CH 109

When Riett mentioned Gahaden, the gaze of Count Terrator shook uneasily. However, the count maintained a calm expression, as if he had a glimmer of belief. 

Soon, Gahaden entered, captive. 

Riett lowered her head and spoke, gazing at Gahaden. 

“This man was the magician and leader of the assassins who came to kill me. As I mentioned earlier, he came with four subordinates.”

The judge looked at Gahaden. 

“Witness, is what the plaintiff said true?”

Gahaden lifted his head, his face appearing resigned as if he had given up everything. 

For a moment, there was silence in the room. Everyone seemed to be focusing on what Gahaden would say.

“Yes, it’s true.”

Gahaden turned his face toward Count Terrator. 

“We don’t take contracts unless the client comes in person. And the person I met was him, the client.”

Count Terrator froze at Gahaden’s confession. He had paid a significant sum of money to hire the best assassin, and he hadn’t expected him to confess so easily. 

But Riett had his daughter as a hostage. Since the assassination had failed and the client’s identity had been revealed, Gahaden was as good as dead in the back alley. 

Even though the assassin could easily give up his own life, it was clear that he wanted to save his daughter’s life.

That’s why Riett attempted to make a deal with Gahaden. 

If he testified truthfully in court, she would mobilize the forces of Kreutz and Marren to ensure the safety of Gahaden’s daughter. Although trading lives didn’t sit well with her, they were the ones who had threatened her life first.

“I… I know nothing about it. He’s someone I’ve never seen before!” 

Count Terrator hastily denied. But Gahaden wasn’t silent.

“There is an assassination contract. His seal is on it.”

Since they had warned him that the deal would be off if he didn’t cooperate actively, Gahaden did his best.

Riett confidently addressed the judge, 

“Would additional evidence be necessary, Your Honor? If you so desire, I can immediately send someone to retrieve the assassination contract.”

“Yes, please submit the assassination contract as additional evidence, and we will proceed with the verdict after verification.”

Just as the judge was about to tap the gavel, Count Terrator urgently reached out and his hand froze in mid-air, just before touching the wooden panel.

Riett frowned as she looked at Count Terrator. Was he trying to make a last-ditch effort? 

However, his attitude was calmer than she had expected. She thought he would go into a frenzy or at least stand up with force.

“I would like to have a private conversation with the plaintiff for a moment.”

The judge asked Riett, 

“Please make your decision.”

Riett pondered for a moment. Even if she listened to what he had to say, it wouldn’t change anything… 

Count Terrator’s calm demeanor seemed strange. It was as if he had another option. 

There might not be a hidden ace that could completely reverse the situation, but it wouldn’t hurt to listen and then decisively strike when she found an opening.

In the end, Riett nodded her head. 

“Fine.”

When Riett accepted, the judge nodded. Count Terrator, who stood up from his seat, approached Riett. 

Riett was wary, wondering if the count would pull out a knife like in the mister’s trial. Of course, unlike when she was young, she was now capable of defending herself, so she wasn’t overly concerned.

Count Terrator stood in front of Riett, bowing his body and bringing his face close. And in a whisper that only Riett could hear, he said discreetly, 

“Duchess Marren, I want to make a deal with you.”

A deal? At this point, Riett had no regrets about the count’s impending guilt. But what was he willing to wager in this deal?

Riett’s forehead tensed. 

“If you had sought forgiveness instead of a deal, I might have considered it to some extent.”

Even though she probably wouldn’t have given in. Regretting her decision to engage in a conversation, Riett was about to tell the judge to proceed with the trial, but just then, Count Terrator said urgently, “Even though this deal involves the lives of the people here?”

“What…?” 

Riett was taken aback. Count Terrator laughed. 

“Your confident attitude was annoying, so I prepared a contingency plan.”

Count Terrator’s gaze shifted upwards. 

“I’ve placed an explosive device on the rooftop of this building. When I give the signal, the building will collapse immediately.”

“Then you…!”

“It doesn’t matter. If a guilty verdict is rendered, even if I receive a light sentence, I’ll be exiled from the capital and forced to live a life worse than a commoner’s. In that case, it’s better to die here.”

Riett was frozen. She never expected such thoughts from him.

Riett’s gaze turned to the people in attendance. The noble members who trusted and supported her, the Emperor who continuously stood by her side, her mental guardian, and… Evan. Always suffering because of his affection for her. 

Even if they weren’t people dear to her, it was the same. It would be so unfair to lose their lives just for coming to watch the trial. No life is insignificant.

“Now, if you’ve made up your mind, tell the judge that there was a misunderstanding.”

Count Terrator whispered, sending a chill down Riett’s spine.

Riett was infuriated by the situation, but she knew there was no sharp solution right now. She realized she had no choice but to speak to the judge to buy some time. 

But as she was about to do so, a gentle breeze blew in through the window, causing Riett’s hair to flutter.

Riett looked down at her clenched fist. 

‘Perhaps…’

Could she use the power of the spirits to disarm the explosion? 

‘No…’

But soon, she abandoned the thought. Trying something without certainty could result in the entire building collapsing. Besides, she was still inexperienced in manipulating the power of the spirits, and there was a high probability of failure. 

With so many lives at stake, she couldn’t afford to attempt something uncertain.

Riett finally addressed the judge. 

“I apologize, Your Honor… It seems there was a misunderstanding.”

Riett clenched her fist tightly. 

“Count Terrator is innocent.”

She could feel the bewildered gazes of the people. Even the judge seemed taken aback.

“…Are you saying you want to cancel this trial, then?”

“Yes, I want to cancel it.”

The courtroom buzzed with commotion once again.

Riett couldn’t bear to look at the people in attendance. She didn’t want to disappoint those who had expected something from her. 

Instead, Riett closed her eyes. 

“I’m glad my injustice was finally resolved, even if it was late.” 

A relaxed voice came from the count.

The judge tapped the gavel with an annoyed expression on his face, influenced by Riett’s change of heart. 

“As per the plaintiff’s request, this trial will be canceled.”

Not only Riett, but everyone gathered in the courtroom was left sitting in a daze, looking at each other. 

Count Terrator immediately stood up. 

“I hope you won’t conspire against me like this again, Duchess.”

However, despite the calmness in his voice and the situation turning in his favor, Count Terrator hurriedly left the courtroom with an anxious gait.

Evan approached Riett, not asking what had happened. It was as if he understood that something had happened. He simply gently stroked Riett’s head.

“Opportunities can be created again.”

Riett’s head drooped weakly. 

“Yes…”

That’s when it happened. A loud thud echoed from above. Startled by the unsettling sound, Riett’s gaze turned upward.

‘Could it be…?’

Cracks appeared on the ceiling, and bricks and dust began to rain down.

Riett bit her lip tightly. 

‘…From the beginning, he planned to set off the explosive device regardless of how the situation unfolded.’

Count Terrator was truly a despicable person. Was he intentionally planning to kill innocent people just because they posed a threat to him?

There were so many people here, not just Evan and herself…!

But she didn’t have time to be exasperated.

“Everyone, please get out quickly! The building is about to collapse!”

At Riett’s words, people screamed and rushed towards the exit. But they were too late. With a subsequent crash, the entrance of the building collapsed, trapping everyone inside.

“What… What is happening, Duchess Marren?”

The Emperor approached Riett and asked.

“Count Terrator installed explosive devices on the ceiling and threatened to detonate them if I didn’t cancel the trial.”

“That’s why he set it off, even though you canceled it. With you and me together, it’s a good chance to get rid of the enemy once and for all.”

He had truly caused a big commotion. If his involvement in this act was discovered, he wouldn’t escape unharmed. There were not only numerous nobles present but also the Emperor himself.

‘…Or is he planning to escape this way?’

If he took the ill-gotten money he had accumulated and fled to another country, he could start anew. 

Riett gave up trying to understand what Count Terrator was thinking. The debris from the building’s ceiling was falling more and more. The building was on the verge of complete collapse.

The priority was to find a way to survive.

That’s when Evan and the mister approached.

“Riett, I think the back door I came through earlier might still be open. I’ll go check if we can use it to get out.”

“Yeah, Riett. I’ll go with him.”

As soon as the mister moved, a crashing sound followed by rubble falling blocked the entrance.

‘Damn it.’

Riett looked towards Gahaden. He was staring blankly at the ceiling with his hands tightly bound.

“Gahaden!”

When Riett called out to him, Gahaden turned his head.

“You can use magic, right?”

“I can, but… without my staff, I can only perform simple spells.”

Damn it. Riett bit her lip.

‘What should we do?’

She slowly looked down at her own hands.

‘Is this the only way?’

She had considered using spirit magic before but ultimately dismissed the idea. With so many lives at stake, she couldn’t afford to act recklessly.

However, she soon clenched her fist with determination.

‘In a life-or-death situation like this, it’s better to try something, anything.’

With her resolve firm, Riett spoke to Evan.

“Evan, gather people around me.”

Evan looked at Riett with a puzzled expression. Riett hesitated before speaking.

“…I’m going to try using spirit magic.”

“Alright.”

Evan swiftly took action.

Among the chaos and commotion, he was the only one moving calmly and collectedly.

‘I should… stay calm too.’

First, she needed to try supporting the collapsing ceiling. If that didn’t work, she would have to create a barrier to protect the people. 

That was the reason she asked Evan to gather everyone around her.

She had never personally created a barrier using spirit magic, but during the Parman incident, Mishan had protected her with a barrier. So, if he did well, she thought she could do it too.

Riett called out to Mishan in a soft voice. Soon, a worried voice responded.

〈Why did you call me now, Master?〉

“I was preoccupied.”

She thought, ‘And even if I called you, it wouldn’t solve anything,’ but she quickly erased that thought in case Mishan heard it.

“Mishan, do you think I can stop this collapsing building?”

〈Hmm… considering your latent potential that I’ve seen recently, it might be possible.〉

“If it doesn’t work, there’s no other option anyway. But more importantly, how did you create the barrier that saved me during the Parman incident?”

〈It’s similar to when you conjure up wind. You just have to concentrate and vividly imagine it, as if you were drawing a picture.〉

Given the current situation with people screaming and debris falling, it wouldn’t be easy to concentrate and vividly imagine, but… 

Crash! 

The situation looked dire, as pieces of rubble continued to fall.

Riett had the appearance of someone about to be crushed by the collapsing building. She had to make an effort.