Awakening Love: Reborn to Be His Duchess Chapter 360: Truth Revealed

Panic surged through Daphne's chest.

"Your Majesty! I would never dare deceive the throne!"

Theodric remained silent, his expression cold.

Growing desperate, Daphne turned toward Flowira, who had remained quiet the entire time.

"Fifth Princess! Say something! Tell them the truth!"

Flowira tilted her head, looking thoroughly confused.

"Your Majesty."

At that moment, Zachary rose calmly from his seat.

He offered a formal Nordian salute toward the throne, neither humble nor arrogant. When he spoke, his Avenlor speech was clear and fluent.

"Your Majesty of Avenlor. My younger sister Flowira has practiced martial training since childhood. She is straightforward by nature and deeply admires true warriors."

He inclined his head slightly toward Cassian.

"The Duke of Duskmoor's reputation is renowned across the land. His military achievements are well known. My sister has heard of them often and does indeed admire Your Grace. That much is true."

Hearing this, Daphne finally released a long breath. Her eyes reddened slightly with relief.

At least Zachary was supporting her.

But Zachary had not finished speaking. He lowered his head a little further.

"Flowira did accept the Crown Princess's invitation to visit the Crown Prince's Wing twice. After returning, she told me about the conversations they had."

He continued evenly, "Both times, the Crown Princess mentioned the Duchess of Duskmoor. However, my sister's grasp of Avenlor speech is rather poor. She only understood fragments of what was said."

Daphne froze.

A sense of dread crept into her chest.

Zachary's voice remained calm.

"Just now, the Crown Princess claimed that Flowira eagerly wished to marry the Duke of Duskmoor as a secondary wife. That is something I have never heard my sister say."

He looked toward Cassian again.

"She admires Your Grace, yes. But only in the way one warrior respects another. There has never been the slightest hint of romantic attachment."

He paused.

"Furthermore, our father has never discussed a marriage alliance between our nations. Nordia sincerely hopes for lasting friendship with Avenlor. But as Your Grace rightly said, a princess of Nordia is of royal blood. She would never be sent abroad as another man's secondary wife. Such a proposal would not be proper diplomacy."

Daphne's hands trembled violently.

"You... you..."

"Still," Zachary added calmly, "it would be best to confirm the matter directly."

He turned toward Flowira and exchanged a few words with her in the Nordian language.

Afterward, he bowed once more toward the throne.

"Your Majesty. Flowira says she never told the Crown Princess that she wished to marry the Duke of Duskmoor."

He continued.

"She also says the Crown Princess seemed dissatisfied with the Duchess of Duskmoor, even openly irritated by her. Several times, the Crown Princess suggested that Flowira replace the duchess."

Flowira had refused, Zachary explained, saying she did not understand such matters.

"The Crown Princess replied that everything could be arranged on her behalf."

"You... you're lying!"

Daphne's eyes turned bloodshot.

Theodric's expression had darkened to a frightening degree. Suppressing his anger, he issued a cold command.

"The Crown Princess is unwell. Escort her away to rest."

Two senior attendants immediately stepped forward to support Daphne.

But suddenly, Daphne wrenched herself free, as if some desperate strength had surged through her.

"Father! Mother!" she cried hoarsely. "I was framed! Elowen set this trap for me today!"

A deep weariness flickered across Theodric's face. He rubbed his throbbing temple.

Cassian let out a low laugh.

"Crown Princess, you truly are remarkable."

His tone remained even, but every word cut like a blade.

"First you insisted that Princess Flowira was deeply in love with me and eager to become my secondary wife. Then you accused my duchess of failing to produce an heir and being unworthy of her position, even suggesting she was jealous and petty."

He stepped forward slightly.

"Now that the truth has come to light and your scheme has collapsed, you claim that my duchess was the one plotting against you?"

His gaze hardened.

"Must all reason in this world bend to the will of the Crown Princess? When you fail to bully someone successfully, you simply accuse the victim instead?"

At that moment, Elira sighed softly. "Now that it's mentioned, I find myself puzzled as well."

She spoke gently.

"The Crown Princess insists she was plotted against by the Duchess of Duskmoor. Yet tonight the duchess has done nothing but respond to accusations placed upon her. Everyone present has seen that clearly."

Her tone remained mild.

"If this were truly the duchess's scheme, how could she possibly predict that the Crown Princess would bring up the matter of taking another wife? Or foresee that the Crown Princess would question her ability to bear children?"

She shook her head slightly. "That would require quite an extraordinary power of foresight."

"I... I..."

Daphne stood there trembling, utterly speechless. Her chest rose and fell violently as her mind spun into chaos.

She knew. She was finished.

Improper conduct before the throne. Slandering a royal aunt. Deceiving the emperor. Damaging foreign relations.

Any one of these crimes alone could destroy her.

Driven by overwhelming terror, she bit down hard on her lip until she tasted blood.

Then suddenly, a thought struck her.

Her head snapped up as she cried hoarsely. "It must have been arranged by the Duchess of Duskmoor and the Nordian envoys! They worked together and deliberately misled me! I'm innocent!"

At this, Roderic, Nordia's chief envoy, let out a mocking laugh. In slightly clumsy Avenlor speech, he remarked, "Listen to that. Apparently blaming her own people isn't enough. Now she wants to drag us into it too."

The blunt remark reached Theodric's ears.

His remaining patience finally snapped.

"I didn't... Your Majesty... I only did it for Avenlor... for the royal family..."

Daphne continued pleading desperately, her voice thin and trembling as it filled the hall.

"Enough!"