Page 41 of Villainess's Redemption
He brandished the ledger with dramatic flair.. “But when I found this, I was furious. His handwriting matched. As much as I liked him, the Ministry of Revenue was built on my blood and sweat. How could I be so negligent to let someone embezzle so much?”
I watched him closely, noting every twitch, every carefully calculated gesture. Nice acting, truly. He should be in a troop.
Vincent leaned forward, his interest piqued. “So, what else have you found out about this ledger?”
Elyas’ eyes lit up with feigned excitement. “Yes, I’ve found new evidence. While this writing looks identical to Magnus’s, there are still some inconsistencies.”
He opened the ledger, pointing to specific entries. “Look at this ‘f’ in the ledger and in his other documents. It’snot noticeable at first, but looking closely, you can see the difference.”
As Elyas continued to explain the minute discrepancies, I felt a familiar tension coiling in my gut. What new game was this father and daughter duo playing? Whatever it was, I would unravel it, one thread at a time if necessary.
I glanced at Noah, gauging his reaction. His brow was furrowed in concentration, clearly buying into Elyas’ performance. I sighed.
“These inconsistencies,” I interjected, my tone deceptively casual, “when did you notice them, Lord Elyas?”
He turned to me, his expression a mask of earnest concern. “Just yesterday, Your Highness. I couldn’t sleep, it felt like I was missing something. So, I decided to review the evidence once more.”
I nodded as if considering his words carefully. “How fortunate that you chose to re-examine the ledger so close to Lord Magnus’s scheduled execution.”
A flicker of annoyance passed through Elyas’ eyes before he recovered. “Indeed, Your Highness. The Fates must be smiling upon Lord Magnus.”
Father leaned forward on his throne, his piercing gaze fixed on Elyas. “These are serious allegations, Lord Elyas. If what you say is true, someone has gone to great lengths to frame an innocent man.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Elyas agreed, bowing his head. “It pains me to think that someone within our ranks could be capable of such treachery.”Yeah, someone like you.
I fought to keep the contempt from my voice. “And how do you know it’s someone within our ranks?”
“Someone powerful has to be involved,” Elyas said. We stared at each other, neither of us backing out.
Vincent cleared his throat. “If I may, Your Majesty, I believe we should postpone the execution of Lord Magnus and re-open the investigation. These new findings warrant a closer look.”
Father nodded slowly, his expression grave. “Agreed. Lord Magnus will be returned to his residence and will be on house arrest while we investigate these claims. Lord Elyas, I expect your full cooperation in this matter.”
“Of course, Your Majesty,” Elyas said, bowing low. “I am at your service, as always.”
Chapter 11
I watched Prince Anderic and Noah leave, their retreating backs a welcome sight. My attention snapped back to Gareth, who was practically groveling at my feet, blubbering his gratitude like a child who’d just been saved from the boogeyman.
“Thank you for saving me, my lady,” he gushed, his eyes wide with relief.
I barely registered his words as my gaze drifted to the barmaid’s face. An ugly bruise was blooming across her cheekbone. A familiar anger coiled in my chest, hot and venomous. Without sparing Gareth another glance, I strode towards the trembling woman.
She trembled as I approached, no doubt expecting more abuse. She flinched as I gently took her chin in my hand, examining the discoloration spreading across her cheekbone.
“It’s going to turn blue,” I murmured, my voice soft but my insides churning with rage.
“Gareth, come here,” I barked, causing the barmaid to cringe.
Gareth froze, confusion etched across his face. The crowd, which had dispersed after Eric’s departure, began to gather again, drawn by the promise of more drama.
“Kneel down and apologize to her,” I commanded, my voice as sharp as a blade.
Gareth’s jaw dropped. “My lady, I—”
“Now, Gareth,” I snapped, my patience wearing thin.
The drunken fool stumbled over, reeking of cheap ale and fear. He dropped to his knees so fast I thought he might bruise them. Good.
