All or Nothing

Little Finger's voice carried just the right amount of panic.

Robert squinted, a hint of annoyance flashing across his still-drunk face.

"What's it to you? Is the national treasury out of money?"

“It’s heavier than that, Your Majesty.” He pounded his little finger on the ground. “I have committed the crime of withholding information.”

He looked up at Ed.

His eyes were filled with sorrow.

"I also lied to Lord Ed to prevent him from discovering that terrible truth."

Littlefinger's next words immediately caused a huge uproar in the crowd.

"Lord Jon Arryn was murdered by his wife, Lady Lysa Tully."

Robert suddenly stood up.

"What did you say!" he roared. "Do you know you're accusing a duke's widow?!"

Little Finger remained on the ground, his body trembling.

"Your Majesty, I have not uttered a single falsehood."

"If you don't believe me, you can ask Lord Ed; he's been investigating this matter recently."

Robert turned around in shock: "Ned, is it true?"

Ed nodded heavily.

But at this moment, he couldn't quite figure out what Little Finger was up to.

"By the Seven Gods! What has happened? How could a wife murder her husband?" Robert murmured.

He then glared fiercely at the little finger.

"Tell me the truth about what really happened!"

Littlefinger began to speak in a low voice.

"It all stems from a tragic past."

"I've known Mrs. Lysa since I was very young, and she... she has some feelings for me that she shouldn't have."

"It's been like this since Riverrun. But everyone knows that what I truly love is—"

His gaze cautiously swept over Ed.

Following his gaze, everyone saw that Ed's face had turned ashen.

They all nodded with strange expressions.

This old gossip is known to everyone in the Red Castle.

"After I lost the duel with Ed's brother, I never saw her again."

"Until she recommended me to take charge of the taxes in Seagull Town, and all the way until I went to court to serve as the Minister of Finance."

"I have always been grateful to Lysa, but I never discovered her long-standing obsession."

Listening to Littlefinger's vivid account, even Robert temporarily set aside his previous dissatisfaction.

"and then?"

"What makes you say Lysa killed Jon?"

"Because she told me herself!" Littlefinger's voice suddenly became shrill.

"After Lord Jon died, she wrote to me: 'He's finally dead, and we can finally be together.'"

"I was almost terrified when I received the letter; it didn't sound like something a widowed woman would say."

Little Finger lowered his eyelids.

"But I have no evidence. After all, it was just a letter full of nonsense, and I was just a man she admired in her teenage years."

"What can I say? Accuse her of protecting her child from being sent away as an adopted son? Accuse a duchess of murdering her husband because of unrequited love?"

"So I burned the letter and told myself it was just a woman's ramblings."

"Until Lord Ed came to ask me, and because of my selfish feelings for Lysa, I lied to him."

After listening, the eunuch gently wiped away his tears with his sleeve.

"Oh...that's a really sad story."

But Ed just stared intently at Littlefinger, his gaze sharp as a needle.

"What about the dagger? Why did you say the dagger belonged to Tyrion?"

Little Finger's body stiffened slightly.

"My lord, I truly did not deceive you about this matter."

"It is true that His Majesty won a Valyrian steel dagger from me."

"But then I found another one." His voice lowered.

"I mentioned this at the tournament, and shortly afterward, Lord Tyrion won it from me. That's true."

Ed took a half-step forward.

"So that dagger that was used to stab my son..."

"I don't know how it ended up in the hands of the assassins." Littlefinger raised his head, looked directly at Ed, and his eyes reddened.

"But I know who has each of those two daggers."

"Of course I wouldn't dare accuse His Majesty, which is why I only said it was the little devil's doing."

Robert's face flushed slightly.

"You're not suggesting that the assassin used my dagger to kill Bran, are you?"

The little finger drooped down again.

"Of course not. That's why I was quite shocked when His Majesty told me at the martial arts tournament that the dagger was lost."

Everyone fell silent.

Ed looked at Robert: "Your Majesty, the dagger is still in my room. If you have time, would you mind examining it yourself?"

Robert nodded.

"well."

But he probably couldn't remember what the dagger looked like at all.

At that moment, Tywin's cold voice came from the audience.

"So you're going to convince Lady Caitlin that it was my son who sent the assassin?"

Little Finger turned around and kowtowed again.

"Lord Tywin, you are wise to know that this matter has absolutely nothing to do with me."

"I merely informed Lady Catelyn of the facts, that the dagger belonged to Tyrion. Beyond that, I did nothing..."

"Who do you think you are? I didn't ask you to explain yourself!" Tywin interrupted sharply.

"The only fact now is that it's all because of one stupid thing you said."

"My son has been framed, kidnapped, and is currently being held captive in a madwoman's castle."

Ed glared at Tywin: "No matter what, she's still the wife of the former prime minister."

"She's also your wife's younger sister," Tywin retorted.

He then slammed the door and left.

Robert scratched his beard.

He glanced at Littlefinger kneeling on the ground, then at the direction Tywin had disappeared in through the doorway, and then at Eddard's ashen face beside him.

"Seven levels of hell, what kind of mess is this?" he muttered. "All I did was organize a martial arts tournament."

Robert waved his hand, as if shooing away an annoying fly.

"Someone, find him a room. He's not allowed to come out without my orders."

"The Chancellor of the Exchequer should suspend his duties for now."

Little Finger slowly stood up and bowed.

He stepped back to the door, then suddenly stopped.

"Your Majesty, the assassination case remains unsolved." Littlefinger slowly turned his head. "Who exactly sent someone to assassinate Prince Stark?"

"Why would you do such a cruel thing to a disabled child?"

"And at the same time, they can exploit my mistake to incite conflict between the two great families?"

"I urge Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate this case."

Then, he slowly departed, escorted by the man in the golden robe.

Varis chuckled.

"Our Finance Minister truly cares deeply for the Kingdom. Even as he steps down from his post, he continues to work tirelessly."

"Your Majesty!" Ed looked at Robert anxiously, "You're just letting him go like that?"

Robert waved his hand.

"Stop shouting, it's all his side of the story, the matter hasn't been investigated yet."

"Besides...it's not that serious. He just lied to people, everyone knows he likes to lie."

Ed yelled, "So you just lied to people?"

"Stark!" Robert glared at him. "Don't forget who you are."

"What right do you have to give orders here?"

Then, the king took an engraved silver hand badge from his pocket and threw it onto the table in front of Ed.

Ed lowered his head and stared blankly.

Then he reached out and picked it up, slowly putting it on his chest.

Robert laughed.

He turned to Paisell.

Send a raven to the Eyrie.

"Get that woman to King's Landing right now and get this straight!"

……

at the same time.

Prime Minister's Tower.

Joffrey basked in the warm sun, listening listlessly to two men with foreign accents arguing heatedly in the distance about who should tutor Arya.

"Sirius is the girl's teacher. Strange people, get out of here."

"The kitten is learning to dance, which is very interesting. But a cat needs to know not only how to move, but also why it moves. Someone can teach her."

He lazily scratched his ear.

It was another peaceful day.