* * *
There were countless things the Crown Prince wanted to ask Joel once he woke up: why he hid the pregnancy, and what he planned to do after keeping the pregnancy a secret.
Was Joel perhaps considering an abortion?
He wanted to believe that Joel, despite being foolish and mean, was far from cruel and would not entertain such a horrible thought about his own child, but that too was unknown until he heard the truth from Joel’s lips.
[That’s right, I forgot to mention it, but I should tell you now. I won’t be following Your Highness around anymore.]
[Why so suddenly?]
[I don’t like Your Highness very much anymore.]
The Crown Prince suddenly remembered that Joel had started acting as if his feelings had cooled since the night they spent in the forest.
He had always dismissed Joel’s words that he would no longer like him, but now the thought that those words might have been completely sincere made his heart pound with fear.
Just as he was waiting anxiously, the 4th Knights came out of Baron Bennet’s manor.
From a distance, they looked to be safe.
The Crown Prince, who was watching them from the hillside, felt a slight relief.
Behind the 4th Knights, who were crossing the swamp in a boat, Baron Bennet and the tenants could be seen lining up at the dock to receive the Crown Prince.
Abe, who quickly rushed up the hillside where the Crown Prince was waiting, knelt before him.
“How was it? Do you think it will be safe to bring Joel there?”
“Yes, according to our investigation, there was fortunately no trace of a revolt. However…”
“However?”
“We regrettably missed the preacher John.”
“Missed him? Do you mean he ran away?”
“Yes, after pressing Baron Bennet and going to the bedroom where the preacher John was staying, the bed was already empty. We later spotted a suspicious boat crossing the swamp, but we judged that pursuing it was impossible in the current situation and gave up the chase. I apologize.”
The Crown Prince felt a sense of hollow dismay mixed with surprise that the preacher John, who had been acting so suspiciously, had fled with his tail between his legs, but he thought it might be a relief in the current situation where they didn’t have enough troops.
He commanded, “No, you did well. The troops sent by Count Grey will arrive soon, so leave the search to them. For now, move Joel.”
He hurried his steps toward the carriage where Joel lay.
The 4th Knights loaded Joel onto a stretcher and headed towards Baron Bennet’s manor.
As the boat carrying the Crown Prince’s party arrived at the dock, Baron Bennet, who had been waiting for him, immediately prostrated himself on the ground to beg forgiveness for failing to properly govern his territory—but upon spotting his son carried on a stretcher, he turned pale and ran over, forgetting to observe proper etiquette.
He even forgot he was in the Crown Prince’s presence and demanded an explanation from Robert as to why his son was being carried in such a dying state.
“Baron Bennet, as I told you earlier, there was an attack last night. And Lord Joel was injured in that attack. I understand your concern for your son, but Your Lordship will first need to cooperate with the investigation.”
It was Abe who stepped forward to restrain Baron Bennet.
Baron Bennet exclaimed with an aggrieved expression.
“Sir, I have told you repeatedly! I truly did not order the attack. An attack, you say—I didn’t even know such a thing occurred! Would I be mad enough to try to kill His Imperial Highness and my son? Is my son, is our Joel, going to be alright?”
“If you want a detailed explanation regarding your son, you must follow me.”
Since it was initially revealed that Baron Bennet was not involved in a revolt, it was now time to interrogate Baron Bennet about last night’s attack and the preacher John.
Since the Crown Prince had ordered them to treat Baron Bennet with respect, Abe politely escorted Baron Bennet to the interrogation room.
The members of the 4th Knights followed Robert’s guidance and carried Joel into his room and laid him on the bed.
Joel’s room was being kept clean, just as it was before he left the estate.
The uncreased bedding, the display cabinet and various furniture that showed no signs of accumulated dust—all proved how devotedly Baron Bennet and the Bennet household staff had been looking after the place Joel had left.
The sight of the well-maintained room supported Baron Bennet’s desperate cry that he would never kill his son, but in truth, since the attacker last night was strictly aiming to kill Benjamin, not Joel, it was insufficient to prove Baron Bennet’s complete innocence.
Even after laying Joel down on the bed, the Crown Prince allowed Abe to continue interrogating Baron Bennet.
Of course, the decision to cover up the attack remained unchanged.
If this incident were to be made public, Baron Bennet would never be able to evade his responsibility as the Lord, whether he orchestrated the attack or not.
He would be executed for treason, and that would interfere with the Crown Prince’s plan to marry Joel.
The Crown Prince, Carlyle, did not want that.
He was simply curious about the truth.
Who was truly behind last night’s attack, and what was the identity of this person called the preacher John?
Knight Commander Abe of the 4th Knights had never disappointed him, so he would surely return with a satisfactory result from the investigation.
The Crown Prince waited for Abe’s report with a complicated heart.
After a full half-day passed, Joel still hadn’t opened his eyes.
“How is Joel?”
The Crown Prince, who was holding Joel’s hand and staying by his side, asked Robert in an anxious tone.
It was precisely the thirty-third time he had asked.
For the thirty-third time, Robert informed him of Joel’s condition, saying, “His condition has stabilized significantly, but he has not yet regained consciousness. It seems the fatigue accumulated from traveling a long distance in the carriage is preventing him from waking up.”
“Hoo.”
The Crown Prince leaned back in his chair and let out a deep sigh.
“He will open his eyes by tomorrow at the latest. Please do not worry too much, Your Highness.”
Robert offered the Crown Prince this reassurance, but he knew that no comfort could soothe the Crown Prince other than Joel opening his eyes.
In the somber atmosphere, someone knocked on the door.
The visitor was Knight Commander Abe.
The interrogation had taken quite a long time if it had continued from early morning until the outside became dark.
The long time had flown by like an arrow, as the Crown Prince was only waiting for Joel to open his eyes.
In any case, the Crown Prince looked at Abe, who had approached and knelt before him, expecting to finally unravel the clue to this situation.
“Your Highness, I apologize for the late report.”
“It’s alright. So, who was the mastermind behind last night’s attack? And what is the identity of this preacher John?”
“That is… well, based on various circumstances, the person who instigated last night’s attack is presumed to be this preacher John. Baron Bennet has maintained a regular lifestyle, going to bed at 9 PM and waking up at 4 AM, and there was testimony that the preacher John secretly contacted the tenants after Baron Bennet went to sleep last night. The tenants the preacher John contacted were found to match the identities of the deceased attackers.”
“That is at least a relief.”
If Baron Bennet was not involved in the attack, the matter could be buried here.
As the Crown Prince sighed in relief, Abe hesitated and then spoke.
“…However, Your Highness. The problem is that Baron Bennet is still actively defending the preacher John.”
“What?”
How could Baron Bennet defend the preacher John when his own beloved son was nearly killed in the attack?
As the Crown Prince asked in disbelief, Abe continued with a face that showed he himself couldn’t understand it.
“Baron Bennet firmly believes that the preacher John is a great saint unlike any in history and a true leader who is enlightened on all truths and principles. He says that the preacher John could not have orchestrated a petty act like an attack. He repeated the phrase, ‘Preacher John is truly a great sage,’ several times even during the interrogation.”
Abe recalled Baron Bennet’s appearance during the interrogation.
In fact, when speaking about the preacher John, there was something strange about Baron Bennet’s eyes.
There was no sharpness in his eyes; they were eerily shining only with blind faith.
Abe, who had been in charge of handling cults, could tell at a glance that Baron Bennet had been thoroughly brainwashed.
After Abe finished reporting on Baron Bennet’s condition, the Crown Prince murmured anxiously, “He has been completely brainwashed. If Baron Bennet is like this, we may need to reconsider whether it’s okay to entrust him with the territory.”
Abe, who had to coax and persuade Baron Bennet for a long, twelve-hour period to obtain a statement, expressed his agreement in a weary tone, “Honestly, I concur.”
* * *
