Page 35 of Villainess's Redemption
He fell silent, his gaze dropping to the papers scattered across his desk. I could almost see the wheels turning in his head, weighing the risks against his pride.
He drummed his fingers on the desk, considering my words. “What do you propose?” he finally asked, his voice gruff.
I leaned back, feigning nonchalance. “Simple. We stop the execution. Find a way to exonerate Magnus without implicating yourself.”
Father barked out a laugh. “Simple, she says. As if undoing months of careful planning is as easy as snapping your fingers. You are forgetting it was me who found the ‘evidence’ to prove his embezzlement.”
I shrugged. “It’s either that or wait for the ax to fall. Literally, in your case.”
He glowered at me, but I could see the fear creeping into his eyes. Good. A healthy dose of terror might be just what he needed to see reason.
“And how do you suggest we go about this… exoneration?” he asked, practically spitting out the last word.
I tapped my chin, pretending to think. “Well, we could start by ‘discovering’ some new evidence. Perhaps a ledger that clears Magnus of wrongdoing? Or maybe a confession from a convenient scapegoat?”
Father’s brow furrowed. “That would require fabricating evidence. It’s risky.”
I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. Now he was worried about the ethics of fabricating evidence? The irony was thick enough to choke on.
“Riskier than execution?” I asked sweetly.
He glared at me, but I could see the wheels turning in his head. “How do I stop the execution?”
“Tomorrow, you’ll go to court and ask for a retrial for Magnus. If anyone asks you can say that since Magnus had a clean upstanding career, you’re thinking that someone might have framed him.” Which is not far from the truth. I laid out my brilliant plan to him. It took all night and a concussion to achieve.
He was silent for a long moment, weighing his options. Finally, he nodded. “I’ll see what I can do. But Ilyana, if this backfires—”
“It won’t,” I assured him. I stood, smoothing out my skirts. “Trust me, Father. This is for the best.”
“One more thing, Father,” I leaned forward slightly. “What do you know about illegal gold mining?”
Father’s quill paused mid-stroke. “Ah, that mess. There have been reports of unregistered gold entering the market. Nothing concrete yet, but the investigators suspect the mines in the north.” Where we were exiled and died for something we didn’t do. He shrugged, returning to his paperwork. “I’m not directly involved in the case. So, I don’t know much.”
I studied his face carefully, searching for any tell-tale signs of deception. “Are you sure you had nothing to do with it?”
The quill clattered onto the desk. “What?” Father’s face reddened. “How dare you accuse me of such a thing! First, you question my judgment about Magnus, and now this?” He pushed back from his desk, the chair legs scraping against the floor. “Isthis how I raised you? To suspect your own father of every crime in the kingdom?”
Uh-huh. Too much questioning for his ego to handle in one day.
I kept watching him, noting the genuine hurt in his eyes, the way his hands trembled slightly with anger. No, Father wasn’t lying. He never could lie to me - his left eye always twitched when he tried. I felt a wave of relief. No matter how unhinged Anderic was, he wouldn’t falsely accuse my father if he wasn’t involved.
“I’m sorry, Papa,” I said softly, using the childhood endearment I hadn’t spoken in years. I rounded the desk and wrapped my arms around his shoulders like I used to when I was little. “Forgive me?”
He huffed, but I felt his shoulders relax. “You’re lucky you’re my favorite daughter.”
“I’m your only daughter.”
“Details, details…”
I pressed a kiss to his cheek and hugged him one last time.
As I turned to leave, Father’s voice stopped me. “Ilyana.”
I looked back, one hand on the doorknob.
He leaned back in his chair, studying me as if seeing me for the first time. “You’ve matured up, Ilyana,” he said, a mix of pride and wariness in his eyes.
You have no idea, Father.
