Of course, Tenraku noticed the shocked and jealous reactions of the men and a grin tugged at his lips. While he was not one to boast or show off, it felt good to indulge every now and then.
"You gentlemen wanted to inquire about Roygun's involvement with the King piece, correct?" He remarked casually. "Please, continue. Don't mind my presence."
With Roygun in his arms, Tenraku smiled.
Fighting back a slight twitch of his lips, the bespectacled leader finally calmed down. After all, their purpose here was to investigate Roygun's alleged cheating in the Rating Game with the King piece. Despite the complication of the Red Dragon Emperor's involvement, they held the moral high ground. Even if the Red Dragon Emperor tried to shield Roygun Belphegor, they wouldn't allow it.
"So, Belphegor Family Lord, let's continue our previous discussion," The bespectacled man said sternly. "Did you use the power of the King's piece in the Rating Game?"
"Oh, yes, I did," Roygun replied, her tone laced with sarcasm. "His Majesty has already published the list of cheaters, and you've come to my door. Why are you asking such meaningless questions?"
Undeterred, the bespectacled man continued. "So, you admit to cheating in the Rating Game."
"And where do you think I acquired the King piece from?" Roygun's expression bore a smirk.
"It is our duty to investigate the masterminds behind the scenes. Please answer, Belphegor family lord," The bespectacled man insisted, though both Tenraku and Roygun's women couldn't help but smirk inwardly.
They had never seen such seriousness from them before the Emperor revealed the truth!
"Roygun, they are just doing their job. If they want to know, tell them," Tenraku said, playing with her sakura-colored wavy hair and smiling. In the past, Roygun might have hesitated, considering the powerful figures who had granted her this piece. But now, she had no worries.
Those old-timers were nothing compared to her man!
"Duke Leraje, Duke Botis, and the former Archduke Ipos..." Roygun began with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "If you want to know who gave me the piece, it was them."
"In our trade, I gained power from the King's piece, and in return, they could manipulate my games to benefit themselves," She continued, her tone mocking. As she mentioned the influential names, the bespectacled man's expression changed.
"Lord of the Belphegor family, your words carry weight," He warned. "Duke Leraje, Duke Botis, and the former Archduke Ipos are respected high-ranking devils in the Underworld. It's inconceivable that they would be involved in such a fraud."
Roygun couldn't help but laugh heartily. "Respected and dignified? Those hypocrites? What a joke!"
Those old fogies had made countless dirty deals behind the scenes for their own desires and gains. Roygun remembered only too well how the nearly millennium-old Archduke Ipos had tried to seduce her into becoming his mistress. If she hadn't been smart, they would have devoured her long ago!
"Roygun told you everything you wanted to know. If you don't believe her, who do you suspect?" Tenraku asked with a grin.
"Duke Leraje and Duke Botis are certainly not suspects. However, according to our information, the King's pieces were made by His Majesty Ajuka and came from him. Therefore..." The bespectacled man hesitated.
"So you think that Duke Ajuka is the prime suspect? That it's all Ajuka who is manipulating these affairs behind the scenes?"
Tenraku anticipated what the bespectacled man would say next. But before the man could continue, he suddenly realized that everyone was staring at him with cold and suspicious glances. His heart skipped a beat and beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead.
"Ah, His Majesty Ajuka is an upright and honest Demon King, so he is naturally incapable of such deeds," The bespectacled man chuckled nervously, pushing up his glasses.
"So according to you, His Majesty the Demon King and those dukes and archdukes are all upright and virtuous individuals. Then why are you inquiring about the masterminds behind Roygun?" Tenraku's tone dripped with sarcasm.
"Go back to your high-class Devils and report. Tell them that Roygun's King piece was found by the side of the road and that she gave pieces to the other cheaters she found. There were no influential figures manipulating behind the scenes; it was all her own cheating," He added, a smirk on his lips. Yubelluna and the other women couldn't help but laugh at Tenraku's attitude.
Embarrassed, the bespectacled man thought to himself, "I would like to say that, but would anyone believe such a ridiculous 'truth'?"
"You are joking, Your Excellency. Let's finish this investigation. We will verify the testimony of the Belphegor family lord later," The bespectacled man sighed deeply.
Knowing that their presence here was useless, especially with the Red Dragon Emperor present and unable to take any action against Roygun Belphegor, the bespectacled man felt inclined to retreat.
"Let's go, let's not overstay our welcome," The bespectacled man said, his expression full of disdain.
"But before we go, Belphegor Family Lord, please hand over the King piece you possess to our investigating committee. The King's Piece is an unauthorized power outside the rules, not something you're entitled to have," The bespectacled man said coldly, suppressing his anger.
But as soon as he uttered these words, the atmosphere in the hall became tense.
"The King piece was created by His Majesty Ajuka. What right do you have to take it back? If you want it back, have His Majesty Ajuka come and take it personally," Tenraku replied with a cold smile. Roygun seemed unfazed, even pointing invitingly to her chest where the piece rested.
The bespectacled man's expression changed. Although he was extremely reluctant, he knew that if he dared to go over and take it, the domineering Red Dragon Emperor would not hesitate to beat him to death!
With a change in attitude, the bespectacled man also knew, despite his deep reluctance, that they wouldn't be able to get the King's piece today.
"We're leaving!" With a decisive turn, the bespectacled man and his entourage departed.
To be continued...
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