In the cramped confessional, Colin and Prince Lexie sat facing each other.
Neither spoke, letting an unsettling silence ferment in the air.
Under the scrutiny of the Holy Knight, Colin felt as though there was nowhere to hide his secrets.
The faint sound of the choir outside gradually faded, finally disappearing completely as if the confessional had been sealed off in another space.
The aura of Prince Lexie was as deep as the ocean, giving the impression that even sitting beside him could result in being engulfed by a huge wave.
Cold sweat seeped from Colinâs forehead, and he couldnât help but ask, âYour Highness, are you here to confess?â
Prince Lexie stared at Colin expressionlessly, and finally asked after a long while, âWhat have you discovered?â
Colin sighed inwardly, honestly confessed, âI smelled the scent of blood.â
âThe scent of blood?â Prince Lexieâs nostrils twitched slightly, it was unclear whether he had detected it or not.
Colin quickly added, âItâs very faint, but Iâm sure itâs the smell of fresh blood.â
Prince Lexie stared into Colinâs eyes, asking,â And why do you think there is a scent of blood?â
After considering, Colin ventured, âThe priest mentioned earlier that the odd knight wrapped himself entirely in white cloth, appearing badly injured, so perhaps thatâs why thereâs a faint smell of blood.â
âReally?â Prince Lexie said indifferently, âIf thatâs the case, why did you come back alone in the dead of the night?â
Colin was instantly at a loss for words.
Looking at Prince Lexieâs increasingly dangerous gaze, Colin had no choice but to admit, âBecause Iâve smelled a similar scent of blood somewhere else.â
âWhere?â
Licking his lips, Colin smiled and said, âThe Phoenix Butterfly Fort.â
âThe Golden Tail Butterfly, the Morrison Family?â
âYes.â
Prince Lexie narrowed his eyes as if to determine whether Colin was lying this time.
Colin met his gaze serenely, for this time he had truly told no lies.
âSince you smelled a similar scent at the Phoenix Butterfly Fort, have you tried to investigate the source?â
Colin nodded, answering half-truthfully, âI did investigate. I sneaked into the basement of the clock tower in Phoenix Butterfly Fort, and there I found a horrifying blood pool!â
âA blood pool?â A trace of surprise finally appeared on Prince Lexieâs face.
âYes. But I was afraid to alert the people from the Morrison family, so I left immediately and did not investigate further. Maybe⦠you can try to investigate carefully.â
Colin planned to encourage the Holy Knight to probe the mysterious and eerie Morrison family.
If he could uncover the true nature of this family, it would be best.
Prince Lexie lowered his head in silence, his thoughts a mystery.
Seeing that the other party remained silent, Colin mustered up the courage to ask, âYour Highness, may I be so bold as to ask why you are here? Is it related to the disappearance of Bishop John?â
Prince Lexie lifted his head again and said calmly, âIt is my Lord who guided me here.â
Colinâs mouth twitched slightly, his heart speechless.
However, soon, Colin realized that maybe Prince Lexie wasnât just passing him off, but had truly received the guidance of the deityâ¦
After all, there might really exist a special connection between a Holy Knight and the Lord of Glory.
Hence, Colin ventured again, âWhat else did your Lord reveal to you? Maybe I can help you figure it out if you tell me.â
However, this time Prince Lexie didnât answer. He just stared at Colin, making him feel goosebumps.
Just when Colin thought he had offended Prince Lexie and was about to excuse himself to leave, the latter suddenly spoke:
âThe guidance of my Lord suggests that this Bishop John is connected with those who framed me.â
âFramed?â Colin wondered thoughtfully.
âYes. I didnât kill Governor Lattom, someone framed me.â
âWhat! Who would dare?â Colin tried to wear a surprised look.
Prince Lexie appeared to see through Colinâs act, the corner of his lips curving slightly upwards as he asked, âYou knew all along, didnât you?â
Colin coughed lightly, covering his awkwardness with laughter, âActuallyâ¦I had some suspicions, given the circumstances, it seemed intentional.
And also, I believe that your character would never stoop to such shameful actions.â
The princeâs gaze softened somewhat, as if he felt he had finally found someone who understood him.
Nodding in agreement, he said, âExactly, thatâs why I need to find evidence to clear my name.â
âSo, what does this have to do with Bishop John?â Colin queried.
Prince Lexie shook his head, saying nothing.
Colin was unsure whether the prince didnât know the connection or didnât want to reveal it to Colin.
âDo you have any suspects for the person who framed you?â Colin went on, probing.
Prince Lexie gave Colin a glance and said a name that shocked him, âMr. Ji.â
âJi⦠Mr. Ji?â Colinâs eyes widened in surprise, âBut didnât you kill him?â
Colin had been expecting the prince to name Emperor Reinhardt or Queen Midela, but he never anticipated that the prince would mention a dead man
âYes, I did witness him turn into ashes, but that doesnât necessarily mean heâs dead.â
Colin rubbed his nose, thinking that if anyone else had said such a thing, he would have scoffed at them. But faced with the holy knight⦠okay, if you think that someone whoâs been obliterated might still be alive, then they might still be alive.
âThese recent years, Iâve rarely taken action, and only used my âJudgmentâ move on Mr. Ji. I suspect that he used some kind of arcane magic to store my attack and then used it to kill Governor Lattom.â
Colin blinked, realizing that Prince Lexieâs imagination was quite vastâ¦
However, if such a magical arcane existed, it would indeed explain how Queen Midela framed Prince Lexie.
Perhaps, Mr. Ji could have developed such arcane, as he was the one who discovered the magical Forbidden Spell known as the âEyes of Judgementâ.
Prince Lexie looked into Colinâs eyes, stating earnestly, âI know that you might not stand on the same ground as me, but Mr. Ji is also a significant threat to the North Territory. So, if you have any information about him, please inform me immediately.â
âAlright.â Colin agreed without any hesitation.
Because Prince Lexie was right. If Mr. Ji was indeed still alive, Colin would definitely be one of those who most want to kill him.
As long as Mr. Ji is alive for one day, the North Territory could never attain true peace.
Since Colin agreed, Prince Lexie nodded, signaling that he could leave.
Colin sighed with relief, quickly getting up to leave, but just as he was about to push the door open, Prince Lexie spoke once more:
âOh, one piece of advice for you.â
Colin turned around, smiling respectfully, âPlease, go ahead.â
âBeware of the queen, she is a dangerous woman.â
Having said that, Prince Lexie closed his eyes, offering no further explanation.
It seemed that he didnât care whether Colin took his advice to heart or not.
Colin touched his nose, wondering if this was some sort of divisive tactic.
But⦠the method was rather crude.
âThank you very much, your Highness, I will keep your advice in mind!â