An Understated Dominance - Chapter 2486

“Your Highness, you shouldn’t speak like that,” Langdon said, trying to sound righteous.

He added, “I have always been honest and never done anything wrong. I’ve never betrayed the prince’s trust or let the people down, and I have nothing to hide.”

Austin rolled his eyes. “If you have nothing to hide, why not let the enforcement team investigate?”

Langdon’s expression tightened, and a hint of worry flashed in his eyes. After all, every official had secrets. A thorough investigation could uncover something, even if it was minor. And even small issues could ruin his reputation.

With so many officials watching, Langdon knew he couldn’t back down. If he did, he would lose his standing in the political world—and his claim to integrity would be gone.

“Go ahead and investigate,” he said, lifting his chin with false confidence. “I’ve lived an honest life, and you won’t find anything illegal, no matter how deep you dig.”

“An honest life, huh? Let’s see if you’re really as innocent as you claim,” Austin replied, turning to Axel. “Take the enforcement team. Investigate Mr. Langdon thoroughly and don’t miss a thing.”

No one was perfect, and many officials bent the rules for personal gain. The enforcement team usually overlooked minor violations. As long as no major scandals or loss of life occurred, most offenses were treated lightly.

But Langdon had gone too far. His blatant disregard for what was right had angered Austin. If he didn’t put Langdon in his place now, he would only become bolder.

“Understood,” Axel said with a quick nod before turning to leave.

“Wait!” Langdon shouted, rushing after him.

“What’s wrong? Feeling nervous?”

“Guilty? Were you just pretending to be tough?” Austin mocked.

“What are you talking about?” Langdon said, swallowing hard but trying to stand his ground. “I’m worried about being framed. What if someone makes false charges against me? Look at what happened to Sir Prescott.”

He hoped that by saying this, he could cover his tracks. If Austin had found real evidence against him, Langdon could claim he was being set up.

“So, you still think Warrick is innocent? You believe I’ve accused him wrongly? Are these piles of evidence not enough for you?” Austin challenged.

“Evidence can be faked. Unless I see it myself or hear it from a trustworthy witness, I refuse to believe Sir Prescott could do something so terrible,” Langdon insisted.

“You want to see for yourself? You want credible witnesses? Fine. I’ll give you both.” Austin pointed to Axel. “Bring in the two prisoners. Let’s hear what they have to say.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Axel said, rushing out.

The room fell silent as the officials exchanged nervous looks and whispered to one another.

“Prisoners? Who are they?” one asked.

“The notice only mentioned Sir Prescott. There was no mention of other officials,” another replied.

“Could they be the witnesses Lord Austin was talking about?” someone wondered.

While Langdon listened to the whispers of his colleagues, he kept a calm face, even though his mind was racing.

He had been arguing without any real proof. If Austin really had solid evidence and credible witnesses, Langdon could be in big trouble.

Thinking of this, he spoke up again. “Your Highness, don’t think you can just bring in a couple of low-level scapegoats and call them credible witnesses. It’s important that the witnesses hold significant weight.”

“Your authority, or your testimony, means nothing,” Langdon said.

“And what level of authority would you accept?” Austin replied sharply.

“At least a third-rank official,” Langdon stated confidently.

“I don’t have a third-rank official, but I do have two first-rank officials. Take a look,” Austin motioned toward the door.

Everyone turned to see two men in prison uniforms, their hair messy and shoulders drooped, being led in by Axel. They moved slowly, as if they had lost all energy.

At first, the officials couldn’t see their faces. But when Austin spoke again, the prisoners raised their heads.

A gasp filled the room. To their shock, the two men were Huxley and Percival.

Both were first-rank officials of West Lucozia and actually ranked higher than Langdon. Unlike Langdon, who was just an advisor, these two had real power.

No one had expected these once-respected officials to appear before them as prisoners.

What could have possibly happened?