Reborn To Change My Fate-Chapter 158 - Hundred And Fifty Eight

Derek stood like a statue carved from granite. His chest heaved with suppressed rage. His hand was clamped on the hilt of his sword, his knuckles white. He was ready to draw. He was ready to cut down anyone who dared to point a finger at his wife. The vein in his neck pulsed visibly.

Marissa reached out. Her hand, small and pale, landed on his tense forearm. She squeezed gently.

"Derek," she whispered. Her voice was barely audible over the shouting of the crowd.

She shook her head a little, her eyes locking onto his.

"Don’t," she mouthed.

Her eyes were pleading. She wasn’t pleading for herself; she was pleading for him. She knew that if he drew his sword, if he hurt a civilian in a rage, it would be the end. They would be painted as tyrants who killed commoners to hide their crimes. It was exactly what their enemies wanted.

Derek looked down at her. He saw the logic in her eyes, warring with the fear. He took a deep, shuddering breath, forcing his anger down into a cold, hard knot in his stomach. He looked into the eyes of Mira’s grieving mother, though he didn’t step back. He stayed between the woman and Marissa, a human shield.

"Without evidence," Derek said, his voice a low, dangerous rumble that silenced the immediate area, "do not blame me for being harsh. My wife is innocent."

A dancer stepped forward from the huddled group near the stage. She was young, her face pale, her makeup smeared with tears. She looked terrified, but her anger gave her courage.

"We saw it ourselves, Your Grace," the dancer cried out, her voice shaking. She pointed at Marissa. "Mira refused! She tried to run away! But the Duchess... she grabbed her. She dragged her back toward the stairs. We even thought Mira did something wrong to offend the Duchess!"

Another dancer nodded, sobbing into her hands. "Yes! We all saw her! There is no mistake!"

Marissa looked at them. She felt a cold chill settle in her bones. They weren’t lying. They were just saying what they believed they saw.

"But I didn’t come here today at all," Marissa said, her voice steady but desperate. She looked from face to face, trying to find someone who would believe her. "I have been gone since noon. I was at the market."

Derek stepped forward, his voice booming. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"She was with me all through the day," Derek declared. "We were celebrating the festival. In the market square. Hundreds of people saw us."

He pointed to Marissa’s head, to the wilting flowers in her hair.

"Can’t you see her dress?" Derek demanded. "Can’t you see the wreath on her hair? I made it for her! We have been together every second! She never left my side!"

Mira’s mother let out a bitter, ugly laugh. It was the sound of a woman who had lost everything and had nothing left to fear.

"You are together!" she screamed, pointing a shaking finger at both of them. "You are her husband! You are the Grand Duke! Of course you would defend her! Of course you would lie for her!"

The crowd murmured in agreement. The nobility always protected their own. To them, Derek wasn’t a witness; he was an accomplice.

"Move aside!"

A new voice cut through the chaos like a whip. It was authoritative, cold, and official.

The crowd parted. A group of men in the black and silver uniforms of the Royal Judiciary Guard pushed through the press of bodies. They were not soldiers; they were the King’s law enforcement. They didn’t carry heavy broadswords for war; they carried shackles.

The leader, Captain Odis, stopped in front of Derek and Marissa. He held a scroll in his hand.

"Duchess Marissa," Captain Odis said. His voice was flat, devoid of emotion. "You are suspected in the death of a commoner. Mira, a dancer of this establishment."

He held up the scroll, showing the royal seal.

"Come to the palace with us," he ordered. "For questioning."

Derek moved instantly. He shifted his weight, standing directly in front of Marissa, blocking her completely from the guards. His hand went back to his sword hilt. The metal rasped slightly as he loosened the blade in its sheath.

"Who dares touch her?" Derek snarled.

His eyes dared them to try. He looked like a wolf guarding its mate.

The crowd erupted. The sight of the Duke threatening the law enforcers was the spark that lit the powder keg.

"Is the Duchess above the law?" a patron shouted from the back. It was a wealthy merchant, his face red with indignation. "She killed a girl! Treating life like dirt just because she has a title!"

"Yes!" another voice cried out. "Exactly! She should face the law!"

"Even the King is subject to the law!" a woman yelled, shaking her fist. "What makes you think you are above the Royal Family? This is outrageous!"

The mood in the room shifted from grief to mob justice. They wanted blood. They wanted to see the mighty fall. They wanted to see the woman in the silk dress pay for the girl on the floor.

Captain Odis didn’t flinch. He looked at Derek. He didn’t draw a weapon, but his eyes were hard. He knew he couldn’t beat the Grand Duke in a sword fight, but he had something stronger than steel. He had the law.

"Consider the bigger picture, Your Grace," Odis said quietly, stepping closer so only Derek could hear. "If you fight us here... if you draw steel on the King’s Justice... you will be branded a traitor. The mob will tear this place apart. And your wife will look guilty. You will destroy her defense before she even speaks."

Derek hesitated. His hand tightened on his sword until his leather glove creaked. He wanted to fight. He wanted to kill every person who dared to accuse her. He wanted to scoop her up and carry her away from this madness.

But he knew Odis was right. A fight would destroy them. It would play right into the enemy’s hands.

Marissa put a hand on Derek’s shoulder. She felt the tension in his muscles. She felt the heat of his rage.

"Derek," she said softly.

He looked back at her. His eyes were wild with fear for her. He looked like a man watching his world crumble.

"I will go," Marissa said.