NOVEL WEB Chapter 374: So, Lilith Is a Sensible Fangirl?
How Lilith intended to deal with Canlat was outside of Alice's knowledge. Alice guessed that Canlat's fate would probably depend on Lilith's mood. If Lilith was in a bad mood, she might just execute him and be done with him. If she was in a good mood, she might find a spirit magician to erase his memories and release him.
Lilith was already made aware of the "Scar Eating Bone" hidden in Canlat's finger. So long as she had that bone removed, any capable spirit magician would have no trouble erasing Canlat's memories of today's interrogation. In that case, Canlat would only be missing out on a day's work and lose a fingerbone, which was a much better outcome than losing his life.
However, going by Lilith's current expression, it didn't seem like she was in a good mood. It also wasn't a surprise that she was in a bad mood. After all, she had just learned that her close acquaintance, the royal guard captain, was planning to overthrow her father. How could she be in a good mood after learning about such a thing?
Of course, Alice had the option of telling Lilith that Gunst wasn't actually planning a rebellion and he was moving according to her father's instructions all this time. Alice could also tell Lilith that the mastermind was her father in reality and that he was aiming for the Demon King's strength. Hence, he used "snatching the throne" as bait to try and lure a large number of demons into the Rhine Kingdom.
However, if Alice revealed all of these things, Lilith's mood would probably worsen even more. At that time, a swift death would probably be the best outcome Canlat could hope for. Otherwise, who knew what kind of tortures Lilith would put him through?
Hence, for Canlat's safety, Alice chose to keep her mouth shut.
"Since this is an internal affair of the Rhine Kingdom, let me be the one to conduct the final investigation," Lilith said to Alice after seeing Canlat dragged off by her subordinates, her expression looking somewhat ugly. It was obvious that this revelation had dealt a significant mental blow to her. "You are a citizen of the Gryffin Kingdom and the Hero, after all, Alice. It won't be as convenient for you to investigate Gunst."
It is indeed an inconvenience. You have no idea how much trouble I had to go through to investigate you and your siblings. I had to do everything by myself.
Although Alice wanted to vent her frustration, she knew that should she reveal that she had investigated Lilith and her royal siblings, there was a high chance Lilith would explode in rage on the spot. So, Alice swallowed her frustration and nodded in agreement to Lilith's arrangement.
Of course, while Alice hoped Lilith would realize King Haydn's involvement in this matter and investigate him, she didn't plan to pin all of her hopes on Lilith. She would still be investigating King Haydn herself in the meantime. After all, King Haydn was one of the most powerful people in the human realm. Even if Lilith were to investigate him, it was unlikely she could come up with any useful information.
"That's it for now, then… Let me be alone for a while."
Lilith sighed and shook her head. She did not leave the interrogation room immediately. Instead, she remained seated in her chair with her head lowered.
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Alice wanted to say something when she saw Lilith's dejected behavior, but she had no idea what she should say. Then, she noticed Sylvia, who sat in the corner of the room, waving at her and pointing at the door. Evidently, Sylvia had something she wanted to say to her outside.
Seeing this, Alice nodded and stood up from her seat. Then, she quietly followed Sylvia out of the interrogation room and gently closed the door on her way out.
"Lilith looks like she's in a terrible mood. Is she close with that Gunst fellow?" Alice asked, finally daring to speak in her normal tone after ensuring the door behind her was closed.
"Yes, they are quite close. Her Highness has always regarded Lord Gunst as her idol," Sylvia said, a hint of helplessness in her voice. "Her Highness has known Lord Gunst since she was a child. At the time, Lord Gunst was only a young 20-year-old and an ordinary member of the royal guards. Although he was much stronger than the average magician and magic warrior, he wasn't particularly special among the royal guards.
"Her Highness has had a great interest in magic and swordsmanship since young. As it so happened, Lord Gunst's swordsmanship was one of the most elegant of the royal guards, so he instantly attracted Her Highness's attention. As a result, Her Highness would often pester Lord Gunst to teach her magic and swordsmanship. Lord Gunst did not hide any of his trades, either. However, as Her Highness's talent was only slightly better than the average person, she faced great difficulty in learning Lord Gunst's abilities."
After speaking up to this point, Sylvia revealed a helpless smile and continued, "Simply put, Lord Gunst is both a friend and a teacher to Her Highness. Her Highness has watched Lord Gunst go from being an ordinary soldier in the royal guards into becoming the royal guard captain across a period of more than a decade. This is quite the legendary feat, and Her Highness was a witness to this legend's birth. As a result, she has always regarded Lord Gunst as an idol and an elder brother."
"So, Lilith is currently feeling down because she thinks the image of her idol has collapsed?"
After listening to this point, Alice could more or less understand why Lilith was behaving so dejectedly. She had regarded Gunst as a friend, a teacher, and an idol. Yet, she was suddenly told that such an important person in her life was planning to betray the kingdom and overthrow her father. Anybody would feel upset if they were put in Lilith's shoes—even if Gunst wasn't actually planning a rebellion in reality.
"That's right. Her Highness must be feeling very upset right now. To make matters worse, she even has to personally search for evidence of Lord Gunst's betrayal," Sylvia said, feeling a little worry for Lilith. Fortunately, Lilith was a sensible fangirl who wouldn't unconditionally defend her idol. Otherwise, Sylvia would be the one feeling sad and upset right now. Then, Sylvia looked at Alice and continued, "Your Highness, if you have a way, please help console Her Highness. Throughout this period, the only times I have seen Her Highness feeling happy are when she interacts with you."
Of course, she'll be happy. It's because I gave her a one-of-a-kind figurine. Alice mentally rolled her eyes at Sylvia's comment. She also couldn't help but feel a little troubled by Sylvia's request. She naturally wanted to console Lilith. However, she had managed to make Lilith happy previously because she had given Andusia to her. So, how was she supposed to make Lilith happy this time? Give the girl another figurine? Wouldn't that mean she'd have to get another block of Living Wood from the treants?
The treant elder had already grown suspicious of her after she asked for a block of Living Wood previously. If she tried to ask for another one, the treants would immediately realize that they had been tricked, and it'd be terrible if she ended up angering them. After all, a quiet guy could do anything when cornered. Meanwhile, the treants were a group of quiet people.
"I… I'll try to think of something."
Although Alice knew there was no way she could get her hands on another figurine, she had no choice but to sigh and agree to Sylvia's request. After all, she didn't hope for Lilith to stay in such a state. Otherwise, Lilith would be even more shocked once she realized Gunst wasn't planning a rebellion.