The Alpha’s Forgotten Daughter; The Luna They Threw Away のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 41 - チャプター 50

Evander’s PovThe archivist still hadn’t answered. I kept my eyes on him.“By whose order was the regional archive sealed?”His fingers tightened around the edge of the desk.“I already told you, Your Highness. The records were sealed after the conviction.”“That wasn’t my question.”He swallowed. I leaned back in my chair and folded my hands.“Who authorized it?”The man glanced toward the closed archive door.“I would need to check the registry.”“You said the archive was sealed after the conviction.”“Yes.”“Then you know the order exists.”His mouth opened, then closed again.I stood.“Find it.”The archivist hesitated.“Your Highness….”“Find it.”He hurried toward the shelves. I followed him through the narrow passage between rows of old files. Dust covered most of the boxes, but the records connected to the Blackstone conviction had been handled more recently than the others. That alone bothered me. When the archivist stopped before a locked cabinet, I looked at him.“You said

Elowen’s POVI was halfway through sorting Mother’s medicine when someone knocked on the open door.I looked up, “Come in.”The servant stepped inside and bowed.“Lady Elowen, Lord Thorne has requested a private conversation with you.”My hands stopped over the small medicine box, “Now?”“Yes, my lady. He said it concerns the arrangement.”I closed the box.“Where is he?”“He’s waiting in the east sitting room.”I nodded.“Thank you.”The servant left. For a moment, I remained where I was.The arrangement. Two words that had occupied more of my thoughts than I wanted to admit. I had asked Caelan to find me a mate because I needed a way out. I had wanted security, independence, somewhere I could go after Mother recovered.Then Alaric appeared. He knew about Blackstone. He knew about my conviction. He hadn’t looked at me as if I was something broken.But now that his territory had raised objections, I had started preparing myself for the possibility that he would withdraw.Instead, he h

Evander’s POVThe file was still open on my desk when the palace archivist returned. He stopped at the doorway.“You asked for me?”I looked up from the papers. “I asked for the original investigation report.”The man swallowed.“I told you yesterday that it could not be located.”“You told me the regional archive was sealed.”“It was.”“That wasn’t my question.”He shifted his weight. I pushed the altered file toward the edge of the desk.“This case was archived after Elowen Veyra’s conviction. There should have been an investigation report, witness statements, evidence logs, and the final review.”“Yes.”“Where are they?”“I don’t know.”I leaned back.“You work in the royal archives.”“Yes, Your Highness.”“You’re telling me you don’t know where a sealed criminal investigation went?”His eyes dropped to the floor.“I’m telling you that the archive contains what was transferred to us.”“And what was transferred?”“The conviction record.”“Only that?”“There are supporting documents.

Evander’s POVI found the servant in the western records wing. He was older than I expected. His hair had turned almost completely gray, and his hands shook slightly as he sorted through a stack of old household registers. When I gave him my name, he immediately stopped working.“Prince Evander.”I nodded.“You served the Veyra household during the year of Elowen Veyra’s conviction?”His eyes moved toward the records room behind me.“Yes.”“I need to ask you some questions.”He swallowed.“About Lady Elowen?”“Yes.”His fingers tightened around the register.“I thought that the matter was settled.”“So did everyone else.”I pulled out the chair opposite him.“Sit.”He obeyed.For a moment, neither of us spoke.Then I placed the copy of the old witness statement on the table.“Is this your statement?”He looked at the page.“Yes.”“You remember giving it?”“Some of it.”“Some?”“It was a long time ago.”“I know.”I tapped the paper.“Tell me what happened that night.”The servant lower

Elowen’s POVI was carrying a tray back from Mother’s room when I heard someone mention the underground archive.My steps stopped.Not slowed.Stopped.“…the old restricted room,” a servant was saying behind me. “I heard they’re looking through those records again.”Another voice answered, “Why would they reopen that place after all these years?”“I don’t know. Something about the old investigation.”The tray suddenly felt too heavy in my hands.The restricted room.I stared at the corridor ahead of me.For a moment, nothing happened. Then my fingers tightened around the edge of the tray.Stone. Cold stone beneath my feet.I blinked. The corridor disappeared. A door stood in front of me. Dark wood.Iron handle. I could hear someone breathing.“No.”The word slipped from my mouth.The servant behind me stopped talking.“Lady Elowen?”I turned too quickly. The tray rattled in my hands.“What?”She looked at me nervously. “Are you all right?”“Yes.”My answer came too fast. She glanced a