Confrontation

"Your highness," Rae greeted as she walked in. "Count Adlam is asking for an audience with you. Should I let him in?"

Amelia turned to the young adviser who was standing at her side for his opinion. the man raised an eyebrow before he nodded.

Just as how Commander Irvine and Adviser Damian had predicted, Count Adlam will come forward once his brother-in-law was apprehended.

Earlier that morning, Adviser Damian had come over to her study to discuss what she wanted to do after hearing Lord Benedict's confession of misconduct. He had confessed that he had taken the money that was meant for the poor and gambled them away.

Lord Benedict then admitted that the reason he stepped forward to was that he didn't want to be a burden to his brother-in-law.

When he heard that the commander's men were investigating Count Adlam and himself, Lord Benedict decided to confess before anything else go wrong. He didn't want his brother-in-law to pay for a crime he did not commit. Lord Benedict was immediately taken under the Commander's custody after his confession.

Of course, both Amelia and Adviser Damian knew that Lord Benedict was not the only one who had taken the money. However, everyone else was clever enough to hide their trail. It was Lord Benedict and Count Adlam who was unlucky enough to be found by the Princess when she happened to be sneaking out.

The Princess took a deep breath and nodded to Rae. "Let him in."

Rae walked out and seconds later, Count Adlam entered the Princess's office.

"Your Highness," he greeted with a bow.

"Count Adlam" she acknowledged. "What brings you here?"

Count Adlam did not answer right away. He glanced towards the young adviser and grunted. He did not want the adviser around when he speaks his mind. After all, he intended to manipulate the inexperienced Princess into releasing Lord Benedict.

"Adviser Damian," she addressed him. "You may leave us now." The Princess nodded towards her advisor, assuring him that she will be alright without his presence.

Adviser Damian bowed to the princess and glanced at the two Knights who were left in the office before he walked out.

Although he had wished to stay and assist the Princess, the adviser had to trust that the Princess was brave enough to face Count Adlam on her own.

"What was so important that you wanted to see me privately in my study?" Amelia asked when Adviser Damian closed the door behind him.

Count Adlam groaned inaudibly. "I believe that you have Lord Benedict under your custody. I need you to let him go."

She watched him for some time and noticed how he had his hand clasped together. "That is something I cannot do," Amelia shifted her gaze away. "In case you haven't heard, Lord Benedict is under arrest for an unforgivable crime."

"I'm here to tell you that Lord Benedict's not guilty, your highness."

"What do you mean he's not guilty? Lord Benedict had confessed to his crime."

"Well then," he paused to clear his throat. "I must tell you that he's lying. He was trying to cover for someone else's crime."

"Covering for someone else's crime?" she feigned innocence. "For whom?"

"For me."

"For you?"

"Yes. It is I who took the money from the office. So it is clear that I am the one you should arrest instead of Lord Benedict."

"Now," Amelia let out a chuckle. "Why would Lord Benedict lie to cover for your crime? It doesn't make any sense."

Count Adlam gritted his teeth. "Lord Benedict is my brother-in-law. I am married to his elder sister. And Lord Benedict tried to cover for my crime because he knows very well that the punishment for corruption was either prison or death. He didn't want his sister to turn as a widow because of what I did."

Amelia kept herself composed as she listened to Count Adlam's confession. "Is he?" she gave him a scrutinizing look. "Or you could be giving me a false testimonial to cover for your brother-in-law."

"Your Highness!" he began to protest. "I have no reason to do that."

"I know very well that Lord Benedict is from the House of Cashore, one of the high-status families in Noa Kingdom. Isn't his father, Lord Giddon was one of my father, the late King Louis's trusted man?" Amelia said. "You could be lying to save your father-in-law's reputation."

Count Adlam frowned. "That is preposterous!"

"Is it?" Amelia raised a brow to challenge him."Because we have concrete evidence that Lord Benedict was the one who took the money. Commander Irvine and his men have all evidence we need to convict him to his crime. The head of the Gambling House had given the commander, his testimonial." The princess took a deep breath and shook her head gently. "If you have come to me and confessed to me that you have taken the fund just before Lord Benedict did, I would believe you right away. After all, I wanted to believe that you were the one who took the fund when I first found out that the fund had not reached my people."

"Your Highness!" He bowed down both hands touching the ground, prostrating before her. "Please. Just. Let him go. Lord Benedict didn't know what he was doing. I promise that we'll pay back the money we took from you no matter how long it will take us."

"I can't do that. It wouldn't be..."

Her words were left unfinished as Count Adlam had disturbed her.

"You can't do this, Your Highness," Count Adlam's voice suddenly changed and his tone contained anger. "You do not know what you are doing or what you are dealing with. Lord Benedict was not the only one who had taken some portion of that money. Are you saying that you are going to punish everyone, Princess Amelia?"

"If I ever find the evidence, of course, I will not let them go unpunished."

Count Adlam sneered. "You're not the real ruler of Noa Kingdom. Do you think that by doing this you would have the power against us? Let me tell you this. Princess Amelia, you are powerless without us the nobles. If we want it, you will not be sitting there on the throne."

Amelia stared at the man with a surprised look on her face. "Are you threatening me, Count Adlam?"

Count Adlam replied to her with a huff. He took a step forward and paused when he noticed that two of the Princess's Royal Knights emerged from behind the pillars.

Amelia balled her hand into a fist. "I could bear it when you and the other nobles belittle me for my incompetence. And I admit that I am very inexperienced with governing. But I cannot tolerate it when you or the other took the money from my people. I cannot let you take the money that was meant for the poor," she said angrily. "Maybe you should leave now, Count Adlam. I will decide how Lord Benedict will be punished by the end of the day. And I wish not to be disturbed until I've made my decision."

Count Adlam opened his mouth to say something but stopped when he heard a shattering sound. Turning around, he then noticed that the glass on the Princess's table was shattered into pieces.

He then glanced at the Princess's Royal Knights and gritted his teeth. Finally, he gave her a quick bow and left the office quietly.

Once the door was shut down behind the Count Adlam, Amelia slumped down into her seat and covered her face with her hand. She was relieved that the Count Adlam had taken her advice and left because she wouldn't know what she will do if he's going to push her with the matter.

"Your highness," Kain spoke up. "Are you alright?"

The Princess turned to look at her Knights, Kain and Iris. She forced a smile and nodded. "Yes. I'm fine. Thank you."

It was then that Amelia noticed that her hand was trembling. She was furious at Count Adlam's words and angry at her weaknesses. Suddenly, Amelia was worried of what Count Adlam would do if only the Knights were not around her.