"I'm truly sorry, Your Majesty!"
Before the Queen, Lord Clop stood pale-faced and drenched in sweat.
"I... to think I uttered such blasphemous words. My crime is utterly unforgivable-"
"This wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself too much, Sir Clop."
The Queen looked at Lord Clop and shook her head.
"It was a failure of foresight on the Royal Family's part that allowed you to suffer such treatment-"
1
As she spoke, the Queen turned to Li Wei beside her.
"Sir Li Wei, is this the culprit behind everything?"
"I wouldn't necessarily call it the culprit behind everything, but this thing definitely made Sir Clop the way he was."
Li Wei fiddled with the bottle in his hand, which held the thoroughly dead worm.
"B-but I have absolutely no memory of this worm..."
"Perhaps it wasn't a worm when you saw it."
Li Wei chuckled and looked at Lord Clop.
"Would you mind telling Her Majesty what happened to you once more?"
"Ah, yes. Of course."
Lord Clop nodded, then began speaking.
"Following Your Majesty's orders, I investigated the matter. I sought out a friend who had also been a royalist noble. I heard he had changed his views, so I went to see him. He said many treasonous things to me, and told me he would take me to a gathering so I could understand what this country truly needed."
"And then?"
"I agreed to attend the gathering with him, but as for where it was held-"
Lord Clop shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but I don't know. I was blindfolded the entire way. He said it was to prevent the location from being exposed."
"Quite professional."
Li Wei made the sarcastic remark.
"But I'm certain the place must have been underground."
"Oh?"
"Because after I arrived,