"I’m telling the truth now, Your Highness. Lord Matthew was the one who gave the instruction to poison the well."
Damian slightly turned his head to look at Evelina. She locked eyes with him, and they shared a mont of quiet understanding.
He nodded at her gently, and she let a tiny smile appear on her face.
But this wasn’t over yet.
Damian shifted his attention back to Ethan. "Why?"
Ethan clenched his jaw. "I don’t know," he admitted. "You should ask him."
Damian let out a slow breath through his nose. He believed Ethan—at least about Lord Matthew’s involvent—but that didn’t an he was done here.
He quickly turned and looked for Jasper, who had been standing outside the cell, watching the interrogation with an unusually serious expression.
"Jasper," Damian called in a command. "Help call an ergency council eting. Personally inform Lord Matthew that the king requests his presence."
Jasper straightened, giving a mock salute. "Ah, finally, my skills as a glorified errand boy are being put to good use."
"Jasper," Damian warned.
"Right, right. On it," Jasper muttered, already heading for the exit.
"And inform Lord Luther to tell my father," Damian added. "We’ve found the missing piece."
Jasper hurried through the palace hallways, his usual lighthearted attitude replaced by a sense of seriousness.
This was not a typical errand for him; it was sothing very serious—treason. He first visited Lord Luther’s room to tell him about Damian’s request.
Luther only nodded in response with a grim expression.
Then, Jasper made his way to Lord Matthew’s quarters.
The nobleman was in his study, sipping wine and looking over so docunts when Jasper arrived. Lord Matthew looked up, a bit surprised, but quickly covered it up with a polite smile.
"Jasper, what brings you here?"
Jasper folded his arms, leaning against the doorfra. "His Majesty requests your presence in an ergency council eting. Imdiately."
Lord Matthew’s smile faltered for just a second. "An ergency, you say? I wasn’t made aware of—"
"Well, you are now," Jasper cut in smoothly, pushing off the doorfra. "The King is waiting. I’d suggest you don’t keep him long."
For a brief mont, Lord Matthew hesitated, his fingers tightening slightly around his goblet. Then, he exhaled through his nose and stood. "Very well."
Jasper followed him closely as he strode toward the council chamber.
By the ti they arrived, the large eting hall was already filled with high-ranking nobles, advisors, and council mbers.
The King sat at the table’s head, his strong presence creating a nearly unbearable tension in the room.
Damian stood next to him with a hard-to-read expression. Evelina was also there, standing off to the side, her arms folded as she watched Lord Matthew approach.
As soon as Matthew walked in, the King’s keen eyes turned toward him. "Nobleman Matthew," he rumbled. "Do you know why you’ve been summoned?"
Lord Matthew bowed slightly. "I do not, Your Majesty, but I assu it must be of great importance."
Damian took a step forward. "It is. You’ve been accused of treason."
A quiet buzz spread through the council chamber. Lord Matthew kept a calm expression, but Evelina saw it—the faintest flicker of tension in his jaw.
"Treason?" Matthew echoed. "That is a heavy accusation, my prince. On what grounds?"
"Ethan has confessed. He claims you were the one who ordered him to poison the well."
Gasps rang through the room. Several nobles exchanged glances, their expressions shifting from shock to curiosity.
Matthew let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head. "With all due respect, Your Highness, that is a ridiculous claim. Why would I ever do such a thing?"
"That’s exactly what I intend to find out," Damian said flatly.
The King tapped his fingers on the table, staring intently. "Matthew, I recomnd you think carefully about what you say next."
Lord Matthew stood in the council chamber, his face calm and unreadable as the accusations filled the room. Inside, however, his thoughts were twirling.
He had known this mont might co.
He had prepared for it.
He recalled a past conversation—a eting that took place in a dark place, where he could sll the damp stone and burning candles around him.
A calm and confident voice had addressed him. "I have made sure it cannot be traced back to us."
Matthew was tense at that mont, with his arms crossed and his heart racing a bit too quickly. "And if it does?"
"Then we go with the plan. You take the fall. And I will do everything in my power to ensure you and your family remain alive."
Matthew had clenched his fists. "I will be seen as a traitor to the kingdom."
"A small sacrifice to pay for a great reward. Moreover, there will be no kingdom when we are done." A brief mont of silence, followed by a deep, steady breath. "There will be OUR kingdom."
A dangerous silence had followed.
He had thought about his wife, his children—the people who depended on him.
He had thought about the future.
He had made his choice.
And now, here he was.
Back in the present, standing before the King, the prince, and the council.
The heavy silence surrounded him, but Matthew understood what he needed to do.
He let out a slow sigh, rubbing his temples as though he were a man burdened by an unfortunate mistake.
"Fine," he murmured. "I will admit to it."
The room erupted into whispers.
Evelina’s hands clenched into fists. That’s it? Just like that?
The King’s expression remained unreadable, but his voice was sharp. "You confess to poisoning the well?"
Lord Matthew lifted his chin slightly, his voice as smooth as ever. "Yes," he said. "I did."
"Why?" Damian demanded.
Matthew let out another sigh. "The Kingdom has beco... complacent. Soft. We are surrounded by enemies, and yet we do nothing. I wanted to make the council aware that our security is fragile, that even the royal palace can be infiltrated."
The explanation was weak. It barely made sense.
Evelina could feel the growing distrust in the room. The way the other nobles exchanged wary glances.
Damian’s expression didn’t change. "You expect us to believe you risked the lives of innocent people... just to prove a point?"
Lord Matthew nodded, keeping his tone calm. "A point that needed to be made."
The King exhaled through his nose, clearly unimpressed. "You are a fool, Matthew."
Matthew gave a slight bow. "Perhaps. But I accept the consequences of my actions."
Evelina’s fingers curled at her sides. "This isn’t right."
Relia stirred in her mind. "Well, well, well... isn’t this interesting?"
"You’re telling ," Evelina replied.
"He’s lying."
"Obviously."
"And yet," Relia mused, "he’s not fighting the accusation. He’s walking right into it."
Evelina swallowed, her stomach twisting uneasily. "He had plenty of chances to deny it. To bla soone else. But instead, he just... gave up."
"Oh, Evie," Relia purred, "he didn’t give up. He’s protecting soone."
Evelina felt a cold heaviness in her chest as the truth hit her. Matthew wasn’t foolish; he was smart, careful, and strategic.
It was clear that he wasn’t rely accepting responsibility—he was playing a role.
"Do you think he’s also behind the attempt on Damian’s life?" Evelina asked.
Relia was silent for a long mont before answering. "Hard to say. But if he is, then he just took the fall for one cri to distract from the bigger one."
Evelina felt her throat tighten. "Damn it."
"Hey, look on the bright side," Relia murmured. "At least you’re free from this accusation. You can finally focus on what really matters—figuring out who tried to kill our mate."
Evelina exhaled slowly, forcing herself to loosen her tense shoulders. Relia was right. Matthew’s confession—false or not—ant she was no longer being blad for the well poisoning.
That was one less weight on her shoulders.
But if he wasn’t the one who tried to kill Damian, then they still had a traitor lurking in the palace.
And she only had ten days left to find them.
Damian turned a bit and looked at her. She t his gaze and felt the weight of everything that had just occurred. He gave her a slight nod, almost unnoticeable.
A silent acknowledgent.
The King exhaled sharply, cleared his throat to draw attention and then straightened. "For the cri of treason, for attempting to poison the people of this kingdom and pack, I hereby strip you of your noble status."
A collective gasp rippled through the council.
Matthew’s expression finally cracked—just for a second, the barest flicker of sothing dark crossing his face. But he quickly schooled it back into neutrality.
"You will be thrown into the dungeons," the King continued. "And remain there until a verdict is made regarding your fate."
Guards imdiately stepped forward, seizing Matthew by the arms. He didn’t resist, though his jaw tightened as they pulled him toward the exit.
As soon as they exited, the King turned to face her. "This confession frees you from the accusation of poisoning the well, Evelina" he said slowly.
Evelina let out a quiet breath she didn’t realise she was holding.
But it was short-lived.
The King’s next words hit her like a hamr. "However, the attempt on my son’s life remains unsolved."
The room fell silent again.
Without any warmth in his voice, the King went on. "You still have ten days to find the one responsible. And as per my son’s decree—"
He looked directly at Damian, then back at her. "If by the end of these days you cannot clearly prove your innocence, he will personally carry out your execution."
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