"Do you still remember when we were young, that one time..."

Jonas looked at Joseph, not at all deterred by his expression, and leisurely held up a finger.

Joseph didn't speak, just stared at him.

"You took a liking to a particularly cute little cat, the one I raised, named Katie. You begged me to give it to you, and I said I could, but you had to do me a favor and cover for me when I didn't come home the previous night. You said no, you had to have the cat first. What happened to the cat later?"

"It died."

Joseph remained expressionless.

"Joseph, look at yourself, haven't shaved for days, what do you look like? You are a member of the Evans Clan. Attending today's press conference like this is a disgrace to the family, isn't it?"

Jonas slowly leaned forward, refastening the first button of Joseph's open shirt.

"Take a bath, shave, okay?"

Joseph still said nothing.

Jonas had already stood up, ready to leave.

"By the way, you haven't forgotten what you're supposed to say in a while, right? Or should I get you a coffee? The coffee here is quite good, the best in the entire Defense Bureau."

"Is she all right?"

The door was already closed.

Time quickly moved to nine o'clock.

The entire Royal Capital awoke to the strong winds.

Today's newspapers still mostly covered the upcoming press conference of the Eldest Prince, with many newspaper agencies even camping out overnight for a spot.

Some took a different approach, focusing on last night's strong winds, but in the end, nothing particularly special happened, perhaps the most unique thing was how rarely the Royal Capital experiences a typhoon.

Once it really passed, no one cared anymore.

What the Eldest Prince would say today was what truly mattered to everyone.

Royal struggles, in other cities might be a topic as distant as the horizon, but in the Royal Capital, it's exclusive top-tier gossip.

Every few decades or more, they always play out a time or two.

Anyway, it didn't matter who won in the end, life went on the same, so why not enjoy this royal drama?

As the time slowly approached nine-thirty, the Eastern Kingdom District's Golden Square was already packed with people.

The Eldest Prince, Havenius, was still very accessible. He did not hold this press conference in the Kingdom Grand Hotel in the Central District but chose the more spacious, more public-friendly Golden Square.

It wasn't his first time doing so.

Because his public image was approachable, he had previously given many speeches in Golden Square.

It could be said to be a classic venue.

So his team was very familiar with setting everything up, and had everything prepared early, including the venue and security.

As well as the media.

Only the newspapers and radio stations that were closest to the Eldest Prince and clearly aligned with the Royalist Faction were allowed to interview from the more advanced positions.

As for others, they might not even have entry qualifications.

Nine twenty-five.

At the backstage of the temporary press conference, Havenius, who had arrived by car, came into the crowd with a warm smile.

Strictly speaking, they were already considered his attendants, yet he still displayed his unassailable demeanor, seemingly friendly to everyone.

Thus, the public generally referred to him as Friendly Havenius.

"Well, gentlemen, is everything going smoothly today?"

He looked at everyone.

"Of course, Your Highness, everything is on schedule."

Michelle had also arrived on site, and after drinking the coffee from the interrogation room, he finally didn't seem so exhausted.

Of course, the most crucial thing was that Jonas brought back news of his brother.

Stabilized.

That was the most crucial, so even though it was still unclear what had happened in the South District, it didn't matter.

First, get through today, and as for Trafford, whether he's dead or alive, this man must never appear again in the Kingdom Defense Bureau.

"I knew I wasn't wrong to trust you, Michelle. You are to me what Philis was to the King."

Havenius warmly patted Michelle's shoulders and uttered a classic compliment, once again comparing Michelle to the King's vulture.

Michelle naturally showed a very agreeable expression and then inconspicuously glanced at Jonas standing to the side.

This newly joined eldest son of the Evans family obviously knew what timing, position, and spotlight meant.

At a time like this, if he said anything, it would surely offend someone greatly.

And standing there, he undoubtedly earned Michelle a significant favor.

"Well then, check the time, gentlemen, it is now nine twenty-six."

Havenius raised his wrist, revealing the exquisitely handcrafted watch on his wrist.

"Time check complete."

Everyone present synchronized their time simultaneously.

"Good, get ready to go on stage; are those reporters all arranged?"

Havenius started asking some detailed questions again.

"They've been arranged. The first question won't be too revealing, as per your instructions, gradual progression, the third one will hit the main topic."

A person dressed as a secretary responded immediately.

"Very good, very good."

Havenius mentioned that as if he was a bit thirsty.

Michelle tactfully handed him a cup of hot coffee: "Your Highness, have some coffee, the best in the Kingdom Defense Bureau."

"Oh, Michelle, you're so considerate, thank you."

In the last two minutes, the crowd had already gathered, and the reporters had taken their positions.

And in a place unnoticed by anyone, a car discreetly arrived at the back of the venue. First out of the car were members of the Kingdom Defense Bureau, and after ensuring there was nothing unusual around, they opened the car door and escorted Joseph out.

Joseph had indeed shaved, bathed, and changed clothes, looking much more refreshed, but his expression still couldn't hide his fatigue.

He glanced at the sky.

He hadn't looked at the outside sky for a long time.

Today's sky wasn't clear; after the strong wind, it remained overcast, and the sun never came out.

He looked up as if deeply feeling the fresh air.

"Hurry up, it's about to start, don't waste time, don't play any tricks."

The one escorting him was from the third unit and naturally had no friendly look toward him.

"I'm just taking in this free air; after all, I will soon have no freedom."

This remark made the person shut up.

Joseph looked around again, moving his limbs, then his gaze caught something that flickered and disappeared.

It seemed to be a bit of glaring light.

Where the light flashed, he stared for a while and then said, "Alright, let's go. I'm ready."