Sealed

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"Vivian." The Princess called.

"Yes, your Highness." Vivian said and faced the Chamberlain, "As the Recorded Will implies, the Garden of Moon Lilies is to be managed directly by Her Highness, Princess Charlotte. As a command from the late Queen Mother, this duty must be officialized and recorded as a mandate from the court."

"Done." The chamberlain pulled out a piece of paper, wrote a few words, and used his ring to stamp it.

"YES!"

The Princess was over-excited as she jumped off her seat and hugged Vivian immediately.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you."

It was the single happiest moment she had in two days straight. Justice was served and everything was as it was supposed to be.

With a mandate coming from the Queen Mother's will, the King himself will have to honor his Mother's Will even for appearance's sake.

"Thank you, my Lord. This will be all." Vivian said and retreated out of the office with the others.

Immediately, the Princess commanded Knight Abraham Talbot to lift the prohibition on the Garden of Moon Lilies and brought her maids and gardeners back to the garden.

***

The sun was setting and word that the Garden of Moon Lilies was returned officially to the Princess started to travel. How it happened and who was involved made quite a fuss, especially when everyone focused on the return of Vivian Moore to the Palace.

Above all else, she was invited here by the Princess.

But right in front of the garden, the happiness of the Princess was reaching the heavens as she kept running in her garden with no restraint.

She was so happy she could fly to the point where she hugged Vivian and Edith multiple times at that.

As it was getting dark, Vivian asked to take her leave now that her work was over. Still, the Princess promised her an incredible reward for what she had done today. Vivian, however, refused material rewards and asked for nothing. With that, Vivian and Edith started heading out from the Royal Palace.

"My people should have brought a carriage over. I think we can complete the interrogation on the way home." Vivian said as she turned to Edith.

Edith suddenly stopped and on her face "The Interrogation!" was written all over.

The Baron's son's murderer or the Princess' trusted advocate? Edith couldn't decide which one she should see Vivian as.

With the interrogation papers by her side, Edith walked ahead of Vivian and stopped her right where the carriage was waiting.

"The Figure of Speech. I still can't get it out of my head." Edith spoke and had that determined look in her eyes like the one she had this morning when she was questioning Vivian, "The Queen Mother said that the flowers she raised grew thorns and poison. This is not a figure of speech, right?"

"You are asking me?" Vivian replied with a tired face.

"If it was, our heads would have rolled. You told me it was unwise and you would help me out." Edith said and then doubt filled her shaking voice, "But just if… it was."

She was in denial.

If the Queen Mother said that the Royal Family has thorns and poisons then… It was unthinkable.

"Even the chamberlain agreed that it isn't a figure of speech." Vivian said, shrugging off the responsibility for those words.

"Because he can't." Edith said and pressed forward, "And you relied on that so that he doesn't deny the Princess her request. By doing so, you returned the garden to her."

"Since I am not confirming or denying anything you're saying, make sure that in your report you write "I speculate" before all that." Vivian said, implying that she has nothing against her on the records.

But that was the last thing on Edith's mind currently. Today, she interrogated Vivian Moore and played the Cat and Mouse game together but the Princess showed up and showered Vivian in her favor. Some of that favor even reached Edith thanks to Vivian who said that they were dear friends.

In the Palace, Vivian put on a fierce fight for the Princess and many eyes met her with disdain without a single good reason. So far, Vivian was known to be problematic and a troublemaker but her actions today showed how she handles things.

She is resourceful and understands both diplomacy and law, to the point where she turned a recorded will into an official mandate by using the fear of carrying those words the wrong way.

So, if someone is in the wrong in today's situation, it is those who stood between the Princess and her Garden. And with the worry shown by the Princess over the national treasure of a Garden, it means that there is something she is afraid of.

She didn't turn to the King, the Queen, or any of the Princes, she turned to Vivian.

"My Lady." Edith called Vivian, "Is there anything in the palace that House Black should be aware of?"

Her question came from a place of concern. She deeply cared about the Nation and its rulers thus if there is anything she can do, she only needs Vivian to rally it towards her… even if insinuated indirectly.

But the usual calm look on Vivian's face turned demonic. She glared at Edith and almost frightened her.

"You…" Vivian spoke but didn't continue as her words would be either "idiot", "fool", or "imbecile".

Edith was shocked and backed a step away but Vivian reached out and grabbed her by the arm.

"You are insulting your own House, Miss Edith." Vivian said, "If I were not of a position equal to your rank, I would have punished you severely."

Vivian's words were quite dangerous and aggressive. There is a reason why Vivian is the first villainess and Edith is the second, and that sheer amount of dominance Vivian can cast terrified Edith to her core.

Vivian let go of Edith's arm and spoke quietly.

"Ask yourself this: is there anything in the Empire House Black isn't aware of?" Vivian said and turned away towards her carriage where Logan waited.

"It is getting late and I am in a bad mood. Set a different date for that interrogation, Lady Edith." And with that scolding, Vivian left in her carriage with Edith utterly stunned and speechless.

What was that just now?

Is there anything in the Empire House Black isn't aware of?

Edith just wanted to ask a simple question yet the answer she received threw her entire being in a storm of unrest.

Her carriage stopped down the stairway in front of the palace and she climbed in while thinking.

This interrogation she was doing, it was pushed on her by her brother Edmond and she headed towards it with a clear conviction in mind: "Vivian Moore is guilty."

But what's with this darkness looming around the Royal Palace that she saw today for the first time? The Princess crying to an outsider. Thorns and Poison have grown in the royal family.

Such a thing… is her family truly aware? And if they are not, isn't that a crisis?

And just today… Was she supposed to deem Vivian guilty just because everyone in the palace wanted Vivian guilty?

"How could I be so blind?" Edith thought and her head immediately found a target for her unbalanced feelings.

The anger inside her started to boil up. She felt betrayed and completely played. Her eyes are now open to the facts around her and only one person in the world she can get something from at times like this.

"EDMOND, YOU ASS!" She shouted and threw the interrogation document out of the carriage's window.

"My Lady!"

The carriage stopped and the knights around the carriage rushed and opened the door.

"Lady Edith, you alright?" A Knight asked as he seemed to have caught the interrogation document once it flew out.

"Give me that." Edith said and grabbed the document once again, "They think they can just play me, huh?"

She opened the document immediately and took out her writing equipment before hastily writing a few words then taking her ring and slamming it over the document to seal the case.

"My Lady!" The knight implored Edith to talk but she was too angry to reason with.

"Tell the driver to head towards the Royal Academy… NOW!"

***

The door to Edmond's room opened and Edith stormed in. Every bit of sleep escaped from Edmond's eyes and he looked at the familiar demon charging towards him with a surprise.

"You wanted the interrogation done? HERE YOU GO, BIG BROTHER."

The document was slammed under Edith's hand and Edmond was left with his eyes wide with shock.

"What was that for?" He asked.

"You're seriously asking me that?" She asked back and kicked his desk, "You hid things from me, you took over the interrogation and pinned all the suspicion on Vivian Moore before giving me the final questioning so that you can close the case with your name clear from it, you wanted me to act unreasonable based on your predetermined judgment and put the blame on the innocent."

"You mad?!" Edmond jumped off his chair and shouted at her.

"No! You're the mad one for thinking you can play me like a DAMN FIDDLE! And I almost…" Edith shouted the last few words.

"What have you done?" He asked.

"Why don't you find out?" She replied while pushing the documents binder against him.

Edmond picked up the documents and read the content about the interrogation with Vivian. Edith recorded the fact that Princess Charlotte interrupted the interrogation and that the three of them traveled to the Royal Palace and did something very unnecessary.

In its end, Edith seemed to have concluded that Vivian Moore is a good subject of the Crown who gained the favor of Princess Charlotte and is not one to harm the Nation's interests and its subjects. Vivian Moore was officially lifted from the list of suspects and the final words were sealed with the Black Insignia.

Edmond felt that his head was being blasted from the inside and wanted to rip the paper apart but in doing so, he would destroy the entire case against Vivian.

"This… doesn't mean anything." Edmond said pointing at the paper.

"Heh! You think I am here without knowing what to do." Edith laughed and had a villainess sneer growing on her tomboyish face, "I've already sent a report to Father."

"You can't be serious!" Edmond replied, feeling like the situation had officially blown up in his face.

"You know I hate being manipulated!" Edith shouted and walked to Edmond behind his desk, "I hate it more than ANYTHING in the world when you lie and deceive me, brother. I thought you knew better."

Being faced like that, Edmond was at a loss for words until someone walked in through the open door.

"What's with this noise?"

Turning towards the door, Edmond and Edith saw Richard Marshall walking in with a girl beside him.

It was her, Matilda Ambrose. The woman who caused the annulment of Vivian's engagement with the Prince.

Edith would probably just ignore her any day of the week but standing right behind her is Richard, Edith's fiancé.

Edith's eyes were spewing with anger while seeing her fiancé in his light sleeveless training clothes. He seemed to have just come from training and walking this close to that girl.

"You." Edith turned all her rage towards Richard and walked towards him, "I heard you have picked the hobby of beating women lately."

Her words were as brutish as a hitting club to the head. Her eyes were as sharp as daggers and with them, she looked at Richard and then looked at Matilda up and down. Her gaze returned to Richard again.

"And I thought you had a spine." She said and just pushed her way out between the two.

That was the most destructive force the people in this room experienced and it felt like the world was shaking in their heads. More importantly, the usual calmness on Richard's face disappeared and his face was hideously red with anger as many veins started to pop up.

He looked like a demon without the horns and his eyes were turning bloodshot red. This hideous appearance wasn't kept for long as Matilda held Richard's arm right out of the blue.

"Lord Richard, are you alright?" She asked with a soft voice and Richard responded immediately.

"I am sorry." He said as he turned his face away.

In mere seconds, his face turned natural and he could breathe again.

"I've shown you something… unsightly." Richard said.

"Don't apologize, my Lord." Matilda said and looked at Edmond.

"Lord Edmond, you're alright?" She asked.

"I am." He nodded and sat back, "It seems that my sister has done something troublesome."

"That was Lady Edith?" Matilda asked, "I am sorry, I… I must have upset her."

"Don't worry." "Don't apologize."

Edmond and Richard replied at the same before they exchanged unpleasant looks with each other.

"That was Lady Edith walking out?"

But at this time, another voice broke the awkwardness.

"My Prince." Matilda bowed slightly to the Prince and backed off his way to let him enter Edmond's room.

"Yes, your Highness. My sister did something bothersome." Edmond bowed with an apologetic voice.

"So did mine." The Prince replied, "And his."

Behind the Prince, Robert Moore walked in. He seemed to have traveled to the academy right after Vivian left with the Princess to the royal palace.

"Yes, I have a rough idea of what happened." Edmond said, "I was short-sighted and my apology isn't enough."

"Don't start it." Prince Liam waved his hands.

"Did something bad happen?" Matilda asked with a concerned face.

"Yes." The Prince replied and smiled wryly, "I am afraid when Edmond sent his sister Edith to house Moore in order to finalize the interrogation with Vivian, my sister Charlotte interfered and shifted the problem towards the Garden of Moon Lilies."

"What happened to the Garden?" Matilda asked with a shaky tone.

"I wanted to prepare it for your visit to the Palace and prohibited access to it while the gardeners would add a few touches to it. But my sister seemed to have claimed that this garden was her duty or something as it was passed down to her by our grandmother. Honestly, I never knew she had any attachment to the garden." Prince Liam said with a shrug.

"Then she must have been very sad if you prohibited her from entering." Matilda said.

"I need to look into the situation later but from what we learned, Vivian Moore was the one who helped my sister reclaim the garden. Lady Edith seemed to have witnessed the situation too and it got her to sympathize with Vivian." The Prince added.

"But we should be thankful to Lady Vivian since she made us avoid a big grievance with Her Highness the Princess." Matilda said.

"You really only see the best in people, my Lady." Robert Moore spoke.

"That she does… maybe too well." Prince Liam agreed, "For now, let's focus on our studies."

"Yes, your Highness." "Yes, my Prince."

Matilda, Robert, and Richard dispersed from the room per the Prince's suggestion. Meanwhile, the Prince walked to Edmond and didn't look at him but one can't see his displeasure.

"Fix this."

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Please show some Love ❤️, Comment 💬, and Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

You can also read the early chapters on P🅰️treon & Join Discord! 🔗 https://linktr.ee/donovel