Chapter 308
The chill of early spring, heavy with dampness, seeped through the brick crevices, thinning the musty odor and the metallic tang of blood in the cell.
Cowering in the corner, Leonard stared wide-eyed in terror. Every hair on his back stood on end. Leonard thought, as a cold sweat ran down his spine, "It'd gotten to the food before the rat; that corpse on the ground would be me. Whoever is trying to silence me must be afraid I’ll expose them. To be an utter fool, here I am, holding my tongue in this cell for the greater good. But the Queen, Prince Fermin, even the duke’s estate – not a single one of them has shown their face. Even if the Queen can’t come, what about Nicolas? As Vice Minister of Justice, if he wanted to see me, he could have found a way. But not only are they avoiding me, they’re actually trying to have me killed. This is too much."
“If they can be so ruthless, I’ll return the favor!” Having made up his mind, Leonard dragged himself laboriously to the cell door and shouted hoarsely. “Guards, I demand to see Prince Xander! I must see him now.”
His desperate cries echoed through the empty prison corridors, but no one responded. Hidden in a shadowy corner of the prison, Xander, who had been patiently lying in wait, let a faint, satisfied smile tug at the corner of his lips. He finished the final stroke of the character and softly murmured to himself, “It’s done.”
Ansel let out a surprised chuckle. “Prince Xander, your foresight is truly divine. If you hadn’t made these arrangements in advance, Leonard wouldn’t have cracked so quickly!” At Ansel’s feet writhed a man, trussed up and gagged with a rag. He was the prison guard who had just delivered Leonard’s meal.
Xander cast an icy gaze at Leonard, then turned to Ansel and commanded, “Bring him here.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Ansel replied promptly, turning to fetch Leonard.
Before long, several guards dragged Leonard forward. With great effort, he dropped to his knees, all traces of his former arrogance gone. Xander fixed Leonard with an icy stare. An invisible, suffocating pressure instantly swept through Leonard, chilling him to the bone. Leonard knew there was no way out for him now. Hatred flickered in his eyes as he said, “Yes, I was involved in General Perkins' case, but I wanted alone. Tell me, Prince Xander, do you know who it was that turned him in?” Of course, Xander was unaware of this: At the time, he was still stationed at the frontier garrison. Leonard was being deliberately vague, clearly trying to negotiate terms.
But this was the Federal Bureau. If he wanted to bargain, he’d have to prove his value. "Continue," Xander said calmly, showing no trace of impatience.
Leonard gritted his teeth and pleaded, “Your Highness, I know my crimes are so grave they deserve death, and I dare not beg for my own life. But my daughter is truly innocent. All I ask is that you spare her life. If Your Highness grants this, I will confess everything.”
Xander fixed him with a steely gaze. “I represent the law. There is no room for mercy. General Perkins’ family and the Rogers family were innocent, yet many of them died. Even Viscountess Athena nearly lost her life because of this case. You have committed monstrous crimes, yet you expect me to spare your daughter? How laughable.”
Ansel kicked the bound killer forward, then rounded on Leonard and scoffed, “So your daughter’s life matters, but no one else’s does? Prince Xander hasn’t even had her arrested. That’s already cutting you a huge break. And you actually expect him to help raise your daughter? What a pipe dream! Even if you don’t confess, we’ve got the evidence. Take a look at this."
He flung the killer’s badge from their waist onto the ground in front of Leonard. The character “Monson” was clearly carved on the badge. A deafening roar filled Leonard’s head, leaving him utterly blank. The Queen had turned a blind eye to him, while the Monson family, cornered and desperate, was now trying to silence him for good.
“Lord Nicolas is truly amazing,” Leonard let out a crazed laugh, mocking his own stupidity. He thought, ‘Making a deal with the devil never ends well. I have no one to blame but myself for ending up like this.’
Since things had come to this, Leonard threw caution to the wind and spat out, “The one who exposed General Perkins back then was none other than Eloise Monson!”
As soon as the words fell, Ansel’s eyes widened in disbelief. He snapped, “That’s utter nonsense. Eloise is General Perkins’ daughter. How could she possibly do that to her father?”
“Your Highness, I wouldn’t dare lie. It was indeed Eloise who exposed General Perkins and provided the evidence of embezzlement. As for why she did it, that remains a mystery to me," Leonard said. Even Leonard found this hard to fathom. When Eloise got married, Kurtis had practically emptied his fortune to provide her with lavish wedding gifts. Leonard didn’t understand why Eloise would ever turn against her father.
Xander’s brow furrowed slightly. “Go on,” he commanded.
“Beyond that, I don’t know much else," Leonard said, shaking his head, "I admit I killed the three members of the Rogers family. But if Your Highness wants any more clues from me, you’ll have to let me see my daughter first. Otherwise, I won’t say another word – even if it kills me.”
Leonard wasn’t stupid. He thought, ‘If I drag the Queen down with me, what will become of my daughter? Could she even survive without her father?’ This was precisely why he needed Xander to protect Janice. He thought, ‘As long as I can see my daughter one last time before I die, I can finally rest in peace.’
The situation reached an impasse. Ansel looked at Xander, awaiting his command. After a long pause, Xander finally spoke in an even tone, “Very well. I will grant your request to see your daughter.” The truth was within his grasp, so he could afford to make this concession. He commanded Ansel, “Go and bring Miss Beckham here.”
Ansel gave a curt nod before turning to leave the prison cell. It wasn’t hard to track down Janice. Ansel dispatched his men, and... But when he learned what had befallen her, his expression darkened immediately.
“Where is she now?” Ansel demanded.
“The Osborne estate, my lord,” the shadow guard replied respectfully, having had the results.
Ansel took a deep breath and cursed under his breath. After a moment’s thought, he headed straight to the Osborne family. But when he explained his purpose, he was shocked to learn that Janice had already been taken away by Fermin. A terrible premonition struck him. Without wasting another second, he turned and rushed back.
Xander had been waiting at the Federal Bureau for news. Before Ansel returned, a servant hurried in to report respectfully, “Your Highness, Prince Fermin requests an audience.”
Xander thought, ‘At this critical juncture, what does Prince Fermin want?’
Xander refused, “The Federal Bureau is for official investigations. Prince Fermin has no business here. Send him back.”
The attendant looked uneasy. “Prince Fermin claims he’s here on the King’s orders. His Majesty wants him to learn the ropes of handling…”
Upon hearing the news, Xander thought, ‘This is absurd! Arthur has already given me full authority over this case, yet now Prince Fermin is meddling. What is he after?’ But with Fermin invoking the Emperor’s authority, Xander had no choice but to let him in.
Before long, Fermin entered the room. With a deferential smile on his face, he bowed slightly to Xander and said, “Greetings, Uncle Xander.”
Xander remained impassive and simply said, “Have a seat.”
After expressing his thanks, Fermin cast a subtle glance around the room and inquired, “May I ask about the progress of General Perkins’ case? His Majesty has been deeply concerned about this matter, which is why he sent me to inquire. He also wants me to observe the proceedings and learn how such cases are handled.”