After the introductions were done everyone was now sitting and drinking tea, at some point the maid had excused herself.
Arthur could feel the atmosphere was once more stifling and could guess why.
As he thought, after a few moments of silence Grand Duke Ern started the conversation "Scarlet, while we wait for the Royal Physician to arrive, can you tell us in detail what happened during your journey?"
"Though we read Sir Thomas' letter it only stated a few things." Lynn added, eager to know about the person who caused her daughter's suffering.
"Father, before I start, I hope you do not blame Sister Yu as well as her family. They would never wish harm upon me." Scarlet said pleadingly.
"Niece, you need not worry, we understand the Royal Long Family would never harm you. Such an idea had never crossed our minds." Edward interjected. Despite his niece being harmed within the Dragon Empire he couldn't blame the Royal Family. As for the Royal Family colluding to harm Scarlet? That never crossed his mind. They have been allies for far too long, otherwise he would never allow his niece to go to a foreign nation barely protected.
Scarlet breathed a sigh of relief after hearing her Uncle's response.
Everyone could clearly see how much she had worried about her friend and friend's family being blamed, causing them to smile at her kindness.
With her worries settled, Scarlet began "After departing from home we took the fastest route through Gaia Forest. At first everything was normal, even after leaving Gaia Forest-]
As everyone listened, Arthur sipped his tea, he already knew the story. Scarlet, Uncle Albert, Leo, and the triplets had departed from Grand Duke's estate early in the morning and by the time they left Gaia Forest it was already close to evening. Since they were in the territory of the Lothar Kingdom, a vassal kingdom of the Dragon Empire, they decided to rest in one of their towns named Haywood and leave for the Dragon Empire in the morning. It was then while Scarlet slept, she was cursed by the Dark Mage.
"Scarlet, were you able to see the appearance of the Dark Mage?" Ern interjected.
"No father, the Dark Mage was fully clothed in black as for his face it was hidden behind an equally black mask."
Ern had guessed it wouldn't be easy to identify the attacker. He just didn't understand why the assassin had resorted to using a curse instead of a weapon. Was his objective not to kill his daughter? But even if it wasn't, the curse used on his daughter was too powerful for her to handle. Could it be that he was aware of his daughter's Divine Eyes of Purification, that was why he chose such a method? That also did not make sense as no one other than trustworthy people knew of his daughter's Divine Eyes. Not only the motive behind the assassination, the way in which the attempted assassination was carried out did not make sense.
Whilst massaging his forehead trying to calm his headache, Ern turned to his elder brother and asked, "Elder brother, do you have any clue as to which faction the Dark Mage could belong to?"
"It saddens me to say, but assassins with such skills can be found among many factions. Our own Cecilia specializes in curses too."
Arthur, who had been listening from the start, couldn't help but say "Uncle, though I was not there when Scarlet was cursed. From Uncle Thomas' letter you must know a similarly blacked clothed individual had previously attacked us. I believe he was a subordinate of the person who cursed Scarlet."
"Hmmm, Thomas' letter had said that the assassin had died mysteriously. Unfortunately, even now we still do not know what method he had used to kill himself!"
"Uncle, I do not know if this information could be helpful, but the way in which the assassin had died was from a Soul Binding Contract."
"WHAT?"
Noticing the exaggerated reactions from everyone, Arthur wondered was what he said that shocking?
Suddenly, while lost in thought, he felt an elbow jab on both sides of his body.
Damn, did he say something he shouldn't have?
Also, why was he being elbowed?
Scarlet sure, at this point he was used to being pinched and elbowed by her but why the princess?
Did she really dislike him?
Also, what was with that perfect coordination?
It was as if they communicated beforehand…
"Hahaha, Arthur my boy, useful, of course it's useful. A Soul Binding Contract is quite rare, despite being a Grand Duke I have only seen two such contracts in my life."
"Ern is right, Soul Binding Contracts are quite rare and are rarely used. Even if a person wishes to stay anonymous there are many ways to do so. Yet that individual has gone to such lengths of using a Soul Binding Contract to keep a mere subordinate quiet."
"Uncle, it was not only the black robed man that was under a Soul Binding Contract, the leader of the gang was as well."
Edward and everyone else couldn't help but frown at that statement.
From Scarlet's story, they found out the thug was hired to frame the Dragon Empire's Royal Family.
While the black robed assassin had followed him to make sure the thug succeeds, if not he would act which he did.
But it just didn't make sense.
Stroking his mustache, "Niece, did anything else happen after?"
"Yes Uncle, "
With that Scarlet said everything that occurred after the destruction of the carriage with Arthur adding in anything Scarlet had forgotten.
The camping.
Coincidentally meeting Uncle Thomas.
Arthur's suspicions of a spy which made him blush when everyone praised him.
But when Scarlet got to the part of their da… he took over.
Obviously he omitted the part of him being spoon fed by Scarlet and paw fed? By Yuki.
Even so from Scarlet's fiercely blushing face and his cheeks, which were also red, they could tell something occurred within the cafe earning him teasing looks from his Aunts.
However, the teasing looks briefly disappear into horror and anger when he mentions Scarlet's tea had been poisoned.