Page 33 of Oh No, I Shot A Spaceship And Kissed An Alien Cyberchef

“Nelan was accused of poisoning someone once before, is that correct?” I ask, facing the General directly. “You were there when the late king was killed, weren’t you?”

“Are you accusing a member of the Volscian army of treason?” Zoreth hisses, advancing on me.

Fear laces through me. A large guy, storming closer, hands raised...

The detective is faster. He places a restraining hand on the male’s chest, halting him. For the first time, he speaks. All he says is simply, “Please continue.”

“As I said, we learn from our mistakes. Personally, I’ve learned that I need to let people in again. I can’t keep pushing people away, afraid of getting hurt.”

“Laura…” Nelan looks absolutely devastated.

“It’s okay, Nelan,” I tell him, reaching out and placing my hand on his chest, just over his heart. “I’m getting better one day at a time, thanks to you.”

“You said you were getting to the point?” Zoreth snaps.

“If Nelan wanted to kill the General, especially given his criminal history, he’s learned that it would be phenomenally stupid to poison the General.”

Nelan breathes in sharply, realizing his past is exposed. The past he didn’t tell me about. We all have things we struggle to talk about, and I’m not going to force him to tell me when he’s not ready yet.

Nelan looks hard at the ground. He refuses to meet my eye.

“Of course, he didn’t do it then either,” I state simply.

His gaze snaps to mine. His eyes search mine, disbelief and hope upon his expression.

“He looks grumpy all the time,” I tell the detective. “But he’s actually very sweet. He’s almost always in the kitchen before me in the mornings, always making my not-coffee. Any time I have an issue with the NutriSynth, he’s there to fix it. Whenever someone’s having a bad day, he goes out of his way to cheer them up, often making that person their favorite meal even when it’s not on the menu. Nelan is... well, he’s entirely lovable.”

“Laura...”

“That doesn’t make him innocent,” Zoreth replies smugly.

“Nor does it make him guilty,” I retort.

“The very fact that Major Zoreth has no evidence, just baseless accusation, should be taken into account.”

Damn, I think, look at me go! I’m basically a lawyer. At this rate I could take on the universe!

Zoreth snorts. He waves an arm in the General’s direction. “There’s all the evidence needed.”

“Oh, I’m not denying that the General was poisoned,” I reply. “But even the General himself doesn’t suspect the staff of the attempt.”

“I never said that,” the General interrupts, scowling.

“But you didn’t even hesitate to take the food I offered you. Food that could well have been poisoned once again,” I reply, indicating his empty bowl. “More so, you don’t blame Nelan for the king’s murder either.”

“And what makes you think that?”

“You recognized who he was as soon as you visited us in the kitchens,” I state. “Rather than get upset about him being a member of the staff, you chose to leave him be. Furthermore, you even ate the food he presentedto you, trusting it was safe. An action you would not have taken if you’d harbored distrust for him!”

I raise my finger high in the air, practically shouting out my argument. Everything hinges on this one moment, this one person. I just need the General to agree.

Of course, Zoreth sneers. “The General was the one who personally cut this male’s arm off as punishment for treason. You’re a fool to think your ‘mate’ is innocent.”

Silence descends in the room. The General... this is the guy that hurt Nelan? He... A wave of nausea and dizziness hits me.

I’ve hated people in my life… mostly my ex… but the rush of anger that flows through me leaves me trembling and out of breath.

“I was simply following orders from the newly appointed king,” the General replies quietly. “I never found any evidence to prove that he used poison then, and it seems we have no evidence he has used poison again.”

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