386.Chapter 386
“Nonsense!” Gabriel yelled, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
He stared at the carriage Eliza was in, his gaze cutting through the small opening in the curtain. “Eliza, do you understand what you’re doing? You’re accusing a high ranking court official of treason–this is a serious crime!
“If you can’t back your accusation with evidence, I’ll show you no leniency, even if you were once my daughter.”
“No need to get so worked up, Lord Mowbay.” As Eliza spoke, she gracefully lifted the curtain and descended from the
comage
Renee, swift and attentive, stepped up to assist Eliza, mimicking the dignified bearing of a noble lady’s handmaid.
Once on solid ground, Eliza looked past the Black Flag soldiers and locked eyes with Gabriel. A faint smile played on her lips. “If I didn’t have proof, do you think I’d dare to bring troops to surround your estate today?” she asked.
Acting on a private order from the Prince Regent was one thing–carrying an imperial edict from the King himself was something else entirely
Eliza took the imperial edict from one of the Black Flag soldiers and gave Gabriel a calm nod. “By order of His Majesty, Lord Mowbay is suspected of harboring foreign enemies. The Duke’s estate is to be searched immediately. Any resistance is to be met with execution on the spot.”
Though Eliza’s voice was calm and composed, her words struck everyone like a thunderclap.
Gabriel and Matthew’s faces darkened at once.
Eliza’s smile did not waver. “Now then, Lord Mowbay- Gabriel glared at Eliza, finding her smile repulsive.
proceed with the search?” she asked.
“Since you hold the King’s edict, then of course. But you still haven’t answered one thing–what evidence do you have?” he asked
Eliza handed the imperial edict back to the Black Flag soldiers for safekeeping
Then she stepped forward, walking through the path that the Black Flag soldiers had opened for her. Eliza ascended the steps and came to a halt beside Gabriel,
“Don’t worry,” she said softly. “You’ll know soon enough.”
Gabriel turned to Eliza with a cold glare. “I don’t know what lies you’ve fed His Majesty, but if today’s search yields nothing. then I’ll make sure you fall from that Holy Lady position hard,” he said.
Eliza merely said, “We’ll see about that… Father.”
As soon as they entered the Duke’s estate, the Black Flag soldiers split into multiple squads and began their search. One unit remained by Eliza’s side, escorting her as she walked through one familiar courtyard after another, until she finally stopped in front of a small courtyard.
“Father…” Matthew stood behind Gabriel, his lips parting as if to speak, but he hesitated
Since Benedict had lifted Matthew’s house arrest, in the days that followed, people had come and gone within the Duke’s estate–Matthew could not possibly be unaware of that.
At first, Matthew thought those people were after Benedict. But in the past couple of days, whenever Matthew visited Sophie’s courtyard, he could faintly sense the presence of strangers–people who clearly did not belong.
And Sophie–she had been acting suspiciously, clearly trying to hide something from him.
Matthew had speculated that perhaps those people were bodyguards left behind by Sophie’s late mother, assigned to protect her in secret.
But it had never once crossed his mind that those people were linked to the foreign tribe.
Matthew was overwhelmed with feelings he could not quite describe.
His instincts told him Eliza had come for Sophie. When he saw Eliza standing outside Sophie’s courtyard with the Black Flag soldiers, that instinct was instantly confirmed
Matthew’s expression hardened, his frustration escalating as he recalled the threat Eliza had given him earlier that day A wave of dread washed over him.
Matthew subconsciously called out to Gabriel,
Successfully unlocked!
protection
However, Gabriel did not answer him
Although it was a search, one of the Black Flag soldiers, after receiving Eliza’s signal, stepped forward on the door
386 Chapter 386
Gabriel narrowed his eyes slightly
If Eliza is so certain that foreign infiltrators are hidden within the Duke’s estate, why would she risk tipping them off? Unless…she doesn’t care if they ran. Or perhaps she has some other strategy up her sleeve? he thought,
Gabriel stood in the back, his gaze fixed on Eliza with unwavering intensity.
The sound of a door opening broke the silence.
It was not a maid who answered the door–it was Sophie herself. Clearly, someone had tipped her off, which was why she came to the door personally.
“Eliza?” Sophie’s face held an expression of feigned surprise as she looked first at Eliza at the front and then at Gabriel and Matthew behind “Father, Matthew, what brings you both here? Why has Eliza arrived with troops?”
Eliza watched Sophie closely, her eyes narrowing. She thought, ‘Sophie’s performance is becoming more and more unconvincing. How have I never noticed this before?”
“By order of the King. I’m here to search the Duke’s estate. Please cooperate, Lady Sophie,” Eliza said.
Upon learning that Eliza wanted to conduct a search, a faint flicker of panic crossed Sophie’s face. It was subtle, but Eliza’s sharp gaze did not miss it.
“Search? Why are you searching the Duke’s estate, Eliza? Our family hasn’t done anything wrong. Could there be some mistake?” Sophie continued to feign innocence.
Sophie was still pretending, but Eliza had no patience for her. “The King’s orders are clear–there’s no mistake. Whether you‘ ve done anything wrong or not will only be determined after the search. Search the place!”
Eliza’s command was sharp and decisive. The Black Flag soldiers flooded the courtyard with precision.
Sophie could not stop them in time–within moments, the courtyard was swarming with people.
Sophie had no choice but to step back. Seeing how forceful these people were, she clenched her teeth slightly, her expression as unpleasant as Matthew’s and the others.
As the Black Flag soldiers moved to force open her door, Sophie quickly yelled, “Wait! Isn’t it improper for a group of men to storm into a young lady’s chamber?”
Even though Sophie had already cleared out everything suspicious, she could not guarantee that there were no traces left behind.
Sophie loathed these soldiers to begin with, and naturally, she had no intention of letting them enter easily.
But at that moment, Eliza smiled lightly and said, “In that case, allow me, the Holy Lady, to conduct the search myself.”
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387 Chapter 387
