Emperor's Reckoning

Inside the wrecked living room, a woman was pointing at a butler with her daggering eyes. An outsider might perceive this as a master who was reprimanding her servant. However, the truth was more serious than that.

Graff was caught off guard for a second before composing himself, "I'm sorry m' lady did I say something wrong?"

"Clemora what's wrong with you?" asked Biane with the look of a sister that would lecture her little sibling.

Clemora didn't pay any heed to her older sister's question. Her eyes were fixated on the head butler of the family. She waved her hand violently while saying, "Enough pretending traitor!"

Her words made Biane averted her gaze to the old man that accompanied her childhood. She instinctively took a step back while listening to their conversation.

Graff couldn't help but stutter a little bit, "T-there might be some misunderstanding m' lady." Though he was accused he still maintained his professionalism.

With a sneer, Clemora said, "You are one hellbent traitor, I commend you to actually be this good. Without my older sister, I would never know that you are a wolf in sheep clothing."

Biane was at lost to what her sister just said (What did I do?).

Graff stood silent despite Clemora's sneer. It was very common in his line of a job to be insulted, sneered, etc. He won't be the head butler if he couldn't take these things.

"Being the most trusted person by your lord, you are in a key crucial position," said Clemora before continuing, "Who was it that hired you? Which banner are you from?"

Her sword was already pointing at the old man as she said so. Her cautious nature developed even further after the recent event in the forest.

Biane was still at lost, "Clemora, why do you think Graff is the traitor? I thought it was cleared up a minute ago?"

"He was that dangerous older sister, he made it with logic to appeared innocent. I wouldn't have been able to know it either if it wasn't for his blunder," replied Clemora as her gaze still on the old man she believed to be a traitor.

Graff stood silently as he stared at the sword pointed at him. His calm attitude was not befitting of his profession. Any normal person would be on guard against such a scenario but even his breathing was relaxed.

"What was his blunder?" asked Biane.

"We never said that the person threatened the two guards was wearing a cloak nor did we say that both of them are already dead but he said that 'he would choke 'him' to death if we identified the cloaked person'."

Biane was surprised with her eyes opened wide staring at Graff that stood calmly. Her eyes slowly turned into anger as she pulled out her giant sword from her spatial ring. With gritted teeth, she pointed her weapon to the old man.

"Even more so when you said that the candidates would also come to the banquet. I doubt your lord would tell you that, nor the maids would know. Then when the 'earthquake' happened, you stated that you are in the carriage lodging but you took to long to come here. A head butler such as yourself would certainly rush here to check on their master's condition without being asked but the reality was, a maid told you that Lyon requests your presence."

"The identity of the cloaked person that gave the letter with royal seal to the two guards was none other than you, Graff!"

*clap

*calp

The silent Graff clapped his hands as his mouth curled up to a smile. "To think that you could deduce that, I guess you are not just some pampered noble ladies huh."

His tone and the way he addressed them was different from before. It was apparent that he had stopped pretending. The wolf finally opened his sheep's outfit and revealed them to its prey.

"Hmph! Tell us who do you work for? What did they offer you?" asked Clemora sternly.

With a wicked smile, Graff replied, "Let's not be so hasty now. First, I'm a little surprised that you two would survive such an ordeal in the forest, the goddess of luck must have smiled upon you."

"Graff, you disappoint me," said Biane as her killing intent gradually spread.

"Disappoint you? Hoho, I'm not that young to care for such matters," chuckled Graff. He spread his arms before saying, "I could fight you two right now, but your father would be troublesome later."

Both Clemora and Biane could only stay silent.

"But what choices do I have now, I need to retrieve the zither either way," said Graff as he blurred past the two of them and picked up the zither on a table beside the sleeping young man.

The two of them immediately turned their heads and stared at the traitor with the zither in his hand. They knew that they were no match against the old man right then and there.

"Wuwu?" a black fur at the edge of the sofa where Lyon sleep, raised its head.

(Fenrir!) thought both of them.

"Hmm?" Graff glanced at the little wolf that just woke up from his sleep.

His sleepy eyes looked at Graff that was holding the zither with no interest. Fenrir yawned as his little eyes closed once again.

Graff's mouth couldn't help but twitch (This Little Animal!). As he was about to pick up Fenrir, Biane and Clemora shouted at the same time, "Stop!"

"You said you are too old to care for such things," said Clemora as her last hope in saving Fenrir.

Graff retracted his hand as he smiled, "You are right... before I go, let me give you a gift, the banquet invitation is real, you might find your answers there. HAHAHA!"

They could only grip their hands as they saw the old man tried to make an escape.

"Would you shut the fuck up! I need to sleep!"

*Boom

Graff was dumbfounded in the air (eh?) as he hit the nearby wall.