With his antics, Gray also succeeded in disgusting Roy.
"What are you supposed to be, a dog?" Roy rolled his eyes at Master Gray in disgust.
Sir Dale ignored Roy, who was making fun of the master tailor in his presence, and went up to Gray, helping him up to his feet, and with a calm face saying, "Please stand. A man of your status needs not to bow to me or any of us. It will be mistaken as us disrespecting you."
As he said, a master tailor had a certain status in the empire; although not as grand as a noble, they needn't bow in the presence of guards, or it will be taken as the guard bullying them.
Dale was afraid of false rumors spreading and didn't want to be involved in any drama, so even though Master Gray was on his last leg, he picked him up, hurrying him up to his feet. Only after did he turn to Roy.
AD
"You must be the cause of all this destruction. What do you have to say for yourself?" Sir Dale didn't come off as offensive to Roy, but he did find him quite judging as expected of one of the four inner guard's captains.
"I am not to be blamed. These three tried to bully me. They lacked the capability to, however, and were taught a lesson in return. Just then, this sire here came to help the villains and sneak-attacked me with the intention to kill me where I stood, only to be met with defeat at the hands of the very person he considered an ant. Both times, I acted in self-defense. Now… you can be the judge of who's in the right and wrong."
He said all that not to get convicted of a false crime.
"What utter nonsense. You're good at making up plays. Do you expect the knights to believe your falsely made stories, full of loopholes?" This was a heaven-sent opportunity to get even with Roy, so Master Gray didn't mind spitting black paint of lies at him again.
Sir Dale wasn't one to come to a judgment blindly.
He liked to hear both sides of the story before coming to a judgment.
So he gave Roy a chance to defend himself again.
AD
"Do you have evidence to back up your claims?"
"Yes, I do.' Roy nodded at him before pointing at the crowd and saying, "These people can verify my statement. They've seen everything that took place. Why don't you ask them?"
Master Gray smiled hideously. 'Idiot… you've signed your own defeat with that."
His smile went unnoticed by the guards, but Roy saw it, and a forbidding feeling took root in his heart.
He could feel something bad was going to happen to him but didn't know what.
Only some minutes after, when not a single person spoke up for Roy's sake, did he realize the cause of the gloominess.
They all kept silent when questioned by the knights, repeatedly shaking their heads to pin the blame on Roy.
Most of them were the common man, unwilling to offend the rich for a stranger; some among them worked for Master Gray; any act of justifying Roy would land them a free ticket to joblessness.
The others were mostly common people to whom he had regularly given rations.
He was responsible for their bread and butter.
So… Why would anyone speak in Roy's favor and harm their source of weekly rations?
Horrified to discover that he was in the midst of disgusting people, Roy cursed at them. "Shameless… all of you are shameless!"
AD
He was in a den of snakes. Master Gray was its head. No one was willing to come up and cut this head off.
"I've had enough of your nonsense." It wasn't Sir Dale but Knight Kamren who took immediate action against Roy. "Guards, capture him. If he resists, use force. We'll interrogate him down at the station."
Enticed by his command, dozens of knights immediately tried to apprehend Roy.
Roy stood still like a status without wheels and gazed at the crowd, the knights, and Master Gray with cold, red eyes.
Feeling too ashamed to meet Roy's gaze head-on, the onlookers lowered their heads when it swept past them
Clearly, they felt guilty about something, but what? They dared not say, and no knight was interested in working hard enough to get to the very bottom of this mess.
It was better to just get this over with and drag Roy to the hellish prison of the County.
"You guys have done it. I guess I've no choice left but to reveal who I am."
Roy didn't want to reveal his identity as news of his greatness would surely spread and reach Rose Charlotte's ears, and then there would be a chance of her bouncing back to him, but firstly, he had the divorced agreement. It was only missing his signature. Secondly, he would use everything in his power to keep her away. There was no way he was gonna let a disease-filled hole in his bed.
"Who dares to touch I, the noble of the Glorious Sun Empire, the descendant of the Mighty Baldwin, the Son of Badulf: the Fierce Sword Count, Roy Badulf Baldwin?!!!!"
Just as the knights were upon him, he shouted that out majestically.
Immediately all of them came to an immediate halt.
Pin-drop silence took this place hostage.
Only moments later, the "whooshing" sound of wind and the rustling noises of leaves getting brushed by gentle gusts could be heard.
Kamren, who had raised his hand to handcuff Roy, lowered his hands, no longer daring to touch him. ƒ𝓇ℯ𝑒𝒘𝐞𝚋𝓃𝚘𝚟e𝚕. 𝒄𝗼𝐦
How could he dare to treat a noble Lord like a criminal? He still valued his job, alright!!
AD
'Fuck… this guy is a tiger acting like a low-key pig to eat the snake called Gray. He is a noble and a higher ranking one at that, but he still played along with them. Why didn't anyone consider telling me who he was?! Fuck master Gray, your stupidity will not only ruin you but also me!!'
He internally cursed nine generations of Master Gray's family with a face contorted in displeasure.