Chapter 303
Xander kicked the gates open, leading the Aegis Guards as they instantly flooded into the mansion. As the gates crashed open, the brass knockers clattered to the ground, startling the crows roosting under the eaves into flight.
Immediately, the maids and servants inside screamed in panic, their cries echoing through the halls. When the commotion finally reached Leonard, he was still comfortably napping in his room.
Leonard bellowed angrily, “What’s all that racket outside?”
The butler stumbled in, his face a mask of terror. “Lord Leonard, this is bad. The Aegis Guards…”
Leonard, who was still groggy with sleep, opened his eyes and mumbled, “The Aegis Guards? What about them?” He had barely finished speaking when his eyes flew open in terror. “The Aegis Guards?”
“Yes! It’s Prince Xander. He brought the Aegis Guards in!” the butler stammered, barely able to speak clearly.
Leonard bolted upright, craning his neck to peer outside. Sure enough, the Aegis Guards swarmed the courtyard, ransacking the entire mansion. The terrified servants scattered in panic, only to be herded back at swordpoint by the Aegis Guards. Soon, the entire courtyard was filled with trembling figures forced to their knees.
Leonard’s mind was racing as he kept muttering, “This can’t be! How could Prince Xander have come after my mansion? Didn’t the Queen go to plead with His Majesty! Countless possibilities raced through his mind, yet it never occurred to him that he had already become the Queen’s disposable pawn.
In Leonard’s skewed calculations, he was convinced that if the Queen simply shed a few tears before Arthur, this whole affair would be easily swept under the rug. After all, Fermin was the Queen’s son and the prime candidate for Crown Prince. If Fermin’s reputation was tarnished, he could not possibly be fit to be the Crown Prince. Additionally, Leonard firmly believed that he was such a useful pawn for the Queen that she wouldn’t easily abandon him.
Just as Leonard stood frozen in shock, the front doors burst open. The booming voice of a member of the Aegis Guards came from outside. “Leonard Beckham, Chief of the Federal Bureau, come out at once, confess your crimes, and face justice!” His voice boomed like thunder, cutting through with piercing clarity and intimidating authority. Even Leonard, for all his usual composure, felt cold sweat trickling down his back. He forced himself to remain composed and thought, ‘Don’t panic. The Queen will surely save me.’
Leonard swaggered out of the room, putting on a show of composure. He saw that the eyes of all the Aegis Guards in the courtyard were fixed on Xander. With an ingratiating smile, Leonard bowed slightly to Xander and asked, “Prince Xander, what is the meaning of this? What offense could I have committed to warrant you mobilizing such forces?” Even with ruin staring him in the face, he was still playing dumb.
Xander curled his lips into a cold smirk. “What crime, Lord Leonard? You’ll find out soon enough at the Federal Bureau.”
The leading Aegis Guards captain stepped forward and bellowed, “Leonard, by His Majesty’s decree, we are seizing your mansion. Cooperate readily if you know what’s good for you, or you’ll only make things worse for yourself.”
No sooner had the command been given than the Aegis Guards surged in like a tidal wave, overturning furniture and rifling through every cabinet in search of evidence. A flicker of panic flashed across Leonard’s face, but he quickly composed himself. With a furious motion, he hurled the cup to the ground, shattering it into pieces. “This is ridiculous. How could His Majesty issue such a decree? This is clearly a frame-up! I have served the imperial court faithfully for years, I will not tolerate such slander.”
With that, Leonard rolled up his sleeves dramatically, making a show of preparing to argue with the Aegis Guards. “I’ve always lived an upright and honest life. How dare you slander me?” Leonard blustered with shameless audacity. He was certain Xander had no solid evidence and could not do anything to him.
However, the reality proved him wrong. Xander raised his hand slightly, beckoning with a finger. “Since you demand evidence, Lord Leonard, I shall provide it. Bring forth the witness." Leonard’s expression froze, a creeping unease taking root in his heart.
Moments later, a woman was brought before him. The moment he saw the woman’s face, Leonard’s eyes bulged wide. The woman was none other than Belle Beckham, the very concubine who had endured relentless abuse from his wife.
Leonard’s eyes darted nervously, his heart pounding wildly. But he forced an expression of surprise and exclaimed with feigned concern, “Belle, where have you been all this time? I’ve been worried sick about you!” He stepped forward and reached out to grab Belle’s hand, but she recoiled in terror before pointing at him and shrieking, “Stay away from me! You’re nothing but a beast! The entire Beckham family is rotten to the core! You murdered the entire Rogers family! I saw you murder Haven Rogers with my own eyes. You wanted her to reveal where those pawn tickets were, and when she refused, you killed her.”
Leonard gnashed his teeth in fury and roared, “You bitch! How dare you slander me?”
Then, turning to Xander, Leonard protested, “Your Highness, with your clear judgment, surely you can see this little hussy is my concubine. She’s been holding a grudge ever since I reprimanded her for a mistake a few days ago. Now, she’s lying to slander me. Don’t believe a word she says!”
Belle pleaded desperately, “Prince Xander, I am not lying. Every word I’ve said is true. I’m not lying. I have proof!” As she spoke, she quickly reached into her bodice and pulled out a bloodstained handkerchief before offering it to Xander.
Xander lifted the handkerchief, revealing the bloodstained name “Rogers” embroidered upon it. Xander thrust the handkerchief toward Leonard, his eyes glinting with derision. “Care to explain this, Lord Leonard?”
Despite the biting cold, cold sweat beaded on Leonard’s forehead. He gaped at the handkerchief and was speechless, despite his effort to move his mouth.
After a long struggle to compose himself, he could only choke out, “It’s fabricated. This is fabricated!”
Athena suddenly spoke up, her sharp gaze fixed on Leonard. “Lord Leonard, why don’t you take a closer look? Isn’t there something missing at the top of the character?”
He craned his neck for a look. Sure enough, it was just as she said. Yet he remained defiantly unrepentant, refusing to concede. “So what if that’s true?”
Athena chuckled softly: “What you may not know, Lord Leonard, is that this handkerchief was a gift from Madri Rogers to her mother, Haven, when she was just ten. I was there when she made this.”
At these words, Leonard stared at Athena in utter shock, his pupils quivering.
Sniffing, Belle added urgently. “The secret chamber from back then is still intact, Prince Xander. You should send someone to inspect it. There must be traces of evidence inside!”
Convinced that he was untouchable with the Queen as his backer, Leonard was so arrogant that he didn’t even bother to erase the evidence left in the secret chamber. He never imagined that even his powerful backer, the Queen, would one day abandon him.
Sweat poured down Leonard’s face as he jabbed a finger at Belle’s nose, his eyes filled with murderous intent. He roared, “You traitorous bitch, I should have killed you long ago.”
Blinded by rage, he lost all reason and actually tried to strike Belle in front of Xander. Belle shrieked in terror and darted behind Athena for protection.
Ansel Grimes kicked Leonard hard in the back of the knee, sending him buckling. He barked, “How dare you act so presumptuous before Prince Xander! Do you have a death wish?”
Leonard collapsed to his knees with a thud. Xander tilted his head slightly and commanded, “Search the premises!”
“At once!” the Aegis Guards acknowledged. Guided by Belle, they swiftly located the secret chamber and stormed inside. At this sight, Leonard shut his eyes in despair. He knew that he was finished.
Moments later, the Aegis Guards returned to report. “Prince Xander, we found bloodstains in the secret chamber.”
The Aegis Guards laid out the bloodstained torture instruments before Xander. Two iron chains and a collection of torture instruments were mottled with gruesome bloodstains. The mere sight of them was enough to chill anyone to the bone.