It Feels Like Im About to Grow a Brain
The Duke of Crestfall was just about to start the interrogation when the tense silence was shattered by an insistent *crunch, crunch, crunch*.
The mood, so carefully cultivated, evaporated in an instant.
The duke shot a furious glare toward the source of the noise.
Across the main hall, Prince Ashworth and his daughter were lounging in their chairs, bouncing their knees and munching on popcorn with the blissful expressions of people watching a matinee.
The Duke of Crestfall was rendered speechless. If he remembered correctly, weren't these two supposed to be *investigating* this case with him? What in the hell were they doing now? He half-wished a bolt of lightning would strike them both down right then and there.
Swallowing his rage, he slammed his fingers on the table. He fixed the woman with a glare as sharp as a knife and began. "Did you poison Leo?"
The woman shook her head frantically, her voice trembling. "No, no! I'm being framed! I don't even know anyone named Leo."
At that, the duke's face darkened, his tone growing heavy with menace. "Stop lying. I've already had you thoroughly investigated. We have a witness and evidence. If you insist on being stubborn, don't blame me for what happens next."
All the strength seemed to drain right out of her. She started shaking violently, her teeth chattering. "I, I do know Leo," she stammered, her story changing. "But I really didn't poison him! Someone set me up!"
The duke's stare was like a blade, pinning her down. "If you didn't poison him, then why did you try to run?"
The woman was speechless. All she could do was plead, her voice strangled with terror. "I was just trying to go back to my hometown... I wasn't, I wasn't running away."
Between her infuriating stubbornness and the constant crunch of popcorn in his ears, the duke finally snapped. "Guards!" he barked. "Use harsher methods. Make her talk!"
The woman froze. "Duke, spare me!" she shrieked, finding a new reserve of strength. "I'm pregnant with a child from your own family! You can't do this to me!"
"Hmm?"
"Oh ho!"
The father and daughter stopped munching in perfect unison. Their eyes, suddenly bright with energy, darted straight to the Duke of Crestfall.
Prince Ashworth couldn't sit still. He tossed his popcorn aside, pointing a shaky finger from the duke to the woman on the floor clutching her stomach.
"You... you shameless old degenerate!" he gasped, utterly scandalized.
"Have you no shame? What is this world coming to? It's just disgusting!"
He continued to hurl insults, each one more dramatic than the last.
Cassidy's eyes were wide. This was major gossip. "Dad, the Duke of Crestfall is old enough to be her father, right?"
"Exactly!" Prince Ashworth said with disgust. "The man has no shame!"
"But Dad, if she's carrying his kid, why would she run away? And why would he chase her down in the middle of the night?"
Cassidy scratched her head, completely baffled.
"I can't figure this out, Dad. My brain is working so hard my scalp is starting to itch!"
She shot to her feet. "That's it, I can't solve this. I'm going to the palace to find my uncle!"
Before she'd even finished her sentence, Cassidy had bolted out of Crestfall House.
*Host, it's a runaway baby mama plot! A classic!* the System shrieked with excitement in her mind. *I can't believe we're seeing a script come to life! This is so exciting! So exciting!*
Hearing this only made Cassidy run faster.
Seeing his daughter take off, Prince Ashworth wasn't about to be left behind. Gossip this juicy had to be shared with his brother. He immediately sprinted after her.
The Duke of Crestfall, still reeling from the woman's announcement, watched in horror as the prince and his daughter tore out of his house and headed straight for the palace.
He started pacing back and forth, absolutely freaking out.
He didn't know whether to chase them or stay, his face a mask of fury and panic.
Finally, with no other choice, he turned back to the woman on the floor.
Meanwhile, Cassidy had already reached the Emperor's bedchamber. She stood at the door, shouting excitedly, "Uncle, wake up! Wake up! Your niece needs help with a puzzle!"
A moment later, Prince Ashworth arrived and joined the chorus. "Brother! Get up! Something huge has happened!"
The Emperor, deep in sleep, was fuming. He was seriously considering having the father-daughter duo poisoned just so they'd finally shut up.
Those two knuckleheads had their days and nights completely mixed up.
They refused to sleep, choosing instead to run wild the second the sun went down.
Were the ancestors in the Hall of Kings blind?
You'd think at least one of them would have haunted their dreams by now to teach them a lesson.
With a thunderous expression, the Emperor sat up, threw a cloak over his shoulders, and ordered the attendants to open the door and let the two troublemakers in.
The palace staff exchanged weary glances.
The prince and his daughter were hopping up and down outside, practically vibrating with energy as they yelled for His Majesty.
Next time, they decided, they would suggest Steward Payne put a little something in the dinner at Ashworth Manor.
If they were knocked out, they couldn't break into the palace in the middle of the night.
The Emperor's expression was terrifyingly dark as the father and daughter bounded in, their faces a bizarre mix of excitement and confusion.
"Speak," he growled. "Why are you breaking into my palace instead of sleeping? If you don't have an exceptionally good reason, I'm throwing both of you into the Imperial Clan Court."
Cassidy spoke first, excitedly tugging on his sleeve. "Uncle, you won't believe it! The Duke of Crestfall dragged me and Dad out in the middle of the night to help him catch his pregnant, runaway girlfriend!"
The Emperor's sleepy eyes flew wide open. He was suddenly awake. "Wait, you said the duke took you to catch his pregnant, runaway girlfriend? Since when does he even have a girlfriend? And why on earth would he take *you two* with him?"
"Uncle, don't get ahead of yourself, let me finish!" Cassidy pushed the Emperor back down as he tried to leap out of bed. "On the way, there were even two guys who tried to snatch her! Luckily, Dad and I were super brave and helped him take care of them and bury the bodies."
She tugged on his sleeve again, looking desperate.
"So you have to help me figure this out. Why did the girlfriend poison the servant from Crestfall House who framed Stonehaven for treason? And why did that servant say the duke's girlfriend was *also* his girlfriend? And why did she try to run away after the servant died? Uncle, help me!
My brain is overheating and my head is itching again!"
The Emperor's head was spinning from her jumbled story, but he was also desperate to know what happened.
He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep until he got the full story.
He figured that since she was only fourteen, it made sense she couldn't explain something so complicated.
He turned to the slightly more dependable Prince Ashworth. "Damian, you tell me."
Prince Ashworth sat cross-legged on the Emperor's grand bed and announced with relish, "Brother, it's simple. That old scoundrel, the Duke of Crestfall, poisoned his own servant just to steal the guy's girlfriend!"