Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Mate-Chapter 119: Celebratory Breakfast...

Evelina walked through the palace corridor, her mind spinning in a thousand different directions. The weight of everything that had just happened pressed down on her, but she refused to let it consume her.

The well-poisoning accusation was off her shoulders, but she was far from safe.

Relia’s voice broke through her thoughts. "So what are you going to do now? Celebrate this tiny victory?"

Evelina turned a corner, her footsteps echoing softly against the polished stone floor. "I wish I could, but ten days is closer than it sounds."

Relia hummed in agreement. "Mm-hmm. And since we both know our mate is a man of his word... I’d really like to stay alive."

"Same."

"I still believe he won’t kill us just to stand true to his words."

"I know," Eve replied, "But even if he doesn’t, the king can always order an execution."

"You should have hope for both of us."

"I’m trying," Eve replied with a sigh.

She was trying to see even the faintest of silver linings in the whole situation. But she still couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling lingering in her gut. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Matthew had confessed, but it had been too... easy.

Relia must have sensed her tension because she sighed. "Look, Evie, I know that suspicious little brain of yours is running a hundred miles per hour, but maybe—just maybe—you can take a second to breathe?"

Evelina didn’t get the chance to respond.

Because the moment she turned the next corner—

"Well, if it isn’t the most talked-about woman in the palace."

She paused mid-step, her gaze flickering up.

Jasper.

He was leaning casually against the wall, arms crossed, his ever-present smirk in place. But unlike the usual playful glint in his eyes, there was something sharper—like he was studying her carefully.

"Jasper," she acknowledged.

He grinned. "Congratulations on clearing your name on that accusation. Even though there are still other accusations to clear. And by others, I mean the very big one that still has your head on the line.

"You know, the whole ’attempted murder of a prince’ thing. But, hey! Small victories. At least now no one thinks you poisoned an entire water source. Though, between you and me, the council still looked at you like they were wondering if you had any more surprises up your sleeve, which, let’s be honest, you probably do, and—"

He paused. Blinked.

Then exhaled. "And... I’m blabbing, aren’t I?"

Evelina tilted her head, a small, amused smile tugging at her lips. "Yes. You are."

Jasper placed a hand over his chest dramatically. "Ah, tragic. And here I was, thinking I was being charming."

Evelina shook her head. "Charming isn’t the word I’d use."

Jasper grinned, but then his expression softened slightly. "I’m just glad you’ve been exonerated. That’s one less mystery to solve."

Evelina simply nodded again.

Jasper frowned. "You know, I was guessing you’d be a little more thrilled given the update. Lord Matthew—behind bars. The council is looking in another direction. A little bit of breathing room. But you don’t look thrilled."

He studied her for a moment before tilting his head. "Or... you aren’t quite convinced."

Evelina hesitated, then countered, "Are you?"

The question hung between them.

Jasper let out a slow breath, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don’t know, my lady, but... Something about this doesn’t feel right."

Evelina’s fingers twitched. "Exactly."

They stood in silence for a beat.

Then Jasper exhaled. "Alright. Let’s hear it. What’s bothering you?"

Evelina bit the inside of her cheek before speaking. "He confessed too quickly. He had plenty of opportunities to deny it, to push the blame onto someone else. But instead, he just... accepted it."

Jasper frowned. "That’s true... though some men crack under pressure."

Evelina shook her head. "Not Matthew. He’s a nobleman. He’s a strategist. He wouldn’t just take the fall unless there was a reason."

Jasper hummed. "You think he’s covering for someone?"

Evelina exhaled. "I know he is. I just don’t know who."

Jasper’s gaze flickered with thought. "Ethan seemed loyal. Even after we dragged him through hell, he didn’t speak until the last moment. What if Lord Matthew is just the same?"

"Yeah, he’s probably playing a different game..."

"One where taking the blame for this keeps his real goal intact?"

"Exactly." Evelina rubbed her temples. "Which means the real person behind everything is still out there."

Jasper let out a low whistle. "Well, that’s fantastic. So we just pulled weeds and left the damn roots."

Evelina exhaled sharply. "And I have ten days to find the real culprit."

Jasper studied her for a moment, then shrugged. "Alright, then. If we’re going to be drowning in conspiracies and treason for the next ten days, we might as well do it on a full stomach."

Evelina blinked. "What?"

Jasper grinned. "Come on, my lady. You’ve had a long day. Let me go get you breakfast. Plus Your Highness would have my head if he finds out I’m here discussing instead of tending to your needs."

Relia perked up in Evelina’s mind. "Food doesn’t sound like a bad idea right now."

Evelina rolled her eyes but sighed. "Fine."

Jasper’s grin widened. "Good choice, our dear almost-executed mate. Now, let’s get you fed before you pass out from all that thinking."

Evelina shook her head with a small smile as they walked down the hall, but her mind was still racing.

Matthew had taken the fall. The real traitor was still out there. And time was running out.

************

Jasper led Evelina to a small, private dining chamber in one of the palace’s many tucked-away corners.

It wasn’t grand like the royal banquet hall, but it was warm. It had a large wooden table, velvet drapes, and a roaring fireplace crackling softly in the corner.

He gestured for her to sit before stepping aside, allowing a maid to enter with a large tray of food.

And then—another maid followed.

And another.

Each one placed down plates upon plates of food, a ridiculous amount that had Evelina blinking in disbelief.

By the time they were done, the table looked fit for a feast.

Jasper grinned, setting down the final tray himself before stepping back dramatically. "Here you go, my lady."

Evelina’s mouth parted slightly as she stared at the sheer amount of food before her. She turned to him, brows raised. "Jasper?! Don’t you think this is too much?"

He placed a hand over his chest with an innocent expression. "I tag this... your celebratory breakfast."

Evelina gave him a flat look.

Jasper coughed. "Okay, I’m still working on a better tagline for it, but the point is—you should enjoy it."

Evelina exhaled but allowed a small smile to tug at her lips. She was too tired to argue. Besides, it had been a while since she had a proper meal.

She picked up a piece of fruit and took a bite. The sweetness melted on her tongue.

After a few moments, she glanced up. "Why don’t you join me?"

Jasper blinked, then let out a short laugh. "Oh, I’m sorry, my lady, but even if I wanted to, I can’t."

Evelina frowned slightly. "Why not?"

Jasper smirked. "Because you are a noblewoman and mate to the prince, while I am but a humble servant. We can’t eat from the same plate."

Evelina scoffed at his reason. "Is that an actual law?"

Jasper nodded solemnly. "Actually, yes."

Evelina raised a brow. "Funny, because when it’s time to tease the prince, you don’t seem like a servant at all."

Jasper’s grin widened. "Ah, well. Let’s just say the prince is very, very kind."

Evelina shook her head, taking another bite before gesturing toward the chair across from her. "At least sit with me, then. We can talk."

Jasper hesitated. "Talk about what?"

Evelina leaned forward slightly. "Let’s see how much I know so far about the prince’s poisoning."

Jasper’s playful demeanor shifted ever so slightly. His smirk didn’t fully fade, but his gaze sharpened. "You want to go over the case?"

Evelina nodded. "Yes. From the beginning."

Jasper exhaled, then nodded. "Alright, I guess I can do that." He pulled out a chair and sat down, resting an elbow on the table. "So, where do we start?"

Evelina met his gaze, her mind already sorting through the facts.

"From the beginning," she repeated.

Jasper leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin as he recounted the details. "So, just to sum up what we already know—the poison used in both the well and the prince’s drink was Yellow Wolfsbane."

Evelina nodded. "And in the prince’s case, it was mixed with Sable Lily."

Jasper clicked his tongue. "That’s a rare combination. Yellow Wolfsbane is already lethal in high doses, but Sable Lily makes it act faster and completely masks the scent."

"Exactly," Evelina said, tapping her fingers against the table. "Whoever did this knew what they were doing. They weren’t just trying to poison Damian—they were making sure there was no way to detect it until it was too late."

Jasper hummed. "You questioned the maid, right? The one who served the drink."

Evelina frowned. "Yeah, and she swears she never poured it herself."

"Which means...

"Someone else did."