Harbinger Of Doom: The Attainer

23. The Conference

That night, Prince Mo flew into a rage. His hands was clamped on his waist, corners of his thinned lips tilting down. He stared profoundly at the ceiling in utter exasperation. The maids and manservants were on their knees shuddering without daring to glimpse at the fuming prince. Without warning, he furiously swept the jug and cups on his table with his hand, sending them to shatter noisily. The maids and manservants gasped as they flinched affrightedly.

The ordeal was becoming redundant for him to absorb. The inception of his dispiriting circumstance could be traced back to the sprouting of the insidious rumour followed by his conspiratorial impeachment. And now, the bronze seal was no where to be found.

Hilbwet was speechlessly vexed. He stared fiercely at the panic-stricken servants.

"You mean none of you came in contact with a yellow box while on duty." His voice was harsh enough to infuse fright. The servants squeaked due to the strictness of the speech, jittering their heads vibrantly. How their heads never fell off despite the superfluous, energetic denial remained unexplainable.

Mo paced here and there, hands still holding his waist.

"Whoever is responsible for this must go in for it. They dare smuggle a spy into my palace." He swayed his eyes between the frightened-to-death servants on the ground. "I don't want these good-for-nothing servants in my palace."

"Mercy, your highness!" They pleaded shakily, bringing their faces to the ground. For sure if it gets to the king that Mo fired his servants due to the unknown whereabouts of the bronze seal, they would definitely get their heads decapitated and spiked on the palace gate.

After an unclear period of observing him, Hilbwet sighed and took the blame. Being Mo's loyalist since childhood, he was more than ready to not only share Mo's burden but also to take the fall for him.

"I'm at fault, your highness. I failed to inspect the servants cautiously. If I hadn't slacked off in performing my duty, this incident wouldn't have occurred." Mo turned his head slowly to Hilbwet.

"And what's the use of telling me that now?" Mo scolded as his eyes shone at his guard. The latter started and averted his sight by looking down. He had never seen Mo in such an angry mode.

With ostensible anger written on his face, Mo hated the fact that he fell for the bait of his opposing party. His anger could no longer be seethed as a result of the deluge of ill luck that overwhelmed him.

While the room was silent with a rigorous atmosphere, a silhouette entered the room.

"I have something to report." Mo looked up and it was six. He must have been done with the task entrusted to him.

With the side of his eyes, Mo glared daggers at the heads of the servants still kneeling on the floor.

"What are you doing there? Do you still need me to chase you out?" At once, the servants got up and scurried out of the room. Immediately they left, six reported in a small tone.

"Your highness, it's possible that those officials who started the rumour may have come across the second prince in one way or the other. The right-hand man of prince Karick visited the minister of justice today. they talked in the garden. Although I didn't hear the entire conversation, I heard the right-hand man say that the second prince promised to make the minister a grand secretary if he supports him to get the crown."

Mo huffed quietly, a little smirk superceding his dark expression. "Nice move! He is trying to take hold of the high court. When that happens, it would be difficult for his opposition to convict him."

"It's a nice move but House Of Berath will keep the ministry of justice in check." Hilbwet stated.

"That's true." Mo assented.