Kyle, the crown prince, stepped forward, his expression twisted with anger. He reached into his robe and pulled out a small, familiar object—the pendant Wuxie had lost.
With a sneer, Kyle threw the pendant at Wuxie's feet. The clattering sound as it hit the polished floor echoed through the hall, the harsh noise amplifying the gravity of the accusation.
"This was found on Hanli's corpse," Kyle spat, his voice trembling with barely contained rage.
His hands balled into fists, his stance rigid with fury. "How are you going to deny that you didn't kill him? A fisherman saw the two of you together near Blackthorn Mountain. What do you have to say to that?"
Wuxie knelt, staring at the pendant, his mind racing. This was worse than he had anticipated.
The evidence was damning, and the whole court seemed to believe Kyle's accusations. He needed to think quickly, to turn the situation around before it spiraled out of control.
