Chapter 1279  By noon the next day, both Rafael and Carissa awoke lazily, their bodies still heavy with the remnants of sleep.  Their eyes met, and Rafael’s gaze darkened. The sleep had restored him completely, filling him with energy. He pulled her close, his lips brushing her ear.  Carissa quickly pushed him away. “We need to get up!”  Lulu was waiting outside. When she heard noise from inside the room, she feared they would be distracted again and hurriedly called out, “Your Highness, Your Grace, Lady Helen has sent someone three times already.”  Rafael reluctantly withdrew his hand from its resting place, his gaze still burning with intensity. His tone was commanding yet playful. “I’ll listen to you now, but tonight… You’ll listen to me.”  The night before, Rafael had returned too late to greet Helen.  Normally, she never fussed about where he went, even if it was to the battlefield.  It wasn’t that she didn’t know the dangers of war, but Helen had always had complete faith in her son’s invincibility.  However, this time, with most of the household sent away and the atmosphere tense, she too  had become nervous.  When Carissa returned the night before, Rafael had not been around. Although Carissa had said he was in the palace, Helen hadn’t actually seen him, and worry gnawed at her.  Even today, after sending people to check multiple times, she was told they still hadn’t gotten up. She could hardly believe it–since when were those two so lazy? Even when there wasn’t a morning court session, they would usually be up by dawn.  Now, Helen truly experienced what it meant to be anxious and worried.  At last, she saw them appear hand in hand, both dressed in formal clothes–the man exuded authority, and the woman radiated elegance.  Never before had Helen been so patient, waiting for them to properly complete all the formalities before finally allowing them to rise and take their seats.  This time, the worry had been too much. She felt it took a toll on her. Even if they were to take their time and slowly offer their greetings to her, she would endure it.  After the formalities, the two of them went their separate ways–Rafael to the Supreme Court, Carissa to the Capital Guard headquarters.  Today, they needed to properly interrogate Tiberius.  1/3  +25 BONUS  Chapter 1279  Tiberius was nothing but skin and bones now, his body so thin that even with all the dirt and grime, he barely weighed 120 pounds.  He was constantly on edge, asking every day if Salvador would have him executed. He kept insisting he was innocent and had only been greedy for a bit of money.  For someone like him, there was no need for a harsh interrogation. A simple question was enough: “Your life depends on how much truth you reveal.”  With those words, Tiberius‘ already malnourished brain kicked into overdrive, and he spilled everything he knew without hesitation.  His confession was long–winded and full of unnecessary details, but the one thing that could be confirmed was that the private soldiers were indeed under Yuvan’s command.  At first, Tiberius hadn’t known that Yuvan was behind it. It had been Wayne who made contact with him, promising 5,000 silver coins a year to find reliable people to transport grain to Stone Village.  Tiberius hadn’t bothered to investigate the village himself. It wasn’t like he needed to pay for the grain anyway. Plus, he was getting a villa as well as 5,000 silver coins annually–it seemed like a foolproof deal.  Later, when Yuvan secretly came to Lunvale, Tiberius accidentally ran into him. It was then that he noticed Wayne by Yuvan’s side and realized that the people from Stone Village were working for Yuvan.  Realizing he couldn’t keep it hidden any longer, Yuvan came clean. He told Tiberius to keep supporting those men and promised to continue the annual payment of 5,000 silver coins of silver. On top of that, he made an even bigger offer–if their plans succeeded, Yuvan would make Tiberius a prince.  After confessing, Tiberius broke down in tears before Rafael. “I never cared for his promise of a princely title. It’s just the expenses! I was just trying to make a living with those 5,000 silver coins a year. I’m no traitor–I swear I’m loyal!”  Tiberius sobbed, his face streaked with tears and snot. “Believe me, my nephew! I have no intention of treason. I’ve told you everything I know. You have to help me—please! I’m innocent!”  Seeing the man sobbing and rambling the same excuses over and over, Rafael realized he didn’t know much about Yuvan’s rebellion. He ordered his men to lock Tiberius up to prevent any suicide attempts and reassured him that he had nothing to fear.  Reporting this information was a meritorious act, and Salvador wouldn’t have him executed. Rafael added that if anything else came to mind, Tiberius should report it immediately.  The hope in Tiberius‘ eyes flared up at that. He stopped crying, nodding eagerly. “I will. I’ll think hard. We cannot let these rebels succeed!”  2/3  +25 BONUS  Chapter 1290  Randall had been watching the entire exchange. At first, he had been afraid–afraid of being caught up  in this mess, afraid that others might accuse him of betraying his dad for personal gain.  But as he watched Tiberius‘ disgraceful behavior a sudden calm washed over him. If it came down to it, so be it–he would rather face death than stoop so low and lose all dignity like that.  At least he would hold onto his pride as a man.