117: Investigation

Investigation

7 Chapters

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"Hmm." Arlan took a step towards the assaulted woman. "Will you explain to us how it happened from the start?"

Before she could answer, Count Milton interrupted, "Your Highness, we shall not embarrass the lady like this. She is already—"

"Lord Walter, as you have left everything to me, as the one to decide the punishment, isn't it fair to know every detail of this case?"

"But Your Highness…"

"Are you doubting my ability of judgment?" His voice was cold and his eyes were daring him to say another word. 

"A-Apologies, Your Highness." 

Walter lowered his head but he had nothing to worry as that woman was going to blame it on the servant. The woman's family was his vassal—he knew how much her family was scared of the power he held.

"So, lady, will you explain everything to us?" Arlan looked at her, not minding her condition. 

Her dress was torn at the shoulder and she was trying to cover it with the bedsheet. Others felt hesitant to look at her, but not Arlan. He felt nothing at all. She was nothing but a subject who was going to answer his questions. 

He could have left the interrogation to a female knight or a court lady, which would be more proper, but not only would that take time, the chances of the truth being buried would be high by then.

"Y- Yes, Your Highness," she started. "I-I was coming back from meeting Young Lady Milton from her chamber as she had called for me for some help. When I was passing by this hallway, a man—t-this servant pulled me inside this chamber and…." she stopped, "...the rest, you all know."

"Hmm, so this servant pulled you inside this chamber so easily?" Arlan asked, his eyes still at the trembling woman, making her feel nervous under his gaze. "When this servant pulled you inside the chamber, you must have shouted for help, didn't you?"

"I-I wanted to but… he covered my mouth with his hand before I could." Her voice was low, like mumbling to herself. 

"He sure acted violently against a delicate young lady like yourself, to pull you inside the chamber all of a sudden and even timely managed to cover your mouth while holding you captive, isn't it?"

"Y-Yes, Your Highness."

"Hmm, then what did he do next?" Arlan asked again. 

"Y-Your Highness?"

"Indulge me, young lady. I need to make an impartial judgment."

"Uhm, he…he…" she began to cry. "He pushed me to this bed and…and tried to do an indecent act with me."

"Then? Tell us what happened."

"H-He tried to remove my clothes," her shaking voice said, while clutching the torn cloth on her shoulder, "and then pinned me on the bed under him."

"I do not want to believe a noble lady will allow a man to have his way with her so easily without a fight. You must have tried to resist him, even though he is stronger. "

"I did, Your Highness."

"How?"

"I…I tried…but had no other way." Tears rolled down her eyes as she remembered those moments. "I tried to hit him…I scratched him with my nails…I even bit him on his shoulder..." At this point, she was sobbing. 

Hearing it, the Count's son gulped as he was the receiver of all of that. He sneakily covered those nail marks on his neck and his right cheek with the blood coming out from his nose. Fortunately, unless carefully scrutinized, onlookers would think they were injuries caused by the servant's beating.

"Still, he didn't stop?" Arlan asked. 

"He held my hands tightly…He slapped me after I bit him…I-I…" 

The sound of her pitiful sobs echoed within the chamber, making bystanders feel bad about her. 

"Your Highness, this young lady is like a daughter to the Miltons. We can't spare this animal," one man spoke, glaring daggers at the kneeling Oriana. 

"Yes, Your Highness! Please deliver justice to Lady Beatrice and Lord Wallace. Behead this felon right away," others chimed in. 

"Patience, gentlemen." Arlan raised his hand, which silenced everyone. 

"And then after that?" Arlan asked again. 

"After that…The servant—I mean, Young Master Milton came in time to save me…"

"Is that all?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

Arlan nodded and gestured for one of the young lords behind him to lend his coat to the trembling woman. Thinking the interrogation was over, the Count then ordered some of his servants to quickly help the woman to sit on the bed, even giving her warm tea to soothe her nerves.

The pale woman with flaxen hair was relieved as well that everything was over, but then Arlan's puzzled voice caused her body to tremble once more.

"Which shoulder did you bite him on?" he asked.

The way those blue eyes seemed to blaze made her mind go blank.

"L-Left… I think…?"

Arlan walked towards Oriana. "Stand up."

The two guards stepped back upon receiving a signal from Arlan. Oriana's small form swayed as she stood up, but she faced him without a tinge of fear. 

'So brave.' The prince felt amused but didn't show it. For now, he had to show impartiality and needed to solve this situation for his foolish servant. 

"Show us your left shoulder."

Oriana was shocked. She didn't know what to do until she heard him again, "We need to confirm if the young lady's statement is true. Just unbutton the top two buttons and push aside your shirt."

'Only the top two buttons?' Oriana felt at ease, grateful that she did not need to strip. She first removed her black waistcoat and then top two buttons of her long-sleeved white shirt. Then, she  moved her shirt away, showing an exquisite collarbone and a slender shoulder without a single mark.

"I see no bite marks on his shoulder. Are you certain about how you resisted your assaulter, young lady?" Arlan turned to look at the pale-faced woman. 

The woman felt scared. Under Arlan's line of questioning, she had been forced to mix lies and truths. The one she bit was the son of Walter Milton.

"Maybe it's the right shoulder," Arlan answered his own question and looked at Oriana who didn't have to be told what to do. She moved the fabric covering her right shoulder for people to see. She didn't know what Arlan was doing, but her gut feeling was telling her he was doing something to help her get out of this mess.

"There is no bite mark on his right shoulder either," Arlan said.

"I…must be mistaken…" the woman said hesitantly.

The Count felt the need to join in. "Your Highness, maybe the layers of clothing prevented her teeth from leaving a mark—"

"I do not see any nail marks on the servant's face and neck either," Arlan continued, as if he didn't hear the Count's remark. "Young lady?"

"I…tried…maybe I failed to scratch him… I was scared so I may not be able to recall correctly," the woman stammered nervously. 

"Hmm," was all Arlan said and walked towards the woman. "You say he pinned you under him." Arlan was direct and unhesitant with his words. 

She felt embarrassed.

"Y-Yes, Your Highness." 

"Will you reenact how he did it?"1

"W-What?" the woman almost screamed.

"To help you remember details better," he replied. "There is no need to lie down. You only need to show us. Where exactly on this bed did this servant pin you?"

The woman began trembling, but under the command in Arlan's voice, she moved towards the part of the bed where she was pinned.

"How did he hold you down?"

"My… wrists…like this…" The woman tried to imitate how both of her hands were held together above her head.

"Hmm." The corners of Arlan's lips lifted. "Care to show us your wrists, young lady?"

She hesitantly rolled up the long sleeves from the man's coat lent to cover her body, and there were clear bruises on her wrists, still red from being grabbed with a tight grip."

"He sure used too much force on your delicate wrists to make them bruise this fast," Arlan commented. 

"Y-Yes, Your Highness."

Others were all confused and were waiting for what this prince was up to. 

Arlan looked at Oriana. "Come here."

Under his intimidating gaze, she approached the bed. 

"Hold her wrists with your right hand where exactly they are bruised."

Oriana walked towards the woman and held her wrist, only to hear Arlan click his tongue. 

"Tsk, the size of the handprint doesn't match the small hand of this servant. What to do when the evidence contradicts the allegation?"

The silence within the chamber was deafening. While most onlookers believed that the young servant was framed, nobody expected that the Crown Prince would stand on her side. They were shocked by his obvious intention. 

The most shocked person was Oriana. 

'What does this mean? Is he truly trying to protect me?'

Wallace felt like running away at this very moment.

Before anyone could react and come out of this shock, Arlan walked towards the side of the bed where the injured First Young Master of the Miltons was sitting. The moment Arlan reached him, everyone heard the sound of clothes tearing. 

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