My Bratty Wife
Chapter 186 - Hundred And Eighty Six

Chapter 186: Chapter Hundred And Eighty Six

Back in Carleton, in Ryan’s study, Davis laid out his findings before him. "Your Grace," he began, his voice grave, "I’ve compiled the list of the parliament members." He paused, his eyes scanning the list before him. "They are sixteen in total, Ten are dead.

Ryan’s voice became cold. " Give me names of those who are dead." He commanded.

Davis replied. "They are: Baron Bradley, Lord Ashton, Viscount Augustus (Conrad’s father), Viscount Loftus (Dinah’s husband), Lord Collin, Earl Crowley, Baron Abercrombie, Duke Beamount , Lord Caldwell and..." He hesitated, his voice trailing off.

Ryan’s eyes sharpened. "And?" he prompted, his voice low.

Davis looked up, his expression troubled. "And Duke Charles, your father," he finished, his voice so low Ryan had to strain his ears to be able to hear him.

A tense silence filled the room. Ryan’s expression remained emotionless, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of shock and disbelief. Davis then brought out a separate list, detailing the victims of the past murders. They matched the statistics. He attempted to find a connection between them.

"Luke," he noted, " died because he was a spy, a threat to the killer’s secrets. Doris died because she was caught, a loose end that had to be eliminated, as did the woman who killed Lord Collin, who turned herself in."

"Viscountess Dinah," he realized, "died in place of her husband, who had passed away years prior. Viscount Conrad died in place of his father, who had also died before the murders began."

" He paused, his voice heavy. "Is your father’s death related to this, Your Grace?"

Ryan remained silent for a moment, his mind racing, trying to piece together the fragments of information. "I don’t know," he said finally, his voice low and thoughtful. He shook his head slightly, dismissing the idea for the moment. "Tell me, Davis," he said, changing the subject. "Did you find out what trial the wronged noble went through?"

Davis’s expression turned troubled. "I did the research, Your Grace," he replied, his voice laced with confusion. "But there’s no record of an unjust verdict. It’s as if it never happened."

Ryan rubbed his temple, a frown creasing his brow. "Of course," he murmured, his voice laced with frustration. "There wouldn’t be a record of such injustice. It would tarnish their reputations. Since they used their power wrongly, they would also take extreme measures to cover up their mistakes."

He paused, his gaze fixed on the lists before him, his mind racing. "This is a carefully constructed web of deceit," he said, his voice low. "They’ve erased every trace of their wrongdoing."

As if reading Ryan’s thoughts, Davis added, "What if it wasn’t actually a noble?"

Ryan looked up, his eyes sharpening. "What do you mean?" he asked, his interest piqued.

"What if it was part of a ruse," Davis continued, "to cover up their mistake in involving themselves in what shouldn’t be of concern to them?"

Ryan’s brow furrowed, his confusion growing. "I’m not following," he said. "Explain."

Davis pointed to a fine script at the bottom of the book he had brought. "Nobody can wrongfully accuse a noble without a proper trial with the king," he explained. "Because it says here," he emphasized, tapping the book, "they disbanded after the accusations of the noble, which can’t happen without the king’s knowledge."

He paused, allowing Ryan to process the information. "So, if there’s no record of a royal trial, and they disbanded after a noble’s accusation, then there was no noble. It had to be someone else. Someone they could silence without the king’s direct knowledge. Someone with no background."

Ryan, still trying to piece together the fragmented information, shook his head slightly. "You are confusing me more, Davis," he admitted, his voice laced with frustration.

Davis, sensing Ryan’s confusion, tried to explain in simpler terms. "Your Grace," he began, his voice patient, "the parliament was trying to cover up their mistake. They didn’t wrongfully accuse a noble; it was a commoner they accused. They covered all their tracks and disbanded to avoid being caught."

Ryan’s eyes widened slightly, a flicker of understanding crossing his face. "A commoner," he murmured. "They wronged a commoner, and then silenced them."

He leaned forward, his expression grim. "That changes everything," he said, everything starting to make sense,starting to look more clearer. "So," he continued, his voice slow and deliberate, "the murderer must have caught on that the offenders were going scot-free and decided to take matters into their own hands." He looked at Davis, his eyes sharp and focused. "Thorne must have dug deeper to even get his hands on this clue, even if it wasn’t all accurate."

Davis nodded, his expression grim. "Exactly, Your Grace," he confirmed. "Thorne has always been thorough, even if he has to work with scraps of information. He knew that the key to this case was hidden within the parliament’s actions, that’s why he urged us to find more about it."

Ryan leaned back in his chair, his mind racing. "They thought they could silence a commoner without consequence," he murmured, his voice laced with anger. "They underestimated the consequences of their actions. They didn’t consider the fact that they were making an enemy, and that enemy would want revenge."

"So, we’re not looking for a noble," Davis reiterated. "We’re looking for a commoner, or someone connected to a commoner, who was wronged by the parliament."

"And we’re looking for someone who is patient, calculated, and ruthless," Ryan added, his voice cold. "Someone who was willing to wait years for their revenge."

He stood up, his expression resolute. He patted Davis on the shoulder, a gesture of appreciation. "Good work, Davis. Thank you," he said, his voice sincere.

Davis looked at Ryan, a smile spreading across his face. "You’re welcome, Your Grace," he replied, his voice filled with quiet satisfaction.

"Find out what happened to that commoner," Ryan instructed, his voice firm. "Leave no stone unturned."

Davis nodded. "Certainly, Your Grace," he replied. He paused, then asked, "Should I tell Mrs. Madelyn to prepare lunch for you?"

"Yes," Ryan replied, a hint of weariness in his voice. "I’m famished."

Davis left the study, leaving Ryan alone with his thoughts. He walked to the window, his gaze fixed on the empty lush garden below. His mind raced, trying to make sense of the fragmented pieces of the puzzle.

"What relation or connection does Evan have with the parliament?" he murmured to himself, his voice laced with confusion. "They weren’t involved in his mother’s trial. It was the King himself who gave her that punishment, after the rumors were proven true, and he knows it. So why is he killing off the parliament and people associated with them? Or does he know the commoner who was wrongly accused?"

He turned away from the window, pacing the room, his brow furrowed in thought. "And what about my father?" he asked himself, his voice heavy with concern. "How is he related to all this? Even Cassandra’s father is somehow involved. What am I to do?"

He stopped pacing, his gaze fixed on a point in the distance. He felt a sense of unease, a feeling that he was missing something crucial, something that would tie all the pieces together.

Unbeknownst to him, someone had been eavesdropping outside the study door, their ears pressed against the wood. They smirked, a cruel, knowing smile playing on their lips, before quickly slipping away.