The Scarred Queen's Rise (Athena) novel Chapter 399

Chapter 399

Xander fixed his gaze intently on Athena, scanning for any signs of injury.

In his eyes, there was a subtle mixture of surprise and admiration.

‘How bold of her to walk into danger alone, Xander thought. ‘Was she really so certain I’d come to her rescue? At this thought, Xander’s heart swelled with joy.

‘Does this mean I hold a special place in Athena’s heart?‘ he wondered.

The moment Xander’s words faded, panic instantly flashed across Henry’s face.

Never had Henry imagined Xander would personally come to back Athena up over such a trivial matter. Moreover, Xander appeared absolutely furious.

Though Xander’s voice was low, it sent chills down Henry’s spine.

“Forgive me, Prince Xander!” Henry blurted out, rushing forward to explain. But just as he opened his mouth, Xander stopped him.

Only after confirming Athena was unharmed did Xander finally turn his attention to those who deserved punishment.

Xander fixed Nicolas with a piercing glare and sneered, “How bold of you, Lord Nicolas, to dare bully my princess. You’ve truly outdone yourself.”

As the final syllable faded, Ansel Grimes stepped forward and struck the hollow of Nicolas’s knee with his sword scabbard.

A searing pain shot through Nicolas’s leg, making him collapse to his knees with a dull thud.

The agonizing pain forced a stifled grunt from Nicolas’s lips. Even with the stabbing pain radiating from his knee, Nicolas clenched his teeth and endured.

Suddenly, the memory of how he had punished Athena flashed through Nicolas’s mind. When Athena first returned to the manor, he had forced her to kneel just like this all night.

“So this is what it feels like to be forced to kneel…It’s far more humiliating than I imagined, Nicolas thought bitterly. He was starting to understand why Athena hated him so much.

A hand on his head forced Nicolas to suppress his emotions and bend himself even lower. “Please calm your anger, Prince Xander,” he pleaded. “I swear I had no such intent.”

For a long moment, Xander remained still and silent.

Just as Nicolas was puzzling over the silence, Athena’s mocking voice cut through the air. “You dared to have the manor guards detain me. What wouldn’t you dare to do, Lord Nicolas? As an official in the Justice Ministry, you break the very laws you’re supposed to uphold. What punishment do you deserve for that?”

Nicolas’s head snapped up, staring at Athena in utter disbelief. He never imagined she would betray him at such a crucial

moment.

She was flaunting her status as Xander’s princess and weaponizing his official position against him.

‘Is she trying to destroy me completely?‘ Nicolas thought, panic rising in his chest.

Nicolas panicked, his earlier bravado completely gone. Stammering frantically, he pleaded, “Prince Xander, I swear, I would

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never dare do such a thing! Grandmother is gravely ill, and I only wanted Athena to stay at the manor to fulfill her familial duties. She…she must have misunderstood me!”

“Lord Nicolas, you poisoned Grandmother and still dare to call it a misunderstanding?” Athena pointed at the manor guards in the courtyard, her voice sharp with accusation. “Is this how you show hospitality? By blocking my way with armed guards? If Prince Xander hadn’t arrived, were you planning to tie me up and keep me under house arrest in this manor?”

“No, no, that’s not it…” Nicolas stammered, still trying to deny it, but Xander had already lost all patience and cut him off.

Xander turned to Athena and saw indignation ablaze on her face. She reminded him of a defiant young doe, standing her ground and demanding justice for herself.

Xander took a deep breath as he picked out the important points in Athena’s speech. “Poisoning Lady Margaret… Is this

true?”

Athena nodded emphatically. “It doesn’t matter. The truth will come out under severe interrogation.”

Henry stared at Athena in horror. “This is merely a misunderstanding. How could things get so out of hand?”

He rushed to plead with Xander, “Your Highness, Athena’s words are utterly unreliable! I have thoroughly investigated the matter. It was entirely the cook’s careless mistake, and she had already confessed.”

An attendant brought over an armchair for Xander. With a sweep of his robes, Xandar took a seat.