Her Graceful War Song (Carissa Sinclair)
Chapter 702

Salvador’s expression was a mixture of anger and confusion.

However, Derek knew him well and understood that Salvador was furious with the Royal Management

Department for their incompetence.

No one believed Heather could be behind this. Even if it were her, there was no way she would have bribed Janice with all that jewelry and money just to speak favorably of herself. There was more to this than met the eye.

If Rafael thought there was nothing suspicious, he wouldn’t have sent the maid back to the pa

palace. He must have discovered something but chose not to investigate further, opting to send her back to the Royal Management Department instead. This attitude made it clear he wanted to avoid getting too entangled in the mess.

Yet, the Royal Management Department hadn’t obtained any useful information after the maid was sent

to them.

How could Salvador not be furious?

With a grim expression, Salvador said, “Get the royal physician to keep her alive. Even if she’s hanging on by a thread, continue interrogating her.”

If this matter wasn’t cleared up, Salvador felt like an unseen hand was manipulating events from the shadows–almost like someone had laid out a trap.

He didn’t like that feeling one bit.

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Derek responded and withdrew.

After another hour of interrogation, Derek returned for another report.

“Your Majesty, she named one person. She claimed it was Grand Princess Eleanor who instructed her to do this. As for why she pointed the finger at Lady Heather, she feared retaliation against her family from Grand Princess Eleanor and was too afraid to speak out.”

“Is she dead?” Salvador asked.

“The royal physician said she wouldn’t last much longer. By the time I left, she was barely breathing. She’s probably gone now.”

“I see. Keep this matter quiet for now. Tell everyone from the Royal Management Department to keep their mouths shut. I will summon Rafael back to the palace tomorrow. It’s been a while since I’ve had a proper conversation with him. As for Daniel, have someone look into his whereabouts and see if there’s any news.”

After Derek carried out the orders, he returned to the inner chambers where Salvador was

Once he refilled the king’s cup, he was about to step back quietly when Salvador asked, “Do you believe Janice’s accusation against Aunt Eleanor, Derek?”

“I’m only an old servant, Your Majesty. I wouldn’t dare to make wild assumptions, but… Janice was indeed tortured, and in the end, she didn’t appear to be lying. Do you believe her, Your Majesty? Derek replied cautiously

“I do.” Salvador tapped his fingers on the desk, lost in thought. “Do you remember the uproar about the miniature chastity belt sculpture? My aunt is a spiteful woman. The Duke of Northwatch refused to marry her all those years ago, and she still holds a grudge over that. I suspect it was only after Aunt Helen left the palace to live in Hell Monarch Estate that she bribed Janice. Did Janice mention what messages she delivered to Aunt Eleanor?”

Derek replied, “Yes, Your Majesty. Each time she sent a message, she received a reward. For instance, she sent news about visitors to Hell Monarch Estate, whom Lady Carissa met, and what important matters were discussed with the ladies of noble families. Also, the most significant reward she received was for providing information regarding the Earl of Gracehold’s family. Grand Princess Eleanor had Janice keep an eye on Lady Carissa to see if she would cause trouble at Gracehold Estate. Janice even relayed what the two female bodyguards from Meadow Ridge said when they visited Hell Monarch Estate.

“The Earl of Gracehold’s family!” Salvador’s gaze grew cold. “I heard Samuel took a liking to a courtesan, who happens to be one of Henry’s concubine’s daughters.”

“That remains unverified,” Derek replied.

“Is that so? But Aunt Eleanor hasn’t stepped forward to clarify either,” Salvador said with a meaningful smile. “Aunt Eleanor has always cared deeply about her reputation. It’s quite unusual for her not to clear her name when it’s been sullied like this.”

Derek assessed the situation and carefully responded, “Yes, it is rather unusual… Perhaps Grand Princess Eleanor believes the rumors are baseless and not worth addressing?”

“The rumors are indeed ridiculous. In fact, they’re absurd, especially since I’ve never seen any other cousins except Jessica from Aunt Eleanor’s household. But if the rumors are true, what do you think would compel my aunt to act this way? Samuel is certainly not a capable man, but everything concerning the Earl of Gracehold’s family has come to light because of that courtesan. What exactly does my aunt intend to achieve? Does she have a grudge against the Earl of Gracehold’s family?”

Salvador chuckled, though his eyes grew much colder.

“Of course, I’m speaking hypothetically, assuming the rumors are true.”

Derek dared not say more and murmured, “I’m too dull to understand, Your Majesty.”

Salvador shot him a glance, and said coolly, “I’ve recently heard the common folk clamoring to build a shrine for the Hell Monarch. Even wise scholars across the kingdom are writing articles praising his achievement in reclaiming the Southern Frontier, Have you heard anything about this?”

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