As soon as Spencer gave the execution order, the family of three turned listless.
"No, please spare my son. I don't mind dying." Bea cried aloud in agony.
"Yes, our son has no idea of this incident." Clyde chimed in and hoped to die alongside his wife. But their son was innocent.
Beck remained silent because a moment ago, he was still attending a mid-tier academy. That was until the palace guard came to his class and took him away.
From the start till the end, Beck was clueless about why his mother was being subjected to such torture. However, based on his parents' reaction, it was safe to say that they had incurred Spencer's wrath and crossed his bottom line.
And unfortunately for them, their words held zero substance toward the guards.
Since Spencer had given the order, the guards would only commence the act.
Moreover, leaving a son who witnessed his parents' death alive would be catastrophic in the long run. There was no way Spencer would allow a variable to remain alive who may or may not harbor grudges toward the Crown Prince.
Either way, the cause of everything still stemmed from Clyde. Had he didn't incur any debts, then Bea wouldn't have made such a foolish decision.
Toward such a person, Spencer held zero sympathy.
As the guards approached the two adults, Beck managed to free himself and hurriedly rushed toward his parents.
He then spread his arms wide to shield them from the approaching guards.
"My parents never intended to harm the crown prince. Must the crown prince be this ruthless toward commoners?" Beck shouted in a mix of anger and hopelessness.
Seeing Beck's action, one of the guards suddenly sneered.
"It seems like you're still young and didn't understand the implication behind this. What Sir Reed intended was not just to find the culprit, but to also use this incident as a stern warning. We feared no intruders or assassins, but people that work in the palace must be sparkly clean in both background and ethics."
When Beck heard the guard's reasoning, he finally broke and slumped to the ground. His eyes were lifeless as he realized they were simply being served as an example to others.
From start to finish, their death had long been sentenced the moment Bea was caught with the poison substance in her possession.
Bea and Clyde simply gazed at each other, having known this would be their final moment in life.
The guard didn't react much and signaled with his hand to execute the family of three.
Since Spencer granted mercy by letting them die at the same time, the killing strike were swift and clean.
Soon, blood began to dye the dirty floor tiles, and the same guard commanded, "Clean the basement and bury the bodies in one of the palace gardens. They will serve as good fertilizer."
"Yes!" The nearby guards acknowledged the order.
While the basement was filled with desolate and boundless coldness, back at the upper level was a stark contrast.
It was vibrant and seemed full of life.
In the corridor that was filled with many fabulous paintings and antiques, one person could be seen running.
Even though running was against the protocol of royalty, the guards nearby didn't say anything and even bowed in respect.
After all, the person running was none other than Spencer.
A few seconds later, Spencer arrived at Leonard's chamber and knocked on the door softly.
"Crown Prince, are you inside?" His tone was very gentle and mild.
"Yes, come in," Leonard responded from the inside.
With permission granted, Spencer pushed open the door and spotted Leonard tossing away the garment toward a couch.
He flashed a bitter smile and coughed lightly. "Crown Prince, you should have the maids help you remove the garment."
"I would have, but didn't you detain all the maids and servants," Leonard responded with a deadpan expression. He then pointed at the empty corridor outside to prove his points.
"Oh…" Spencer's mouth was left agape. He instantly realized his mistake and cleared his throat. "Rest assured, Crown Prince, the maids and servants would arrive soon. They have been undergoing strict training and I'll make sure today's incident will not repeat again."
Leonard nodded.
"But something is weird about this incident, Spence. How did the maid bring the poison vial substance in without being discovered immediately?" He questioned and referred to Spencer as plain Spence.
In a formal setting or with people around, the old Leonard would refer to him as Spencer. But privately, it was always Spence.
Although the old Leonard did instruct Spencer to call him Leon, the latter objected and said he couldn't do it.
"Crown Prince's suspicion is logical." Spencer was a bit startled by the logical thinking process. But that startle soon turned into delight as he believed Leonard was finally maturing.
"I've already punished the guards in charge of inspection and anyone involved with this carelessness."
"By punish, do you mean?"
"Yes, Crown Prince. It may sound cruel, but an execution must be imposed. What we lack in the Aldros Empire are people like them to replace."
"Is that so…"
As if afraid that the crown prince was feeling scared or the situation morally wrong, Spencer knelt on one knee.
"Crown Prince can be reassured. Such dirty work would never need your present. This old servant will bear all the dirtiness for you."
"It's fine," Leonard waved his hand and explained his encounter with the 3rd and 4th princes.
"The 3rd prince's small servant was executed under my order. That kind of person is bound to be trouble for not just me, but my 3rd brother as well. Do make sure to confirm the execution was enacted later on. I don't want to leave any trail for possible repercussion."
"The Crown Prince is right. Any loose ends must be cut thoroughly to prevent future trouble." Spencer's body was trembling slightly.
He was beyond exhilarated to hear the crown prince was willing to order an execution blade toward another person.
In the Aldros Empire, life and death were always creeping at every corner. Commoners may make up the most numbers of the empire, but they were also easily disposable and replaceable people.