Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Mate
Chapter 175: New Evidence...

Chapter 175: New Evidence...

For the next two days, the atmosphere in the palace was filled with tension. Evelina worked hard, going through maps, letters, and witness statements to gather the evidence needed to reveal Luther’s true nature.

However, time was running out, and she felt the pressure of each passing hour weighing heavily on her.

Damian had been by her side through it all, providing a steady, comforting presence. His support gave her strength, but it didn’t ease the knot of anxiety coiling in her stomach.

Luther wasn’t the type to sit idle while his plans unravelled—he would retaliate. It was only a matter of time.

And that time came sooner than she expected.

It was late in the afternoon when the commotion started.

Evelina was in the study, Damian sitting across from her as they reviewed old council records. The soft scratch of quills and the rustle of parchment were the only sounds in the room when Jasper burst in with a grave expression.

"Prince Damian. Lady Evelina." His voice was low but urgent. "You need to come to the council chamber. Now."

Damian was on his feet immediately, his silver eyes narrowing. "What happened?"

Jasper hesitated, his gaze flicking to Evelina. "It’s bad."

The unease that had been simmering in Evelina’s chest flared into full-blown dread. "Jasper—"

"There’s no time," he interrupted. "Just follow me."

Evelina and Damian exchanged a tense glance before hurrying after Jasper. The corridors were unusually quiet, the usual hum of palace activity replaced by an eerie stillness. It only made the tension worse.

When they entered the council chamber, Evelina’s stomach dropped.

The elders were already gathered, looking angry, suspicious, and disappointed. In the middle stood a young servant, shaking as she held a well-known wine bottle in her hands. Evelina’s blood turned to ice.

"Ah, there she is," Luther said smoothly, his voice carrying over the murmurs. He stood near the head of the table, his expression carefully neutral but his eyes glinting with satisfaction. "Lady Evelina. I believe we have a matter to discuss."

Damian stepped forward, his body tense, his voice sharp. "What is the meaning of this?"

King Lucien ignored his son’s question and gestured to the servant. "Speak, girl."

The servant swallowed hard, her voice shaking as she began. "I—I was cleaning Lady Evelina’s chambers this morning, as usual, when I found this... under her bed." She held up the wine bottle, her hands trembling.

The bottle was identical to the one Evelina had found in the clearing—the poisoned wine bottle she had taken as evidence. Her chest tightened painfully.

"I don’t know how it got there," the servant continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I thought it best to report it immediately."

The council was quickly filled with angry whispers, as everyone began to speak at once, expressing their outrage and confusion.

"This is damning evidence!" one elder exclaimed.

"Poison in her chambers—what more proof do we need?" another added.

Evelina’s mouth went dry, her heart pounding in her chest. She turned to Damian, but before she could speak, Luther’s calm, measured voice cut through the noise.

"We must not jump to conclusions," he said, raising a hand to quiet the room. "But it is clear that this discovery cannot be ignored. The safety of the kingdom is at stake."

He picked his words carefully and spoke in a balanced tone—not too harsh and not too soft. But Evelina could see the truth in his eyes. He was making a move against her. He had put that bottle there on purpose to make it look like she was to blame.

"I didn’t do this," Evelina said firmly despite the tremor in her hands. "This is a setup."

"Convenient," one elder sneered. "A setup, you say? And who, pray tell, would have a reason to frame you?"

"Lord Luther," Damian said coldly, stepping in before Evelina could respond. His silver eyes locked onto the older man, daring him to challenge his words. "This is too convenient to be a coincidence."

Luther’s brow furrowed, his expression one of mild offence. "Prince Damian, I understand your desire to protect Lady Evelina, but such accusations are serious. Are you suggesting I would stoop to planting evidence in her chambers?"

"That’s exactly what I’m suggesting," Damian growled, his wolf bristling beneath the surface. "You’ve opposed Evelina at every turn, and now you expect us to believe this wasn’t orchestrated?"

The council murmured again, their expressions a mix of doubt and intrigue. Luther’s lips pressed into a thin line, but his eyes glinted with amusement.

"My actions have always been in service to Arcadia," he said smoothly. "If the council wishes to investigate this matter further, I welcome it. In fact..." His gaze shifted to Evelina, his smile turning razor-sharp. "I would encourage it."

Evelina’s stomach twisted.

He was trying to trap her.

By encouraging an investigation, he could drag out the process, plant more evidence, and manipulate the narrative to suit his agenda.

"Enough," one elder said, slamming his hand on the table. "Lady Evelina, do you have any explanation for how this bottle ended up in your chambers?"

"No," Evelina said firmly. "Because it didn’t. I don’t know how it got there, but it wasn’t me. I found a bottle like this in the tunnels near the clearing days ago. I’ve been gathering evidence against the person responsible."

"And yet, the evidence conveniently ends up in your chambers?" another elder countered. "You’ll forgive us if we find that hard to believe."

Damian growled low, his fists clenching at his sides. "This is absurd. Evelina has been nothing but loyal to Arcadia. If you can’t see that, then you’re blind."

The room fell silent.

Finally, King Lucien sighed heavily. "We cannot make a decision in haste. Lady Evelina, until further notice, you will be confined to the palace grounds. You are not to leave without permission."

"What?" Damian snapped, his voice laced with anger. "You can’t be serious."

"This is a matter of security, Your Highness," King Lucien replied firmly. "We cannot afford to take risks."

Luther’s smile widened, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. "A wise decision."

Evelina’s hands curled into fists at her sides, but she forced herself to remain calm. This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

As the council dispersed, Damian placed a comforting hand on her back, his voice low and steady. "We’ll figure this out."

Evelina nodded, her jaw tight. "We have to."

Luther watched them leave, his expression unreadable.

But inside, he was already planning his next move. Evelina might have been a step ahead before, but now, she was exactly where he wanted her—cornered, doubted, and vulnerable.

But what he didn’t anticipate was how much she was willing to fight back.

As the doors of the council chamber shut behind them, Evelina felt a heavy silence that felt almost like a weight on her. Damian’s hand was firmly on her back, providing quiet support as she struggled with her mixed emotions.

When they were far enough away from prying eyes and ears, Evelina stopped abruptly in the hallway, turning to face him. "Damian," she said, her voice tight with frustration. "Was it wise to call Luther out like that in front of everyone?"

Damian’s silver eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening. "You wanted me to stand there and let them think you planted that bottle?"

"No, of course not," Evelina replied, her tone softening. "But now he knows for certain that we’re onto him. He’s not just going to sit back and let us gather evidence."

Damian’s gaze held hers, the storm in his eyes simmering just beneath the surface. "He already knew you suspected him, Eve. The only difference now is that he knows I’m on your side. And that’s exactly what I wanted."

She blinked, momentarily caught off guard by his certainty. "You think that will stop him?"

Damian’s lips curled into a smirk, though there was no humour in it. "No. But it will make him hesitate. He won’t risk moving too boldly now that he knows he’s under scrutiny from both of us."

Evelina sighed, crossing her arms. "And what if he tries to frame me again? Or worse?"

Damian stepped closer, his hand moving to her shoulder. "Then we’ll be ready. I won’t let him win, Evelina. I won’t let him hurt you."

His strong words gave her a warm feeling that pushed away the cold fear inside her. She nodded slowly and relaxed her hands, which had been tightly clenched.

Damian’s thumb brushed over her shoulder in a comforting gesture. "We’ll figure this out. Together."

Evelina exhaled, her resolve hardening. "Together."

Later that evening, Evelina was in the palace gardens, feeling the cool night air on her skin. She needed some time to think and work through everything that had happened. The stars above shone softly, much dimmer than the strong feelings she had inside her.

Footsteps sounded behind her, and she turned sharply, her guard immediately rising. But when her eyes landed on the figure approaching, she relaxed—if only slightly.

"Prince Kyle," she said in a cautious tone. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"