Villainess’s Redemption (Reborn Villainess #1)

Chapter 10

Prince Anderic

I leaned against the weathered wooden railing, my eyes scanning the dimly lit tavern below, watching a bunch of drunken lowlifes ruining what was left of their lives. The stench of cheap ale and unwashed bodies wafted up, mingling with the acrid smoke from poorly rolled cigars. Meadows Inn – a three-storied wooden structure in the heart of the slums on the outskirts of Eldoria, a gambling den of illegal businesses masquerading as a respectable inn. I smirked. If these walls could talk, they’d scream.

“He’s here,” Lennox whispered, his voice barely audible over the chaos of drunken shouts and shattering glass.

I nodded, my muscles coiling with anticipation beneath my commoner’s disguise. Noah shifted uneasily beside me with wide eyes as he took in the scene, his aristocratic sensibilities clearly offended by our surroundings. Poor lad. Always the upstanding gentleman. He was probably itching to close this inn and arrest everyone.

“Relax, cousin,” I murmured, my tone light but edged with steel. “Or you’ll give us away with that constipated expression.”

Noah’s jaw clenched, but he managed a curt nod.

The Meadows Inn’s three rickety stories creaked and groaned under the weight of its patrons’ drunken activities. Gambling, prostitution, illegal substances – all could be procured here for the right price. And we allowed it. Better to keep the rats contained where we could watch them. They had no idea how heavily watched this place was. There were spies in every corner.

That’s how I learned that Gareth Wilburn would be here. Since our main suspect was Lord Elyas, it was easy to guess if anyone knew anything it would be his most trusted employee.

I let my gaze drift over the crowd, cataloging faces and potential threats. A brawl broke out near the bar, fists flying as two brutes grappled over some perceived slight. The guards – if you could call those thugs that – waded in, metal sticks swinging indiscriminately.

Noah flinched at the wet crunch of bone meeting wood. “Shouldn’t we stop them?”

I arched an eyebrow. “And reveal ourselves? Besides,” I added, a cold smile playing at my lips, “sometimes it’s best to let the rats thin their own ranks.”

Another commotion near the bar drew my attention. Two burly men were dragging a bloodied wretch toward the door, his plaintive cries barely audible over the cacophony of drunken revelry.

“Please! I’ll get the money! Just give me one more day!”

I felt Noah stiffen beside me, his hand instinctively moving toward the concealed dagger at his hip. I caught his wrist, squeezing just hard enough to make him wince.

“Don’t,” I murmured, my tone deceptively light. “We’re here to observe, not play hero.”

Noah’s jaw clenched, but he nodded. Good. He was learning.

The doors swung open, as Gareth Wilburn stumbled in, his face already flushed with drink and his eyes darting nervously. I motioned for Noah and Lennox to follow me to a nearby table.

“Sit,” I commanded, sprawling into a chair with affected nonchalance. “And try not to look like you’ve got a stick up your ass, cousin. You’ll give us away.”

Noah glowered but complied, perching on the edge of his seat like it might bite him. Lennox remained standing until I fixed him with a pointed stare.

“My lord,” he began to protest, but I cut him off with a sharp gesture.

“We’re not at court, Lennox. Sit down and have a drink. That’s an order.”

A barmaid sashayed over, her bodice cut low enough to leave little to the imagination. I treated her to my most dazzling smile, watching the way her cheeks flushed.

“What’ll it be, gents??” she purred, leaning close enough that I caught a whiff of cheap perfume beneath the tavern’s pervasive odors.

I flashed her my most charming smile that I knew worked on most of the ladies in court except for my mother and… Ilyana. “Three ales, love. And keep ‘em coming.”

She preened under the attention, all but ignoring Noah and Lennox. I leaned forward and tipped her a gold coin which she had probably never seen in her life before. My hand lingered on her as I also slipped a note with a wink. She giggled, promising to return soon with our drinks. I lounged back in my chair, surveying the room with predatory satisfaction. Everything was precisely where I wanted it to be. As she sauntered away, I caught Noah’s disapproving glare.

“Oh, don’t look so scandalized,” I chuckled. “We’re maintaining our cover.”

Lennox cleared his throat, ever the dutiful guard. “Your Highness, perhaps we should-”

I silenced him with a look. “Sit down, Lennox. You’re drawing attention.”

He hesitated but complied, lowering himself onto a rickety chair with all the grace of a bear in a porcelain shop.

Noah cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. “How long do we wait?”

I chuckled, accepting a tankard of ale from our returning barmaid with a wink. “Patience, cousin. Our friend Gareth will show his true colors soon enough. We just need to give him enough rope to hang himself.”

“Are you sure about not telling Seb?” Noah chimed in.

“It’s his father who is one of the people we suspect. It’s not practical to involve him.”

I thought Noah would argue but he just nodded and went back to sipping his ale.

We nursed our ales in tense silence, the acrid liquid burning a path down my throat. I’d tasted better horse piss than this… whatever sewer water this was. The din below ebbed and flowed, punctuated by the occasional scream or crash of breaking furniture.

Below, Gareth had settled into a high-stakes game, tossing gold coins onto the table with drunken abandon. I watched, patient as a spider in its web.

Any time now.

As if on cue, a roar of outrage erupted from the far corner of the room. Gareth stood swaying, his face purple with rage as he glared at the dealer.

I leaned back, a predatory glint in my eye. “And so the rat enters the trap.”

Gareth’s luck, it seemed, had run dry. As the dealer raked in his last coin, the man’s face twisted in fury.

“You cheating bastard!” he roared, lunging across the table.

Chaos erupted. Gareth’s fists flew, connecting with the dealer’s jaw with a satisfying crunch. But he didn’t stop there. Blinded by rage and drink, he turned on the barmaid I had paid to steal his money and make it look like it was the dealer’s fault. Shit.

I straightened, all pretense of relaxation vanishing. “Lennox,” I growled, my voice low and dangerous.

“You cheating whore!” he bellowed, sending his table flying with a sweep of his arm. “I know you’re working with that dealer! Where’s my money?!”

The girl scrambled backward, terror etched on her face as Gareth advanced. “Please, m’lord! I didn’t do anything! I swear!”

My captain was already moving, shouldering his way through the crowd with efficient brutality. I followed, Noah close on my heels.

I watched as Gareth’s fist connected with the barmaid’s jaw, a sickening crunch echoing through the tavern. The sight ignited a familiar fire in my veins, one I usually kept carefully banked. Part of me - the part I rarely indulged - itched to teach this drunken fool a lesson he’d never forget. But that wasn’t why we were here.

Gareth had the girl by the hair, spittle flying as he screamed incoherently. The other patrons gave him a wide berth, unwilling to challenge a man of his status.

Cowards, the lot of them.

Lennox reached him first, his hands catching Gareth in an iron grip. “That’s enough,” he barked.

“Who dares to stop me? Do you know who I am?”

“That’s enough! You’re under arrest!” Lennox said, his voice ringing out with authority.

Gareth spun, his bloodshot eyes wild as he looked at him closely. Recognition dawned, followed swiftly by fear. But the fool recovered quickly, puffing out his chest in a pathetic display of bravado.

“No,” he slurred, stumbling backward. “You can’t – Lord Elyas will-”

I stepped forward, letting my hood fall back. Gareth’s face drained of color as he whispered, “Prince Anderic.”

“Lord Elyas,” I said, my smile widening and my voice cold as winter frost, “isn’t here.”

But before I could savor the moment, an irritatingly familiar voice cut through the tension like a knife.

“Stop.”

Twice in one week. It was getting tedious.

I turned as Ilyana pushed through the crowd, looking absurdly out of place in her fine gown. She moved with the grace of an ice queen, fury and determination etched onto her perfectly sculpted face. Those vivid green eyes of hers blazed with an intensity that would have cowed a lesser man. Her ever-present maid trailed in her wake like a shadow.

“May I ask the reason why he is being arrested?” she demanded, her voice dripping venom. I smiled at that, which seemed to rile her up more.

No acknowledgment of her husband standing behind me, no curtsy, not even a nod to my title. She’d clearly realized I didn’t want my identity revealed, but it felt opportunistic of her to push the boundaries of rudeness. How convenient for her to take advantage of my desire for discretion.

I raised an eyebrow, amused despite my irritation.

I decided to play along, fighting to keep the amusement from my voice. “Not that I owe you any answer, but being a gentleman-” She snorted, which I pointedly ignored. “I’ll indulge you. He was beating a man after losing his money, but he crossed the line when he assaulted that innocent woman,” I gestured toward the barmaid, who was still cowering in the corner.

Ilyana’s chin jutted out defiantly. “You do owe me since he is a loyal servant of our household. You can’t take him.”

I almost laughed at her audacity. We both knew full well that I could. “Well, my lady, I absolutely can. If you have a problem, you can always file a complaint with the Ministry of Justice,” I motioned for Lennox to take Gareth away.

Before we could move, Ilyana darted forward. Her hand clasped mine, warm and impossibly soft. Not a single callus marred her smooth skin. Her touch felt like silk on my own sword-roughened palm.

“Your Highness,” she murmured, leaning close, her voice low and measured. She barely reached my chin. She was so close that I could smell her soft warm cinnamon perfume, so different from her frosty exterior. I took a deep lungful of that smell. It was addictive, the perfume, not her.

The spell broke as soon as she opened her mouth. “I know you hold law and justice in the highest order. So, if you arrest Sir Gareth, I assume you’ll also shut down this establishment and arrest the owners and all the employees here since gambling is illegal.”

I paused, cursing inwardly. She was right, damn her. Why was she so protective of Gareth? Did that mean we were right to suspect Elyas? I hesitated, weighing my options. I could easily arrest him, but it would reveal my identity and alert our main suspect. Then again, since Ilyana knew, it would likely alert Elyas anyway.

I smiled. I could always take care of Meadows Inn later.

Just as I decided to reveal my royal seal and damn the consequences, one of my planted spies hurried over. He leaned in close, whispering urgently in my ear, “Lord Elyas has requested a retrial for Lord Magnus.”

The smile fell from my lips as the muscles around my mouth tightened. My eyes widened as I looked at Ilyana one last time, catching the faintest hint of a satisfied smile playing on her lips. Without another word, Lennox, Noah, and I made our exit. Noah glanced back at Ilyana, but she looked away, avoiding his gaze.

Interesting. I’ll think about that later.

As we hurried toward the palace, my mind raced. Why was I suddenly being outplayed by her? This Ilyana was very different indeed as if she had changed overnight. The pieces weren’t fitting together, and I despised situations I couldn’t control. And Ilyana was an uncontrollable factor in my plans now.

For the first time, I didn’t know how I felt about that.

The dingy tavern faded behind us as we emerged into the cool night air. The stench of unwashed bodies and cheap ale gave way to the crisp scent of approaching spring. But the memory of Ilyana’s soft cinnamon scent lingered which made my irritation with this situation even worse. Something was definitely wrong with her.

I quickened my pace, my boots striking the cobblestones with purpose.

I strode into the throne room, my footsteps echoing off the polished marble floors. The cavernous chamber seemed to dwarf even the imposing figures gathered within.

I took my place beside Father’s ornate throne, noting Mother’s conspicuous absence. No doubt she was lurking somewhere nearby, maintaining her carefully crafted illusion of political disinterest. My lips quirked in a humorless smile.

Noah settled into Duke Eldrick’s seat, looking every inch the proper heir since his father couldn’t make it on such short notice.

Lord Elyas stood in the center of the room, radiating an air of unshakeable confidence. The sight of him made my fingers itch to curl into fists. Instead, I schooled my features into a mask of polite interest.

Father’s voice rang out, deep and authoritative. “Since everyone is here, let’s begin the trial.”

He nodded to Vincent Hargreave, our esteemed Minister of Justice. Vincent stepped forward, his face neutral.

“As I was saying, Your Majesty,” Elyas began, his voice smooth as silk, “I suspect that Magnus was framed.”

He paused, clearly relishing the tension that filled the air. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at his theatrics.

Vincent raised an eyebrow. “And why do you think that?”

Elyas held up a leather-bound ledger. “The ledger that we found which proved his crime - I looked at it again, and I think there’s something wrong.”

I broke my silence, my voice cutting through the room like a blade. “Wasn’t it you who found the ledger?”

Elyas turned to me, his expression a perfect blend of regret and righteous indignation. “Yes, Your Highness. When I heard of his embezzlement, I couldn’t believe it. He is such a hardworking and honest man. So I searched everywhere to find evidence that would absolve his crime.”

He brandished the ledger with dramatic flair.. “But when I found this, I was furious. His handwriting matched. As much as I liked him, the Ministry of Revenue was built on my blood and sweat. How could I be so negligent to let someone embezzle so much?”

I watched him closely, noting every twitch, every carefully calculated gesture. Nice acting, truly. He should be in a troop.

Vincent leaned forward, his interest piqued. “So, what else have you found out about this ledger?”

Elyas’ eyes lit up with feigned excitement. “Yes, I’ve found new evidence. While this writing looks identical to Magnus’s, there are still some inconsistencies.”

He opened the ledger, pointing to specific entries. “Look at this ‘f’ in the ledger and in his other documents. It’s not noticeable at first, but looking closely, you can see the difference.”

As Elyas continued to explain the minute discrepancies, I felt a familiar tension coiling in my gut. What new game was this father and daughter duo playing? Whatever it was, I would unravel it, one thread at a time if necessary.

I glanced at Noah, gauging his reaction. His brow was furrowed in concentration, clearly buying into Elyas’ performance. I sighed.

“These inconsistencies,” I interjected, my tone deceptively casual, “when did you notice them, Lord Elyas?”

He turned to me, his expression a mask of earnest concern. “Just yesterday, Your Highness. I couldn’t sleep, it felt like I was missing something. So, I decided to review the evidence once more.”

I nodded as if considering his words carefully. “How fortunate that you chose to re-examine the ledger so close to Lord Magnus’s scheduled execution.”

A flicker of annoyance passed through Elyas’ eyes before he recovered. “Indeed, Your Highness. The Fates must be smiling upon Lord Magnus.”

Father leaned forward on his throne, his piercing gaze fixed on Elyas. “These are serious allegations, Lord Elyas. If what you say is true, someone has gone to great lengths to frame an innocent man.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Elyas agreed, bowing his head. “It pains me to think that someone within our ranks could be capable of such treachery.” Yeah, someone like you.

I fought to keep the contempt from my voice. “And how do you know it’s someone within our ranks?”

“Someone powerful has to be involved,” Elyas said. We stared at each other, neither of us backing out.

Vincent cleared his throat. “If I may, Your Majesty, I believe we should postpone the execution of Lord Magnus and re-open the investigation. These new findings warrant a closer look.”

Father nodded slowly, his expression grave. “Agreed. Lord Magnus will be returned to his residence and will be on house arrest while we investigate these claims. Lord Elyas, I expect your full cooperation in this matter.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Elyas said, bowing low. “I am at your service, as always.”