent Melani back to her room with some spare guards and walked towards Xenos, passing through us, and asked, “What are your intentions?”

“Intentions? I don’t care about how chad-looking you are in your duds made by Abercrombie. Those maggots owe me an explanation for sending me back to Tokyo. The magnificent I should be there,” he argued, pointing his finger back at us. He tapped Gavin’s back and continued, “Only this sad puppy wants to chase your wagging tail. The look in his eyes says death.”

Undra Grivuke approached the king and said, “We apologize for the commotion, Your Majesty. Let me handle this.”

Gavin gripped Xenos’s arm tighter, not forcing him to let go. “Don’t approach me! Bring back Mary, you kidnappers!”

“Woah! That’s some good roasted beefshit! You have a more than inclined sense of truth than these money-grabbing adults,” Xenos exclaimed and soon darted his gaze toward the king. “The kid’s tongue wasn't cut off. Maybe you owe him a bucket-loaded explanation.”

“Were you pertaining to the kidnapped children in the streets at night?” With narrowed eyes, King Ar asked.

But Undra forced his butt in. “Your majesty, this matter is solely handled by me. I should be responsible for these concerns–”

“Bla bla bla, you nippy noodle cockface brick. Don’t force your rectum into this straight talk. This Rickey here doesn’t want to talk to you,” Xenos said, pointing at Undra. Soon, he shifted his finger towards the King Ar. “He wants to talk to him.”

“Are you forgetting what state you’re currently in?” Undra asked with a deep threatening tone. “You’re far disrespectful to talk to a knight commander. These insults would lead to death.”

At the brink of the moment, Ellen clenched her fists and stood up from kneeling. For the whole time, she suppressed her anger by hiding her clenching and twitching hands and feet which can’t be seen. She said, “Isn’t it the ruler’s responsibility to protect its citizens, especially the kids of the next generation? They aren’t dogs who should’ve been chosen by their breeds. They are all lives.”

Undra pivoted his fixed threatening squint to Ellen, lowering his brow, and said, “Don’t involve yourself in this matter, outsider. We are doing our best to locate the culprits as soon as possible.”

Ellen remained unfazed, stomping her feet and flaring her nostrils. To save their names, Rox tried to stop her, yet I hugged to immobilize her. With only Rox seeing my face, I left a smile, gesturing to her that this was the perfect opportunity to dig deeper through this matter.

Ellen argued, “Really!? For what reason did it take you decades to let an ongoing crisis remain unsolved? Only a few people cared, including me, who adore children’s dreams and witnessing the gruesome scene, making me involved. I’m never an outsider in this matter. The victim was my friend, and I can’t remain silent.”

“Stop! Even if you’re the king’s guest, I won’t tolerate any indecent behavior. There are even more important matters that the kingdom needs to consider before this–”

“Gazing those specs of dust beyond the sky? Was that far more important than those hundred children being kidnapped every day, who’ll soon become nobody without anyone knowing what happened to them?”

The intercom in their earpieces sounded, for only the Veiled Paradox would hear my voice. “Let yourselves get caught. I see an opening.”

After the secret announcement, Xenos chuckled and tapped Gavin’s back. “Too bad, young blood. It looks like the boss planned on using your tiny little blue-veined yogurt pump as fish bait.” Soon, he raised his hands as an act of surrendering.

“W–What are you doing!? Aren’t you here to help me!?” Gavin exclaimed with a pained expression, regretting his decision to join Xenos. He thought that Xenos charged without thinking of any plans just to sell him, not until he felt an earpiece plugging into his ear. While whispering in my place as the attention was completely on them, I whispered, “If you hear me, don’t say anything nor react. I have a plan. Your reward would be the girl you’re looking for.” Suppressing his shock, Gavin gulped and raised his hands together.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Ellen withdrew the sheathed sword from Undra’s waist and put it in his hand. She forced him to point his blade at her neck. “I didn’t wear indecent clothing today, but I got called one. If you think that forcing a truth back from the grave was an immoral act, then tell me how feigning ignorance would save those children’s lives. I know Gavin, and I’m completely responsible for him.”

“We can’t let go of this madness,” Undra uttered and sighed. “If you insist on degrading the kingdom’s might, I have no other choice but to detain you for interrogation. This argument shouldn’t need the king’s witness. Guards, secure them for detention.”

Ellen, Xenos, and Gavin have been taken away by the guards, led by Undra, out of the throne room. When silence took over the room, King Ar announced, “It’s such a pity to witness such invalid fighting. I apologize for the unsightly scene, but I might need to reconsider the kid’s request. For now, I may need to suspend your research activities, Roxeanne Alligot. You’ll be locked in the manor until further notice.”

“W–What!?” Rox squealed. “B–But your majesty, our matters were completely divorced from the ruckus they made.”

“This is only if you want to save your name, now that one of your family members has been involved in one of our internal matters. If not, I’m afraid that I’ll be forced to put you behind bars.”

Was that a threat? Rox wanted to say that, but for her to save her name in the research field, she clicked her tongue and silently hissed out of frustration. “Tsk!”

“For now, I won’t take any words to continue our discussion. You’re now dismissed.”

Guinelle circled her head and wandered around with her squished eyebrows. She came to Rox and whispered, “Where’s Quimora?”

***

The princess Melani sat on her royal-designed bed, facing the window, while reading a book. Her smile and hums offered her peace far from the truth of the kingdom's darkness. Behind her was the door out of her room and a marble cabinet that didn't contain any items… Yes! It contained me!

I left the cabinet and silently crawled on the bed and behind her without her noticing. She asked herself, “Why did the red riding hood get eaten by the wolf even when he’s full?”

By whispering near her ear, I replied, “Because he thinks of her as a nuisance.”

Melani jumped out of her bed in shock, sending her book flying. Her squeal bounced around the room only for a second after she held her mouth closed as soon as she recognized me. Grinning, I put my finger before my lips and shushed.

“Y…You! You’re our guest! What are you doing here?”

“Nothing, I’m just bored. Aren’t you bored too?” I should retain my Quimora mode to achieve her trust. “Aren’t you getting tired of reading the same book over and over, and yet you still have questions about it?”

“My father delivers books to the castle every month. I even developed my reading speed by finishing all those delivered books within a month. Though I’ve read it too many times, I’m still confused about how the story should progress. Maybe because I’ve never been outside before unless I’m in a carriage when I accompany my father on trips.”

“It’s like a subscription plan.”

“Subscription? What is that?”

“Never mind. It sure must be hard when you want to get out of a place but you can’t. I’m also the same as you when I became a noble’s servant for seven years.”

“Seven years!?” Melani counted those years with her fingers and got lost in thought. “That’s like… You’ve been imprisoned for how long. I couldn't even do a simple chore myself.”

“Typical nobles. I still had a childhood though until I reached eight. My brother used to play with me in the plains every day. I was surprised when I realized that all those games we played were completely invented by him alone.”

Amazed, Melani left her mouth hanging open. “That’s cool! I want to have a brother too… Wait, is that the scary guy that was with you?”

“Scary as it seems, he’s the kindest person that you’ve ever met. His dead silence just completely gives one goosebumps, and he doesn’t even know why.”

“By the way, I’ve peaked at the image shown to my father earlier. Was it real that you’re living in a place filled with colors?”

I nodded, not even hinting that letting her peak in the footage was our plan all along. “Only if I’m able to, I’ll be glad to guide you to our place. However, even if you see those people smiling in the background, that place is completely strict. Perhaps you’re completely tired of circling this castle for too long?”

Melani pressed her lips and averted her gaze. “I’m lying if I say I wasn’t. The servants were completely wary of my health and diet. The guards aren’t even moving the whole day just to guard our doors. In their eyes, they might’ve been thinking I’m completely special and free… But I’m not.”

“Hmm,” I hummed, pinching my chin. “Are you sure you already explored the whole castle before?”

“I’ve been living here since I was born. Yes, I am sure.”

“Then perhaps… Do you know that there’s a place beneath the castle where you can discover more books? It’s not the library you know. It’s a huge hall with walls and ceilings filled with enchanting books that are so good, the owner wouldn’t want others to read them.”

“Really!?” Melani yelped, widening her glittered eyes which were once blinking rapidly, and left an open stare. “No kidding! I would love to see that.”

“Would you love to join me? I’d expect you’re interested in world history.”

With a glimmering smile, she nodded, which was all I needed. I already secured the necessary information that I got from the underground, including the castle’s floor plan, the secret passageways, the schedules of guard shifts, and the areas unsecured by patrols. Deep down this place is the forbidden library only those from the royal blood can enter.

Since King Ar didn’t even have a son to inherit the kingdom, he was forced to transfer his riches to his daughter once he died. However, unlike the previous generations, he doesn’t even hint at the existence of the secret place to his daughter. I’m too thick-faced if I requested this to the king with upright confidence. His daughter might be our only key in opening the place, and the brainwashing went smoothly…

Royal blood secured.