Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 227: King Approves

Chapter 227: King Approves

The King who was rubbing his forehead out of stress looked at Arthur. Everyone else was curious too.

Now what!

Sophia who looked pale like refined flour, turned to a nice shade of red as she saw Arthur’s calm eyes on her.

He said he saved me! At least this will gain me sympathy points and not ruin my life entirely.

"I told you to keep it a secret," he smiled at her and his green marble eyes looking at her, had no mirth in them. Sophia went pale again. That was not a smile. That was a threat.

He knows! He knows I lied!

She looked to the front. She wanted to stop everything from happening, but she didn’t know how. Her heartbeat raced and her eyes wandered around restlessly. Her head hurt like someone was shooting her brain with a nail gun at a regular interval and she heard a ringing noise in her ears.

I’m doomed! How can I escape this?

"I saved her, from a libel suit." Arthur said in a crisp way with a slight bow as he looked at the King. "She made slanderous accusations on my friend Jordan McAllister. She accused him of forcing her when she was the one who came on to him clearly, as per the evidences gathered." Arthur continued, not minding anyone else and locking eyes with the King.

"And I reckon you have proof for this too?" the King asked. He didn’t mind this young lass who was being so bold in front of him. Not the insolent kind of bold, but his boldness stemmed from his confidence and he admired it.

Once a noble... He truly is a Boswell... The same Boswell who once ruled the Esterian Royal Court!

And... No wonder Jerome chose him as his heir!

"Yes!" Arthur walked to the front and passed his phone to the King’s aide. The aide pressed play at the video Arthur had on his screen as he bent and played it for the King. What played was a video recording of his screen when someone called ’clingy gum’ called with a frequency of fifteen calls per minute.

Even watching the video made goosebumps appear in the aides hand.

"Sorry, wrong video..." Arthur smiled with his cheeks red as if he was embarrassed, but Lord Clairmont saw the haughty smirk. "I recorded this one after I was irritated to the brim by Lady Sophia during a meeting. She is very persistent and never backs off until I answer her call," he gave an awkward smile and explained the video, although the explanation was unnecessary.

Although this made the King respect him more. He could make this as a complaint, but he tactfully handles it this way. Smart boy!

But the girl...

The King looked at Sophia with his eyes wide. He in his position cannot be loose with his words.

But...Goodness gracious! This girl is crazy! No smart one will choose her to be his partner. Only a fool would agree to marry her!

He kept his thoughts to himself.

Maybe she will find a fool.

Some other curious Lords who saw that video also took a step back. They couldn’t even look at Lord Clairmont out of second hand embarrassment.

No one will like this kind of person in their life. Certainly not a wife like that.

Arthur showed the security video and it showed without doubt that Jordan was not the one who did any forcing.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" Sophia screeched in an ear piercing way seeing all her lies getting exposed. "Lies! Lies! Everything is a lie! Ahhhhh! Ahhhh!" she started screeching like a maniac.

Lord Clairmont saw the videos taken from various angles from the different security cameras clearly showing that Sophia lied to him and he gritted his teeth.

Her ear piercing screech that almost deafened his ears made him lose his rationality.

"You lying b*tch!" he slapped her hard and Sophia fell on the carpeted floor and her head banged on the floor with a faint thud. Others restrained him but they could understand his anger.

His daughter just humiliated him in front of everyone and the King himself. How will he walk with his head high anymore? He is ruined of he was not already ruined by getting thrown out of Northern Star.

Lord Clairmont’s aide worried that Sophia might be dead by the way she was on the floor unmoving and knelt beside her and checked. He only sighed in relief seeing that she was still breathing. She must have fainted.

The King cleared his throat as he watched everything happening around him. His chest heaved up and down and Arthur could see him holding back his coughs. The King’s aide rang the bell and the entire hall fell silent after a long time of chaos.

"Make arrangements to announce the breaking of the engagement between Marquise of Ashwood and Lady Sophia Clairmont," The King looked at his aide and he nodded. Although his voice wasn’t that loud, since the entire room was silent, his voice stood out.

"Marquise of Ashwood?" Lord Wallace was the only one who dared to ask when everyone else was stunned.

"Yes, we received a request in the form of legal document from the Duke of Oakley pertaining his heir. He wants to legalise Arthur Frederick Boswell Sinclair as the Heir to his title and he will be Marquise of Ashwood until he becomes the Duke of Oakley. We decided to grand the Duke’s request since we found no reason to refuse," The King spoke in a calm way as if he found no problem with this. "We will send an official announcement about this soon. Since Lady Talia Brunton is now the Princess Royal of Rosandale, she cannot inherit the Dukedom of Oakley. And so I approve of the Duke of Oakley’s decision," The King stood up.

Did the King agreed with Jerome’s decision? What does that mean? He even mentioned Talia properly without any resentment. Why is that? Does he think that Jerome leaving Esteria is not treason? The King stands by Jerome?

Everyone was perplexed.

Arthur looked at the King and he seemed to be under extreme stress. It could either be his sickness or he is under duress.

Did Jerome Brunton blackmailed the King? That thought passed his mind.

" But...the treason... He left Esteria and joined Rosandale... And nationalisation... " Lord Brenner asked hurriedly.

"Is there more for you to add other than the complaints you placed today?" The King asked and looked around at every Lord in the eye. Most of them couldn’t stand his gaze and looked elsewhere and at the floor.

" We’ll send an official statement later." The King’s voice was commanding. As he turned out to leave, Lord Wallace stood by the side,

"Your Majesty, about the request I made..." he didn’t reveal the details making everyone curious. Arthur watched the King’s face turning sour.

He is not pleased.

But watching the unwavering look on Lord Wallace, the King turned to leave. "Meet me in the Palace to discuss further," he said without turning and he walked out with his aides following him around.

Everyone was too stunned for words. The Prince assured that his father definitely wants to nationalise Northern Star so it would benefit many people. But why is the King’s attitude seem indifferent? More like... He seems to be on Brunton’s side. Why is that?

And what does Wallace need to discuss?

Arthur decided to leave behind the King. He needed to make a call to Iris. Although he wanted to be near these leeches when the upcoming bombshell news will be dropped, he still preferred to be with Iris any chance he gets.

"Wait..." Lord Brenner stopped Arthur from leaving and he signalled his aide and everyone except the Lords left the room. Arthur looked at the fisted hand of Lord Reiley and he could vaguely see a Swiss army knife held tightly.

Arthur looked at Lord Wallace who noticed the little knife in Lord Reiley’s hand and rolled his eyes.

"Your little knife won’t intimidate me, Lord Reiley" Arthur smirked and turned to walk to the door.

What is he going to do? Hurt me? Frame me? Huh!

As much as Lord Reliey wants to create trouble, he will not let him succeed.

As Arthur was leaving, he felt an eerie figure rising from the floor. Through his peripheral vision, all he could see was a blob of pale colour, rising from the floor. That figure lunged at Lord Reiley and bit his hand. Screaming, Lord Reiley let go of the knife.

Maybe Arthur mentioned the word knife, it was Sophia who stood up and got that knife from his hand.

Or she might have pretended to faint all along. Who knows?

With her blonde hair all over her face and just her eyes peeking out in between a bunches of her hair covering everywhere else, she looked like she had lost her sanity.

Her eyes were moving side to side eerily fast and her lips were mumbling and muttering something inaudible.