"I am punishing you because you disrespected the Imperial Lord of Frost. Who in the minor families is courageous enough to kick up a fuss when I present such a valid reason?" Evan said with arrogance, befitting a prince.
Evan knew who was backing this slave. There were several minor families under the Frost Clan. A few of them were ruled by the brothers of the Grand General. These people were the ones who had enticed Havelock into spying on Evan and relaying his every action to them.
As for their purpose, it was easy to distinguish. The minor families were aiming for the Ice throne.
Havelock revealed a smug smile upon hearing Evan's words.
"It will be your words against mine in court."
Even slaves had rights in the empire. They weren't just disposable property to be killed at a whim. They could only be punished if there was a valid reason, and the judges of the Frost Clan's imperial Court were the ones that determined whether the reason was valid or not.
The judges mostly came from the minor families of the Frost Clan. They wouldn't believe Evan and relentlessly badger him for solid proof to back up his claims.
"This slave's status might not be as good as yours, but don't forget, I am more popular than you in the Frost Clan. Most of the members of the punishment hall are also part of the minor families, and they will definitely stand up for me. The vote of the majority will be in my favor," he said, his voice dripping with confidence. "Without solid evidence, you can't do much to punish me. You can take away my status as your servant and give me to someone else, but everyone will think it's because of your paranoia acting up. It will be a small victory, counted as better than nothing. Besides, if you really proceed to do that, you'll be letting your father down."
In Magnus's eyes, Havelock was still a harmless child.
"Do you still want to confront me?"
A smirk played on Havelock's lips as he awaited Evan's response.
As the conversation unfolded, Edmund had remained a silent observer until now. But as he heard Havelock's words, his fury ignited like a raging inferno. How dare he speak to the Crown Prince of Frost in such a disrespectful manner? How dare he pull the Imperial Lord of Frost into his petty schemes?
"Damned eunuch, You have gone too far!"
Edmund's muscles tensed. He was ready to pounce on Havelock and teach him a lesson he would never forget. However, before he could make a move, he was stopped by Evan.
"Sir Edmund, lower your hand." Evan said, his tone firm but gentle.
Edmund's eyes darted from Evan's face to Havelock's, torn between his desire to strike the insolent eunuch and his respect for Evan's authority. After a moment of hesitation, he reluctantly lowered his hand, his anger still simmering beneath the surface.
Havelock's smile widened, a smug sense of satisfaction washing over him as he observed the mild behavior of his opponent. He felt a surge of triumph within him as if he had emerged victorious in this confrontation.
He couldn't resist the urge to goad his opponent further, relishing in the moment.
"I had expected more from you, my prince. I thought you had something up your sleeve when you chose today to tear off my mask. But I guess I was just overthinking it," he said, his voice laced with sarcasm. "I take back my words. You haven't changed one bit. You're still trapped in the past," he added, with a hint of disdain.
"You are wrong."
Evan's words hung heavily in the air, catching Havelock off guard.
Havelock's eyebrow arched in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"I have evidence." Evan reached into the folds of the comforter, withdrawing his hand to reveal a small, unassuming object clasped between his fingers. "Do you know what this is? No, right? It's a device from a lesser mortal realm. That world isn't as advanced as ours, but there's one thing that should be mentioned. Their technology is less sophisticated than ours and lacks energy signatures!"
Havelock's eyes widened to the size of saucers as he realized why he had not sensed its presence before.
He was a sensor. The soul plate he awakened granted him the ability to sense the fluctuation of energy in his surrounding. As every person and item originating from the empire had an energy signature, he could sense them if he was in the same room as them. But the voice recorder in Evan's hand lacked an energy signature.
Thus, he hadn't been aware of its presence until now.
"W-What is it?" Havelock stammered out.
"It's a voice recorder," Evan replied as he smiled.
Evan deftly played the recorder, and the room was filled with the sound of the conversation that had just taken place in this very room, every word ringing out clear and true.
The evidence was damning, a testament to Havelock's treachery, revealing not only his disrespect towards the crown prince and imperial lord of frost but also his nefarious alliance with the minor families.
It also showed that the minor families had the audacity to plot against the main family. The proof was irrefutable.
Havelock felt his breath catch in his throat, realizing that he had played straight into Evan's hand. Evan had been setting him up from the very start. He had been leading him to say the words he so wanted to hear, and because he had uttered them, he had signed his demise.
This prince had never been so shrewd. Havelock felt as if the teen before him was an entirely different person than the one he knew.
"What do you think will happen if I release this conversation?" Evan asked in a low and menacing voice.
Havelock's heart sank.
If the conversation was leaked, he would be utterly destroyed. Not only would he be implicated, but the minor families would also suffer the consequences.
Of course, they would take action to save themselves.
Havelock could already see them vehemently denying any involvement in the matter, placing the entire blame on him and ruining his life. The Frost Clan punished spying and lying to one's master, and disrespecting their patriarch with a capital punishment. He would be lucky if he survived. And even if he did survive, the entire empire would reject him, leaving him to suffer alone.