Evil Duke, Please Be Gentle!

"They used to sell it in the market a decade ago. But due to its less production, its only use is limited to the medicines they make and sell in the market."  The announcement was the final stone of her grave. Now there was nothing left which she could retort too.

Taking a deep breath, she tried her best to maintain her confidence but her fists were clenched so hard that her knuckles had turned white.

"It must have been stolen by someone from the palace. Just because it is found in my palace does not mean I can have it. It could be a trap to accuse me." she replied as she looked at her aunt for help. After all, she was the one whom she could rely on.

Gabriella had great authority in the palace. If she would support Aurora, then there was no way that they could blame her. With that thought some of her confidence returned. But Gabriella did not even look at her. She continued to stand there like a frozen statue which was unable to even speak a word. The silence was deafening.

"And who else could be except you who had the chance to reach both palaces. Or do you want to say that nobody like Evan had the power and contacts to steal medicine ingredients from your place and then feed them to me?" asked Leo with a cold smirk on his face as if he was talking to a fool.

If it had been any drugs that had been found easily in the market, then it would have been possible that Evan would have bought it and fed it to Leo. But the complexity of the drug was proof that it was not done by evan. Only a person with higher knowledge of medicine could do so.

And the whole palace knew that the family of Aurora was making strong physicians and medicines since immemorial times. No lies would work now as every eye was staring at her!

"I do not know! All I know is.. I had not done it! I have not done anything. I am just getting slandered because you want to save her!" she snarled through gritted teeth as she looked at the girl who was leaning leisurely on the seat of the duchess as if it belonged to her.

"It does not matter what you say or think. Decisions are taken by the head of the house of jury. But I would still give my aunt a chance. She could present her view points before the decision was taken.`` He looked back at the aunt with his deep and soulful gaze and an icy feeling penetrated her entire body.

She did not dare to lie. The proofs are all against her. If she would still lie and support her, that would only mean that she was not able to discern between right and wrong. That was not a chance but a test to show where her loyalty lies!

She took a deep breath and then looked at her niece with a complex gaze! How could she be such a fool. She could have waited patiently and could have got the chance to be the duchess but her haste and vicious plan had not only taken away her right to be the duchess but had affected Gabriella's position in the palace too.

"Aunt, you know me since childhood. Tell him that I have not done it!" Aurora pleaded when Gabriella finally looked at her but Gabriella's gaze did not soften. 

The cold was freezing everyone.

"What is there to tell him! Did he not know everything already. I will accept every decision you will make. You are right here and i am proud at your wisdom and ability to investigate the matter deeply." she replied as she took slow steps and sat down on the other side as a spectator. 

She did not want to be part of the case anymore. Suddenly she felt like her whole body had been exhausted. How did it end up like that?

Aurora's eyes widened with shock when she saw the retreating figure of her aunt. She could not believe that she had given up on her just like that!

"No! No you can not do that.`` Aurora shook her head and tried to hold the hand of Gabriella but she could not due to the knights standing in front of her.

"Does anyone else want to say anything about the case?" he asked as he tilted his head and looked at his both sisters who had not said a single word since starting.

Eve was proud as she was smirking, her happiness could not be hidden as if she was the one who had won the case while Eli was looking at Evan with a complicated gaze. Though she had not doubted her for stealing, there were many things about Evan that she had failed to understand.

Would it be alright if such a mysterious girl became the duchess of their family?

"Well, then a decision is made. Aurora had tried to poison the matriarch of the Thawyne family, slandering the new duchess of the Thawyne family and then kill the only heir of the Thawyne family and even spoke ill about the family in front of everyone! 

She is alleged for treason and for that she would be given imprisonment of 5 years just because she is related to us or else she would have been given life time imprisonment." he replied somberly and before she could reply he leisurely walked back on his seat and raised a hand in the air.

The aide passed the parchment of the punishment to him and he signed it with the ink on the table and even sealed it.

Finally Aurora's knees gave away and she fell on the ground with a thump.

"I hope everyone will learn from this incident and will think twice before instigating a plan against the Thawyne family."