Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Mate
Chapter 76: You. Will. Stay. Put!...

Chapter 76: You. Will. Stay. Put!...

The heavy doors of the council chamber swung open with a resounding thud, startling everyone present. A guard staggered in, his face ashen and his breathing laboured, as though he had sprinted the entire length of the palace.

"Your Majesty," he panted urgently, bowing quickly, though his shaky demeanour betrayed his nerves.

King Lucian frowned as he straightened in his seat. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded. "You dare interrupt the council without proper decorum? Without even knocking?"

The guard stiffened, realising his error.

He quickly knelt, bowing his head low. "Forgive me, Your Majesty," he stammered. "It’s an emergency. The healer sent me to inform you at once."

"An emergency," Lucian repeated with irritation. "And is it truly so dire that you storm into my chambers like an ill-trained pup? Or is this healer too cowardly to report it himself?"

The guard swallowed hard and shook his head. "No, Your Majesty. The healer remained behind to tend to the situation, but he instructed me to bring you this news immediately."

"Yes?"

"A large number of people have been rushed to the kingdom’s infirmary. It seems..." He paused, as though his next choice of words might kill him. "It seems like there’s an outbreak of something. The healer says it’s spreading quickly."

A wave of murmurs rippled through the council room, the tension thickening as each member digested the guard’s words.

King Lucian’s expression darkened further. "An outbreak? And the healer couldn’t be more specific?"

"The symptoms..." The guard’s voice faltered before he continued, "They’re severe. Fever, convulsions, and extreme weakness. The healer believes it could be a toxin or some form of poisoning."

"Poisoning?" Damian growled, his silver eyes narrowing as he stepped forward. "How many have been affected?"

"At least two dozen so far, Your Highness," the guard replied quickly. "But more are coming in by the hour. The healer fears it could spread beyond the infirmary."

Evelina exchanged a nervous glance with Damian. She understood the implications of a widespread outbreak. If it wasn’t contained, the consequences could devastate the kingdom.

She had experienced outbreaks of the flu, Ebola, and even COVID during her time, so she knew matters like this shouldn’t be taken with levity.

Her pulse quickened, and she stepped forward before she could think twice. "Your Majesty, we should go to the infirmary immediately. If this is poisoning, I might be able to help."

Her words were met with a derisive scoff from the sharp-eyed elder seated to the King’s right. His gaze pinned her with open disdain. "Help? And what would a former disgraced noblewoman know about such matters?"

The words stung, but Selene’s sickly, sweet voice chimed in before Evelina could respond. "She’s got experience, after all," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "She did poison the Crown Prince afterall."

Relia fumed in Evelina’s mind, her anger building like a fire. "Let me out; let me silence her."

Evelina’s body tensed, her lips parting to retort, but before she could speak, a firm hand gripped her wrist.

She turned to see Damian, giving a slow shake of his head; silently telling her not to engage.

"Enough!" King Lucian growled.

The room fell silent, his Alpha aura spreading over the council like a suffocating fog. Even Relia recoiled slightly, her growls silenced by the feel of his power.

Lucian’s icy gaze locked on Evelina. "You’ll stay out of this, Evelina Drewstone. You already have far too much swirling around you as it is. You’re not to interfere."

Evelina’s fists clenched at her sides, but she refused to look away. "Your Majesty, I understand your concerns," she said calmly but firmly. "But if this is a toxin, I might be able to identify it—or at least narrow down the possibilities. Time is of the essence in situations like this."

Lucian’s expression darkened, his Alpha presence intensifying until it felt like the air had been sucked from the room. "I don’t need to repeat myself," he growled. "You. Will. Stay. Put."

His commanding presence weighed heavily on everyone, pressing against Evelina’s determination. Even Relia went quiet in her thoughts, humbled by his strong presence.

Damian’s jaw tightened as he watched his father’s display, his anger barely contained.

But he said nothing, knowing this was not the time for defiance.

Instead, he turned to Evelina, his expression softening slightly. With a small gesture, he motioned for her to follow him.

Reluctantly, Evelina stepped back, her heart pounding with frustration as she followed Damian out of the council chamber.

The hallway outside was quiet, the tension from the meeting lingering like a storm cloud. Damian slowed his pace, his fists still clenched at his sides.

"You didn’t have to stop me," Evelina said after a moment. "I could’ve handled myself."

Damian stopped walking and turned to face her, his silver eyes burning with emotion. "I stopped you because he wouldn’t have listened," he said in a low voice. "And I won’t let you put yourself at risk—not for them."

Evelina’s lips parted in surprise at the raw protectiveness in his tone, but she said nothing.

Instead, her mind churned with conflicted thoughts as she trailed behind Damian.

Why should she care? It wasn’t like the council trusted her, or that her involvement would be met with anything other than suspicion.

If anything, they’d probably blame her for whatever was happening.

For all she knew, they might tag her as the perpetrator, especially given her precarious standing.

And yet, her mind didn’t rest.

If this was truly poisoning or an outbreak of some kind, she couldn’t afford to be ignorant of its nature. Even if she had no intention of helping the council, she had to understand what was going on—for her own safety and Damian’s.

What if this toxin or disease reached him? What if it was a deliberate attack meant to destabilize the kingdom?

Her steps slowed as she became lost in thought, and it wasn’t until Damian’s voice broke through her haze that she snapped back to reality.

"Aren’t you coming?" he asked, glancing back at her.

She blinked, looking up to see that he had stopped several steps ahead, his silver eyes searching hers. "To where?"

Damian’s lips twitched with a hint of dry amusement. "To see what this is all about."