Awakening Love Reborn to Be His Duchess (Elowen Hale) novel Chapter 587

Chapter 587 A Dangerous Suggestion

He paused just long enough to let the tension settle, then glanced toward Piers.

“I’m not here to defend the Crown Prince,” he said, calm but deliberate. “If he’s guilty, then he answers for it. No exceptions. But this whole thing lines up a little too perfectly. It feels staged. Like someone set the board in advance and waited for Dominic to step forward and drag all of this into the open.”

His eyes lifted slightly toward the throne.

“Your Majesty sees further than the rest of us. I imagine you’ve already considered that.”

Piers let out a short, sharp laugh.

“That’s a nice way of putting it,” he said, stepping forward. “What you’re really suggesting is that my office botched the case. Or worse, that someone pressured a confession to frame the Crown Prince.”

His tone hardened.

“You might come from the Royal Censorate, where rumors pass for evidence. That’s your business. But in the Ministry of Crown Justice, we deal in records. Every interrogation, every statement, every appearance has been documented. It’s all there, plain and verifiable.”

He held the man’s gaze.

“So say it clearly. Are you accusing my entire office of fabricating a case against the heir to the throne?”

Quentin hesitated for a fraction of a second.

Since when did Piers get this sharp?

But he recovered quickly, smoothing his expression.

“No need to take it personally,” he said. “I never claimed your entire office was involved. The institution itself is sound. No one doubts that. But even a well–run system can be compromised if the wrong person gets involved.”

His voice lowered slightly.

“All it takes is one man acting in bad faith.”

Piers’s expression tightened. “Watch your words.”

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Chapter 587 A Dangerous Suggestion

“Your Majesty.”

Gareth’s voice cut cleanly through the room.

He stepped forward, ignoring the brewing argument entirely, and lowered himself into a formal bow.

Before he could continue, Archer spoke up, a faint edge of mockery in his voice.

“Let me guess. You’re about to take someone’s side again.”

Piers turned, ready to snap back, but Gareth didn’t even acknowledge it.

He addressed the throne.

“This is no longer a routine matter. Dominic’s testimony accuses the Crown Prince of arranging the death of a Nordian prince and placing the blame on the Duke of Duskmoor.”

His voice remained steady, but the weight behind it was unmistakable.

“This concerns the succession. It involves Your Majesty’s own brother. And it threatens our already fragile standing with Nordia. Any one of these would shake the court. Together, they could shake the realm.”

He paused, just briefly, his gaze passing over Archer.

Archer stiffened.

His lips moved, but no sound came.

Damn it. He walked straight into that.

Gareth continued as if nothing had happened.

“One man is your brother. A war–tested commander who once stood beside you, now stripped of title and living in quiet isolation. The other is your son, raised as heir, now standing under suspicion of conspiracy and murder.”

He drew a slow breath.

“No single office can handle this and convince everyone it was fair. Not because they lack skill, but because no one will believe they are untouched by bias.”

He lowered himself again, deeper this time.

“I ask that Your Majesty take direct control of the case.”

Chapter 587 A Dangerous Suggestion

That single remark sent a visible ripple through the hall.

For a heartbeat, the entire court seemed to stall, as if no one quite expected the question to be raised so plainly.

Then the murmurs began.

Low voices spread across the chamber, overlapping in a restless undercurrent. Some nodded in quiet agreement, clearly swayed by the point. Others hesitated, their expressions tightening as they weighed the implication behind it.

But more than anything, eyes began to shift.

Not toward Quentin.

Toward the throne.

Everyone was watching for the same thing.

A reaction.

At the head of the hall, Theodric remained seated, still and composed, his expression offering nothing away. One hand rested against the carved arm of the throne, his fingers tapping in a slow, steady rhythm, the only sign that he was turning the matter over with care.

“Your Majesty.”

Quentin stepped forward again, forcing himself to speak.

“With respect, that would be a mistake. The strength of the realm lies in its laws. No matter how serious the case, it must go through the proper courts.”

He steadied himself and pressed on.

“You may oversee the process. You may question it. But the authority to judge should remain where it belongs. And beyond that, Your Majesty already carries the burden of the realm. The southwestern campaign demands attention. Negotiations with Nordia are delicate and ongoing.”

He shifted, voice tightening.

“If every matter is brought directly before you, then who safeguards your strength?”

Then, more pointedly:

“And if the Ministry is as reliable as Lord Piers claims, why take the case out of their hands now? Or is Lord Gareth suggesting they’re not up to the task after all?”

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Awakening Love: Reborn to Be His Duchess