Her Graceful War Song novel Chapter 1084

Carissa leaned forward slightly, her tone sharp with accusation as she asked, "Tell me, Lord Quinton, can you withstand being charged?"

Malcolm's expression darkened instantly. All he wanted now was to keep things as quiet as possible, to avoid drawing any unnecessary attention. After all, his youngest daughter had just been brought back into the household and was now being raised under the care of his concubine, Willow.

And with the matter of the crown prince's succession still undecided, any scandal involving the Quinton family would reflect poorly on Connor as well.

At the end of the day, Trey was just a servant. He had only risen to the rank of guard because Malcolm had elevated him. Weighing the situation, Malcolm made his decision without much difficulty, the malice in his gaze unmistakable.

Trembling from head to toe, Trey slammed his head against the ground and desperately pleaded for mercy.

"You wretched scum!" Malcolm bellowed. "You dare beg for mercy after defiling an innocent lady? Even death wouldn't be enough to atone for your crime!"

Through his sobs, Trey choked out, "My lord, how is she innocent? The Whitley family sent her as an offering to you! You didn't want her, so… so I made a mistake! But she wasn't innocent! She had taken aphrodisiacs! I was trying to save her! No matter what I did wrong, I don't deserve death!"

Malcolm's fury deepened, his hatred for Douglas burning brighter. He had already rejected the man's earlier request to take his daughter as a concubine, yet Douglas had dared to resort to such vile methods.

He turned to Carissa, his resolve hardening. "Lady Carissa, just say the word. Do you want his life? If you do, I'll end it right here and now."

Carissa's expression remained cold and unmoving. "He belongs to the Quinton household. How you define his crime and punishment is entirely up to you, Lord Quinton."

Malcolm pressed his lips into a thin line, the anger inside him building to a boiling point.

This woman was as cunning as ever. She clearly wanted Trey dead but refused to say so outright. No matter how things played out, she could distance herself entirely from the outcome, keeping her hands clean of any controversy. She was always careful to remain untouchable, protecting the Hell Monarch and his household like an impenetrable fortress.

Grinding his teeth, Malcolm's face turned a shade darker as he ordered, "Drag him out. Beat him to death!"

Whatever faint flicker of pity Malcolm had felt disappeared entirely. His face hardened as he barked, "Take him away!"

The guards stepped forward and hauled Trey out of the room. Outside in the courtyard, the punishment began. The crack of the rod echoed through the still air as the blows rained down one after another, until Trey's screams faded into silence.

Malcolm turned his gaze to Carissa, his eyes alight with anger. "Are you satisfied now, Lady Carissa? This whole affair was Mr. Whitley's doing—I rejected him outright from the start! This has been nothing but an unprovoked disaster for my family. Yet, you insist on sinking your teeth in and refusing to let go. It's truly disheartening."

Carissa laughed bitterly. "If Trey hadn't harmed Ms. Whitley, then this entire matter wouldn't have involved your family in the slightest. But it's a fact that he did, so it's no longer an unprovoked disaster for your family. Whose power did Trey borrow when he did what he did? Don't you know that in your heart, Lord Quinton?"

After saying that, Carissa glanced at the pale-faced man and stood up to leave. In the courtyard, she gave Trey a cold look.

He wasn't dead yet, but he was barely hanging on, his legs and hips soaked in blood. Though he would survive, he would never be able to stand again.