Page 40 of Villainess's Redemption
“May I ask the reason why he is being arrested?” she demanded, her voice dripping venom. I smiled at that, which seemed to rile her up more.
No acknowledgment of her husband standing behind me, no curtsy, not even a nod to my title. She’d clearly realized I didn’t want my identity revealed, but it felt opportunistic of her to push the boundaries of rudeness. How convenient for her to take advantage of my desire for discretion.
I raised an eyebrow, amused despite my irritation.
I decided to play along, fighting to keep the amusement from my voice. “Not that I owe you any answer, but being a gentleman-” She snorted, which I pointedly ignored. “I’ll indulge you. He was beating a man after losing his money, but he crossed the line when he assaulted that innocent woman,” I gestured toward the barmaid, who was still cowering in the corner.
Ilyana’s chin jutted out defiantly. “You do owe me since he is a loyal servant of our household. You can’t take him.”
I almost laughed at her audacity. We both knew full well that I could. “Well, my lady, I absolutely can. If you have a problem, you can always file a complaint with the Ministry of Justice,” I motioned for Lennox to take Gareth away.
Before we could move, Ilyana darted forward. Her hand clasped mine, warm and impossibly soft. Not a single callus marred her smooth skin. Her touch felt like silk on my own sword-roughened palm.
“Your Highness,” she murmured, leaning close, her voice low and measured. She barely reached my chin. She was so close that I could smell her soft warm cinnamon perfume, so different from her frosty exterior. I took a deep lungful of that smell. It was addictive, the perfume, not her.
The spell broke as soon as she opened her mouth. “I know you hold law and justice in the highest order. So, if you arrest Sir Gareth, I assume you’ll also shut down this establishment and arrest the owners and all the employees here since gambling is illegal.”
I paused, cursing inwardly. She was right, damn her. Why was she so protective of Gareth? Did that mean we were right to suspect Elyas? I hesitated, weighing my options. I could easily arrest him, but it would reveal my identity and alert our main suspect. Then again, since Ilyana knew, it would likely alert Elyas anyway.
I smiled. I could always take care of Meadows Inn later.
Just as I decided to reveal my royal seal and damn the consequences, one of my planted spies hurried over. He leaned in close, whispering urgently in my ear, “Lord Elyas has requested a retrial for Lord Magnus.”
The smile fell from my lips as the muscles around my mouth tightened. My eyes widened as I looked at Ilyana one last time,catching the faintest hint of a satisfied smile playing on her lips. Without another word, Lennox, Noah, and I made our exit. Noah glanced back at Ilyana, but she looked away, avoiding his gaze.
Interesting. I’ll think about that later.
As we hurried toward the palace, my mind raced. Why was I suddenly being outplayed by her? This Ilyana was very different indeed as if she had changed overnight. The pieces weren’t fitting together, and I despised situations I couldn’t control. And Ilyana was an uncontrollable factor in my plans now.
For the first time, I didn’t know how I felt about that.
The dingy tavern faded behind us as we emerged into the cool night air. The stench of unwashed bodies and cheap ale gave way to the crisp scent of approaching spring. But the memory of Ilyana’s soft cinnamon scent lingered which made my irritation with this situation even worse. Something was definitely wrong with her.
I quickened my pace, my boots striking the cobblestones with purpose.
I strode into the throne room, my footsteps echoing off the polished marble floors. The cavernous chamber seemed to dwarf even the imposing figures gathered within.
I took my place beside Father’s ornate throne, noting Mother’s conspicuous absence. No doubt she was lurking somewhere nearby, maintaining her carefully crafted illusion of political disinterest. My lips quirked in a humorless smile.
Noah settled into Duke Eldrick’s seat, looking every inch the proper heir since his father couldn’t make it on such short notice.
Lord Elyas stood in the center of the room, radiating an air of unshakeable confidence. The sight of him made my fingers itch to curl into fists. Instead, I schooled my features into a mask of polite interest.
Father’s voice rang out, deep and authoritative. “Since everyone is here, let’s begin the trial.”
He nodded to Vincent Hargreave, our esteemed Minister of Justice. Vincent stepped forward, his face neutral.
“As I was saying, Your Majesty,” Elyas began, his voice smooth as silk, “I suspect that Magnus was framed.”
He paused, clearly relishing the tension that filled the air. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at his theatrics.
Vincent raised an eyebrow. “And why do you think that?”
Elyas held up a leather-bound ledger. “The ledger that we found which proved his crime - I looked at it again, and I think there’s something wrong.”
I broke my silence, my voice cutting through the room like a blade. “Wasn’t it you who found the ledger?”
Elyas turned to me, his expression a perfect blend of regret and righteous indignation. “Yes, Your Highness. When I heard of his embezzlement, I couldn’t believe it. He is such a hardworking and honest man. So I searched everywhere to find evidence that would absolve his crime.”
