Chapter 448: Mikazura Takes the Stage (1)

Facing everyone’s sharp stares, Elina remained calm, as if completely unaffected.

"Do you want me to intervene immediately? That will speed up the resolution of this problem,"

Malverna offered casually.

Honestly, she seemed to be underestimating her own disciple.

Unexpectedly, instead of resorting to methods like slandering Elina with demonic energy or something similar, her disciple chose the most unexpected tactic: editing the recording stone Cassian had brought.

It had to be admitted—after a thousand years, Ignis was still incredibly intelligent, with countless ingenious methods at his disposal.

Unfortunately, no matter what traps he and Cassian set for Elina, in the end, they all failed.

Ignis didn’t realize that she, his former master whom he had killed with his own hands, had also been reborn—and not only regained her former strength but had become even stronger than before.

Meanwhile, she knew that Ignis had risen from his reincarnation, turning this situation into both a huge advantage and the perfect opportunity to turn the tables on this tedious game.

’Wait, don’t leave yet,’

Elina said casually, a faint, mocking smile on her lips.

’At first, I thought Cassian would use the demon inside him to trap me. But who would have thought he’d choose this method instead? Let me finish this. If the demon acts, please intervene immediately to stop it from attacking me. You can do that, right?’

Want to compete with her in intelligence?

Frankly, that would be suicide.

Not just Cassian—she even confidently claimed she could outsmart Cedric.

After all, when it came to cunning and unpredictable tactics, her brother Nolan far surpassed Cedric—let alone Cassian.

So she would undoubtedly corner Cassian in this game, forcing him to unleash the demon inside him.

Once that happened, the game would end with her victory.

Malverna looked slightly puzzled. For some reason, the smile on Elina’s face reminded her of Nolan’s—when he was plotting something devious, ready to ruin someone else’s future.

’They really are brother and sister,’

she muttered with a small chuckle.

"Alright, I understand. Do as you wish,"

she replied.

Elina straightened and turned toward her father, whose expression was a mix of sadness and anger.

With a calm, firm voice, she declared, "No, I don’t admit it. It’s all fake!"

Her words immediately thickened the tension in the room.

Everyone—except Elina’s supporters—looked grim.

"Still deny it, Your Highness? This video clearly shows you’re the culprit!" the viscount growled.

The others, equally enraged, unleashed a barrage of accusations at her.

Their families had died in this incident—and worse, they had perished as demons.

That was not something they could ever accept.

Ragan’s face darkened, and his breathing grew heavy.

"Elina, I am giving you the chance to defend yourself. If your defense is unsatisfactory or unsupported by evidence, don’t blame me if I strip you of your status as princess and candidate for the throne," he commanded in a deep tone.

It was impossible for him not to feel disappointment after seeing the video.

The deaths of the noble families present, along with diplomats from other kingdoms, would cast doubt on his empire across the continent.

And the perpetrator was his own daughter—someone he loved dearly.

The pain was so intense it brought him to the brink of tears, but what surfaced instead was burning anger.

"Strip her of her status as princess and candidate for the throne?"

The princes were stunned by the words. They lowered their heads, trying to conceal the flashes of happiness that crossed their faces.

Although this chaos had claimed many victims, it would be dishonest to say the three of them hadn’t benefited.

Many heads of noble families—supporters of the rival candidates—had been eliminated.

Aldric assumed Adalen would be weakened by the loss of most of his supporters, while Cedric thought the same of Aldric.

Yet one indisputable fact remained—Elina still led the battle for the throne.

Thanks to the prestige of the Singularity of Chaos and her past accomplishments in the eastern region, she drew the most attention and support.

So, upon hearing their father’s words, the three of them couldn’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction.

If Elina were proven guilty and stripped of her status, their path in the battle for the throne would suddenly be wide open.

With that in mind, the three of them lifted their heads and fixed cold, calculating stares on Elina.

"Hurry up and speak, Elina. Are you going to keep us waiting?" Aldric teased, his tone sharp.

"Yeah! Say something already! Or are you too scared because you’re the one who did it?" Adalen added, fanning the flames of tension.

Elina’s supporters—Orlan, Gustav, Aston, and the others—could barely contain their fury at the princes’ shameless arrogance.

"They’re really taking advantage of this," Orlan whispered coldly.

"It’s not surprising," Rudy replied calmly. "This is the perfect opportunity to get rid of Princess Elina. If I were in their place, I’d do the same."

In a battle for the throne, there were only two outcomes: win or lose.

The winner gained power and a prosperous life; the loser vanished, swallowed by the sea of history.

The contest had become a savage arena, where princes would do anything to secure victory—even resorting to cunning and immoral tactics.

And it wasn’t just the princes—noble families backing each candidate were equally ruthless.

"I hope Princess Elina can mount a strong defense. If not..." Rudy’s words trailed off, but everyone present immediately understood the stakes.

"Tsk! Who would have thought Princess Elina could fall into such a situation?" The Duke of Ashvale remarked with a faint smile. "I’m not sure she can escape these accusations."

The recording stone provided concrete, irrefutable evidence. Even if Elina had proof of her innocence, it would need to be far stronger than the contents of that stone.

Otherwise, escaping Cassian’s accusations would be nearly impossible.

Beside him, Margaretta remained silent, offering no comment.

Her calm eyes fixed on Elina, who stood alone under the weight of everyone’s scrutiny.

’Will you escape... or not? I’m curious...’

She murmured softly.

"Prove it now, Elina!" Ragan’s sharp voice cut through the tension.

Elina drew a deep breath, glanced at Cassian—smiling playfully—and replied coolly, "During the party, I was always with Rafine Austin, daughter of the Duke Austin family. She is the main witness who can confirm that I did not do it."

"I can testify, Your Majesty!" Rafine’s voice rang out from among Elina’s supporters.

"I swear on my name and my family that Elina is innocent," she said solemnly.

She stepped beside Elina, her gaze cold and unwavering, daring anyone to oppose her.

Cedric’s lips curved into a faint smile. "But you are Elina’s supporter in the battle for the throne. Witnesses should be neutral, not take sides. Am I wrong?"

His words sounded reasonable, and once again, many people turned to look at Elina with suspicion and hostility.

"How about I testify too?"