CHAPTER 591: ... IS GUILTY

He gestured to the side. "Christopher. Step forward."

Christopher in uniform approached, bowing stiffly.

"State your first name and position for the record."

"Christopher, Head of Surveillance, Riverum Castle."

"And what did you discover during your review?"

Christopher’s voice was steady. "The recording shows the housekeeper approaching the soup pot meant for His Highness. He removed a small, dark bottle from his clothes and poured something into the soup. At first, it looked like seasoning, but the movements, careful, deliberate, betrayed the act. Afterward, he quickly replaced the lid and stepped away as if nothing happened."

Murmurs swept through the hall. Nnenna noticed several servants exchange uneasy glances.

Daniel nodded sharply. "And what was done after this recording?"

"My men and I conducted a full search. We found the bottle hidden in the storage pantry, behind sacks of rice. Upon testing its contents, it was confirmed to be a slow acting poison. Colorless. Nearly tasteless. Consumed continuously, it would have made His Highness collapse within a few months. I have a copy of the video here to prove everything."

Gasps filled the chamber. Some who had still refused to believe it covered their mouths in shock; others stared wide eyed at the housekeeper, who remained unnervingly calm.

"Objection!" one of the defense lawyers sprang to his feet. "Speculation! My client has not admitted ownership of this alleged bottle. Anyone could have placed it there."

"Overruled," the Prime Minister’s voice cut like steel. "The evidence was recovered from the kitchens under his charge. And the video clearly shows him tampering with the soup. Proceed."

Daniel allowed himself a small smile but it didn’t reach his eyes. "Very well. I call the Head Chef to testify."

The chef, a stout man with sweat still clinging to his brow, walked forward nervously.

"State your name."

"Aaron," he croaked, "Head Chef, Riverum Castle."

"On the day in question, did you notice anything unusual about the housekeeper’s behavior?"

Aaron wrung his hands. "Yes... he seemed... unsettled. Kept pacing near the gas, though that wasn’t his duty. When I asked what he was doing, he brushed me off, saying he was checking the seasoning."

"And did you ever see that dark bottle before?"

Aaron shook his head furiously. "Never. We use no such bottle in this kitchen. None of my staff knew of it either."

The murmurs grew louder. Even the sous chef, called next, confirmed the same, he had seen the housekeeper hovering, frowning, strangely tense.

The defense rose again. "Objection! Mere impressions. The witness cannot testify to my client’s intentions."

"Sustained," the Prime Minister allowed, but the unease in the room had already deepened.

Daniel pressed on. "The bottle was found. The poison identified. The footage recorded. Witnesses testify to his suspicious behavior. All evidence points clearly to the accused."

He let his words hang, letting the tension coil through the air. Eyes turned toward the housekeeper, whose expression remained unnervingly calm, hands folded in front of him.

Nnenna watched from the defense table, her face unreadable. She noticed the ripple of unease in the crowd, loyalty clashing with fear. The staff respected the housekeeper deeply, yet the evidence was damning.

Too damning, she thought, narrowing her eyes. Almost... perfect.

The hall was tense as the last witness stepped down. Every word spoken, every scrap of evidence presented, now hung like chains around the accused. The housekeeper stood motionless, face unreadable, yet his very stillness unsettled the room.

Daniel rose slowly, the sound of his chair scraping against the floor echoing in the grand hall. He walked to the center, shoulders squared, his voice ringing out with practiced clarity.

"My Lord. Esteemed court. Members of the household." He paused, letting the silence deepen. "This is not the speech I wanted to give today."

A ripple went through the listeners. Some of the servants lowered their heads.

"For years," Daniel continued, his tone softer now, "this man has been a fixture of Riverum Castle. The one we trusted to guard the very heart of our household. We called him ’Housekeeper,’ but in truth, he was more than that. He kept order in these halls. He kept discipline among the staff. He was a symbol of stability."

He turned, eyes flicking briefly to the accused. "That is why I take no pride in standing here today. It brings me no satisfaction to accuse him. If anything, it brings regret. But regret cannot blind us to the truth."

The defense shifted uncomfortably. A low cough broke out in the back, quickly stifled.

Daniel’s voice hardened. "We saw the footage. We saw him standing over His Highness’s meal. We saw him pour from that bottle. The poison was found hidden in his domain. The chefs confirmed that the bottle did not belong to their kitchen. Surveillance confirmed that the act was deliberate. These are not shadows of speculation. These are facts."

He raised his hand, palm open, voice carrying conviction now. "Riverum cannot, will not, be ruled by whispers and deceit. If a man so close to His Highness would plot to slowly bring him to his knees, then what hope is left for the rest of us? To ignore this evidence would be to open the gates to betrayal, to spit in the face of justice itself."

Silence. The hall seemed to hold its breath.

Daniel lowered his hand, his expression heavy. "I do not ask you to condemn lightly. I ask you to see clearly. To remember that justice is not about what we wish were true, it is about what the evidence demands. And the evidence, however bitter, demands only one conclusion."

His last words fell like a hammer.

"The housekeeper is guilty."

The hall stirred. Some nobles exchanged wary looks. A few servants wiped at their eyes, stricken by the thought of the man they had once respected being branded a traitor. Others pressed their lips tightly, unwilling to betray their thoughts.

Nnenna watched it all in silence, her hands folded in her lap, her mind racing. Daniel’s words were ironclad, solid, convincing.