Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Mate-Chapter 158: Back to Old Clues?

Jasper stretched his arms above his head before exhaling. "I think I should start heading back."

Seraphina pouted slightly, stabbing at a piece of bread with her fingertip. "I’m now rethinking my decision to come visiting. This place is boring."

Jasper smirked. "So sorry, Your Highness. I didn’t realize I was supposed to prepare entertainment for you."

She sighed dramatically. "It’s not your fault. It’s just bad timing."

Jasper nodded. "Yeah. That’s an understatement."

She tilted her head at him. "I can come with you."

Jasper blinked. "No, you can’t."

Seraphina frowned. "Why not?"

Jasper crossed his arms. "Because if someone spots you, they’ll assume you’re a maid or a lost noble, and you definitely won’t be able to follow me around without raising suspicion."

Seraphina dropped her face into her hand. "Ugh. That’s the worst excuse I’ve ever heard."

Jasper chuckled. "It’s also the truth."

She sighed, watching him for a moment before her lips twitched. "You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?"

Jasper leaned against the doorframe, smirking. "A little bit."

Seraphina groaned. "This is ridiculous. What am I supposed to do all day?"

Jasper shrugged. "Rest. Eat. Try not to cause trouble."

Seraphina huffed, folding her arms. "Fine. But you better come back."

Jasper’s smirk softened just a little. "I will."

She stared at him for a long moment, as if trying to decide whether or not to believe him. Then, with a small, dramatic sigh, she waved him off. "Go, before I change my mind and tie you to a chair."

Jasper chuckled. "I’d like to see you try."

With that, he turned and slipped out the door, disappearing into the trees.

Back at the Palace

Jasper moved quickly through the hidden paths of the palace grounds, keeping to the shadows until he reached the servant’s entrance. He pushed the door open and strode inside, adjusting his uniform like he had been there all along.

But he barely made it a few steps before—

"Where have you been all morning?"

Jasper turned to find Evelina standing in the corridor, arms crossed, her sharp eyes fixed on him like she already knew he was up to something.

He scratched the back of his head. "Uh... I got lost?"

Evelina raised an unimpressed brow. "Try again."

Jasper sighed. "You never let me have an easy excuse, do you?"

"Nope." Evelina’s lips twitched, but she kept her stern expression. "So, are you going to tell me the truth or should I start guessing?"

Jasper smirked. "Guessing sounds fun."

Evelina rolled her eyes. "Jasper."

He sighed, dropping the act. "I... had something to take care of."

Evelina studied him for a long moment before shaking her head. "I don’t even want to know."

"Great. Let’s pretend this conversation never happened."

Evelina scoffed but didn’t press further. Instead, she grabbed his wrist and started pulling him down the corridor.

Jasper blinked. "Uh—where are we going?"

"You’re late," Evelina said simply. "We already finished the antidote, but now you and I have another problem to deal with."

Jasper groaned. "I hate the way you just said that."

Evelina exhaled. "Trust me, I do too."

Jasper sighed dramatically as Evelina pulled him along. "Can you at least tell me where we’re going, milady?"

Evelina barely spared him a glance. "The royal wine depository."

Jasper frowned. "The wine depository?"

"Yes." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

He blinked. "You do realize the horses were poisoned, not the wine, right?"

Evelina shot him a look. "Yes, I am aware."

"Then why are we going there?"

Evelina exhaled. "Because with all the chaos in the stables, the scheduled movement of the wine bottles was delayed. That means there’s still a chance we can check something that might have been overlooked."

Jasper groaned. "I thought we agreed it was a waste of time."

"Yeah," Evelina admitted. "But we might have missed a few details."

Jasper narrowed his eyes slightly but didn’t argue. If there was one thing he had learned, it was that Evelina didn’t follow dead leads unless she had a gut feeling about them.

"I trust you, milady," Jasper finally said, adjusting his pace to walk beside her. "But if we’re chasing down old clues, I’d like to know what happened in my absence."

Evelina nodded, but instead of answering right away, she slowed her steps and glanced around the empty corridor.

Jasper arched a brow. "What?"

She hesitated before lowering her voice. "First, tell me something. What can you tell me about Lord Luther?"

Jasper stilled slightly at the name. He looked at her carefully, noting the way she kept her expression neutral, but there was something about the way she asked—something cautious.

He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "That depends. What do you want to know?"

Evelina’s lips pressed together. "Everything."

Jasper let out a low whistle. "That’s a lot, milady."

Evelina’s voice was steady, but there was a sharpness to it. "Then start somewhere."

Jasper studied her for a long moment, then nodded. "Alright. But let me ask you something first."

She raised a brow. "What?"

Jasper’s silver-blue eyes darkened slightly. "Do you think he’s behind the poisoning?"

For a moment, Evelina hesitated. But then, she sighed. "I would like to rule out the possibility that he isn’t, but my guess? Probably."

Jasper clenched his jaw. He had a feeling he wasn’t going to like this.

And he was right.

Jasper exhaled through his nose, rubbing the back of his neck. "Okay, my lady... anything specific you want to know?"

"Like I said, everything," Evelina replied, her voice quiet but firm. "But let’s start with how long he’s been in the palace."

Jasper gave her a knowing look. "That sounds like a very particular starting point, milady."

She arched a brow. "And?"

Jasper sighed, shaking his head. "Fine. Luther’s been here for years—longer than most realize. He wasn’t born into nobility, not originally. Came from a lesser noble house, one of those that barely held onto their titles after the war. He clawed his way up through intelligence, strategy, and—" Jasper’s lips quirked, "—an irritating amount of charm."

Evelina hummed, considering this. "And now he’s the king’s closest advisor. Isn’t that suspicious?"