Chapter 82: Ben as a witness against Mireya

When Mireya entered the hall with her guards, there were already quite a few people waiting. Including Hazel and Roman.

When Mireya saw Hazel, a flash of something gloomy gleamed in her eyes, but she quickly adjusted her expression and did not give her thoughts out.

She also saw a guard standing before the Alpha, but seeing the guard’s unfamiliar face, she scoffed inwardly.

Does Hazel think some guard has the ability to expose her? She was thinking too much. Mireya didn’t have to think much to know that Hazel was the mastermind behind all this.

Someone was probably giving her false information.

Calmly and poised, Mireya found her seat and turned to Damien with a frown.

“Alpha, what is the meaning of this? Your people practically forced me out of my chamber, is this how you treat your guests?” She asked, her tone slightly unpleasant to show how displeased she was.

Damien did not have a change in his expression and merely said, "This matter is of utmost importance, so they had to use such means to bring you here.”

Mireya’s heart skipped a bit, but she quickly calmed down.

She said nothing else and waited for Damien to continue.

“Ben, repeat what you said earlier.” Damien told Ben, who was standing stiffly before him with his head lowered.

The guard, Ben, swallowed hard, his face slightly pale.

Just when he thought he had done everything needed to be done, he was summoned again to repeat what he had said and in the presence of Miss Mireya at that.

What would happen to him afterwards?

But still, offending Miss Mireya was better than offending the Alpha.

Yet, standing in front of the Alpha was enough, and yet, Miss Mireya and the famous physician Albert had been added to the mix. Not just that, but General Luke and Beta Roman were also present.

What had Joan even done? Why was it that all the nobles were present in this hall?

Ben could feel his palm getting clammy with sweat.

But he had no choice than to obey.

He bowed low, not daring to look at any of them.

“And if you dare lie, you won’t be able to keep your life.” Damien added another necessary sentence and Ben’s body almost froze.

“T…this subordinate will only speak the truth and everything I know, Alpha.” He stammered a reply.

“Speak!”

Ben inhaled shakily and began speaking, “My name is Ben, and the guard who died due to poisoning was my friend and we share a room together.”

That first statement made Mireya’s palm tighten on the hem of her dress.

Did Joan tell Ben anything?

Ben followed it up with, “Joan has been working for Mireya before he died. He had told me that she had given him an opportunity and he had left last night to meet with her together with another maid named Joselyn. He came back drunk and exactly ten hours later, he died of poisoning.” He explained briefly and the hall fell silent.

But all gaze shifted to Mireya who was still so calm.

Ben continued, his voice still trembling, “Joan said a lot about Miss Mireya. He said he treated him well and gave him silver. He said she promised to give him more if he remains loyal and if their plan for yesterday goes smoothly.”

Mireya turned to Damien and asked, “What is the meaning of this? Did you call me here to listen to this fabricated nonsense? It is obviously a lie.” She said coldly, her eyes almost spitting flames as though she was extremely incensed.

Her guards also seemed angered behind her, but they had no right to say anything in this situation.

Damien did not even glance at her and merely told Ben, “Continue.”

Ben flinched, but under Damien’s intense gaze, he pressed on fearfully, “When Joan came back drunk, he claimed that Miss Mireya had given him a fine wine to celebrate their successful plan.”

“Did you note the time?” Roman was the one who asked this time and Ben quickly replied.

“It was very late in the evening, around the second hour of the night.” Ben replied.

The time completely rhymed with the time Joan died this morning, it was exactly ten hours, not less and not more.

The guard began to show symptoms of being poisoned with the rot poison after ten hours.

Mireya’s arm tightened around the armrest of her chair and she scoffed.

“So the Alpha is really going to believe the words of an ordinary guard to frame me? Is your rule only worth this much? Is this your way of telling me that I’m no longer welcome in your territory? You could be more direct and I would leave, instead of bringing a low-ranked warrior to make drunken ramblings about a guard that died of food or water poisoning?”

Her words were sharp and concise, showing her anger and the fact that she didn’t feel guilty and knew nothing about the matter.

Even Roman began to think that maybe the Alpha had made a mistake and the guard, Ben, was only saying rubbish.

Mireya’s gaze was icy as it landed on Ben, whose body trembled in turn, “You dare accuse me?”

Ben didn’t say a word, but the fear on his face could not be hidden.

At this time, Albert finally stood up, his demeanor calm and his words unhurried.

“It is not merely words and Miss Mireya is not just being accused. This is based on fact and the evidence that has been gathered against you. I examined Joan’s blood and found out about the remnant of alcohol in his system, there were traces of The Rot mixed with the alcohol.”

“And Ben witnesses Joan leaving with another maid named Joselyn to visit you and he comes back drunk afterwards. Everything points at you, Miss Mireya.” Albert added, staring at Mireya calmly.

Gradually, Mireya stood up and gave a sarcastic laugh.

“This is ridiculous!”