Headline

*Chapter 80*

Reginald, Father, and I were having a peaceful morning meal on the balcony when there was a maidservant who came to rush in our direction.

"Beta! Beta! Beta Novalie!"

Sighing, I set aside my spoon when she halted in front of me. "What is it?" I asked after I wiped my mouth with my napkin.

"Um..." She was still panting as her chest was rising up and down.

"My, my... Calm down," I stated. "Take a deep breath and tell me what is happening." I was hoping that there was no issue regarding the training of the Omegas right now if that was what she was going to discuss today. When I thought that she had calmed down, I asked her what was happening.

"T-This, Beta." She apprehensively bestowed me a rolled parchment. I took it and read it.

May 14, xxx

Headline: Marchioness Argerich is committing treason

My eyes widened when I read it. I even gasped and stood up in my seat in no time. "W-What in the Moon Goddess' name..." I said, horrified.

"What is it?" Father and Reginald asked in unison.

I glanced at them before I turned at the leaflet I got to read. I felt goosebumps when I bestowed it to them. I clasped my hands together as I waited for their reaction.

"What the hell is this?!" Father raised his tone, looking at the maidservant angrily. "You cannot be serious!" He growled.

"T-This has been circulating the town, Lord Nigelle. I-I saw people start to talk about it when I was having my d-day off."

"Are you certain about this?" Reginald creased his forehead.

The maidservant nodded. "Yes, Lord Reginald. The people are uncontrollable as this has been posted on the notice board in the town square."

I dropped in my seat and leaned toward it as I felt my knees weaken. Father crumpled the leaflet as he slammed the table.

"This is defamation!" he said angrily. "My daughter would never do that!"

I massaged my temple as I didn't know what was happening right now. Me? Committing treason? I would never do that!

Even Alpha Denzil rushed to our manor to confirm if we already read it. To my disappointment, I nodded my head as I felt myself going haywire right now.

"I would never commit treason... I would never do that..." I said as I started pacing back and forth, feeling distressed as to who could have done this to me. This was defamation. This wasn't true in the beginning.

I was still having an issue looking for Frederick yet... this came? What the hell was going on in my life right now?

"Someone is framing you if that is the case," Alpha Denzil said who was with Luna Helen right now.

"This would alarm the royal lycan family, Denzil," Luna Helen said, worried. She even stood up and halted me from pacing. "Novalie, stay here. Halt that." She guided me to sit down.

"But Luna... I swore in the name of the Moon Goddess that I will never commit treason against them. Even if I say I hate Prince Atticus, I am not going to the point of committing treason against the royal lycan family..." I said defensively.

I already concocted some plans to avenge myself for Prince Atticus but I wouldn't do something that would surely ruin my name by committing treason. I would never do that! I wanted to scream in frustration right now because it felt like everything was crumbling down one by one.

"Alpha, we must go to the palace to make things clear with them. They must conduct an investigation first before they can say that Novalie commits treason..." Father said, looking so frustrated right now.

I reclined in my seat. I was so close to shedding tears right now. This was a huge humiliation I would be facing right now. If before, I never cared at all, right now, since I became Marchioness in my own right, I started to protect the reputation I worked hard to build.

"Wait."

I glanced at Alpha Denzil when he halted for a moment. Then I even halted when I heard a mind link coming from one of the pack warriors.

'Beta, His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Alucard is right in front of our pack gate. He is looking for you.'

Alpha Denzil and I exchanged glances as soon as we received that news. "Stay here, Novalie. I shall deal with it."

"What is it? What is happening?" Father asked, creasing his forehead.

I clenched my hands as I felt goosebumps crawling right now. "Crown Prince Alucard is here, Father... He is looking for me."

My words sounded like dynamite that destroyed a certain area. Father gasped and stood up in no time. He was about to follow Alpha Denzil but I stopped him.

"I shall go with Alpha, Father. I must see what business he has here," I uttered before I decided to follow Alpha Denzil to the front gate of our pack.

When Alpha Denzil saw me, I could tell that he wanted to stop me but I shook my head, not letting him protect me again. I knew I had done nothing wrong to commit treason as they had no evidence.

I felt Father's presence beside me and even Luna Helen. I looked for Reginald but he was nowhere to be found. I scoffed. That coward... He had no compassion for his wife. He was a selfish bastard after all.

Ignoring that he was missing, I paid attention when the front gate opened. It revealed Crown Prince Alucard who had an earnest expression and was wearing his royal suit. Gone was the mischievous expression he had the last time we talked before. He was even surrounded by his royal knights.

Feeling cautious, all of us bowed our heads. "Greetings, Your Royal Highness, Crown Prince Alucard," we all greeted him in unison. He nodded his head, acknowledging our greetings.

"What business do you have here, Your Royal Highness?" I asked in a solemn tone.

"I have been summoned here by the order of my older brother." He scrutinized us before his forest green eyes darted on me. "Marchioness Argerich of Timestone, you are being summoned to the palace for a trial." He unscrolled the document. "I have the royal decree from Alpha King Azarius. You have no right to defy it. You must make an appearance two days from now," he said with a matter of coldness.

I was rendered speechless while gripping my skirt. I couldn't believe this... They already set a trial... They would take matters into their own hands since this was alarming that one of the nobles was committing treason.

"Your Royal Highness." Father stepped forward. "This must be a mistake. My daughter will not dare to commit treason against the royal lycan family," he begged. "We are the sword of the royal lycan family! We shall not dare to tarnish the name of the House of Argerich!" he exclaimed, trying to prove his point that we were loyal and faithful to them.

Alucard's expression didn't falter. "I am only following the order from my older brother, Dowager Marquis Argerich. I must not dare to defy it," he said earnestly. Father hissed and couldn't utter any word. He turned at me again. "If you wish to prove your innocence, come to the trial the royal lycan family set for you. We shall see if you are innocent from this or not, Marchioness Argerich."

I secretly gnashed my teeth. He sounded like he was threatening. "If I did not dare to come to the trial, what would have happened?" I asked, wary of my surroundings right now.

Alucard scrolled back the document he was holding. "Then, it shall be concluded that you shall be executed along with the bloodline of the House of Argerich. You must know that already. Didn't you learn the royal ordinances of the Sowinski Kingdom?"

My chest rose up and down when this tone of his was so foreign to me. This wasn't the Alucard I knew and the one who always called me sister-in-law. I couldn't believe that there would come a time when he would act hostile toward me.

Damn it!

I changed my expression into a cold one. "Fine. If that is what the royal lycan family wants, then I shall show myself to this trial and prove my innocence." I wanted to get my dagger and attack him but if I did that, then that was committing treason again.

It was daring to hurt one of the members of the royal lycan family. I must control my emotions.

Calm down, Novalie. Calm down.

"Very well." Alucard nodded. "Then, I shall take my leave. See you at the trial. Make sure that you would show yourself or else, the House of Argerich is done for," he threatened coldly.

I glared at him. "Do as you wish," I said, feeling annoyed at his tone.

Dear me... I wanted to punch Alucard right now. His annoying expression was making my blood boil.

I watched him going inside the royal carriage. I creased my forehead when I saw another person that was inside of it but I didn't get a chance to see who it was because it was hidden behind the curtain.

"By the way, Lady Novalie." I snapped back when Alucard halted the royal knight from closing the carriage door.

"What?" I said firmly and coldly.

Alucard drew out a small smirk. "Atticus will be coming to watch the trial."

I gasped as my eyes widened at his words. Prince Atticus would be showing himself? Was that true? Clearing my throat, I composed myself when I realized that my chest was rising up and down. It could mean that I was so close to losing my cool right now.

"Why..." I cleared my throat again when my voice croaked. "Why are you telling me this?" I gripped more of my skirt right now. This was making my emotions not keep at bay.

Just hearing Prince Atticus was already enough that I would lose my composure. And I knew that Alucard knew that which was why his smile grew wider when he saw my reaction.

"I am hoping that you refrain from creating a scandalous scene once you see him. Once you have done that, that minuscule action of yours shall put you in jeopardy," he explained as he chortled before he turned to face the person he was with. "Right, Atticus? You are ready to put Novalie in a dangerous situation, right?"

My heart dropped when I heard what Alucard said. He was with... Prince Atticus?

I heard my heart pounded so fast as the emotions started to waver upon knowing that Prince Atticus was here. From hearing that, I felt my blood boil.

"Bast—"

"Novalie!" Father halted me and held me on my shoulders, shaking his head. "Do not say that. He is testing you."

I could feel my hands fidgeting when I glared at Alucard who was smiling from ear to ear and waving his hand. "Farewell, and see you at the trial!"

As soon as they were out of our sight, I cussed loudly. "Damn it! Prince Atticus is here! That asshole! That dimwit lycan prince!" I said, screaming at the top of my lungs.

I didn't care if Father, Alpha Denzil, and Luna Helen were hearing me with the words I was uttering right now. At this moment, I knew that I wouldn't be able to control my emotions.

If Prince Atticus was going to show there, then it was impossible...

It was impossible to control my emotions.

I must do something... I really must do something...