Emperor's Reckoning

Graff stood firmly while he answered her question, "This humble self was going to the carriage lodging in the mansion and ordered the two guards lady Biane are most familiar with to pick misses up."

(So he knew about the two guards then) thought Clemora as she contemplated before she asked, "Then when we first arrived, why didn't you inquire about their whereabouts?"

Biane tensed up since this was what they were wondering, in these crucial times the enemies might be right under their nose. Even though Graff could be a traitor, she still hoped that he was not. (C'mon Graff don't let it be you).

Since her father was not around much, it was Graff that would spend time with her when she was a kid.

Graff calmly answered with a smile on his face, "Yes, I didn't ask about them since I saw sir Lyon and lady Clemora was in the driving seat together. It would be unbecoming of me to ask such mundane matter at the time."

Clemora evidently had a blush on her cheeks, before shaking her head. (I need to focus at the matter at hand right now).

Biane, on the other hand, had a sigh of relief. In her mind, Graff was already clean with his answer. "Thank you, Graff," said Biane with a smile.

The head butler stood with a confused face. before saying, "I didn't do anything, m'lady."

Biane shook her head, "Hmm, you did something alright."

Clemora fell silent as she watched her sister. By far, from her two questions, Graff proved himself to be innocent, unless if he was that good in acting.

Biane averted her gaze to her little sister, "I guess that's it huh."

Clemora could not refute her and could only nod with a sigh in the end. She lacked the proof to prove that he was innocent nor he was not.

"I'm sorry, with my inferior knowledge I'm incapable of following the conversation," apologized Graff politely.

"No, no it's not your fault at all. You see, we have been through a lot on the way back home," sighed Biane. She glanced at the sleeping young man, "If it's wasn't for him, we might not make it back."

Graff suddenly tensed up as he heard what she said, "Oh my, what happened?"

"We were betrayed by the two guards you sent, they led us to a place where a group of assassins would ambush us," answered Clemora in her sister stead.

*thump

Graff kowtowed as he said, "Forgive this lowly self as he put danger instead of comfort to his masters. Please punish me as you please!"

Biane immediately propped him up as she said, "Don't worry it's not your fault, you wouldn't know that this will happen," she sighed as the gloomy expression was growing on her face before speaking in a soft voice, "It wasn't theirs either."

Before Graff could react, Clemora cut in, "They were threatened to do that by someone, somebody was eager to send us to the next life."

"Oh! Tell me m'lady! Tell me who would dare to take your life, I will finish them myself!" said Graff with conviction his eyes.

Clemora sighed, "We don't know who the person was behind it, that's why we need your help to figure it out."

"Yes, m' lady I will provide as much help as I can," answered Graff to her request.

Clemora nodded but inwardly cautious. Unlike her naive older sister, she was being critical in this situation.

With a sigh, Biane said, "The person behind it is most likely from the royal family, probably one of the candidates that seek to be the next ruler."

"Since we are under Princess Aelina's banner, we can easily cross her off the list. There is no way she would antagonize her own subordinate," said Clemora as she took a drink from a glass nearby.

"I see, then it must be the other candidates, Prince Weiss, Princess Chloe, and Prince Frey," said Graff while contemplating.

"Well, we don't know their personality first hand since all they showed could be just a facade," sighed Clemora.

"I'm sure m' lady would find the culprit, but without any clues, this discussion would bore no fruit,"

Graff words made a sense to them both before continuing, "Why not enjoy the banquet tonight, m'lady might get some clues there, after all, I heard that all the candidates would be there too."

Clemora's eyes turned sharp as she questioned, "How do you know about the banquet?"

"Ah, the Lord told me to prepare the carriage for you two for tonight, that's why I was late for Sir Lyon's summon," said Graff with an apologetic tone.

Both of the ladies tensed up, "When did he tell you?" Biane immediately asked.

"It was before when m'lady arrived," said Graff.

Biane breath a sigh of relief while Clemora asked, "Then do you know when did our house get the invitation for the said banquet?"

"I believe it was this morning that the letter came m' lady."

Clemora contemplated in deep thought. (Is it a coincidence that a banquet held tonight just as we arrived back home on the same day? Or is it the mastermind's plan? If the latter, then he or she knows that we are still alive, the next question would be... how? or who tells the mastermind?).

A lot of possibilities were running through her brain as she selectively eliminated the suspects in her mind one by one.

"Excuse me m'lady, but where is the Lord? Since there was an earthquake just now, I presume the Lord would immediately look for this humble self to do some clean up with the maids," asked Graff to Biane. Since the living room was tattered in shambles, he couldn't help but ask.

Biane was confused as to tell him the truth or not. "Ah, well, he was going back to his room, I think? Yeah, I think he did," said Biane as she nodded with closed eyes.

"Ah, I see, if m'lady will excuse me then," Graff bowed before heading toward her father's room.

(Oh no, I need to distract him) thought Biane. "Uh, Graff can you noticed the two guards' family?"

Graff turned to face Biane as he said with a bow, "Certainly m'lady, though they betrayed us, they were threatened after all, I will notify their family about their death. Don't worry m'lady, when we discovered the identity of the cloaked person, I will personally choked him to death for playing with their' lives."

Clemora's eyes opened wide as she pointed at Graff, "You.. what did you just say?!"