Chapter 1239  The next moment, Malcolm and Fabian were summoned back into the hall to receive their scolding. The other two knelt and acknowledged their faults, but Carissa remained silent.  Salvador’s anger flared again. “Don’t think you’re innocent, or that you’ve been unjustly accused. You knew Lord Gerald went to the gentlemen’s retreat, yet you didn’t report it in advance.”  Carissa had endured a long night, and she was now being forced to be scolded alongside Malcolm and Fabian. Naturally, she felt a little disgruntled.  So, she lifted her head slightly and asked, “If I had reported it, would you have refrained from raiding the gentlemen’s retreats, Your Majesty?”  Angry and embarrassed, Salvador shot back, “They would still have been raided, but…‘  He trailed off, caught in his own thoughts. He knew he couldn’t go back on what he had ordered, and he certainly couldn’t say that having prior knowledge would have made him send someone to warn Gerald.  Moreover, it was uncertain if he would actually visit the gentlemen’s retreat last night. If Carissa had informed the king that she had seen Gerald there earlier, he wouldn’t have believed her.  The truth was, before catching him, who could have believed it?  Gerald was a royal tutor–a revered figure with an unparalleled status, admired by the people and seen as a model by scholars across the kingdom. It seemed inconceivable that he would go to such a place.  If Carissa had reported it in advance, Salvador would have denounced it as a baseless  accusation.  Carissa’s voice rose as she continued, “And the Quinton family is such a large family. With servants all around, how could no one know that Lord Gerald went to the gentlemen’s retreat? I am only in charge of investigating. I cannot predict who goes, when they go, or why. And Lord Gerald wasn’t the only one present, there were many sons of noble families and officials  as well.  “And about those loyal ministers you care so much about–the ones you specifically asked me about? They’ve all been arrested as well, just as you instructed.”  Salvador was blinded by anger and refused to acknowledge any fault.  He continued to berate her, “In the end, it’s your failure to handle things properly. There’s nothing to argue here.‘  “Yes, Your Majesty, I accept my fault,” Carissa replied, lowering her head. “Once I return to the Capital Guard headquarters, I will release Lord Gerald.”  1/3  +25 BONUS  Chapter 1230  Salvador’s expression darkened.  Release Gerald? Could he do that? If he was going to let anyone go, it should have been everyone. He had said before that whoever was caught would be locked up for two days. As king, how could he change orders so easily without losing any authority?  He glanced at Carissa, who had snapped back át him. For a moment, his rationality returned. He couldn’t really blame her for this situation.  At this point, Malcolm was now aware of Fabian’s false accusations, but he couldn’t be sure if they were truly false. After all, his father hadn’t said anything to him about it the night before.  But releasing Gerald now? That wasn’t possible. There were too many eyes watching from outside.  If anyone was going to be let go, it should’ve been done quietly through the back door last night. But now that everything was out in the open, there were probably countless people waiting outside the Capital Guard headquarters, eager for the spectacle. Whether it was the front, the back, or the side entrance, there were no doubt a dozen eyes watching. There was no way to release him now.  That was not all.  Not only could Gerald not be released yet, he would have to wait until all the other people were freed. Only then, in the dead of night, would Malcolm be able to sneak in and get him without drawing any attention.  He nervously spoke up, “Your Majesty, he can’t be released for now.”  Did Salvador really need Malcolm to remind him of that?  With a cold glare, the king snapped, “Commander Sinclair is right. Did none of you in the Quinton family know that Lord Gerald went to the gentlemen’s retreat? You’re all such devoted sons and grandsons. Truly admirable.”  Carissa lowered her eyes demurely at the remark. So now, she was “Commander Sinclair,” was she?  Malcolm inwardly groaned.  Not only had he lost his reputation for being a devoted son, but now he was being blamed for something he never even considered. How could anyone have known Gerald was going there? It wasn’t even something Malcolm had thought about.  Besides, Gerald had always lived in a more remote part of the estate, saying he preferred solitude. And when he left, he hadn’t used the main gate.  But ultimately, it was the Quinton family’s own failure to notice. Gerald always traveled by carriage. Even if Cody was with him, someone would have noticed him sneaking out at night. Yet, no one ever reported it to Malcolm. To be frank, it was possible someone in the household  2/3  +25 BONUS  དུས ཀྱང སྔགས ད པས པ ས པ 1:|ཏུ ༡  Chapter 1239  knew about the late–night trips but didn’t dare speak up.  For Fabian’s part, he only sobbed and admitted his fault, begging Salvador to reduce his punishment. He didn’t say a word more.  Salvador was growing weary of the marquis‘ tears. His headache deepened, and irritably, he waved his hand.  “Silence! Enough of this.” He then turned back to Carissa. “You’ve worked hard. You may leave now. They will stay locked up for now.”  It was normal for a woman to have a bit of a temper. Carissa had never been one to let others walk all over her.  “Thank you, Your Majesty. I will take my leave now,” she said, eager to leave.  She had been waiting to return to her estate. Cynthia and Bun were on her mind.  As for how Salvador decided to deal with things now, that was his problem. The Capital Guard and the Garrison Unit had already done their part–the gentlemen’s retreats had been raided and the spies had been sent to the Supreme Court.  1