Angelus Carduus

Chapter 29: Court Judgement pt.1

Aelius investigated all the servants, finding out what they were doing at the time the poisoning had happened and whether it lined up with the other stories and reports. However all the servants had perfectly lined up evidence, showing that what they all had said were indeed true.

Aelius slowly grew worried that this would not be solved soon until he heard one of the servants mutter something which caught his attention.

"Have any of you seen Hilda?"

Their question got the other servants' attention.

"Now that you mentioned it... I saw her this morning to do the laundry."

"Same here."

"I saw her in the afternoon in the kitchen, she seemed to be looking for something but when I came up to her and asked she just smiled and shook her head before leaving. That was the last time I saw her."

"I saw her this afternoon too! She was holding a small plate with something that looked like a dessert. She said it was from the duke."

Aelius raised an eyebrow, clearly noticing something was off, "I did not give anything to her that day. I only had tea."

The servant who spoke about the dessert held a confused look as well, "...Hilda said Your Grace wanted to give that dessert to Her Grace.. I think it was a cupcake?"

"Your Grace," Vincent leaned closer to Aelius and whispered, "It has been confirmed that the cupcake on Her Grace's floor had the poison."

"Find that maid." Aelius spoke.

The guards nodded, "Yes Your Grace!"

"We'll help too, Your Grace!" the servants said before heading off to search for the main suspect.

Aelius was going to search for that maid as well before Julia and Felix abruptly barged in and made a beeline to him.

"What has happened to my daughter!?" Julia shouted, her eyes red with tears down her face.

"Who could have done this..." Felix muttered, a deep frown plastered on his face.

Aelius looked at them without saying a word.

"What if she doesn't wake up anymore?" Julia asked, her lips quivering before sobbing into Felix's arms.

Felix hugged her, stroking her head, "I'm sure she will."

"But...but if she doesn't.." Julia choked up on her words before glaring at Aelius.

"I demand justice for my daughter!"

"Yes. I will do everything I can." Aelius firmly said.

Julia blinked before nodding, "...Yes! You must!!"

He bowed at the two of them, nonchalantly replying back, "Please excuse me while I continue this investigation."

He didn't wait for them to reply and left, walking with Vincent as he talked more about the investigation on finding the culprit.

-

"Your Grace, we've found the maid." Vincent reported after hours had passed in searching for that maid.

"Show me where she is." Aelius spoke, a frown plastered between his brows.

Vincent nodded and brought Aelius to where Hilda was. They were behind the duchy when they saw an unconscious lady on the ground. She was wearing the uniform that showed she was a worker in the duchy.

Aelius noticed something beside her. It was a black cat who was licking its paw, calmly. He saw scratch marks on Hilda's face, blood oozing out.

"Tie her and lock her up in a secluded room. We will interrogate her once she wakes up." he ordered before walking up to the black cat.

"You are Valeria's cat, am I correct?" he asked, talking to the cat.

"Your Grace I don't think a cat can understand you..."

He ignored Vincent's words and continued speaking to the black cat, "Thank you for helping."

The cat looked at him before turning away, his face lifted up high. Aelius didn't care and lightly rubbed the cat on the head.

His hand was slapped away by the cat. It glared at him before running off into the bushes.

He wanted to chase for it but decided not to since it would still be in their territory so it wouldn't get lost.

Hilda woke up with her hands tied behind her back. Instantly, she knew she had been caught and was now back inside the duchy.

Fear filled her body as she darted her eyes around the room she was placed in.

She needed to escape.

"You're awake." a cold voice spoke causing shivers down her spine.

Her pupils trembled in fear, knowing whose voice it was. Slowly she turned to Aelius and immediately went on her knees and bowed deeply, her head hitting against the ground.

"Please- please forgive me, Your Grace!!" she cried out, her whole body shaking in terror.

"Who ordered you."

"I..It was-"

"I said who ordered you."

She let out a small yelp before properly answering him, "It was the Earl!! He ordered me! He said if I do as he says he will pay me triple the amount of my pay! Please forgive this insolent servant Your Grace! I..I am the only breadwinner in my family! I have three siblings with no mother or father, please spare me!!"

If it was another situation and he heard her words, perhaps he would have given her a lenient punishment but it was different. She had poisoned the duchess. His wife.

Aelius tightens his fists before speaking, "I will take away that bag of money and you will be sentenced to death for poisoning the duchess."

"No...no no no please! Please, Your Grace! Spare me!" she cried out, tears running down her cheeks, unable to accept her fate but when she gazed up at Aelius, her words got caught in her throat.

"Take her away." he ordered.

"Please save me!" she cried out as she struggled to get out of the guards' hold.

"I will give that bag of money to your siblings." Aelius said his final words to her before walking away, ignoring her cries and begs.

"Vincent,"

"Yes, Your Grace?"

"Call more guards and capture both the Earl and Countess. Keep them locked in a room with no chances of escaping."

"What are you going to do after that, Your Grace?" Vincent questioned.

Aelius glanced at him before looking straight ahead, his eyes dark and filled with anger, "I will send a request to the Emperor for a court judgement."

Vincent bowed his head, knowing his master won't let this go until he brought justice for the duchess, "I will proceed with your orders immediately."

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Author's note: hi! so this shameless author right here (it's me /cries/) just wanted to promote their kofi and webnovel (〜￣▽￣)〜 if you enjoyed reading this book and my other works as well, do send some kofi! this author would really appreciate it 🥺❤

and as for webnovel, one of my book is over there as well! (don't worry i still made it free because i didn't want to make you guys pay to read chapters on that book since it's also on wattpad) the book is one of latest work i have finished before writing this book~ 'The Author Who Became A Villainess'! 

that's all from this author, thank you for all your support !! I'll do my very best to improve my writing (❤'艸｀❤)