Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 64: Guide to Ruining Someone’s Day

Chapter 64: Guide to Ruining Someone’s Day

"Treason?" Riona raised her voice. "Can you elaborate more on this treason you’re talking about, Count Horace? What proof do you have to accuse me of such a grave crime?"

She would have jumped at the count’s throat if King Valentin were not present. Clenching her fists, Riona told herself to calm down. She didn’t want to anger the king further.

Count Horace smirked and stepped closer to King Valentin, feeling as if he had already won. He was taunting Riona, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to do anything to him no matter how annoying he was behaving.

"My dear, you may not know this because you’ve been living your life irresponsibly, but one must always be careful of the words one speaks," he said.

This sudden turn of events surprised everyone on Riona’s side. Thorin was at a loss for words, and Sir Kai was also holding back his anger. These men were not in a position to help Riona. One was a werewolf, and the other was a mere soldier.

Count Horace continued, "What proof would one need when Lord Seymour, Baron Darius, Landgrave Magnus, and I were direct witnesses of your treachery?"

As if on cue, the mentioned nobles took their places beside Count Horace, lining up in a neat row. They all wore defiant expressions on their faces.

"You told us that His Majesty the King had something to do with your mother’s death." Landgrave Magnus’s voice thundered. "If that isn’t treachery, what should we call it?"

"That...!" Riona wanted to refute, but she knew she couldn’t. It was true that she had implied as much during her private meetings with these nobles.

She was enraged at herself for being so easily tricked. When had they turned their backs on her? Had they been planning this from the beginning?

Landgrave Magnus’s immediate involvement just because Count Charles supported her was strange. Why hadn’t she noticed it?

"I couldn’t believe that His Majesty’s own niece would scheme something so devious against him," the Landgrave added, feigning dramatic anguish.

"Pardon me, My Lord, if that really happened, why didn’t you say anything to her at that time? As citizens of the Kingdom of Eira, wouldn’t it have been appropriate for you to reprimand her for her reckless words?" Sir Kai interrupted.

His gaze was sharp, and he fearlessly glared at the nobles, waiting for their response.

Landgrave Magnus was taken aback by Sir Kai’s audacity to question a noble. With Margrave Edward on their side, Landgrave Magnus must have thought that all knights of the Nightwarden would bow to him.

"Uh, ahem..." He cleared his throat, trying to buy time to find an excuse. What could he say that would save his skin?

If he told everyone that he had intended to trap Riona from the beginning, it would only make him look bad. If he used Riona’s tendency to lash out as an excuse, he would seem weak.

Seeing Landgrave Magnus cornered like a scared mouse, Lady Maris took charge. With the same composed smile, she commented, "Riona’s reputation preceded her, and it is only natural that these gentlemen were wary of being involved in an open dispute with such a character."

Such a character, she said...?

Riona glared at Lady Maris. However, when she realized that King Valentin gave her a look of displeasure, Riona shifted her gaze right away.

Geez, his lover is the one who insulted me first, and yet, I am the one to receive his frown.

"I would have had agreed with Lady Maris’s sympathy if Landgrave Magnus were a lowly noble with no power. However, the reality is quite the contrary," Sir Kai argued.

He turned to the other nobles and looked them in the eye. The nobles flinched at his bold stares.

Sir Kai proceeded, "And it wasn’t only you, Landgrave. Lord Seymour, Baron Darius, and Count Horace had also witnessed the same disloyalty. Yet, none of you stopped Riona right away."

He held a strong point. These nobles couldn’t escape his clutch. Bystanders began to speculate among themselves. Some of them began to openly criticize Landgrave Magnus and the other collaborators.

However, most of the audience still sided with the nobles. The reason was simple: they were also nobles and were somehow connected to Landgrave Magnus, Lord Seymour, Baron Darius, and Count Horace.

If these nobles were implicated in a scandal this huge, the audience would inevitably suffer. They did their best to free these four nobles from any rumors to save their own interests.

"To think that all four of you noblemen chose to conspire against Riona behind her back and spread rumors about it, instead of taking the right lawful measure by bringing the issue to court, I begin to suspect a personal interest is involved in this," he said.

"Sir Kai." Another powerful figure appeared. This time, it was someone who could pull the rein around Sir Kai’s neck. It was Margrave Edward.

This guy really knows how to ruin someone’s day.

"Let me talk to you for a second." Margrave Edward had his hands behind his back, and he had a smile on his face, but everyone knew that he was not amused by Sir Kai’s attitude.

With Sir Kai gone, Riona lost one important member of her group. Sir Kai had been leading the aggression against Lady Maris and the people behind her. Who would take charge now that he was gone?

"Your Majesty," Riona started, feeling that she was the only one who had the right to speak about this now. "It is nothing more than a misunderstanding."

She took a deep breath, trying to hide her trembling by squeezing her hand hard. Riona summoned her courage and spoke. "I merely informed them about my suspicions regarding my mother’s death. I did not even mention your name."

It was the truth. While she did lead them on, she never openly mentioned King Valentin’s name. She only threw out hints and let the nobles decide.

"The fact that these nobles took it as treason must root from their own assumptions. I told them that there would be someone who benefited from my mother’s death, and they seemed to think that it was you," she said, still bowing her head as low as possible.

"How dare you!" Lady Maris growled.

Oh, no! If Lady Maris responded to her angrily, King Valentin would definitely be furious.

Riona bit her lower lip, suppressing the urge to cry. It was difficult to face her uncle without feeling like she was buldozed by his deadly glare.

King Valentin took some steps forward and soon, his feet entered her field of vision. She held her breath. The king bent a little and whispered, "Cut it out."

Riona froze, and within seconds, she collapsed. Thorin rushed to her side, holding her by her arms. Meanwhile, King Valentin turned around with Lady Maris holding his arm affectionately.

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