The SSS-rank Guide Doesn't Need Saving

After Dominick delivered his words, people became even more confused. They wondered what he was talking about. Why should Irene be engaged to Prince Soren instead of Aisha?

He even made it sound like Irene was being wronged for the accusations she received today.

Dominick was unafraid of the consequences of his words, even as Irene stared at him with terror.

He continued, ”Aisha is not my daughter. She was adopted by my wife years ago!”

”What?”

”Does that mean she’s not a real Novalis?”

”Then where did she come from?”

Hearing the murmurs of the people around him, Dominick replied, ”We found her in the lowest sector. She was barely able to crawl when my wife saw her. My wife has been wanting to have a daughter, but sadly, we only had two sons back then. So, I allowed her to adopt a stranger’s child. However, a year later after we took her in... My wife ended up giving birth to our first daughter, Irene.”

As he continued, the hall became even louder. But Irene couldn’t hear a word of their conversation as she stared in shock at her father, who had revealed a secret she couldn’t believe!

”M—mother, is what father said true?” She turned to her mother, who sighed after she was unable to stop her husband from stepping forward and revealing the secret they had been hiding.

”That’s right. Aisha isn’t your real sister. She was never part of our family.”

Theon looked more shocked before he scoffed, ”How is it that I don’t know anything about this?”

Erika looked at him and replied, ”You were only two years old when we took in Aisha. And ever since, we’ve made you call her sister.”

Theon fell silent. It would make sense if he didn’t know about this since he was only two years old back then. But how could his parents hide this from him for several years?

”Does eldest brother know?”

Erika nodded.

Although he didn’t like Aisha because of what she did to Irene, he felt uncomfortable that this happened in front of everyone.

Theon frowned. He turned his head below the throne where Aisha and the prince were. Hearing their father claim she was adopted, how would Aisha take this?

Without realizing, he stopped breathing.

Aisha’s face was akin to a lake undisturbed. Her calm composure despite what had just been revealed made her look even colder and more menacing, as if she didn’t take the words that came out of their father’s mouth as something shocking at all.

What was stranger was the slow curl that rose from the tips of her lips as her eyes looked at their father, as if she was looking at a puppet show and finding it amusing to watch.

Theon suddenly wanted to stop their father.

”It’s all because I indulged my wife that Aisha ended up becoming engaged to His Highness. I hope this misunderstanding will clear everything up! My daughter, Irene, did nothing wrong. She was only taking what was hers in the first place!”

Dominick declared it so loudly and righteously that people even thought that he sounded convincing.

But they weren’t fools.

And the person who couldn’t accept this either was someone else that no one dared to look at right now.

”Do you know that it is a capital offense to lie and deceive the crown?”

The emperor’s words fell and made them want to hide.

Dominick wanted to stand firmly and face the emperor’s wrath, but just one look at the emperor sitting on the throne made him lower his gaze instantly.

”Tha... That.” Unable to properly form a response, Dominick stammered in fear. ”Your M—majesty, I didn’t lie to you. We... we took in Aisha as our own daughter and became a part of our family.”

”That doesn’t answer my question.” Emperor Nikulaus’s face darkened in anger. ”You adopted someone else’s daughter and gave birth to a daughter the next. So, why did you allow your adopted child to become my son’s future consort? I will hear your excuses. If it is not satisfactory, I will have you and your entire family punished!”

It was unacceptable for anyone to deceive him. Even if it was done to fulfill a promise that the previous consort had given to her benefactor, these people should have known that they should’ve never used a stranger’s child to fulfill it.

Dominick’s forehead had a sheen on it. He tried to wipe it, but he couldn’t even bring himself to lift a hand, too afraid of the emperor. He knew he had made a mistake by stepping forward and revealing everything, but he could no longer take back the words that left his mouth.

If only Aisha hadn’t taken out that device and he didn’t recognize his own daughter’s voice in that recording, how could he have revealed everything?

He regretted it belatedly as he thought of a way to escape the punishment that the emperor would hand down if he didn’t say anything!

”Your Majesty, if I may speak.” Consort Gabriel abruptly said.

”Consort, this isn’t the time for you to speak.”

Consort Gabriel bit her lips. It wasn’t humiliating that the emperor was stopping her from speaking, but she couldn’t allow this to go on like this.

”I know, Your Majesty. But please consider that everyone is watching right now. We’ll discuss this matter and the punishment you will give to that merchant’s family privately,” she reminded him.

Emperor Nikulaus turned her words over in his head before he finally nodded. He waved his hands and guards appeared before the Novalis family.

He ordered, ”Take every member of their family inside. We will continue this matter after we’re done here.”

When they heard the emperor’s order, the faces of the Novalis family went pale as they begged for mercy. Irene and Theon were even dragged by guards. As for Dominick and Erika, they were also surrounded by the guards as they shrank back in fear.

Consort Gabriel was surprised. Then, she added, ”Your Majesty, it would be too much if you take every member of their family. Why don’t we just take that man and his wife as well as the elders in their family?”

To be honest, she didn’t want to say this. But because she was afraid that the Novalis family would reveal how they had often gave her money to fund her son’s future to the emperor, things would turn bad.

Moreover, she couldn’t allow Irene to be taken inside since there was still the Royal Selection.

Although Consort Gabriel also wanted to hear the Novalis family’s explanation for substituting Irene for Aisha in the matter of her son’s engagement, that could still wait later.

Right now, she couldn’t allow anyone, not even the emperor, to hinder her son’s future by taking away his future S-rank Guide consort!

Fortunately, the emperor considered her words seriously and finally agreed.

”Your Majesty, please wait!”

”We had nothing to do with this. Please hear us!”

”Dominick, quick, tell His Majesty that we have nothing to do with this!”

The elders of the Novalis family were so shocked by what was happening, but they became afraid when the emperor ordered them to be taken inside the palace. They didn’t know what would happen later or when they would be released. And if things went wrong, they could even be punished!

Dominick was dragged along with his wife by the imperial guards. He looked at the emperor in fear, but he didn’t dare argue or plead for mercy. When he looked away from the emperor, his gaze inevitably fell on someone else.

Aisha stood below the throne and watched them being dragged. Her red dress made her skin look even fairer, with the lights coming from the light stones highlighting her outline.

”Aisha...” he called her name softly.

This was the first time he had looked at her face since he had revealed everything to everyone. He expected her to look shocked and in tears after she learned the truth.

Yet her eyes looked on coldly at him.

It took a moment, but Dominick eventually realized that she didn’t look stunned. Instead, the look he saw in her eyes was something someone would use to look at a bug that happened to fall on top of a table, worthless and disgusting.

”You...”

Yank!

Dominick was unable to say a word as the guard dragging him in didn’t allow it.

Once they were gone, the ceremony continued as if nothing had happened.

But the rest of the Novalis family who weren’t dragged in could no longer listen or even watch anymore. They were extremely disturbed by the sight of their elders being dragged within the palace, unsure of what their fates would be if the emperor ended up punishing them.

They could only blame Irene’s father for recklessly revealing the truth in front of the emperor!

Meanwhile, Soren was in disbelief of what he had just heard. He looked at Irene, who was already in tears and distress after her parents were dragged inside the palace. Then, he looked at Aisha next, whose expression didn’t even change despite hearing what her father had just heard.

He subconsciously asked her, ”You... did you know?”

Aisha’s eyes moved to look back at him. ”No. I didn’t know.”

Though her words said she didn’t, Soren couldn’t shake the feeling she must have known long ago. If he were right, then it would explain why she signed their annulment papers.

Could it be that she wanted me to give her that money because she knew they would abandon her? Soren thought, guessing half of Aisha’s intention.

But he couldn’t understand something. If she knew it all along, why would she still agree to break off their engagement? Staying with him and becoming his consort would give her more advantage. Yet she’s willing to give him up?

Why?