Return of Black Lotus system:Taming Cheating Male Leads

Chapter 192 --192

Meanwhile, in the dungeons beneath the palace, the five assassins were being questioned.

And they were talking.

Because when faced with the choice between loyalty to their employer and avoiding the Empress’s interrogation methods, they chose self-preservation very quickly.

The name they gave was... interesting.

Very interesting indeed.

The information was immediately sent to Heena’s office.

A servant knocked, entered, and placed a sealed report on her desk.

Heena opened it, read three lines, and her expression went completely cold.

Secretary Chen, who’d been working on his own documents, looked up at the change in atmosphere.

"Your Majesty?"

"It seems," Heena said quietly, "someone has made a very stupid decision."She handed him the report.

Secretary Chen read it, and his eyebrows rose toward his hairline.

"Oh," he said. "Oh, that’s... bold. Incredibly stupid, but bold."

"Prepare summons," Heena said. "I want them brought before me tomorrow morning. All of them. No excuses, no delays."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Heena stood, stretched, and looked out the window at the darkening sky.

Someone had just tried to assassinate her husband.

Her ’primary consort’. The man she’d publicly declared as her equal partner.

And they thought they’d get away with it.

She smiled—a cold, dangerous expression that made Secretary Chen take an involuntary step backward.

"Your Majesty?" he asked nervously.

"I’m fine," Heena said. "Just... looking forward to tomorrow’s meeting."

"Should I prepare the throne room or the interrogation chambers?"

"Throne room," Heena decided. "Let’s make this public. I want ’everyone’ to see what happens when someone attacks what’s mine."

Secretary Chen nodded and hurried off to make arrangements.

Heena stood alone in her office, looking out at the palace grounds.

Someone had made a mistake.

A fatal one.

And tomorrow, they would learn exactly what that mistake would cost them.

She was rather looking forward to it.

# The Morning Revelation

---

The next morning arrived with deceptive calm.

Heena woke early, before dawn, her mind already racing through the day’s planned confrontations. Beside her, Larus was still sleeping peacefully, his wheat-gold hair spread across the pillow, his face relaxed and serene.

She watched him for a moment, then carefully extracted herself from the bed without waking him.

He’d mentioned the assassination attempt so casually last night—like he was commenting on the weather.

"Oh, by the way, five people tried to kill me today. I handled it. The cake was delicious, though."

Heena had stared at him. "Five assassins tried to kill you and you’re talking about ’cake’?"

"The cake was really good," Larus had insisted with a completely straight face.

Now, watching him sleep, Heena felt that dangerous protective anger rise again. Someone had tried to kill him. Her husband. Her partner. Her ’choice’.

They were going to regret it.

She dressed quietly in formal imperial robes—deep crimson with gold embroidery, the colors of imperial authority and judgment. Her hair was arranged in an elaborate style with the imperial crown placed precisely. Every detail was calculated to project absolute power.

By the time she left the chambers, Larus was starting to stir.

"Going somewhere?" he mumbled sleepily.

"Handling some business," Heena said. "Go back to sleep. I’ll see you at breakfast."

"Mmm... don’t kill too many people before I wake up..."

"No promises."

---

The throne room had been prepared exactly as Heena requested.

The massive space was lit by hundreds of candles despite the early hour, creating dramatic shadows. The throne itself sat elevated on its platform, imposing and absolute. Guards lined the walls—more than usual, their presence a clear message.

Secretary Chen was already there, looking exhausted but alert, his ever-present dark circles even more pronounced.

"Your Majesty," he greeted with a bow. "Everyone has been summoned as requested. They’re waiting in the antechamber."

"Excellent. And the evidence?"

"Compiled and ready for presentation." He held up several folders. "The assassins were... very cooperative once they understood the alternative."

"Good. Let’s begin."

Secretary Chen moved to the doors and nodded to the herald.

"COURT IS NOW IN SESSION!" the herald’s voice boomed. "ALL RISE FOR HER IMPERIAL MAJESTY, EMPRESS CELESTE!"

Heena entered and walked the long path to the throne with measured, deliberate steps. Her robes flowed behind her like living fire. Her expression was absolutely neutral—which somehow made her more intimidating than if she’d looked angry.

She sat, and the assembled nobles who’d been hastily summoned at dawn all bowed deeply.

"You may rise," she said.

They did, looking confused and nervous. Emergency court sessions before breakfast were never good news.

Heena looked at Secretary Chen. "Bring them in."

The doors opened again.

And in walked five people, flanked by guards:

Duke Remington (Damien’s father), looking irritated and confused.

Lord Ashford (Lucian’s father), maintaining his scholarly composure but clearly worried.

Duke Valen (Kieran’s father), his military bearing rigid with tension.

And two other nobles—lesser lords who served on various councils.

All five looked at each other, clearly wondering why they’d been summoned together.

Heena just glanced at Secretary Chen, who took out the documents and started reading in his characteristic deadpan voice:

"Based on financial records, witness testimony, and traced payment chains, the primary suspects in the assassination attempt on Emperor Consort Larus are: Duke Ashford, Duke Valen, Lord Merchant Pemberton, and Lord Councilor Whitmore."

The throne room erupted in shocked gasps.

"WHAT?!"

"Assassination attempt?!"

"On the Emperor Consort?!"

Even Kieran’s father and Lucian’s father looked genuinely shocked. They couldn’t believe what they were hearing.

Duke Valen took a step forward. "Your Majesty, we have never—"

But Heena just looked at him with such cold, flat eyes that his words died in his throat.

The smaller nobles—Lord Pemberton and Lord Whitmore—immediately started scrambling, their voices rising in panicked desperation:

"We didn’t do it!"

"This is a mistake!"

"Your Majesty, please—"

"We would never—"

"I have a family—"

"We’re loyal subjects—"

They spoke over each other, their voices getting louder and more frantic, creating a cacophony of denial and pleading.

Heena just stood there, watching them with that same cold expression.

Then she stood up from her throne.

The movement was slow. Deliberate. Precise.

Most of the nobles, seeing her rise, immediately fell silent.

But Lord Pemberton—the fat one—was still babbling, his voice high-pitched with panic:

"—we have not, I have not, I swear on my family name, I have never even thought about—"

The other nobles tried to signal him to shut up, but he was too lost in his panic to notice.

Heena slowly descended the steps from her throne platform.

Her eyes were absolutely cold.

One by one, the nobles fell completely silent.

But Pemberton kept talking, his eyes squeezed shut in terror, not even seeing that she was approaching:

"—my entire life I’ve served this empire, I would never, how could you even think—"

Heena’s shadow fell over him as she stopped directly in front of where he stood.

He looked up, finally noticing her presence, his face going pale.

Heena drew her sword in one smooth, fluid motion.

The blade sang as it left the scabbard.

And before anyone could react, before anyone could even ’breathe’—

She swung.

’SHLICK.’

The sword passed through Lord Pemberton’s neck like it was cutting through air.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then his head tilted.

Slid.