RETURN OF THE FEMALE KNIGHT

142. Day Of Decision

A gathering of the late Emperor's allies was quickly decided upon. With Ophelia in control of the Imperial Palace, Jungkook had to return to his position as quickly as possible. The time for them to fight back had to happen soon, and the situation would change drastically depending on whether Jungkook could gain control of the Imperial Palace, or if Ophelia was able to install Mingyu as emperor first.

Several of Jungkook's key allies began to arrive at the prepared meeting place. The gathering was of utmost secrecy, and information was kept on tight lockdown to prevent any leaks.

Finally, everyone arrived. Jungkook stepped into the room, followed by Lalisa at his side, her long golden hair flowing behind her.

"Hail to the Crown Prince. Eternal glory to the Ruford Empire."

The voices of the nobles rang together in a quiet but strong chorus. Jungkook made his way to the front of the room with his usual stately gait. Ever since the death of Emperor Gongyoo, he was now in the highest position of the Ruford Empire, and had to carry himself as such. Lord Smith from the Casey family spoke first.

"We are relieved to see that you are safe, Your Highness. You had been missing, and we worried that—"

But Smith's words did not last long. He stopped speaking when he saw someone else enter the room right after Jungkook and Lalisa. The crowd's eyes widened at the newcomer and they began to murmur amongst themselves.

The man who entered was Evans, the head of the Krauss family. He was not wearing a robe like everyone else, and his white hair was completely on display. Anyone could recognize him at a glance.

"Why is Count Krauss here...?"

"Has he decided to support the Crown Prince?"

There was a great range of opinions among the nobles about Evans' intentions at the meeting. Jungkook lifted his hand in the air, and the curious murmuring died down.

"The Krauss family has decided to lend their strength to me."

The faces of all the nobles suddenly turned into a mixture of surprise and glee. Never had anyone been able to secure the support of the Krauss family. If it was true that he would lend his power to Jungkook, the chances of winning the throne had grown exponentially. All the nobles began to speak out at the same time.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty."

If Krauss was on their side, they were more than happy to prematurely celebrated Jungkook's ascension to the throne.

Meanwhile, Lalisa watched the scene in satisfaction as morale amongst their allies increased. Although she had bet on Evans, she had doubts that he would throw his support to them. To her incredible surprise, however, Evans contacted her after their meeting, stating his endorsement for Jungkook. She didn't know what caused him to make the decision, but she would not question the result.

Lalisa's and Evans' eyes met in midair, and s gheave a slight nod of approval. Lord Smith of the Casey family spoke again.

"We have nothing to worry about now, Your Highness. If we gather the soldiers we have and combine it with the strength of the Krauss family, we'll be free to invade the palace."

Presently, all the Imperial Palace soldiers were under the control of Empress Ophelia. Even with Jungkook's leadership, it would not be easy to break through the palace. With Krauss' support, however, the task was more than possible.The other nobles did not know it, but Lalisa also had a sizable amount of funds to hire a mercenary army.

Jungkook spoke in reply.

"I have given much thought to it."

There were sure to be many casualties if Jungkook attempted to return to the palace and Ophelia's forces confronted him directly. However, inside the Crown Prince's palace were Jungkook's people. They only listened to Ophelia's orders because she was in charge, but they would side with Jungkook once they knew he was there. If after all that Jungkook ended up being overwhelmed by Ophelia's forces, however, then it would be a devastating loss.