Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Mate
Chapter 161: Reveal...

Chapter 161: Reveal...

Evelina barely heard them.

Jasper’s voice, Seraphina’s questions—they were distant, drowned beneath the pounding of her heartbeat.

Her mind was still reeling. Lord Luther, the composed, ever-loyal advisor, the man standing beside the king, trusted above all others.

And he had been here.

He had taken something from this place.

Evelina sucked in a sharp breath and pushed herself to her feet, brushing dirt off her hands. Without a word, she turned and strode toward the far end of the clearing.

"Lady Evelina?" Jasper called after her, but she didn’t stop.

She reached the wall—the very same section she had seen in her vision—and ran her hands along the cold stone. Her fingers traced the same grooves he had touched.

Then, she pressed down.

A faint click echoed through the chamber.

Jasper and Seraphina fell silent as a hidden compartment slid open, revealing its contents. There, nestled in the dark recess, was a single wine bottle.

A bottle she knew, with a certainty that sent a shiver down her spine, was poisoned.

Jasper exhaled sharply. "Is that what I think it is?"

Evelina nodded, her throat tightening. "The poisoned wine bottle."

She gently picked it up from its hiding spot. The glass felt smooth against her fingers and looked like any other bottle in the royal collection. But it was different.

This was proof. But not enough proof—not yet.

She clenched her jaw. She couldn’t say Luther’s name aloud. Not with Seraphina here. She might be Jasper’s lover, but she doesn’t really know much about her.

Jasper, however, wasn’t a fool.

He knew her well enough to sense when she was holding something back. His silver-blue eyes flickered with understanding.

"Lady Evelina," he murmured in a quieter voice now. "Who put it here?"

Evelina swallowed, gripping the bottle tighter. "We need to talk."

Jasper’s eyes sharpened, and with a subtle nod, he stepped away from Seraphina, following Evelina a few steps to the side.

Evelina lowered her voice. "It was—"

But before she could say anything else, Seraphina’s voice interrupted smoothly, "If you’re planning to have a secret conversation, you should probably step farther away."

Evelina tensed.

Jasper muttered a curse under his breath. "Right. Enhanced hearing."

Seraphina smiled innocently. "What? I can’t help it. You two should whisper better."

Evelina exhaled, forcing herself to stay calm. She couldn’t risk revealing too much. Not yet.

Instead, she turned to Jasper. "We need to find Damian."

Jasper immediately nodded. "Agreed."

Seraphina arched a brow. "So that’s it? We’re leaving already?"

Evelina turned back toward the entrance of the chamber, sliding the wine bottle into the folds of her cloak. "Yes."

"But what about the caves?" Seraphina asked, tilting her head. "I thought we were going to explore them."

Evelina shook her head. "Change of plans. We have somewhere else to be."

Seraphina hummed, watching them carefully.

Evelina knew she wasn’t stupid. She knew Seraphina was catching on to the fact that something had changed.

But right now, getting to Damian took priority over everything else.

With one last glance at the caves, Evelina turned on her heel and strode toward the exit.

Jasper followed immediately.

Seraphina lingered for only a second before sighing and falling into step behind them.

As they moved deeper into the passage, Seraphina cast one final look over her shoulder, her expression unreadable.

The caves would have to wait.

For now.

********

The walk back to the palace was tense. Evelina clutched the poisoned wine bottle beneath the folds of her cloak, its weight heavier than it should have been.

Seraphina walked beside her, her usual playful air slightly subdued, though the occasional sidelong glance at Evelina suggested she wasn’t done prying just yet.

Jasper, on the other hand, was silent. His silver-blue eyes flicked toward Evelina every so often, clearly waiting for the moment they could speak privately.

"Alright, this is where we part ways," Jasper announced as they reached the outskirts of the palace grounds. He turned to Seraphina, lowering his voice. "You should go back to the cabin."

Seraphina crossed her arms, unimpressed. "Excuse me?"

Jasper sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Sera—"

"No, no, let me get this straight," she cut in, tilting her head dramatically. "You two get to storm into the palace with some grand discovery, and I’m supposed to just... what

Evelina almost snorted, but she bit the inside of her cheek.

Jasper exhaled. "Yes, because it’s safer."

Seraphina scoffed. "You really think the palace is that dangerous for me?"

Jasper shot her a warning look. "If someone realises who you really are, you’re dead. So yes, it is. Stop acting like you don’t know this."

Seraphina held his gaze for a moment longer before sighing dramatically. "Fine. But you better come back soon."

"I will," Jasper promised.

With an exaggerated eye roll, Seraphina turned, pulling her cloak tighter around herself. Before disappearing into the trees, she cast Evelina one last unreadable glance before vanishing into the shadows.

Jasper exhaled in relief before turning back to Evelina. "Let’s go."

**************

Damian stood with his back to them, looking out the big arched window of his private chambers.

The midday sun filled the space with a warm golden light, but there was nothing warm about his stance—his shoulders were tight, his fists were clenched, and he felt restless, like a wolf ready to pounce.

Evelina and Jasper had barely finished explaining what they had found before he went silent.

Now, he just stood there, completely still. A mix of betrayal, confusion, and a deeper feeling clouded his silver eyes when he finally turned to look at them.

"You’re sure about this?"

Evelina met his gaze. "I saw him, Damian. I felt it. Lord Luther is behind the poisoning."

Jasper, standing beside her, folded his arms. "And we found this." He nodded toward the table where the poisoned wine bottle sat.

Damian exhaled slowly. He didn’t approach it. Didn’t even move closer.

Luther.

The man his father trusted. The man who had been at his side since he was a child. His tutor and mentor in so many areas.

Damian had grown up watching Luther advise kings, influence politics, and navigate the tangled web of Arcadian power with precision. And now—

Now—

Damian clenched his jaw. "My father will never believe this."

Jasper frowned. "You’re telling me the king would trust Luther over you?"

Damian let out a humorless laugh. "Over a vision no one else saw? Yes." He ran a hand through his dark hair. "You think the council will listen to a claim based on something they can’t see?"

Evelina tightened her grip at her sides. "We don’t need them to believe the vision," she said carefully. "We just need proof."

Damian’s gaze flickered toward her.

She wasn’t wrong. A vision alone wouldn’t convince the court.

They needed more.

Something undeniable.

Damian exhaled, his wolf pacing violently beneath his skin. His entire life, he had been trained to read people, to see the moves before they were made. But Luther—

How had he missed this?

His own father was blind to it.

And if Damian was being honest, he had been too.

Luther had been by his father’s side for years, playing the long game, always careful, always calculated. The perfect advisor. The one no one ever questioned.

Damian clenched his fists.

"Then we get more proof," Jasper said firmly, breaking the silence.

Damian finally turned away from the window, his silver eyes dark with purpose. "How?"

Evelina’s jaw tightened. "We figure out exactly what Luther’s next move is. We watch him, track his steps, find out where he’s keeping more of this poison." She nodded toward the bottle on the table. "Because if he did this once, he’s prepared to do it again."

Jasper nodded in agreement. "And when we find something tangible, we bring it to the king. The council won’t be able to ignore it."

Damian exhaled sharply, his mind already turning.

Luther had poisoned the horses.

That meant he had access to the poison.

Which meant—

Damian’s silver eyes darkened. "The palace stores. The food. The wine reserves. If Luther planned this, then there’s more of it somewhere."

Evelina straightened. "Then that’s where we start."

Jasper smirked, rolling his shoulders. "I hate how much sense this makes."

Damian ignored him, his gaze locking onto Evelina’s.

"This is dangerous," he said quietly.

Evelina lifted her chin. "I know."

Damian searched her face for a long moment before nodding. There was a brief moment of silence. Then, with a slow, deliberate breath, Evelina spoke. "That leaves us with only one problem left."

Damian arched a brow. "What?"

Eve’s voice was steady, but there was a sharpness to it. "The council."

Jasper’s smirk faded instantly.

Damian’s stomach tightened.

Eve folded her arms as she continued. "The council already demanded answers." Her tone darkened. "They won’t sit around waiting forever."

Damian exhaled. "How long do we have?"

Evelina’s gaze met his. "Less than five days."