CHAPTER 821 THE BIG LIE

"You two stay here and wait for her to wake up," Lucilla ordered. She was feeling very anxious after the

event, but, as the chief of the Cao Clan, she had to fulfill her duties and find the prince as soon as

possible. Unfortunately, only Raef and Juey had the chance of knowing the whereabouts of the prince.

But Juey was still unconscious and not showing any hints of waking up. Lucilla would need to go back

to the Magnificent Hall first.

When she arrived in the hall, she bumped into Lucas by the door.

"Chief, what happened?" Lucas asked urgently the moment he saw Lucilla's grim expression.

"Let's go inside first," Lucilla said and then entered the Magnificent Hall.

Lucas followed her closely. The moment he entered the room, he saw Raef. He looked like he had just

woken up.

When he saw the two, Raef popped out of his chair and fell to the ground. "Chief Lucilla," he cried. "I holds © this.

am innocent! I have nothing to do with the prince's disappearance." His voice was shaking. "I don't

know what happened at all! I think I was framed!"

"Is the prince missing?" Lucas asked as he looked at Lucilla with astonishment.

Lucilla nodded coldly.

"What on earth is going on?" Lucas asked seriously. How could the prince disappear from inside the

mansion of the Cao Clan? It was a heavily guarded place. A big person couldn't just disappear quietly.

The prince wasn't even a spirit manipulator so there was no way for him to disappear without a trace,

unless someone had kidnapped him. But who was bold enough to kidnap the prince?

When Lucilla told Lucas that she saw Juey in Woods's room, it became clear that the Xiao Clan was

involved. Lucas glared at Raef.

"Guards, go and bring every single member of the Xiao Clan here. Make sure no one from the other

clans finds out." Lucas was usually kind, but he had a temper that could terrorize plenty when

triggered. The disciples of the Cao Clan immediately shuddered at Lucas's command.

A few moments later, Mary and the other members of the Xiao Clan were taken into the hall.

When Mary and Travis saw Raef kneeling on the ground, Mary asked, "Father, what's going on?"

There was silence at first. "His Royal Highness," Raef said with a gulp, "is missing." His voice trembled.

The Xiao Clan members exchanged shocked looks.

Mary kept quiet but her mind was filled with worries. She thought that if Woods was missing, then there

was a chance that Juey was in deep trouble too. She kept the thought to herself and did not dare bring

it up. She knew that if people pried, then they'd risk exposing her father's plan of using Juey to seduce

Woods.

Lucas requested for the presence of several honored elders of the Cao Clan, but he did not invite the

four hall leaders. Two of them were Lucilla's first uncle, Tod, and third uncle, Freddy. If they found out,

they would definitely take the opportunity to make trouble. In order not to aggravate things anymore,

they had to find the prince discreetly and quickly.

When all the Cao Clan elders arrived, the Xiao Clan members felt like they were in big trouble.

The Xiao Clan members got down on their knees. As primary suspects of the prince's disappearace,

they all had to be questioned, especially Raef.

"Chief Raef, can you explain what your third daughter, Juey, was doing in the prince's room? And what

does she know about the prince's disappearance?" Lucilla glared at Raef, who was kneeling on the

ground.

"I don't know either." Raef looked ashen. He did not expect the things to go bad. He had only planned

to involve Juey with the prince. All he wanted was that the prince would take responsibility and offer to

take care of Juey. In that way, the Xiao Clan could be promoted and become a big clan of the Timber

Deity Empire. He did not want to implicate his family, much less the entire Xiao Clan.

"You don't know? It's obvious that the prince was kidnapped. And the man who kidnapped the prince

left a note on your body. But why you? What do you have to do with it?" Lucas asked sternly.

"Master Lucas, someone must have framed me! I have nothing to do with the prince's disappearance!"

Raef denied. If the Cao Clan found out the Xiao Clan's involvement, then their clan would be at risk.

"You have nothing to do with it? Miss Mary, I know it was you who sent the prince back to his room last

night. I heard from two maidservants that you did not leave his room for the whole night. Don't tell me

you also don't know what your sister was doing in the prince's room?" Lucilla questioned. She had

noticed the day before that there was something odd about the Xiao Clan. Juey was not supposed to

be in the prince's room, yet she was found there somehow. They definitely had something to do with

the crime.

"Well..." Mary hesitated then turned to look at Raef with pleading eyes.

Raef shook his head. If the Cao Clan found out that they drugged the prince and used Juey as the bait,

then they'd be doomed. It was best to act like Juey did it alone instead of destroying the entire Xiao

Clan.

"Chief Lucilla, I shouldn't say anything because this is very shameful for our Xiao Clan, but I have no

choice. My daughter, Juey, can be very audacious and liberated. She has long adored the prince. Last

night, she snuck into his room and offered to serve him. Mary wanted to stop her from making a scene.

The prince was drunk so Mary did not dare disturb him, and so she left Juey to take care of him. That's

why my daughter was in the prince's room. I apologize for having such a shameless daughter! This

was her doing! Please, punish her if you must, but do not fault the entire Xiao Clan for one woman's

doing!" Raef lied, his hands clasped together as if he was helpless.