Chapter 1681 - Admonishing?
"You brazen fool!"
The Frigid World Spirit Emperor looked completely disappointed and enraged.
"How could you do this to your Empire? I thought you had become an obedient child when you agreed to fulfill your role as one of the princesses but to think that you were trying to escape punishment from a vile deed that was going to be found out sooner or later."
"Imperial father...! No, you're wro-"
"Silence!"
Princess Iesha tried to speak when she was instantly suppressed by her father's tremendous pressure that almost made her feel faint at heart. Her lips quivered, unable to release her voice.
"Revered Frigid World Spirit Emperor. What is the meaning of this? Is this some kind of farfetched farce intended to humiliate us?"
.A black-robed spirit with a purplish arrow-like mark on his forehead spoke with narrowed eyes. He was amidst a group of people having a similar bearing as him, but his cultivation base was alone at Peak-Level Spirit Ancestor Stage, causing many people to be respectful while looking at him.
But on the other hand, the Frigid Spirit World Emperor merely cast a look at him upon hearing as he indifferently clasped his hands.
"Entourage from the Seeker Spirit Empire, this unfilial daughter of mine hid a human inside her sacred spirit sea and let him escape yesterday by acting all obedient yesterday. I feel embarrassed on her behalf. Such immoral conduct and treachery won't be forgiven, and she will be publically executed!"
The entourage of the Seeker Spirit Empire became shocked.
They thought this was a scheme to humiliate them, but if this was a public execution of the bride, they couldn't interfere. Until the bride reaches the Seeker Spirit Empire, the Frigid World Spirit Empire remained responsible for the safety of their bride!
Although they might lose some of their Empire's reputation, it is only when the bride gets kidnapped and not if the bride's Empire took her back on account of immortality and treachery.
Honestly, this was a special case that they had no idea what to do.
On the other hand, Princess Iesha was genuinely shocked, her expression crestfallen as she looked at her imperial father.
She wasn't even given a chance to explain?
"Pia Noel, a person who was my foolish daughter's palace maid once, now, a loyal imperial guard, will explain the details of how my senseless daughter betrayed the Empire!"
Everyone watched an icy-blue-robed silhouette drag her feet along with the skies to the place they were standing at before that figure clasped her hands and bowed once.
"Everyone, I only had respect and reverence for Princess Iesha, but she dared to let a human who enslaved us escape. We were taken advantage of when we trained in the Frigid Yin Spirit Pool as that cowardly human who hid inside the pool made a mistake, thereby making us aware of his presence. We were not aware that such an existence was in hiding, and even though we struggled, he made us his slaves to hide his presence, stating that he would let us go if we did not reveal his presence."
"At that moment, we decided to follow Princess Iesha's words and had already sinned enough, although fortunately, the princess herself managed to be safe. Even if that human had released us as he said he would, we should've been at least able to capture him, but due to Princess Iesha's slow uptake and her sympathizing nature for humans and magical beasts alike, she took the human's side and let him escape."
Everyone raised their brows as they looked at Princess Iesha. However, the entourage from the Seeker Spirit Empire no longer viewed her with judgmental eyes.
Who were they trying to cuckold? Their first prince who agreed to marry her for the Empire's sake? They couldn't help but feel immensely angered but knowing that the bride's Empire was the ones to stop them before the marriage took place, they didn't say anything.
However, they were extremely enraged by that human at this moment.
The vile leader of the Renegade Human Shelter already violated one of their princesses. Therefore, they seethed with incredible rage.
"Revered Frigid Spirit World Emperor! We would like to aid, no, please let us aid your hunting parties."
"Very well."
The Frigid World Spirit Emperor nodded, knowing that the Seeker Spirit Empire wanted to take revenge on the hidden Renegade Human Shelter. The black-robed man remained while the others with him scattered in different directions, heading out to search as their spirit senses scoured the land and the skies.
Eight Spirit Ancestors from the Seeker Spirit Empire went to search for the damned human who tried to ruin their reputation again. At this point, they had reason to whip, wound, and lacerate any lowly human settlements they fly past until they find that damned human who was supposedly at the High-Level Emperor Soul Stage or possibly above, which they didn't find believable.
Everyone watched them leave while Pia Noel turned to look at the convicted.
"Princess Iesha, I'm honestly disappointed with your actions. If you had just told the Frigid World Emperor after that human left, it wouldn't have come to this point. I waited and waited after you asked us about our situation, which made me trust you, but it seemed like you were trying to escape reality and live in an asylum from your own Empire. Therefore, I had no choice but to reveal the truth and quickly form an organized party to hunt that human down. Fortunately, the Spirit Commander of the Frozen Sky Force had already taken off, searching for that human."
"Why...?" Princess Iesha's voice trembled while her body was already shuddering from the happenings, "He upheld his words of letting us go safely..."
Pia Noel shook her head.
"Wrong, that human should be scared of us because he stole from us and let us go safely since he doesn't want any trouble, not because he's good but because he can't handle it. As for the information that he came from the immortal world, he's obviously lying. Princess, don't tell me you believed in such a made-up deception? The first thing I investigated when I stepped out of the Frigid Yin Spirit Pool is to check if such a person had revealed himself to our Eight Spirit Hegemons, and it turns out such a person didn't exist."
"It may be the case...!" Iesha raised her voice, "But you still could've kept quiet and considered this as nothing more than a bad dream. No one was killed or tortured, and nothing else was stolen besides the Frigid Yin Spirit Pool."
"You are still going on about that?" Pia Noel frowned as she bit her lips, "Why won't you beg for forgiveness? Princess Iesha can still redeem yourself."
Princess Iesha clenched her teeth.
"I am perfectly aware of what I've done is wrong to my Empire, but if given a chance, I'll do it again. I'll save all your life if I see the light at the end of the tunnel, even if I have to abandon most resources in the process."
"You're a princess, alright..." Pia Noel wryly smiled, "You just don't know the value of resources, do you?"
"I know, more than you ever could, but I still deem that my Pia's life is more precious."
Pia Noel's eyes shook as she turned her head away.
"Hmph! Two women are still unable to see what they've done! Pia, you will undergo execution together with her for aiding that human to escape. As for the six others who played ignorant until asked, they will have severe punishments as well."
"I understand, my Emperor."
Pia Noel went on one knee and lowered her head. Her figure didn't tremble at all, as if she knew that this was the fate that awaited her this day.
Princess Iesha's white pupils trembled. She realized that this loyal girl knew that she was going to die even if she, an imperial princess, would have received a pardon. After all, there was a wide difference of status between them.
"Imperial father, you can't do this...! I was the one who made the call to-"
"Silence, impudent girl. You are no longer my daughter. If I don't punish you now, no one will heed my words after this day. Hmph"
Hearing her imperial father harrumph, Iesha felt downtrodden and depressed as her expression twisted into one of sorrow.
She understood that her imperial father needed to be high-handed in order to preserve order after he left, but...
Why won't anyone understand that her actions spared the Frigid World Spirit Empire from bloodshed? Was she wrong to have acted this way?
She was willing to accept punishment but to die; she was unwilling!
"Imperial father, I..."
"Silen-"
"You shut up and listen to what I have to say!"
"You...!?" The Frigid World Spirit Emperor appeared shook that he pointed at her as his arm trembled.
"You unfilial child! You dare to disrespect me, your Emperor?"
He appeared extremely angered while Princess Iesha knew that she severely screwed up out of frustration and resentment, her face becoming paler than ice.
"Well said, Iesha!"
"...!?"
Abruptly, the expressions of everyone changed as they turned to look at a purple-robed human holding Pia Noel's nape under his hand's grasp.