Chapter 343

343.Chapter 343 The palace party was a lively affair filled with laughter and joy.

No one could have predicted that as soon as the party ended, everyone would be trapped inside the grand hall.

Before anyone could make sense of the situation, the palace servants who had been controlled by Eliza’s spiders were dragged out one by one.

In front of all the ministers, the imperial guards swung their blades, and heads rolled. Blood gushed like a fountain, splattering onto those nearby who had no time or space to dodge.

Not surprisingly, among those were members of the Stonor family.

“Oh! Father!” Sophie was so frightened that her face turned pale. She quickly hid behind Gabriel.

In stark contrast, Gabriel’s expression was dark and stormy, his cold gaze fixed on Nolan.

“Your Highness, since you already know who the assassins are, why involve us in this? Are our lives so meaningless to you, or is this some kind of personal vendetta?” Gabriel said.

“Duke of Mowbay, there’s no need to panic,” Nolan replied. “As long as you have no ties to these assassins, I won’t harm you.

But if I find anything suspicious on you, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

As he spoke the last sentence slowly, Nolan’s piercing gaze swept across the crowd, finally landing on Sophie and Gabriel. His eyes lingered on them with a meaningful glint, a silent warning impossible to ignore.

Gabriel clenched his fists tightly, his fury simmering beneath the surface.

Suddenly, Sophie spoke up from behind him. “Sin–since that’s the case, why didn’t you investigate Eliza, Your Highness? She rushed off right after the party ended. Doesn’t that seem suspicious?”

“Shut your mouth!” Gabriel said.

He hadn’t expected Sophie to say something so reckless at such a critical moment. Turning sharply, he shot her a piercing glare.

Sophie flinched in fear.

But the next instant, she felt a surge of defiance well up in her heart.

She thought, “Why did Father react so strongly? He even scolded me in front of so many people.

“I didn’t say anything wrong. Why are we all stuck here while that conniving Eliza got to leave early? She ran off in such a hurry.

Who knows what shady business she’s up to?‘

At this point, Sophie had no clue about the parasites or how deeply tied she was to the assassins.

Gabriel, however, had started to piece things together. While his understanding had been vague before, the moment he saw the assassins disguised as palace servants, everything clicked.

He had only teamed up with Fletcher to use the Snow Lotus as a way to pave the path for his foolish daughter and restore the tarnished reputation of the Stonor family.

But who could have predicted that the sly Fletcher would dare use him as a pawn in a treasonous scheme?

Thankfully, the king and the Empress Dowager were unharmed. Now, all Gabriel needed to do was clear himself of suspicion and sever any connection to the assassins.

He was still mulling over his options while he was being searched.

“Your Highness, we’ve found suspicious black bugs on both the Duke of Mowbay and his daughter, identical to those discovered on the assassins.”

‘What?‘ Gabriel thought, his face turning pale in an instant.

The searches were conducted separately. Sophie, along with the other noblewomen, was taken to a side hall by palace maids, while Gabriel and the other men remained in the main hall.

Gabriel had no idea what was happening with Sophie, but he was certain about his own situation. He was sure there had been nothing on him earlier, and no one had come near him. Yet somehow, the imperial guards had found a black bug on him in public.

Gabriel immediately recognized the parasite.

It was unmistakably Fletcher’s handiwork. That bastard had planted the parasite on him.

Gabriel cursed inwardly and thought, ‘What the hell is Fletcher up to?‘

At this moment, Gabriel’s suspicions turned sharply toward the man hiding within the Duke’s estate.

Nolan watched Gabriel’s shifting expressions and said calmly, “It seems the Duke of Mowbay won’t be leaving today.

1/2 943 Chapter 343 Guards, take the Duke of Mowbay and his daughter away.”

“Yes!” the guards responded.

“No! What are you doing? Let me go, let me go! Father, what do we do? Please save me. I don’t want to go to prison,” Sophie, who was caught, was terrified and cried out in panic.

“Stop panicking!” Gabriel snapped, his voice sharp. He turned his icy gaze toward Nolan. “You think a mere bug is enough to convict me? Dream on.”

“We’ll see if you’ll still be stubborn after being interrogated,” Nolan retorted with a chilling smirk. Then, he ordered, “What are you waiting for? Take the Duke of Mowbay to the Ministry of Justice immediately.”

“Yes!” The imperial guards stepped forward without hesitation, hauling Gabriel and Sophie away.

Apart from them, someone else ended up in prison too. It was Fletcher.

“Fletcher, maybe skip the Snow Lotuses next time. They’re too pure to hide something so dirty, don’t you think?” Nolan remarked calmly, his gaze fixed on Fletcher.

Fletcher looked utterly baffled. “Your Highness, what are you talking about? I’m not sure what you mean.”

Nolan smiled faintly. “You’ll figure it out soon enough. Take him away.”

“Yes!” the guards responded.

After things settled down, Nolan swept his gaze across the hall and asked Ross, who stood beside him, “Aside from the Holy Lady, has anyone else left the hall?”

Ross replied, “Your Highness, Benedict left halfway through the party, saying he needed the restroom. He hasn’t come back yet.”

Nolan thought back to seeing Benedict earlier today. Narrowing his eyes slightly, a flicker of speculation crossed his mind. “Is there any news from the people who have been keeping an eye on Benedict lately?” Nolan asked.

“Well, yes and no.” Ross hesitated.

“Speak.” Nolan’s sharp gaze landed on Ross.

Ross immediately responded, “Benedict has been sticking to his usual routine–either at his post at the High Council or at the Duke’s estate. He hasn’t been anywhere else. But there’s something odd. There seems to be a problem with his health.” “What’s the problem?” Nolan asked.

Ross explained, “Our people noticed that Benedict has been fainting a lot lately–three times in just the past few days. He always recovers quickly and looks fine, but his face keeps getting paler.”

Nolan’s charming eyes narrowed further.

Amidst the chaos and bloodshed at the palace banquet hall, Eliza, who had just left the scene, unexpectedly ran into someone.

“Eliza?”

A familiar voice called out from a distance. Turning her head, Eliza saw Benedict, his face lighting up with joy. After calling her name, he hurried toward her.

Eliza glanced at him indifferently, then turned away and continued walking without waiting for him.

Seeing her leave, Benedict grew anxious and tried to catch up.

But after just two steps, his vision went dark.

“Thud!”

The sound of someone falling behind her made Eliza instinctively turn back. Benedict lay pale on the ground, his eyes tightly shut, completely unresponsive.