Stolen by the Rebel King-Chapter 567: Humble Servant

Jonah and Cordelia exchanged a glance of alarm, their eyes widening. Since the blue kyanite was working, Nikun could only be telling the truth.

He seemed oddly confident of it as well, and proceeded to say, "If you don’t believe my words, feel free to give me more kyanite to test my truthfulness."

"There’s no need," Cordelia said with a frown.

The corners of her lips had started to tilt down as she observed Nikun’s expression. Other than the beads of perspiration scattered across his forehead and his upper lip, there wasn’t much that told what he was feeling.

She gestured for Jonah to lay down his sword, and Jonah did as she commanded, quickly sheathing his weapon once more. Only then did Nikun’s body relax.

"You snuck into his room?" Cordelia asked again, sterner this time.

"Princess Cordelia, is that what you’re focused on?" Nikun didn’t outright whine, but he came awfully close. "I just told you Lord Waylen had one of Santok’s royal daggers stowed away in his own room."

"What were you doing in his room then?" Cordelia asked, raising an eyebrow. She walked a little closer, stopping right in front of Nikun.

Nikun’s eyes practically watered with unshed tears, as though he was a wife wrongfully accused by her husband of whoring around with other men.

"Not to put a dagger in there to frame him, at the very least," he said, sniffling.

Jonah couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the act. He wasn’t exactly sure it was an act, but at the very least, Nikun was great at commanding tears and garnering pity whenever he needed it. Too bad for him, Princess Cordelia’s heart was cold, and her mouth even more so.

"Pray tell, how did you even manage to get in?" Cordelia fired back, completely ignoring Nikun’s pathetic little sniffs.

"I have learned from a young age how to stay out of others’ sights," Nikun said.

"Why didn’t you report this?" Jonah asked. "Contestants aren’t allowed to bring any form of weaponry into the palace, other than whatever’s handed out for the competition."

"And be immediately targeted and punished for sneaking into another contestant’s room?" Nikun shook his head. "I wouldn’t dare. Besides, you all have seen the way Lord Waylen acts. He thinks that with his money and power, he can easily take down every and any competition. I just got in! What if he buys my ticket out?"

Cordelia’s lower eyelid ticked in irritation. This prince was surprisingly skilled in many things, but he was a coward through and through. He preferred to hide behind the shadows, and all the dirty things were handed to others to accomplish. Even if she didn’t have a suitor in mind, she would never pick Nikun to be her king.

King Atticus could wave Jonah goodbye. There was no way Cordelia would let anyone else rule Nedour by her side. Every single man in this competition thus far was a nincompoop.

"I doubt you will be easily bested by any assassin he might hire," Jonah said with a raised eyebrow, equally as frustrated. "You have shown enough physical prowess at the second event."

Nikun nervously laughed and glanced sheepishly at Cordelia, who merely coldly huffed.

"Keep him here until the investigations have been thoroughly completed," Cordelia instructed. She then turned on her heel without another word.

"Wait― Princess Cordelia?" Nikun called out, but Cordelia paid him no mind. Within seconds, with a flourish of her long skirt, she was gone.

"Don’t bother," Jonah said with a roll of his eyes. "You can relax, though. You probably will not be executed for murder."

Nikun was about to sigh out in relief when Jonah evilly continued. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

"But the Princess might just ban you from Nedour for aiding a Nedish citizen’s murder."

This time, Nikun’s head hung low. He then laughed sadly, his shoulders quaking in a way that made Jonah unsure whether or not Nikun was crying.

"If you become king, could you consider sparing my sister a safe retreat into Nedour?" he quietly asked. "She is my only family left. Please."

Jonah straightened up, his eyebrows shooting to the roof of his forehead.

"I am not king, nor will I become one," Jonah reminded.

"Don’t be so humble," Nikun said. He slowly raised his head to meet Jonah’s eyes, a small, sincere, but helplessly remorseful smile thinly stretched his lips. "It is obvious with the way Princess Cordelia treats you; she doesn’t see you as a mere assistant or personal knight. If you find me a liar, you can run through me with your sword."

Jonah felt his heart skip a beat in his chest. His hands reached to hold it over the area, pressing down gently at the odd sensation. Quickly, he shook his head, ridding his mind of such a thought.

"I am but a humble servant in service to the crown," Jonah said firmly. "Don’t spread misinformation."

Without giving Nikun another chance to reply, he quickly turned on his heel and locked the gates, practically fleeing from the cell, his cheeks burning red.

***

True enough, when Daphne and Atticus returned and met with Cordelia, they brought Phari’s dagger with them.

Arne had been dispatched back home with a few other knights to arrest Phari. Daphne had also requested the husband and wife be given time to talk through things alone before she was to be brought to the dungeons to await trial.

"The missing ruby isn’t from this dagger," Cordelia noted, picking the weapon up to observe.

"Phari claimed to have used a different weapon to kill Yael," Daphne said. "This was brought alongside when she assassinated Yael, but the weapon was wrapped in cloth the entire time; the ruby couldn’t have detached itself."

"That means we have a second location to check, in that case," Cordelia said.

"Was there someone else that worked with Phari?" Atticus questioned, his eyebrows raised.

"No," Cordelia replied. "But there is someone I would like to see kicked out of Nedour’s elite circle, and your little pet just provided me the perfect reason to do so."