153 Blunder of House Ainsworth (1/2)
”THIS IS the last time I'm going to ask you, Mr. Knight,” Luna said in a calm but menacing tone, her pink eyes glowing– making her look intimidating at the moment. ”Why does Captain Ainsworth want me dead?”
She was still in the dark alley but this time, the knights who blocked the exits were all dead.
The only one she left alive was the guy who seemed to be the leader.
And the leader in question was floating in front of her right now. He had both of his hands wrapped on his neck as if he was trying to get rid of the invisible thing that was currently choking him. But of course, it was all in vain.
”If you want to live, you better open your damn mouth, son,” she warned him. ”Your foolish loyalty to your captain won't save you.”
”C-Captain…”
She snapped her fingers when she was certain that the knight would talk now. As soon as she did, the knight plopped on the ground while catching his breath.
”Now, talk,” she said, then she squatted in front of the knight to match his eye level. She also pinched his chin and forced him to face her properly. ”You trailed me because I was spreading the prophecy you claim as false. Then, you tried to kill me. What would Captain Ainsworth gain by getting me killed? Wouldn't it benefit his family if that rumor spread in the whole empire since House Ainsworth is the head of the Noble Faction…”
She trailed-off when she realized that she just answered her own question.
If House Ainsworth was still in the Noble Faction, he would have grabbed the opportunity to use the false prophecy against the royal family. But if he ordered to kill her to stop the rumor from spreading, then it could only mean one thing.
House Ainsworth has switched sides!
”The c-child of the p-prophecy belongs to H-His Majesty,” the knight said in a trembling voice. She could see the fear in his eyes. The poor guy was probably traumatized after seeing his men get killed in less than a minute. ”C-Captain Ainsworth doesn't w-want p-people to think o-otherwise…”
”Thank you for confirming my thoughts,” she said with a smile, then she closed her hand tight. ”Rest in peace, Mr. Knight.”
The knight's eyes widened, then he dropped on the ground…
… dead.
Well, she said that she would let him live if she answered her question. But she answered her own question anyway, so the deal was off. But to be honest, she didn't have the intention to show mercy to the person who tried to kill her.
She wouldn't have lived that long if she was a good person.
Anyway, we have a big problem.
Luna stood up and tapped her earring-slash-communication device twice to contact the duchess. ”Lady Nystrom, our plan has failed,” she reported right away. ”House Ainsworth is now on His Majesty's side.”
***
”HOUSE Ainsworth is now on His Majesty's side.”
In her past life, she remembered Captain Ainsworth opposing Winter's position as His Majesty's heir apparent. The captain even tried to stop Princess Nia's return. Needless to say, House Ainsworth was a thorn to the emperor's neck during her first life.
”Are you okay, Miss Luna?” Tilly asked worriedly. ”Are you okay?”
”A troop of Golden Tiger Knights tried to kill me,” Luna said. She was worried but the tone of the witch suggested that she was unharmed. ”But I'm fine, Your Grace. No scratch or whatever.”
”That's a relief, Miss Luna.”
”Thank you for worrying about me, Lady Nystrom,” the witch said. ”Anyway, the leader of the knights said that the according to Captain Ainsworth, the child of the prophecy belongs to the emperor.”
”The hell?” she complained, annoyed that some bastards were treating her son like a mere object that ”belonged” to the damned emperor.
”I know, right?” the witch said, obviously sharing her sentiments. ”The leader also said that Captain Ainsworth doesn't want people to think otherwise. And so, they tried to kill me.”
”I don't understand why Captain Ainsworth suddenly decided to take the emperor's side,” she said, frustrated. Then, she leaned against the sink behind her. ”In my past life, House Ainsworth hated the royal family.”
”Your Grace, do you know why Captain Ainsworth opposed His Majesty in your past life?”
Because of the witch's question, she remembered a rumor that circulated before about the grudge of House Ainsworth towards the royal family.
”I think it has something to do with House Ainsworth's ”treasure” that the royal family apparently stole from them,” she said to the witch. ”Unfortunately, I never found out what that treasure was.”
Luna fell silent for a few seconds before she spoke again. ”I have a feeling that the treasure stolen from House Ainsworth was the Golden Tiger.”
Her eyes widened in shock. ”The Golden Tiger? Why do you think so, Miss Luna?”
”The name of the Golden Tiger is Ainsworth,” the witch explained. ”The first descendant of the Golden Tiger used his first name as their family name in honor of him. Long story short, the Ainsworths of this generation are descendants of the Golden Tiger. But many years ago, the royal family somehow got a hold of the Ancient Beasts. That could be the reason why House Ainsworth had a grudge against the royal family.”
She paused for a while when she fell into a deep thinking.
And then, it finally clicked.
”If House Ainsworth switched to the emperor's side, then it could only mean one thing: their grudge against the royal family is now gone,” she concluded. ”And if I were Captain Ainsworth, I would only forgive His Majesty if he returned the Golden Tiger to my family.”
”Exactly, Your Grace,” Luna said. ”Now it makes sense as to why the Golden Tiger himself appeared the day Captain Denver and I were attacked. The previous emperors never released the Golden Tiger in his human form. Just like Lord Wixx's physical body, the other gods were locked up in a place that only the emperors know about. So if the current emperor released the Golden Tiger's physical body in this era, that could only mean that His Majesty has indeed returned the god to House Ainsworth.”
She scoffed. For some reason, she felt bitter after hearing that. ”They're supposed to be gods. Why do they blindly follow a mere human like His Majesty?”
She heard the witch laugh softly on the other line. ”I don't know about the other gods but I assure you that at least, the Red Phoenix wouldn't follow the emperor.”
”I'll literally roast the fossil if he obeys His Majesty.”
Luna laughed loudly this time. ”He'd rather kill himself than to obey the emperor, Your Grace.”
She was about to say something when David, the head butler, knocked and said something urgent came up. When she let the head butler enter the kitchen, she immediately got worried when she saw the worried look on his face. ”What's wrong, David?”
”Your Grace, a strange man who claims himself as a messenger from House Ainsworth came and asked to meet you,” David said. ”I don't know why but I feel like he's dangerous. I tried to ask him to leave but he refused. The knights couldn't even stand in his presence.”
Okay, that made her worry.
”Your Grace,” Luna said, still on the other line. The witch definitely heard what the head butler said. ”Can you ask Mr. David to describe the man?”
”David, can you describe the guest?” she said, just like what the witch asked her to do.
”The guest has a striking golden hair and a nasty scar on his face,” the head butler said. ”He has tanned skin and a huge built.”
Luna gasped from the other line. ”That's the Golden Tiger, Your Grace.”
”I'll face him,” she said. ”Miss Luna, I'll talk to you later. Be careful on your way home.”
Before the witch could respond, she already hanged up on her.
”David, please tell the guest to wait in the garden,” she said. ”Treat him properly.”
”Are you sure, my lady?” the head butler asked worriedly. ”Duke Nystrom isn't here…”
She was quite offended.
But she had to remind herself that in this world, people still think that women couldn't protect themselves without their spouses. Plus, she wanted to think that David was just worried about her because she just gave birth to Winter.