Chapter 172

Chapter 172 – Solid Evidence

Translator: Atlas / Editor: Regan

Listening to Celestine’s complaints, Annette laughed a little awkwardly.

“I’m sorry that you argued with your father because of me,” she apologized.

“He thinks his daughter is a fool,” Celestine replied, her face angry. “That’s why he doesn’t listen to me.”

She raked her fingers through her hair, a gesture that was ironically just like her father’s, when he was agitated.

“Annette, who don’t we show him some proof?” Celestine added. “Like that coachman, he’s still downstairs now. Why don’t we let my father speak to him? Then he might believe us.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, honestly,” Annette replied. “We have to be careful. I don’t doubt Marquis Keers, but…what if His Majesty were to find out?”

Annette lowered her golden lashes.

Actually, she had another motive. The coachman in question was Raphael’s uncle, and if he happened to mention Bella in front of the marquis, it would be a catastrophe. Even more so because Marquis Keers had allied himself with the King.

Fortunately, Celestine was a realistic person, and immediately understood.

“I understand your reservations,” she said reluctantly. “I’m afraid he might only make things worse, even though he’s trying to protect me. It’s so frustrating that I can’t talk to him.”

“I know what you mean,” Annette said. “Believe me.”

It was exactly the same for Annette. She couldn’t guess what her father might do, and the thought of him biding his time, a poisonous white serpent, made her shudder. But fortunately Allamand was not going to be easily defeated by Marquis Keers.

It would take some time to resolve the situation. Until then, it was best to keep their parents’ attention on each other. All Annette had to do was find evidence of what the Kind had done.

Gently, she patted Celestine on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry too much. If we do our job well, we can find more evidence, and your father will have to believe us. He’ll know the truth eventually.”

“I hope it’s sooner rather than later. I’d like to drag that coachman into court and accuse His Majesty right there, with everyone watching! But I suppose that wouldn’t solve anything.”

“Unfortunately not,” Annette said, shrugging. “Only in chess can a pawn capture a King.”

The word of a poor coachman was nothing to a King’s. All Selgratis had to do was get indignant, and demand to know how this poor peasant dared to accuse the King. Nothing would ever be done.

They needed better evidence.

“But I do have good news in another matter,” Annette said, leaving this unhappy subject aside.

“Oh?” Celestine asked, intrigued. “What about?”

“My husband is at the palace today, visiting His Majesty. Could you guess why?”

“I can’t imagine,” Celestine said, looking curiously at Annette’s enigmatic smile. She didn’t like Raphael very much; a handsome man, but so arrogant. But at least Annette thought him a good husband, and Celestine had seen him caring for her the other day, even taking her temperature with his own hand, so worried about whether she had taken a chill.

And Annette had told her that Raphael had chosen his wife over his father. Even Celestine had to grudgingly admit some merit, though that only made it more impossible to imagine why he would visit the palace.

“You’re the first person I’ve told,” Annette said, looking into her green eyes. “Raphael…he just became a Master of Swords.”

“What?” Celestine was shocked. “No, not a Sword Master, here?”

It was incredible. There was only one or two Sword Masters in a generation, and most often they were in the larger countries, the Empire, certainly not in a small kingdom like Deltium.

It was extraordinary.

How unlucky, she couldn’t help thinking. Raphael truly had everything but the one thing aristocrats cared about: lineage. He was a proud man, but even Celestine had sensed his vulnerability, his own self-doubt and inferiority.

What would he be like the next time she saw him, now that he had proved himself as a Master of Swords?