“Your Majesty, the old steward was indeed a servant of the previous king, but he wasn’t favored. He only received this position because of his loyalty from his younger days.”
The old steward coughed up a mouthful of blood in fury.
“Just a lowly maid… *cough*… I should have driven you out, I should have!”
Rita moved slightly to the side, bowing her head in respect as she cleared a path for Rod.
Rod stopped, looking indifferently at the old steward, who was now barely recognizable. In his heart, he had already condemned the entire family to death.
“You want to see me? What else do you have to say?”
The old steward, about to speak angrily when he saw Rod, was suddenly taken aback by the aura emanating from him.
This young lion, still just a cub, looked as though one push would send him tumbling, yet he exuded a disproportionate sense of pressure.
The gaze that pierced through the black silk fabric possessed a terrifying presence, as if it could swallow the entire space.
The old steward trembled uncontrollably, his prepared words of commanding authority wisely swallowed.
“I… I…”
He had been just a normal child a few days ago, why did I feel like I was looking at the late king…
No, even the late king hadn’t instilled this level of fear that rendered him incapable of meeting his gaze.
The old steward’s eyes darted around, his mouth still running with empty words.
“I… I… Your Majesty, these lowly maids have tricked you. I am the one you should trust. Please drive them out and hurry and treat my wounds, or our nation will fall…”
Rod raised his hand to cut off the old steward’s argument, shaking his head in amusement.
“I’ve seen it all with my own eyes.”
“Stealing treasures, eavesdropping on secrets, hiding weapons, acting as an inside man… *tsk*, what a loyal servant you are.”
“By law, you should be hanged, but I wanted to give you a dignified death. I see now that you don’t want dignity.”
The crowned child coldly uttered the brutal judgment.
“Rita, let the mechanical dog tear him to shreds.”
The old steward trembled in fear at these words.
“No, no!!!”
This was nothing like he had expected!
He didn’t understand how Rod, who used to be so easily manipulated, had discovered the truth.
He didn’t understand how Rod, at the tender age of five, could so coolly deliver such a cruel order.
He didn’t understand why Rod, who had no loyal subjects in the palace aside from a few maids, possessed such terrifying power!
If only he had known… why had he chosen to betray him?
The old steward abandoned his attempt to fight back, shedding tears as he pleaded, trying to awaken Rod’s sympathy.
“Your Majesty… please forgive me for the sake of my years of service to the late king. I was forced into this because my family was kidnapped by that man. I… I know I’ve done wrong!”
Rod was surprised for a moment, then laughed like a naive child.
“Oh? You say you know you’ve done wrong?”
The three girls looked at Rod, waiting for his command.
Lilya glared at the old steward, who was feigning helplessness, wanting to urge Rod not to spare the traitor. Charlotte, however, secretly held her back, signaling her not to rush.
The next moment, Rod suppressed his smile, his expression turning cold as he raised his right hand and spoke in a cold, emotionless tone.
“You only know that you’re going to die.”
Rita’s eyes flashed with admiration.
As expected of His Majesty, he’s so decisive!
“No, no, tyrant, I curse you, I curse you to die at the hands of that lord one day, hahahaha…!!!”
The mechanical dog bared its sharp fangs, happily chewing the old steward to nothing.
Wounds ripped open, flesh shredded, marrow crushed…
The old steward, due to the nerve toxin, could only watch in a clear state of mind as his body was eaten away piece by piece.
However, his miserable demise elicited no sympathy from anyone.
Rod calmly looked at the meat scraps on the ground, then suddenly asked.
“Charlotte, I remember him saying he had family?”
Charlotte understood, clenching her weapon.
The one before her was the only noble person who acknowledged her existence.
She vowed to protect his purity.
Even if her hands were stained with dirty blood, even if she fell into the abyss of hell.
“I will reunite them~”
Rod stroked the mechanical dog’s head, the HD-603, signaling Rita to follow him.
“Charlotte and Lilya will carry out the previous plan. Rita will accompany me out. Hopefully, by the time I return, the palace will have been completely transformed.”
Lilya and Charlotte exchanged glances, nodding vigorously.
“Yes!”
Before leaving, Lilya grabbed Rita’s hand, her expression serious as she cautioned her.
“With your strength, Rita, there’s almost no danger within the capital, but there’s one place His Majesty must never go.”
Rita’s expression turned serious at these words.
“Where is that?”
Lilya’s gaze was filled with worry.
“The ruins on the outskirts of the capital. The late king seemed to have been commissioned to protect that place from being unsealed.”
“It is said that a terrifying demon who killed countless humans hundreds of years ago is sealed there. Once the seal is broken, no human would be able to withstand its slaughter!”
Rita immediately felt the urge to go and defeat the demon, but for the sake of Rod’s safety, she decided to hold off for now.
At the same time, Rita noticed something unusual and asked directly.
“If it’s such a dangerous demon, with this country’s strength, wouldn’t it be impossible to shoulder the responsibility of guarding it?”
Lilya shook her head sadly.
“I don’t know the specifics. All I know is that it seems to be related to the elf mage who is responsible for teaching His Majesty.”
Rita took a deep breath and silently switched her armor to the strongest mode, “Pale Knight: Lunar Soul”.
“I understand. Any enemy who wants to harm His Majesty will have to cross the frost-covered moonlight!”