They were face to face with each other, condescending gazes stared down at her. Cecilia was resilient, not budging an inch in front of those who held all the power.
There they were, the Royal Family, looking at her every detail, not letting something escape from their field of vision.
Although intense, Arisanna found the situation a little funny. Since she is acquainted with everyone in the room, she didn't find the scene intimidating. She was pretty certain the emperor hadn't blinked in a long while. She also saw Cecilia drink more cups of tea now than in her entire lifetime.
She knew it was not appropriate to jest in such a situation so she kept her mouth shut, letting the representative speak for them. In other words, pushing the work to a certain someone and deriving all responsibilities.
Arisanna gave Theodore a heartfelt smile before turning towards the predators eyeing the prey.
He breathed a deep sigh before speaking.
"We owe you all an explanation I suppose."
They all nodded.
"Then, before we start questioning whether we should have or should not, I would like to say something first," he sharpened his gaze.
"This was all done by my will. I personally think if we decide to go down this route, it would prove beneficial. I also know there are precautions that could be taken in case something goes wrong."
"Proceed," the emperor nodded.
"Emberlynn Levin, now called Cecilia Gardner as her new identity, has information about the hidden activities of the church," he calmly spoke.
He rose up his hand as a signal to let him finish.
"We have written a contract with her and she has signed. You could take a look yourself," he gestured.
Arisanna pulled up the contract and sent it their way to review.
"In short, it could be said she is an ally we could trust. As to where she got her information from, it is not from those of the church."
"Then where did she get it from?" Arthur raised a question.
As everyone looked for an answer from Theodore, Cecilia raised her head a spoke, "I would like to not disclose where I got my information from."
"Then how would we know to trust you? You have no source?" Bridgette gazed at her with cold eyes, finding it unreasonable.
"I would swear upon anything you ask of me. You could check if any of my statements are lies," Cecilia paused, not wanting to comment further.
"I already checked myself if what she said was true. So far, everything she said was no lie. Even if it wasn't from the church, an outside resource could be where she got it from," Arisanna chimed in before doubts were spoken.
"Dear, you do understand what you are saying correct?" the empress started to ask.
"Certainly," Arisanna's head gave a slight bow.
"Whether we are certain or not, you have made quite the deal for yourself," the emperor chuckled.
All eyes were on him, waiting for his final judgment.
"Do you understand what you ask of my nephew?" hinting at the contract.
"The support of the Grand Duke is worth more than you would think," he smiled.
"It gives you the ability to partially stand with the emperor."
The emperor is the one with the most power. He has the ability to do anything, and it's not an exaggeration. Although all rulers would pledge their work for the good of the empire, he isn't completely restricted in what he is allowed to do. He is the law in a literal sense that only tolerates those he trusted. If someone close to the emperor had a good impression on an individual, naturally the emperor would side with them as well, meaning leaving their trust on the line. Once the trust was broken, the chain of connections would also break with it.
What the Grand Duke is swearing upon is not his relationship but his mutual trust between the two parties. Although he is the emperor's nephew, personal relationships are off the table when it comes to these matters. In other words, he is betting a lot on the line to gain this information. There can only be two endings to this. One, if Cecilia were whole-heartedly on their side, the Grand Duke's actions would seem incredibly noble. However, if Cecilia were to betray them at any point, the Grand Duke would be heavily punished for risking such a gamble.
"A lot is at stake," Cecilia replied.
She gave the Royal Family another look and nodded, "I know what I have asked. This is between me and the Grand Duke."
"I will tell you this. I value my relationship with the Grand Duke currently. It would be a shame if something were to happen," the emperor casually mentioned, glancing at Theodore as he spoke.
Theodore noticed his glances but didn't respond.
"I have signed a contract and will be expected to follow the terms of conditions," she lightly smiled.
"Then I will bother you no more," he merely laughed and finally let up his gaze.
The room was filled with a rare silence. One could hear the light breeze outside of the window, carrying a fallen leaf from a nearby tree.
"I do have a question, Embe- Cecilia," Arthur clearly spoke, ridding of the awkwardness.
"Please."
"Why didn't you come to us instead of the North?"
"I doubt you would have believed me. Besides, traveling up North was most convenient in my situation," Cecilia explained, she glanced at Alexander who stood stone-faced, trying to decipher her words.
Arthur took note of her glances and meekly replied, "It seems we all have our own reasons."
"We would be returning soon," Reynold suddenly spoke up, disrupting the tense mood. He gave the clock in the room a look.
"Yes, it is quite late," the empress looked out the window.
"How about you all stay for tonight before leaving?" Alexander, someone who hasn't spoken this entire conversation, spoke.
"Please, we would prefer it if you will," Bridgette cut them off before they stated their excuses.
"Then I would have to send word back to mother and father," Reynold gave Arisanna a look.
The two stared for a while until they both turned their heads to their representative.
"It would be nice if we stayed for the night," Theodore agreed.
"Then it is decided!" Bridgette clapped her hands together.
"The maids will guide you to your room," she turned to speak to Cecilia with a bright smile on her face, showing no signs of exhaustion.
"Then I would like to be excused and turn in," Cecilia gave a low bow as she exits, following a maid.
Once she was entirely gone, the silence continued for a couple of minutes before everyone in the room was sure of her absence.
"Now, you three," the emperor cocked his head.
"We will need you to provide all the details, from start to finish."
Arisanna, who got tired from the continuous standing, sat down on the couch.
"It would be a very long story," she complained.
"We have time."
"Would it be considered a bedtime story?" she smiled.
The emperor laughed, "Or else I wouldn't be able to sleep at night."
So, she spilled, as everyone comfortably sat down. She started where it all started and ended with the most recent event that happened. She gave room to inputs here and there but no one made a serious comment. It wasn't until they finished did a proper discussion actually start.