Xo Novel
Chapter 269 An Explanation To The Public
Chapter 269 An Explanation To The Public
Ethan's POV:
When I heard the soldier's report, my heart sank. I really didn't think that this issue would escalate beyond my control.
As Sylvia had said, I believed that although Rufus was aloof, he would never allow himself to go crazy in front of others, let alone kill an innocent child.
Besides, there was still a week left before the next full moon. The curse had never taken effect so early before... Normally, there would be some signs before the curse attacked, and Rufus would lock himself before the attack to prevent harming anyone.
So Rufus' sudden outburst was very strange.
And truth be told, I was quite suspicious of Richard. His explanation was nowhere near convincing. He was my son after all. I could tell at a glance whether he was lying or not. And right now, he was too fidgety and nervous. The more anxious he was to hide something, the more guilty he seemed.
As for Lucy, I couldn't see her through as easily. Her tears might be real, but I didn't know how true her words were.
I had planned to go over the whole thing after I went back to the palace, but now that a child's corpse had turned up, the public was aggravated. This belongs to NôvelDrama.Org: ©.
It could've been easier to deal with private family affairs, but when the public was involved, things would be difficult and uncontrollable. One wrong move and I would be accused of covering up the crimes of my family.
In this particular case, if I couldn't prove that the child wasn't killed by Rufus, even if I managed to spare Rufus' life, I would have to imprison him for the rest of his life to appease the public.
"The child wasn't killed by Prince Rufus!" Sylvia was so anxious that she tried to stand up, but her legs buckled and she immediately fell. "Your Majesty, please find out the truth! I followed Prince Rufus' footprints all the way here, but I didn't come across any signs of the child's corpse."
"How convincing," Richard spat sarcastically, holding his chin up arrogantly. He had let go of Lucy and walked towards Sylvia, chest puffed out like a fighting cock. "Do you really think you can protect Rufus? A life for a life. Even though Rufus is a prince, he's no exception to that rule. Evenathree- year-oldchildknowsthis.Don'tyou?" Richard's arrogance was unacceptable. I shot him a glare in the hopes of shutting him up, but he didn't seem to notice and continued to berate Sylvia.
"Just who do you think you are? You're just Rufus' sex slave. It was thanks to him that you even entered the Royal Military School in the first place. Do you think you have the right to interfere in the lycan king's decision?" Hearing Richard's elitist sentiments, my frown deepened. I stepped forward to stop him, but then Sylvia spoke first.
"Did you see Prince Rufus kill that child with your own eyes? If not, just shut your loud mouth." Sylvia looked at Richard seriously. "Do you have the evidence to back up your claim? You're a prince too, remember? You have to set an example for the public instead of slandering your own brother. I might be a mere slave, but I know this. Don't you, Prince Richard?"
I sighed silently, knowing that Rufus had found a good mate who was willing to protect him to the end.
But as his father, it looked as though I wouldn't be able to protect my own son. A sense of sadness began to creep into my heart.
"Your Majesty, what should we do about the angry mob?" the soldier asked furtively.
Only then did I come to my senses. Looking at the unconscious Rufus, I made up my mind and ordered coldly, "Arrest Prince Rufus. Anyone who resists my decision will also be arrested."
Sylvia looked at me silently but didn't say anything. She seemed ready to submit.
Unexpectedly, just as we dropped our guard, Sylvia suddenly transformed into a wolf and leapt past the crowd with Rufus on her back, disappearing in the forest.