Chapter 209: Interrogating the Traitor

A cold voice, like piercing ice, swept over Maureen.

"You just now..."

"When you talked about getting rid of me, was there not even a little bit of guilt in your heart?"

"Your Majesty..."

"Do you think you still have the right to call me Your Majesty?"

"..."

"I was about to give birth at that time. It was the birth of a new life for the Silver Dragon clan, and yet you chose to collude with the enemy and betray us at that moment. Do you know, Maureen, if it weren't for my husband, the ones you would have killed back then wouldn't have just been me and my daughter, but also thousands of our Silver Dragon kin."

The reason why Rossweise was furious could be summed up in two points.

First, due to the way dragons reproduce, not only for Silver Dragons but for the entire dragon race, the birth of a new life was something significant, especially since it was viviparous. It was an even more critical event.

Second, Maureen's betrayal and collusion with the enemy could have led to the mass death of their Silver Dragon kin.

Constantine's strength was undeniable. Anna could be considered one of the strongest under the Dragon King level, yet in front of Constantine, she was still no match, like an ant trying to stop a chariot.

So, Rossweise was not exaggerating. If Leon hadn't intervened at the time, the Silver Dragon clan would likely no longer exist.

Of course, Rossweise also knew in her heart that Leon's intervention had little to do with ensuring the safety of the Silver Dragon clan.

He stepped in to protect his daughters and... her.

Well, that was a matter to discuss later. The priority now was dealing with the traitor in front of her.

"I will not dispose of you immediately, Maureen. Is there any information you know that I don't, but that you now wish to tell me?", Rossweise asked.

Maureen clenched her fists, feeling the warmth from Rossweise's fingertips. Summoning her courage, she looked her in the eyes, "I have nothing to say to you. Shirley is the same."

Hearing this, Rossweise was momentarily stunned, then let out a cold laugh.

Maureen was bewildered by that laugh.

'Laughing... at what?'

"My husband told me, 'You can know a person's face, but not their heart.' A girl who appears ordinary and obedient can be full of schemes."

Rossweise said, "Even now, you're still trying to drag your accomplice Shirley down with you, Maureen."

'Shirley is the same'—these simple four words exposed the dirty heart hidden beneath Maureen's harmless exterior.

From her perspective, Shirley had treated her well enough. After all, when she tried to escape, she had wanted to take Maureen along, though they were caught in the end. But even if they hadn't attempted to escape, after tonight's internal purge, Maureen probably wouldn't have been able to hide either.

Yet, in their final confrontation, Maureen still attempted to drag Shirley down with her, completely denying Shirley the chance to atone for her crimes.

Did she think Rossweise wouldn't notice?

Forget it. It didn't matter.

Because—

"If you turn around now, you'll see that your dear Shirley isn't kneeling here like you."

"W-What..."

Maureen turned her head and was stunned to see Shirley still standing, gazing at her coldly.

"Shirley, you!—You lied to me?", After a brief moment of shock, Maureen angrily questioned Shirley.

"A traitor actually has the nerve to feel angry about being deceived by someone else?", Shirley responded indifferently.

"You...", Maureen wanted to lash out at the shamelessness of these people.

But no matter what, a traitor like her had no right to say such words.

It was utterly absurd.

However, someone else spoke up in her place.

From behind the trees, the voice of the queen's husband rang out.

The black-haired, sharp-eyed man stepped out from behind the tree and said slowly, "You might think our way of catching traitors is somewhat unethical, maybe even shameless. But this isn't about following legal procedures. As long as we can root out a traitor like you, what does it matter if the methods have no bottom line?"

Choosing the appropriate means for the situation, Casmodeous fully understood the essence of this principle.

He wasn't a law enforcer who needed a warrant to arrest a criminal.

Similarly, catching a spy didn't require following the 'clue → evidence → reasoning → confirmation' process.

To put it bluntly, it didn't matter if the cat was black or white; as long as it caught mice, it was a good cat.

"But how did you know it was me...", Maureen asked the universal question that all spies and traitors ask when they're exposed.

Leon was very familiar with this question.

Because Victor had asked something similar when he was caught.

However, he was willing to give this traitorous lady a simple explanation.

"Do you remember your queen—tsk," He paused, feeling that his wording was off, so he quickly corrected himself.

"Do you remember the day my wife was giving birth? You came to the bedroom to inform me that escaping via a certain route in the back mountain was safe. But I casually used the birthday blessing array to probe, and it immediately drew out the ambush of Crimson Flame Dragons stationed on that route."

Maureen's mind drifted back to that day.

Before launching the attack, she had indeed received Constantine's instructions to lead Rossweise toward the back mountain route.

And she had followed those orders step by step.

But what she hadn't expected was that this seemingly ordinary stay-at-home dad prince actually had such a deep understanding of military tactics. He was cautious and had noticed Maureen's abnormal behavior...

"So it was... like that..."

"Of course, this alone wouldn't have been enough to confirm you were the traitor," Leon said.

"Then when... when did you confirm that I was the traitor?"

Leon pretended to ponder seriously, then responded earnestly, "Ten minutes ago."

"Ten minutes ago...", Maureen felt deeply insulted.

This was how entrapment worked.

After all, the opposition didn't need to follow so-called 'procedural justice.'

And Leon wasn't just randomly fishing for traitors. His approach was always bold yet cautious.

He specifically chose to have Shirley bait Maureen at night, ensuring that even if Maureen wasn't the traitor, it wouldn't alert the real one.

But from the current outcome, General Leon's judgment was spot on.

Rossweise let go of Maureen, then stood up, looking down at her, "I am not interested in your reasons for betraying me. Because my husband told me that the moment a traitor makes their choice, all reasons become meaningless. Of course, I also agree with another thing he said."

"A traitor must not be left alive."

Rossweise turned to the head maid.

"Anna, lock her in the dungeon and deal with her at a later date."

———

Inside the dungeon, the maid Maureen—oh no, now she should be called the traitor Maureen—was locked onto a frame by anti-magic chains.

From outside the cell, the crisp sound of footsteps suddenly echoed.

High heels clacked against the cold stone tiles, resonating through the dark, damp iron cages.

Squeak—

The cell door opened, and Maureen vaguely heard that familiar yet commanding voice issuing orders to the jailers guarding her.

"You all wait outside. His Highness and I want to interrogate her personally."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The jailers responded, throwing the bloodstained vine whip aside, as if subtly implying their unfinished work.

Leon's gaze lingered briefly on the whip. The blood splattered across it painted a silent picture of the screams that once echoed in this dungeon.

Lifting his eyes to Maureen, he saw that the once-loyal servant now looked as desolate as a ruined statue—once radiant, now only bearing the marks of erosion by wind and rain. Her disheveled hair hung around her cheeks, the cold iron frame behind her forming the perfect backdrop for the image of a betrayer.

For traitors, no one—no race—could tolerate them.

These traitors wore the skin of their own kind yet wielded cold, hidden blades. Perhaps they never truly realized what kind of catastrophic consequences their secret dealings in the darkness would bring.

Those silent acts of betrayal, often committed in an instant, could steal countless innocent lives and even destroy a once-peaceful home.

Leon had experienced betrayal before. He had also witnessed the devastation it brought.

That was why he no longer had any sympathy for traitors, spies, or infiltrators.

Oh, of course, by 'sympathy,' he meant the act of trying to understand their motives for betrayal—not that he intended to show them any mercy.

This change in mindset was thanks to that bastard Victor. Back when he learned about Victor's motives for betrayal, Leon only felt that asking such questions was a complete waste of time.

That was why, before carrying out this sting operation against Maureen, he told Rossweise that there was no need to understand a traitor's motives at all.

Hmm, it seemed his fake wife had taken his words to heart.

"You want to ask, or should I?", Rossweise's voice interrupted Leon's thoughts.

Leon snapped back to reality, leaned against the table, and crossed his arms, "You do it."

"Why? This is clearly your business," She sounded reluctant, but her tone lacked any real refusal.

Leon chuckled, "You're a government official. You're better at this kind of thing than me."

Rossweise shot him a speechless look, "Then you better pay attention and learn. Don't just be good at fighting and nothing else."

"Mm-hmm, I'm learning. Hurry and give me a demonstration, Professor Melkvei."

'Shut up, prison is not a place for your flirting!', Rossweise slowly turned her head and lifted her gaze to Maureen, who was bound to the iron frame.

"What missions did Constantine give you?"

The only response was Maureen's labored breathing.

"Besides reporting my exact due date, what other orders did he give you?"

The lifeless traitor continued to hang her head, offering no reply.

"Maureen, Constantine is dead. You don't need to remain loyal to him anymore. Tell me what I want to know, and I'll grant you a quick death."

"Hah... hah..."

After several rounds of threats and questioning, Maureen still refused to speak.

Just as Rossweise was about to press further, she heard a muffled chuckle from behind.

She slowly turned halfway around, silver eyes glaring at Leon, "What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing… just thought of something funny."

"What's so funny?"

"I'm learning interrogation techniques from the Silver Dragon Queen, yet after all this questioning, the prisoner hasn't said a single word. What a top-tier technique, Your Majesty."

Rossweise rolled her eyes at him and didn't bother arguing. She simply replied indifferently, "Idiot, watch carefully."

With that, Rossweise stepped forward and gently placed her palm on Maureen's forehead.

A faint silver light flickered, transforming into countless streams of liquid-like energy that seeped into Maureen's head through the veins beneath her skin.

Leon narrowed his eyes slightly, observing carefully, and finally realized that Rossweise's magic wasn't invading her veins—it was infiltrating her mana circuits.

As her magical pathways were invaded by foreign magic, Maureen's body began to resist instinctively.

But with her hands and feet bound by anti-magic chains, all she could do was tremble and let out low growls.

There was no doubt that the process was painful—but it probably wasn't fatal.

Leon trusted that Rossweise knew what she was doing.

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