Queen of Mean

CHAPTER 36

IT WAS customary for the royal knights to escort the accused, but Tori defied the rules. The royal knights under the banner of the first prince blocked their way out of the prison when she escorted the second prince herself with the Ming Country's knights. Tori stepped forward, her body shielding the nonchalant second prince. "Move," said Tori in a chilling tone. She saw how the royal knights barricaded before her faltered.

"We are here under the command of the emperor to escort his son to the courthouse." The leader of the royal knights blatantly lied which earned him a cold dead stare from Tori.

Liar. You were taken by the first prince to kill the second prince on the way to the courthouse. If Prince Lauren made such drastic action, then he must be feeling anxious in this noble trial. "Oh, you are from the emperor's royal knights? Such a shame to miss them from our collection, right Prince Yei Lin?"

The royal knights wondered what she was talking about. The countless eyeballs that rolled to the ground in front of the two opposing parties stopped the prideful royal knights, turning them pale as the latter realized they were human's eyes. "My dear royal knights under the command of the emperor, say hello to your comrades." Tori's sweet voice hid the threat 'Move or you will become like this' was what she was trying to convey.

The leader of the royal knights paled when he realized where the missing royal knights were. The lady standing in front of them was the culprit behind the fluctuation of royal knights guarding Prince Corean!

The barricade of royal knights parted for Tori and her companions. As she passed the flustered royal knights, her toothy grin did not leave unnoticed. Tori clung to Cory's arm like a leech. Anyone who would see her would think immediately that she was the second prince's lover with the way she pressed herself to him.

Even with his lip being busted, Prince Corean gripped Tori's left hand tightly as he looked down upon her. "You are turning me on, Victoria. Be careful." Though his voice was light, his golden eyes burned with a burning passion. Tori could not help but gulped loudly as she felt the rising of heat to her cheeks. She was blushing like a teenager. For once, Tori was doing what a fifteen-year-old girl was supposed to do, aside from plotting the ruin of the empire.

A seductive grin broke out from her lips. "I look forward to your punishment, Your Highness."

The company exited the prison in the same manner as to how Tori went inside. The tactical turtle formation that surrounded the four prominent figures served as an impenetrable fortress that even dulled the shrieks of commoners. But compare to the time that Tori experience this when she was accused a year ago, the numbers fluctuated. And Tori knew why. "What have you done to the commoners, Victoria? They are behaving like dogs on a leash," observed Cory as they marched calmly towards their respective carriages.

Looking up to him, her playful red eyes met his calm golden ones. "Saving a handful of commoners is not an easy feat, you know. But this benevolent Victoria Rozenreff saved the day when Sabina screwed up big time. Who's the saintess now, huh?"

Tori earned a warm chuckle from Prince Cory that made her smile as she turned her head away from him. She did not want to let go of his hand.

Holding his hand until they went inside the carriage, not letting go as they stepped into the noble trial where a fabricated trial waited for them. The smug looks of Merilla and the noble faction members showed how confident they were that they would win this one. The moment Tori and Prince Corean stepped into the courthouse, hand in hand, they held their heads high. The two crown princes followed suit with Lily in tow. No amount of harsh whispers could falter the stone-cold face of the lady of Rozenreff Duchy, not even the site of Merilla and Sabina.