Chapter 496 The Culprit
Knowing that his whereabouts had been exposed, Harry no longer hid and walked out from the shadows.
Behind the sacred spring, there was a small wooden cabinet where Harry used to play since he was a child. He knew every decoration there better than anyone else, and he knew exactly where to hide to remain unnoticed.
However, he didn’t expect Catherine to figure out his presence as soon as she arrived. His heart panicked momentarily, but he quickly regained his composure and calmly approached Catherine.
“Doctor, what are you doing here? This is the sacred spring, and non-royal members are prohibited inside!”
“Humph!” Catherine sneered and looked at him, raising an eyebrow.”
And yet, here you are. You went to great lengths to ask me to take you out, even bringing the Passam Stone. Now, why did you sneak back here?”
Harry remained calm, showing no signs of guilt. He covered his face, pretending to be in pain.
“Doctor, I don’t want to die, and I definitely don’t want anything to happen to my brothers. The sacred spring is a holy symbol in Ravenloth. The prophet said that as long as we sincerely pray to it, the sacred spring will hear our prayers and bless the members of the royal family with safety. I was just too scared, and I wanted to pray to the sacred spring for the safety of our royal family!”
Catherine raised an eyebrow, her face exuding an intriguing and mysterious expression.
“Is that so?”
These three simple words made Harry’s expression change. “Doctor, don’t you believe me?”
Harry’s expression seemed genuinely sincere, and an ordinary person might have believed him, but unfortunately, he encountered Catherine.
Catherine’s eyes were cold, and her tone was flat as she said, “Believe you in what? Believe that you didn’t poison the sacred spring? Or believe that you’re not the mastermind behind all this?”
Harry was stunned. He didn’t expect Catherine to have figured everything out. He wanted to explain and defend himself.
“No, I didn’t! I’m also a member of the royal family. How could I do such a thing? What benefit would it bring me?”
He just wouldn’t drop the act. Perhaps he would only admit everything willingly once the evidence was presented.
Catherine was well-prepared. If she didn’t have evidence, she wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of setting up this trap to catch Harry.
“Then, are you willing to let someone draw a vial of blood from you?” she asked.
“Why would I let someone draw my blood?” Harry was furious. He felt a sense of unease, but he firmly believed that Catherine couldn’t possibly know the truth. Although he knew Catherine was intelligent and formidable, he was sure his flawless plan would never be exposed.
Harry noticed that Withal, who had been following Catherine, was nowhere to be seen. He knew that things couldn’t be that simple. He thought carefully for a while and gradually figured out Catherine’s intentions.
“Doctor, you can’t treat me like this. I can go with you to see the king and confront him. I believe the great king will believe in my innocence!”
Branden stared at Harry, who was still desperately acting, with a faint smile playing in his eyes. It seemed like he was mocking Harry’s futile attempts.
From Harry’s behavior, Catherine had already seen through his thoughts. She didn’t expect this guy to be so quick- witted. She sent a message to Withal on her phone and then looked at Harry, raising an eyebrow, saying softly, “As you wish!”
A moment later, Withal appeared with the king, Queen Lina, and several princes from the palace, all standing by the sacred spring.
When Harry saw the king, he knew he had guessed correctly. He quickly prostrated himself in front of the king and pleaded, “Father, you must believe me. I didn’t poison anyone.”
The king’s face was very grim. He couldn’t accept the fact that someone had been poisoning the royal family, especially when it was done by such an inconspicuous son of his.
The king didn’t believe that Harry could be the one who poisoned them. After hesitating for a moment, he decided to ask Catherine about it.
“Doctor, could there be a mistake or something in the investigation?”
Before Catherine could speak, Queen Lina said in a slightly sarcastic tone, ” Exactly. Even if he had ten times the courage, he wouldn’t dare to do such a thing! Doctor, are you just randomly accusing someone without finding any evidence? Well, you’ve got the wrong person. Prince Harry is not a smart person, and he’s mentally disabled. Before you look for the culprit, Doctor, perhaps you should inquire about the situation in our royal family.”
Both openly and subtly, her words were implying that Catherine was randomly finding someone to take the blame to catch the culprit.
This sentiment spread among the people present. Prince Harry was just too inconspicuous. He came from a humble background and had always lacked intelligence. Even if something happened to Prince Levi, it wouldn’t be his turn to be the crown prince. So, why would he go through all this trouble to frame the members of the royal family?
Harry looked at the crowd discussing and felt a trace of joy in his heart. He knew that no one would believe what Catherine said. The more people knew him, the less likely they would believe he could do such a thing. When he saw Catherine being questioned, he even voluntarily defended her.
“Father, it’s not the doctor’s fault. Perhaps she was just too eager to find the truth. I came to the sacred spring just to pray for our safety, nothing else!
The king was not at all surprised by Harry’s words. The sacred spring was a sacred symbol in their hearts, and many members of the royal family would come here to drink the holy water and pray for health when they were ill.
The king was in a dilemma. Even though Catherine’s explanation sounded absurd, she had helped members of the royal family and temporarily suppressed their illnesses. Coupled with her background, he couldn’t take action against her for now.
“Since that’s the case, why don’t we…”
“Wait!”
A sudden voice broke the king’s speech. Everyone’s attention shifted to Catherine’s side. No one knew why this man, who had been standing there quietly, suddenly spoke up.
Branden had no interest in the intrigues of the royal family of Ravenloth. But if someone dared to target Catherine, he wouldn’t stand up for her.
Catherine wasn’t surprised by Branden’s sudden intervention. She just waited by his side, looking relaxed.
The king’s gaze also fell on Branden. He had a feeling that this assistant beside Catherine was extraordinary.
This man gave off a completely different aura compared to Withal’s, who was always behaving respectfully by Catherine’s side.
Branden exuded a strong sense of nobility, even more outstanding than many princes in the palace. This kind of nobility couldn’t be obtained overnight. It required not only a privileged background from birth but also intense cultivation and exceptional personal qualities.
The king had even arranged for someone to investigate this assistant’s identity, but he couldn’t even find his name. His whereabouts were just too mysterious.
After pondering for a while, the king took the initiative to ask Branden. “Do you have something to say?”
