The Shadow of Great Britain

”Sheriff.” Conroy’s lip twitched, his voice much lower than before, carrying a trace of barely contained anger: ”Are you questioning my ability to protect Her Highness? Or are you suspecting that Kensington Palace is harboring criminals in this room?”

Murphy did not retreat; instead, he looked straight into Conroy’s eyes: ”I am not questioning your integrity, Sir. But I doubt any unconfirmed safety assumptions. My duty is to ensure that afterward no one can say ’The Sheriff didn’t fulfill his responsibility back then.’

Conroy let out a cold laugh: ”Duty? If you truly understood your duty, you would know that royal residences are not within your jurisdiction, especially at such an hour. You are being offensive...”

”What offends you is the gang of robbers, not me! Moreover, Albion Villa is not His Majesty the King’s personal property; it does not belong to royal residences.” Murphy interrupted him, his tone harder than before: ”Therefore, if I don’t even step in, then I’m neglecting my duty!”

This statement was like a hammer, causing Conroy’s expression to darken.

Usually, when he started to assert himself, local small figures would back off.

But today, unexpectedly, he encountered a hard nut.

Conroy slowly exhaled, seemingly trying hard to suppress his temper: ”Alright! Since you are determined to enter, you must wait for me to consult the Duchess. If she disagrees, I guarantee you won’t step in even one step.”

Murphy nodded slightly: ”Then please consult quickly, Sir. My men and I will wait outside.”

Upstairs, light yet urgent footsteps pressed dully on the carpet.

The Duchess of Kent, supported by her maid, lifted her skirt and came downstairs. The crystal lamp in the living room reflected her pale face, and her brow remained tightly knitted.

”John, what’s the matter?”

Conroy stepped forward, bowing slightly: ”Your Highness, it is the local Sheriff. He claims, for safety reasons, to search the villa at night. I have already told him everything here is fine, and there’s no need for his needless concern, but he insists on pestering and trying to forcefully enter your residence.”

Murphy removed his hat and bowed to salute: ”Your Highness, I understand that this is your and the Princess’s residence, so I approached as simply as possible. But I have a formal search warrant here. The reason is that intelligence shows unidentified suspicious characters are appearing in Ramsgate. For the safety of you and the Princess, we must ensure there’s no hidden danger within.”

The Duchess’s hand slowly tightened at her skirt side. She looked at Conroy, as if asking for his opinion, then turned to Murphy: ”What you mentioned... is it truly urgent?”

”Yes, Your Highness.” Murphy’s tone carried no exaggeration: ”If it weren’t absolutely necessary, I would not disturb at this hour.”

Conroy immediately cut in, trying to regain control of the atmosphere: ”Your Highness, you know the defense strength of Albion Villa, these rumors...”

Before Conroy could finish speaking, a sudden thump came from the villa’s backyard.

It sounded like someone had knocked over a wooden chair, followed by the crisp sound of porcelain shattering.

Soon after, several deep yet urgent shouts came from the backyard direction, interspersed with uncontrollable footsteps and dragging sounds.

”Hands off the weapon! Hands on your head, squat down!”

”Did you hear me? Put the stick down immediately! You are surrounded!”

”Dare to move again and I’ll consider you resisting arrest!”