Summoned by a Pretend Villainess

22. Not yet.

"Your Majesty, these are the reports from Sir Ares and the commanders who investigated the missing stones at the Omun province."

Sir Gideon Gallier placed the stacked documents on the table of the king, who was currently standing by the window and looking out at the night sky.

In his years of being an attendant to the king, even when he was still the crowned prince, he noticed that the king had that habit.

Looking outside the window while wallowing in his own thoughts.

Whenever he would see him like that, he could tell he was troubled.

Gideon stood still on his spot and waited for the king to break out from his reverie. When His Majesty sighed deeply, he knew it was over.

The king walked and sat on his chair. He held the papers and scanned their content.

"No traces of magic?" He asked afterward.

"Yes, your Majesty," Gideon answered. "The archmage personally ran a test for mana detection, but unfortunately, there were no traces that magic was used."

"How about the crimson leaves? Is there something more to it?"

"No, your Majesty. Sir Ares said it was just normal leaves."

Gideon remembered the box of red leaves he saw at the Magus Tower when he stopped by to collect the Archmage's findings.

It was funny that those mere leaves were once a demon, but when he heard it was brought by the Grand Duke himself. He knew there was no room for doubt.

The king nodded and continued reading the papers. But Gideon could tell his mind wasn't on the documents already.

He could perceive where His Majesty's mind was off to.

After Grand Duke De Adri and Marquess Vandross came to report, the king had fallen into deep thoughts.

He was present during the meeting, so he somehow had an idea of what was bothering him.

"Would you like me to send an official summon to Lady Vandross?" Gideon ended up asking.

The king was silent for a while. He scanned the papers once again, but only put them down in the end.

"Lady Vandross...We can't continue calling her by that name anymore. Send a letter to Kyden, tell him to...ask the lady that if she intends to stay in the empire, she should get registered on the empire's Civil Registry."

"Yes, your Majesty." Gideon bowed and left the room.

It was already late in the night. The passing breezes of the wind through the open large windows of the hallways are already cold, despite the season being just mid-summer.

The attendant hurried on his steps, afraid that the night portman would be no longer at his post.

After his attendant left, Renvillon stared at the pile of scrolls and documents on his side table. Once again, his thoughts wandered to what the Grand Duke told him.

After the meeting with the two commanders, the marquess left and the Grand Duke remained. And his purpose was to inform him of a confidential matter.

To which involved the lady of the prophecy again.

She was no longer the eldest daughter of the Vandross Marquessate, yet she also managed to wield dark magic.

On top of that, the Grand Duke said it was the first high priest himself who brought the lady back to the empire.

And he can't help but suspect that it has something to do with the prophecy. His intuition as the king of his empire is giving him a bad feeling. So, if the high priest sent the lady, then he must keep her here.