Volume 1 Chapter 146.2

Volume 1 + Chapter 146.2: Let Nature Take Its Course

This left Chancelianne momentarily stunned, the expression on her face instantly turning puzzled. She fixed her sharp gaze on Eve, her brow lifting slightly—clearly, she had not anticipated such a response.

“Why?”

Chancelianne asked instinctively, her voice tinged with urgency and confusion.

At present, the most pressing task was obviously to ensure that the secret of His Majesty’s death did not leak out, to strictly control every possible rumor.

Yet Eve seemed in no hurry to take action at all, which naturally raised doubts in her mind.

Why allow such sensitive information to circulate in the imperial capital?

“If we rashly arrest him now, it would instead make us look overly anxious—almost like we’re trying to cover something up.”

Eve spoke slowly, her tone calm and unhurried. “Let me ask you this—aside from us, who else actually knows this news?”

She turned slightly, directing her gaze toward Chancelianne and the young maid beside her. At that moment, both Chancelianne and the maid wore expressions of unconcealed tension and anxiety.

Something about the situation clearly felt off. Chancelianne’s sense of vigilance gradually rose. She understood very well that at times like this, remaining calm was essential—panic would only expose flaws. Right now, she knew she had to steady herself to avoid unnecessary trouble.

“At present, throughout the entire Empire, those who know of His Majesty’s death and are still able to move freely are probably only the three of us—plus Princess Alice,” the young maid reminded softly, her tone cautious and restrained. “The news of His Majesty’s passing has been sealed extremely tightly. Very few people know.”

Eve smiled faintly, a trace of helplessness in her eyes. “Then there’s no need to worry.”

She continued lightly, “Tell me—if a beggar stands in the streets of the imperial capital spouting nonsense, how do you think others will see it?”

Her words were calm yet decisive, as though everything had already been foreseen.

Hearing Eve’s explanation, Chancelianne suddenly understood. She nodded slightly, finally grasping that the best disguise was to change nothing at all. Whether before or after His Majesty’s death, maintaining a normal attitude and behaving as usual would make people overlook details that shouldn’t draw attention.

After all, it was certain that only the few of them knew the truth. The remaining informed individuals had essentially all been placed under strict house arrest, unable to act in any way. This alone demonstrated how airtight the information blockade was—almost no one could catch even the slightest hint.

“Everyone else will naturally take him for a lunatic,” Eve said casually, her tone relaxed. “After all, if he babbles nonsense in the streets of the imperial capital, everyone will think he’s mad.”

She continued evenly, “And those completely uninformed—the Imperial Knight Order and the Imperial Tribunal—will naturally conclude that he’s insane and dispatch people to arrest him.”

A glint of coldness flashed through her eyes as she added slowly, “As long as we firmly insist that His Majesty is still on a friendly diplomatic visit, who would dare take a beggar’s ravings seriously?” Her tone was flat, yet carried unquestionable authority.

These words sparked inspiration in the young maid. She realized that if she handled the matter this way, the effect would indeed be very different.

Although she did not know where this beggar came from or how he had obtained such information, one thing was clear, he and whoever stood behind him, most likely had not truly confirmed whether His Majesty was dead.

Therefore, as long as the situation was handled according to standard procedures, it could be dealt with smoothly.

Eve’s words were calm and rational, utterly devoid of panic.

“I understand,” the young maid nodded, determination flashing in her eyes. “We’ll leave this to the Imperial Knight Order responsible for palace security, and the Imperial Tribunal tasked with maintaining public order, to handle it according to protocol. That way, everything can proceed in an orderly manner.”

She paused before adding, “If we treat it simply as a case of provoking trouble, there’s no risk of drawing unnecessary attention.”

After saying this, she couldn’t help glancing at Eve, gratitude and respect evident in her eyes.

After all, the idea of labeling it as “provoking trouble” had originally come from Miss Eve.

It was a charge personally signed into the Empire’s legal code by His Majesty himself, added as an effective tool for dealing with precisely these kinds of situations.

She knew very well that this single charge had made countless ill-intentioned individuals tread carefully under imperial rule.

Because its criteria were extremely flexible—any action deemed harmful to the Empire could be classified as provocation and dealt with accordingly.

She still remembered clearly that the first person charged under this law had been the young master of the Reynolds family. That scene remained vivid in her memory, a landmark event in the history of imperial law.

“Act naturally. Has His Majesty passed away? No. He’s merely on a friendly diplomatic visit. According to the itinerary, he should be preparing to visit the Bellflower Empire right now.”

Chancelianne cleared her throat and deliberately raised her voice slightly, making it clear and resonant, as if reminding those present—making it easier for them to accept this surface-level explanation.

Her tone was steady yet emphasized, clearly intended to reassure everyone present.

However, upon hearing Chancelianne’s words, Eve instinctively frowned, a trace of subtle concern flashing through her eyes.

What Chancelianne said did sound reasonable. According to His Majesty’s predetermined schedule, he should indeed be preparing to depart for a friendly visit to the Bellflower Empire.

Eve’s thoughts raced. Over in the Bellflower Empire, preparations were clearly already underway to welcome the “friendly visit.” But the problem was obvious—His Majesty, already deceased, could no longer arrive there to conduct any form of visit.

A delay of one or two days wouldn’t be a major issue. After all, there were many variables in long-distance travel, and minor delays were understandable.

Even three or four days might still be acceptable—long journeys often encounter unforeseen circumstances.

But if the delay stretched to six or seven days, it could no longer be ignored.

The Bellflower Empire’s response would inevitably become sensitive. At that point, they would sense something amiss, and news of His Majesty’s death would inevitably begin to spread through the corners of the Empire.

“It seems… it’s time to meet an old friend.”

Eve murmured to herself, her gaze growing deep and contemplative.

She felt that if she could secure the cooperation of the Bellflower Empire, this matter might become much easier to resolve. After all, her relationship with the Bellflower Empire was complicated, and contact with that Empress might bring unexpected assistance.

Still, Eve couldn’t help but harbor doubts. The Bellflower Empress might not be willing to cooperate with her plan. The interests of the two nations did not fully align, and the other woman’s personality was especially inscrutable.

But at a critical moment like this, Eve knew that she might have to resort to a few subtle tactics.

After all, everything was ultimately for Alice. For the sake of the child, she had no choice but to make certain compromises and adjustments.

…………

“Hey! Where is everyone? Come out already—why’s there not a single soul in sight? Look at what I brought! I can hardly wait to offer a white flower to His Majesty!”

The chubby man stood outside the gates of the imperial palace, his voice loud and ringing, filled with impatient mockery and provocation. Filthy from head to toe, he clearly didn’t care about the setting at all. His behavior was crude, even carrying a hint of brazen hooliganism.

Standing there, he made sure that nearly everyone passing by could hear him, shouting without the slightest restraint.

“How strange. Something as big as the Emperor’s death, and there’s not a single reaction from the palace?”

He continued chattering incessantly, his tone dripping with sarcasm and ridicule, clearly provoking the surrounding guards on purpose.

The Imperial Knights on duty had long since grown intensely displeased with him—especially seeing how brazen and loud the chubby man was. Anger simmered within them. Yet according to protocol, they could not act rashly.

Although the chubby man was shouting outside the palace gates, he showed no intention of breaking in and had not crossed their defensive line.

All the knights could do was stand there helplessly, maintaining their posts by the book. At this moment, they could only wait for orders from above, or for personnel from the Imperial Tribunal or the patrol knights to arrive before deciding their next move.

Because his shouting was so piercing and the content so explosive, it instantly drew the attention of everyone nearby.

The once solemn and quiet atmosphere before the imperial palace turned noisy in an instant.

Passersby stopped in their tracks and gradually gathered around the chubby man, the scene becoming as chaotic as a bustling market. The chubby man seemed to relish the attention. Watching the crowd grow, a smug smile appeared on his face.

Realizing that his words were attracting onlookers, he shouted even louder, almost at the top of his lungs.

“All eyes on me! Look at me! I’ve got something big to announce!”

He raised both hands high like a street vendor hawking goods, his voice growing ever louder. “Don’t you all know? His Majesty, the Emperor, is dead! Dead! And yet the imperial family is hiding it from us, telling the people nothing!”

His words, dripping with provocation and mockery, instantly pushed the situation to a boiling point. The crowd grew larger, voices buzzing with curiosity and confusion. This chaos had clearly only just begun.

“They’re harboring sinister intentions, hiding such significant news from us! As citizens of the Empire, we have the right to know!”

As he spoke, the chubby man waved the white flower in his hand, his tone carrying a blend of indignation and theatrical passion.

His words immediately stirred a subtle commotion among the crowd. Though his rhetoric was fierce, no one dared step forward to refute him. Instead, more people frowned, their expressions filled with doubt and uncertainty.

“Don’t let my current appearance fool you—I’m actually the heir of the Howard family, a genuine noble! The fact that I could get this news proves it’s real!”

He paused, sweeping his gaze smugly over the crowd as if flaunting his identity and status.

Sensing that some sympathy and attention were forming among the onlookers, his mood visibly improved.

But that sympathy and attention were clearly not what he thought they were.

“Which mental asylum did this patient escape from, coming here to cause trouble at the imperial palace?”

A passerby muttered quietly, his voice full of disdain.

“Must be mentally ill,” another person sneered. “Beating drums and gongs like this—my kid thought a circus had come. What a waste of excitement.”

Whispers rippled through the crowd, filled with mockery and contempt. More and more people were already treating the whole thing as a complete joke.

The chubby man continued shouting loudly, yet he increasingly stood out in the worst way, as though completely disconnected from the world around him. An awkward, chaotic atmosphere filled the air, eyes darting everywhere—no one truly believed a word he said.

“Didn’t His Majesty just go on a friendly visit to another country? He’s only been gone a few days, and someone already dares to spread such rumors? Does he have a death wish?”

An older man sneered nearby, his tone dripping with scorn.

“Isn’t he just mentally ill?”

A woman beside him scoffed softly. “Look at him—tsk, tsk… honestly pitiful. I mean, those doctors and nurses at the asylum—having to deal with someone like this must be a nightmare.”

Her words drew laughter from the crowd. More gazes turned toward the chubby man, tinged with pity and contempt.

Yet the chubby man seemed completely unaware that the atmosphere had shifted. He kept rambling on, desperately trying to grab every passerby’s attention. The more he persisted, the more ridiculous and pathetic he appeared.

No one believed him at all. Some people even took the initiative to contact the Imperial Tribunal, asking them to come and arrest this “lunatic.”