Mr. Dragon Knight, the dragon girls are chasing you!

The envoy frowned and explained, "Master Theo, this is an official battle report signed by all members of the Dragon Hunting Alliance Command. It's in black and white, irrefutable evidence. How could it be fake?"

"Irresistible evidence?" Theodore sneered, his tone dripping with sarcasm and sharp as a knife.

"A dragon-hunting alliance composed of hundreds of elite and high-ranking warriors from various races has besieged a Black Dragon King that is severely wounded and has exhausted its life force!"

"After seven days and seven nights of fierce fighting, suffering heavy losses and casualties, they still managed to allow the severely wounded Black Dragon to escape unscathed!"

"Such a disgraceful record—if I were the coalition commander, I would also find a scapegoat to take the blame!"

"And my brother, caught up in the battlefield, disappeared after the war, his fate unknown, no one to confront him! Isn't he the perfect, convenient scapegoat?!"

The envoy's face darkened completely, and he was speechless for a moment.

Theodore took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and spoke clearly and forcefully, each word distinct and articulate:

My younger brother is only eighteen years old this year.

"He left home at the age of ten to travel the continent alone, and for ten years wandered the world, never using a single penny or soldier from the Duke's mansion. He never got involved in the power struggles of the royal capital!"

"What's the motive behind a young man who has always remained outside the realm of royal power, independent of his family, and uninvolved in politics, yet betrayed his country and colluded with the emperor?!"

"My Violet family has been loyal and virtuous for generations. My grandfather fought in 174 battles throughout his life, winning every single one, and risked his life five times to rescue the late king!"

"Seventeen years ago, my father risked his life to travel a thousand miles to save Your Majesty, ensuring that Your Majesty could firmly sit on the throne!"

"Generations of loyal soldiers, illustrious achievements—and now, based solely on a flawed battle report, they want to nail my brother to the pillar of treasonous shame!"

"I, Theodore Violet, am the first to disagree!"

A brief silence fell over the hall.

Raymond looked at his eldest son who had stepped forward in front of him, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes.

The eldest son, on whom he had placed high hopes and received strict guidance since childhood, displayed a sense of responsibility and courage that lived up to Violet's family tradition of pride.

Raymond slowly raised his hand, gently stopping Theodore from continuing his argument.

He slowly stood up, his tall and upright figure standing there, the morning light outlining his majestic silhouette, exuding an aura of authority from a lifetime of military service.

His gaze fell heavily on the royal envoy, his tone calm yet carrying immense weight, commanding respect:

"My lord, there is no need for further words."

"The Violet family is willing to accept a thorough investigation by the royal family and will fully cooperate."

The envoy breathed a slight sigh of relief and was about to continue the conversation when Raymond abruptly changed the subject, revealing his sharp edge:

"But please, sir, convey three sentences to His Majesty for me."

"First, my son Luo Ye has spent ten years traveling the continent alone, without touching the royal power or relying on his family. If he really wanted to betray the country, ten years would have been enough for him to join any foreign power. Why would he wait until today to ruin his future in front of everyone on the battlefield?"

"Secondly, hundreds of elite troops were defeated by a severely wounded black dragon, yet instead of acknowledging the shame of defeat, they blamed it on an eighteen-year-old boy. This is not a battle report; it's a fig leaf for the cowards of the court!"

"third--"

He paused, his gaze darkening slightly, his tone remaining calm, yet carrying a weight that sent a chill down the envoy's spine:

"Seventeen years ago, when the beast tide broke out, the kings fled and the ministers avoided disaster. It was I, Raymond, who single-handedly charged into the mountains of corpses and seas of blood, carrying the heavily wounded His Majesty across thousands of miles of deadly land, to save his throne and his life."

"His Majesty personally promised that the Violet family would be loyal and virtuous for generations, never committing any wrongful crimes, and that his descendants would never suffer any injustice."

"Now that His Majesty wants to investigate, I will cooperate fully. But if anyone uses this as an excuse to undermine, frame loyal officials, or tarnish my family's reputation—"

He slowly withdrew his gaze, his sharp eyes surging with a long-suppressed anger and fierceness:

"I, Raymond, have spent half my life on the battlefield, able to carry a king out of a horde of beasts. Naturally, I also have the ability to make those sitting in the court, playing power games, see clearly whether Violet's backbone is truly strong or not!"

His words were resounding and carried great weight.

The envoy opened his mouth, but ultimately did not reply.

He bowed slightly, put away the parchment, turned and left, his pace quickening slightly as he had come.

The Duke's guards followed closely behind, slowly closing the heavy oak gates.

"boom--"

The dull thud of the door closing echoed through the hall, shutting out all outside prying eyes and criticisms.

The Duchess finally broke down; her legs gave way, and she slumped into the chair behind her, tears streaming down her face. "Ye'er... he really..."

"He's still alive," Duke Raymond interrupted her decisively.

Ophelia looked up through teary eyes at her husband's resolute profile, and her panicked heart calmed down a little.

Duke Raymond offered no further explanation, but simply turned to the old butler waiting nearby: "How's the investigation going? Any news of Ye'er?"

The old butler quickly stepped forward, lowered his voice, and with a solemn expression tinged with disbelief, respectfully reported:

"Your Grace, I have mobilized all the underground agents in the manor and the intelligence network across the continent to track Young Master Luo Ye's movements."

"After the battle at the Eternal Night Rift, all public traces of the young master disappeared completely."

Raymond frowned slightly: "Absolutely no clues?"

"Yes." The old butler nodded, then his tone became increasingly subtle as he changed the subject.

"However, when I was reviewing the young master's whereabouts over the past ten years, I discovered many highly unusual and suspicious points."

"Oh? Tell me about it." Raymond's eyes flickered slightly.

"Based on the adventurers' guild archives, testimonies from various mercenary groups, border guard logs, and scattered fragments of civilian intelligence—"

The old butler's voice was extremely low, filled with shock:

"When Young Master Luo Ye was fourteen years old, he once ventured alone into the forbidden land of the Fire Dragon King at the westernmost part of the continent. That was a scorching sea of ​​fire that even high-level adventurers dared not easily set foot in. Young Master entered alone and returned safely."

"Moreover, given Young Master Luo Ye's speed, without the escort of a high-level flying magical beast, or the use of high-level teleportation, or other special methods, he would never be able to reach that place in his entire life."

"Moreover, he later reappeared on the Rift battlefield."

"This is something no ordinary human teenager could do; even a genius would have no chance!"

The hall fell silent instantly.

Theodore's pupils contracted, his face filled with shock: "Fourteen years old... venturing alone into the Dragon Clan's forbidden area? I had no idea!"

Raymond slowly leaned back in his chair, remaining silent for a long time. A complex expression flashed in his eyes, a mixture of relief, surprise, and heartache.

His second son was exceptionally intelligent from a young age, completely different from ordinary people, and was renowned throughout the capital.

That is why His Majesty betrothed Princess Elena to Luo Ye when she was only three years old.

Raymond sighed softly, his tone devoid of blame, but rather full of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing both admiration and reflection):

"This child has kept it well hidden. But that's good. Having secrets means he's still alive."

"It's good to be alive. As long as you're alive, there's always a chance to turn things around."

As soon as he finished speaking, his expression suddenly hardened, and he regained the decisiveness of the Iron-Blooded Duke, giving the order in a deep voice:

"Continue to dig deeper into the intelligence network and investigate covertly, without alerting the enemy."

"In addition, keep a close eye on the movements in the court, especially the major families and powerful ministers who have been most active recently, leading the impeachment of my family and smearing Ye'er. Report to me immediately if there is any unusual activity."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

The old butler bowed and accepted the order, then turned and quickly left the hall.

Just as the atmosphere in the hall had calmed down a little, a maid hurried in, bowed her head, and looked somewhat nervous and reserved:

"Your Excellency Duke and Duchess, Princess Elena has come to visit and is now outside the gates of the mansion."