Chapter 781
Gareth exploded in fury, jumping up and slapping Cecilia across the face. “You treacherous woman! After everything I’ve done for you, you dare betray me?!” he roared. Cecilia fell, blood trickling from her mouth. Tears streamed down her face as she knelt, bracing herself on the ground. Her voice breaking, she whispered, “I’m sorry… I have no excuse. My sins are unforgivable.”
Gareth spat, fiercely kicking her. “You’ve doomed us all! You told me you were an orphan! How dare you lie to me?!” Cecilia sobbed, knowing she couldn’t regain his pity or love.
Carissa sighed, watching from nearby. Fortunately, the king had already decided the fate of Henry’s concubines’ daughters. Otherwise, the Duke of Oakspire’s family would have been ruined. Salvador’s declaration that the women were victims was a fortunate reprieve. Delaying his visit to the Duke of Oakspire and Quinton families had been wise.
Looking at the sobbing Cecilia, Carissa asked, “The two blueprints you took—were they for armor and ballistae?”
The Duke of Oakspire’s seasoned warriors understood the gravity of the question. They also saw Carissa’s lack of self-serving ambition. If she'd wanted to claim glory, she could have declared Cecilia the thief and taken her away. Instead, she was giving Cecilia a chance. If Cecilia denied taking the blueprints, there was still a way out. Armor and ballistae blueprints held far greater implications than ordinary weapons.
All eyes, filled with anticipation, turned to Cecilia. Gareth, his face contorted with fury, warned, “Think carefully before you answer.”
Cecilia looked up, tear-streaked, her face filled with sorrow. Trembling, she said in a pained voice, “No, they weren’t armor or ballistae blueprints. One was a broadsword, the other a spear. Since my mother died, I’ve disobeyed Grand Princess Eleanor. I have children, and I refuse to be their puppet. That’s why I avoided the people my father sent.”
A collective sigh of relief swept the room, but it was quickly replaced by tense anticipation of Carissa’s next move. The Duke of Oakspire’s fierce resistance had vanished; Norman looked terrified. If Carissa doubted Cecilia and pressed further, she could expose more secrets. Even without new revelations, the Duke of Oakspire’s family’s treatment of Carissa and the Capital Guard—barring them, insulting them, even splashing water—was humiliating.
Carissa wouldn't forget such an insult easily. Accusing the Duke of Oakspire’s family would be simple if she sought revenge.
They watched Carissa nervously. She observed Cecilia, whose sobs had subsided, as if accepting her fate. A suffocating silence hung in the air, broken only by Cecilia’s sniffles.
Carissa turned to Norman. “Lord Norman, keep an eye on her. Until this treason case is fully investigated, she’s not allowed to leave the estate.”
Shock rippled through the room. That was it? She wasn't taking Cecilia?
Carissa asked, “Might I have a word with you in private, Lord Norman?”
“Of course,” Norman replied, his voice unusually low. His normally booming voice was drained of power.
Carissa instructed Michael, “I’ll step outside with Lord Norman. Ask Cecilia under what circumstances she handed over those blueprints; was she coerced?”
Gareth felt relief. The tension eased, though his eyes remained red-rimmed. He’d struck Cecilia to distance his family and gain Carissa’s sympathy by showing his supposed resolve. He hoped this would make Carissa less harsh on Cecilia.