Rise of the Rejected Luna
Chapter 58: _Someone Placed A Spell On Her

Chapter 58: _Someone Placed A Spell On Her

Soon enough, Elder Gita arrived at the scene, a solemn expression on her face.

"Sorry for bothering you again, Elder," I muttered, smiling at her.

She merely responded with a curt nod, her gaze already scrutinizing Miranda’s dead body.

Meanwhile, as we let the Elder do her thing, I called some guards to give them orders. "Go to the mansion and bring any maid who’s acquainted with Miranda here."

The guards nodded and were about to leave when Negan spoke up. "I don’t think there’s any need for that, Kaene. I think I know a maid who I’ve seen hang around the deceased a lot."

My brows furrowed into a frown as all the Alpha council members turned their gazes to Negan.

Curious, I gestured at him. "Well, don’t keep us in suspense. Who is this maid?"

Negan replied after rubbing his chin, seemingly in thought. "Ah, yes! I think her name is Brittany."

Brittany?

She was also one of the maids I’d assigned to Phoebe when she newly moved into the mansion.

However, after a while, I realized that Miranda seemed closer to Phoebe and removed Brittany from the position, placing her back to her usual maid duties.

Could she have killed Miranda because of jealousy?

Nah, that didn’t make sense. But then again, there was only one way to find out.

"Guards, bring Brittany here," I ordered.

And with that, the guards scurried away, leaving me to address my council.

"This matter can not reach the ears of the masses, do you all understand?" I stated. "The people are already losing their trust in us after the Luna Ball last night. We’ve lost the support of a few allies too."

My tone and expression were solemn as my gaze scanned the faces of the Alpha council members.

They all seemed to silently agree with my reasoning... Except the Delta, who had a frown on his face.

Fixing my gaze on him, I queried. "Is there anything wrong, Delta Asher?"

He hesitated, glancing around as if looking for some kind of support. But eventually, he cleared his throat and began. "With all due respect, Alpha, but don’t you think it would be wrong of us to hide such important information from our pack?"

I remained silent, arching an eyebrow.

What was he driving at?

"If word of this incident spreads out without us informing the citizens, they’ll lose trust in us and our competence." The Delta finalized.

It seemed his words clicked something in the heads of the other Alpha council members as the Gamma and Lycan nodded their heads, glancing at each other solemnly.

However, I cleared my throat, dispelling any unnecessary arguments. "And WHO would dare let this news spread out, Asher? The guards and every staff member of the Alpha mansion are bound under an oath and know the consequences of getting caught for releasing such secret information."

I paused, placing both my arms behind my back as my voice became cold. "... So, tell me Delta Asher. Who else could leak out such information?"

The Delta’s face paled just then as he looked away with gritted teeth.

The other Council members who’d shown even a sliver of support for his words didn’t dare say anything, not even the formidable Lycan.

Better...

.

.

Eventually, Elder Gita seemed to be done with her inspection of the dead body.

At that same moment, the guards arrived with the maid, Brittany, who looked around in confusion.

I could sense the fear in her. I could see it in her eyes too.

She was probably wondering why some of the most influential men in the pack had summoned her to this isolated garden.

When she got to us, she bowed. "Greetings, Alpha and members of the Alpha Council. I came here as soon as–"

She paused when she raised her head, her eyes landing on Miranda’s dead body which still lay behind us on the bench.

Her eyes widened in shock at first, but then that shock soon morphed into terror and disbelief as she tried rushing toward the dead body.

However, I gestured at the guards who stood behind her, signaling them to hold her in place before she did anything stupid.

Meanwhile, Brittany’s face trickled with hot tears as she began sobbing and wailing. "No, no, no! This can’t be... This can’t be! Miranda? Please... Please, my lords, let me see her. Let me see her, please!"

Her screams were blood-curdling and sent shivers throughout my body.

But me, the Council, and Elder Gita stood there silently, not showing even the slightest emotion.

We couldn’t afford emotions right now.

"Silence!" Gamma Thane barked when no one else talked, causing Brittany to jolt in fear.

She shook erratically, placing her hand on her mouth and staring at us like we were monsters.

I didn’t blame her.

Just then, Elder Gita stepped forward, her staff firm on the ground as she placed her wrinkled hand on Brittany’s shoulder.

At that point, I fixed my gaze on the guards and gave them one simple order. "You all can leave. But if news of this incident leaks out of this garden, I’ll make sure you’re all locked up in the dungeons alongside all your family members and loved ones. Is that understood?"

They all nodded, their eyes quivering with fear.

After they left, Elder Gita spoke up to Brittany. "Now, girl, I want you to relax and tell me what you remember of your last interaction with the deceased."

The poor maid still struggled to breathe, her chest rising and falling while her right hand was over her mouth.

Eventually, she spoke with a shaky voice. "W– We last saw earlier today in one of the gardens. She was helping the Luna pluck some grapes and I happened to be there helping out one of the head gardeners. We lingered around to discuss a–"

"What were you discussing?" The Delta queried impatiently.

Out of everyone present, he seemed to be the one who was least interested in the whole investigation.

Anyway, Britany blinked awkwardly, scratching the back of her head before she revealed. "I– I was asking her about some pack gossip we’ve been talking about for a while but she told me she can’t remember ever talking about it. I thought she was joking at first, but..."

She trailed off, shaking her head and biting her lips as tears trickled down her face again.

Elder Gita comforted her by patting her back lightly before turning her gaze to us.

"Her confession aligns with my discovery while scrutinizing the body." She blurted, her grip on her staff tightening a bit. "Someone placed a spell on that girl."