Elizabeth was the Royal Family's bottom line. Simple as that. It breached upon their foundations and pride. They were the supreme rulers of the Alzar Kingdom! No one who challenged their hegemony survived to tell the tale. Only a civilization as vast and powerful as the Xingyuu Empire could contest them. Even then, the wars proved that neither side could win. If a superpower like the Xingyuu Empire could not pull ahead of the Alzar Kingdom, then that proved that no lesser power had a chance. The Whispering Shadow was a joke in comparison to these titanic existences! No one dared to imagine the repercussions if Elizabeth was found dead!
As soon as Queen Bethnal said those words, a few turned to glance at the Ovarr, Dewshard, and Lannisail Households with pitiful gazes. They felt relieved that they had taken a backstage role in the party a few hours prior. They narrowly avoided disaster. For once, these leaders felt happy that their youngsters were less talented than those three rising stars. If they were, then their positions would be swapped now!
Contrary to their glee, the people from those three families were paralyzed with fear. The Ovarr patriarch was shaking from head-to-toe, losing all semblance of his demeanor as a Crown Advisor. Although the Dewshard matriarch had maintained a stoic face, everyone could see her skin paling several degrees. She was forcefully staying calm! Lord Archibon was even more pitiful. He was a bookworm and rarely entered the political landscape. His composure was shaken to the absolute core as he fell to the ground in despair. His eyes lost their luster as he contemplated how serious this was. Should Elizabeth's fate be sealed, so would their families. They risked annihilation!
However, nothing could compare to the Hawken Household. Nearly everyone glanced at Sir Roland, who was standing with the other Royal Guards. Their faces were accusatory and hostile. They had remembered when Elizabeth first appeared in Algard and snuck away with Benedict that the Alzar Kingdom was thrown into a storm no less chaotic than the one now. Lord Korogin had commanded the full authority of the Royal Family to search for her! Every noble, general, and admiral heard and saw her picture, stirring a massive search across the kingdom.
Although Lord Korogin kept her identity a secret, everyone suspected Elizabeth was a Grand Lady with an extraordinary background behind her. At the very least, she had to be the heir of those peak Grand Nobility Households like the Highguards or Daemons! Naturally, these patriarchs and matriarchs heard of the rumors as well. Their intelligence network was vast, and they knew the Grand Nobility very well. It sufficed to say that each family knew more about each other than they did themselves! Back then, when they heard about Elizabeth, all the Grand Nobles were stupefied. What Grand Lady? What heir? They wanted to know as well… Who was she?
But that was half a year ago. Now, Elizabeth's status had spread far and wide. Therefore, it was natural that these leaders looked to Sir Roland for answers. After that embarrassing situation with Benedict, they wondered if this was a continuation… If the Hawken Household was really involved in this, then the consequences would be unimaginable! Previously, the Royal Family turned a blind eye as Elizabeth returned safe and sound. They had neither the energy nor intent to punish the Hawken Household. Unfortunately, that was a one-time ticket. Sir Roland's expression was darker than night as his aura fluctuated wildly. Benedict managed to damn their entire family!
I should have banished him! he snarled.
Sir Roland stepped out and immediately bowed. "Your Majesty, I assure you that my son has nothing to do with Her Highness's disappearance. From here on out, he will no longer be a part of the Hawken Household! If he is responsible for this mess, I will personally hunt him down and bring him to justice!"
How decisive! Everyone admired the patriarch's decision. By saying so, he was effectively cutting all ties with his own son! Anyone would hesitate to disown their own son, but he had zero hesitation. That ruthlessness was necessary to survive as a Grand Lord! Otherwise, the Hawken Household would take the fall with Benedict. However, it was not enough. The nobles could not help but sigh inwardly. On the off chance that Benedict was responsible, then the Hawken Household would never get off scot free. It was simply impossible!
The Ovarr patriarch followed suit. "Your Majesty, the Ovarr Household has always served the Royal Family and the Alzar Kingdom faithfully. I assure you that we have zero involvement in the recent events, and we will devote our full attention to discovering the culprit!"
"The same goes for the Dewshard Household," the woman said respectfully. "We will cooperate obediently with the Alzar Kingdom's investigations."
Lord Archibon had a bad feeling, but said regardless, "I speak on behalf of my father, Lord Wenmord, that the Lannisail Household will abide by all of the Alzar Kingdom's requests."
After the other various leaders said similar things, Queen Bethnal nodded. "I appreciate everyone's understanding in these difficult times. The crown thanks you for your cooperation. I will share what I know…" A helpless expression emerged on her face as she continued, "Princess Elizabeth disappeared from her quarters approximately an hour ago. Both the Algard and Corasen are currently locked down, so the enemies cannot be far. We believe there is a high chance that Princess Elizabeth is still within Algard. This should be a continuation of the Whispering Shadow's previous failed attack. Therefore, we hope to search through all of the Grand Nobility Households."
The various leaders exchanged bitter smiles. This was the real reason why they were summoned! Until the problem with Elizabeth could be resolved, they remained as the number one suspects. They would be detained here as special guests. Taken another way, they would be prisoners or hostages! Naturally, this made them very unhappy, but they already promised their unwavering support for the Royal Family's investigation. Taking a step back would earn the Royal Family's displeasure. Of course, everyone present had nothing to hide. Except for the four unlucky families, their stress was visibly lower. After they were escorted to their rooms in the castle, the throne room quickly quieted down.
"Investigate each of the Grand Nobility Households carefully, especially those that did not answer the summons," Queen Bethnal ordered coldly.
Not every patriarch or matriarch resided in Algard. In fact, many of them were lived or worked elsewhere. For example, Sir Roland as the Protector of Prince Ranir was almost never home. He constantly travelled with the prince to maintain his security. The fact that slightly more than half of the Grand Nobility leaders answered the mandatory summons was shocking. This was solely because of that so-called party that hosted Elizabeth earlier. Such a rare chance to observe the heir apparent was that valuable! In normal circumstances, there would be less than ten leaders in Algard, sometimes less than five…
"The order has already been passed," Prince Dannark said. "In addition, I sent Sir Winstin, Sir Sebastian, and Lady Valentina to investigate the Lannisail Household."
"Good," she said plainly before closing her eyes to rest.