CH 54

The nobles rose from their seats.

The door to the judge’s room on the second floor opened. All eyes focused on it.

The soon arrival of the judge aroused concern among the nobility.

“This is Marquis Paren!”

Judging the courtiers was the prerogative of the Emperor himself.

But the current Emperor didn’t want to get down to business.

This is because the Emperor believed that to judge a criminal directly was an infringement of his dignity.

Thus, it was common practice for a representative to be elected by the Emperor.

However, a man who has now entered the court, no one expected to see.

Someone pronounced the name of the Marquis, and the nobles began to murmur.

“Marquis Paren is now a judge… In recent years he was known as a hermit.”

“Is that the one who spoke to His Majesty? He was only recently seen in the capital…”

“He knows Duke Croft. What if…”

The words of the young aristocrat, who knew little about Marquis Paren, didn’t last long.

Other nobles, who knew Marquis Paren at least a little, spoke about his honor.

Only Marquis Sios and Lisa sat in the noisy hall with their mouths closed.

Marquis Paren, standing in the judge’s place, looked around and opened his mouth.

“I am Paren Gerald, who has been ordered by His Majesty to act as judge of Duke Croft. By the hand of His Majesty and my honor, I swear that I will lead an impartial judgment.”

At that moment, the eyes of Duke Croft and Paren met. The Duke, who at first looked at the Marquis in surprise, then stared at the floor.

The noisy nobles closed their mouths, and Marquis Paren sat down.

“Then the process begins.”

“We’re starting Duke Croft’s trial. Croft faces trial on charges of embezzling the treasury, in collusion with foreign merchants. Is that correct, Duke?”

“…Yes it is. But I’ve never stolen the Empire’s money or entered into conspiracies.”

When the Duke denied all charges, the nobles jumped up from their seats.

“What a shame!”

“Can you imagine the loss for the Empire?! Confiscate everything right now!”

Voices rang here and there.

The courtroom became louder than the market in the square. It was a mess.

The nobles, who had lost their minds, pointed a finger at the Duke, as if they had forgotten about the last dignity.

They were enraged by the thought that Duke Croft wouldn’t only get out of the water, but would even replenish his fortune with a mountain of official gold.

And while the nobles were so excited, a certain carriage raced towards the Wuburg Palace.

There was no emblem on it, but the carriage made of expensive ivory went without stopping, passing to the imperial castle and stopping in front of the Wuburg Palace.

And as soon as the carriage drove up, a servant arrived in the hall.

When a servant in a bright red tunic entered and sat down in the hall, the Duke’s lawyer exchanged a last glance.

“Everyone, silence!”

Marquis Paren couldn’t stand this commotion.

The voice was harsh, like the roar of a wild beast, and immediately drowned out the cries of the crowd.

Marquis Paren sighed and looked at Duke Croft.

“Duke, the evidence found by the investigation team is so obvious that your very presence here is symbolic. Can you dispute the charge somehow?”

“Yes. We can.”

The answer came not from the Duke, but from his lawyer.

Marquis, who had been staring at the Duke, now shifted his gaze.

The lawyer, who had only watched the situation up to this point, stood up and spoke confidently. The Marquis’s eyebrows crept up to his forehead.

“You mean you have proof?”

“That’s right. I have a witness who can confirm that His Excellency Duke Croft was slandered.”

“Witness? Where is he?”

Instead of answering, the lawyer looked behind the judge.

Marquis Paren’s gaze also turned there, and at that moment the door of the judge’s room opened.

I stepped in, taking a deep breath.

Sunlight pouring through the open door blurred my vision.

However, the further I stepped forward, the clearer I saw the judge.

And when I saw the haughty looks of the nobility, my tension vanished in an instant. Now a cold anger washed over my head.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

I walked hard, step by step.

The sound of my shoes on the marble floor was especially loud in the courtroom, which froze everyone in surprise.

The nobles opened their mouths in bewilderment, because they couldn’t have foreseen that I would appear here.

I’ve never been pleased to feel their gazes on my body, but shocked gazes are not so bad.

Finally, I stopped next to my father and smiled at him as he looked at me anxiously.

And I looked at the judge.

Marquis Paren.

It was he who was the best judge for my father.

However, I didn’t expect such an outcome, because I thought that he would never get out of the estate.

It was unusual to see him in such a light, but I was even glad.

“…It is against the law to appear so suddenly during the trial. Identify yourself.”

He may already know my status, but that was the procedure.

“Ellie Croft. The only one Duke Croft’s successor. And I brought a witness to prove that the Duke is innocent.”

My voice awakened the nobles from their numbness.

“Witness, is this that man?”

Marquis Paren looked at Thun.

“He is the one who saw a secret meeting with another nobleman before the death of Viscount Metas.”

“Witness, go to the pulpit.”

By order of Marquis Paren, I stepped aside. When Thun, overwhelmed by the burden of responsibility, didn’t dare to appear in front of everyone, Marquis Paren’s gaze focused on him.

“Witness, reveal your name and identity.”

Thun swallowed saliva and slowly moved his lips.

“I am Thun, I work as a Count Barten’s servant.”

“Is it true that you saw the noble secretly meet with Viscount Metas?”

Thun’s shoulders, still trembling from the stern voice of the Marquis, tightened even more.

“I ask again. Is what you saw true?”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

“If you lie at the court, then not only you, but your entire family will be beheaded.”

Thun, startled at the word ‘family’, suddenly gained confidence.

“I swear to tell only the truth.”

“If so, we will continue. What nobleman secretly met with Viscount Metas?”

“With count Barten himself!”

Thun shouted with closed eyes.

Whispers spread throughout the room.

“Count Barten.”

“How did it happen…”

The nobles were stuck in confusion.

“I clearly heard them discussing the conspiracy. ‘Don’t worry, the Duke still doesn’t know anything. Everything will be as planned,’ Viscount Metas surely told this the Count!”

Thun added details as if it reinforced his previous words.

Suddenly, the mood of the crowd changed, and the nobles began to argue about the veracity of Thun’s testimony.

And I turned to Count Barten. I wanted to see how his face changed from the servant’s statement.

But as soon as I saw his face, I froze.

Count Barten closed his lips tightly and sat there motionless, with a grim face. I expected him to twitch and move his legs, not knowing how he would get out of this.

When I saw the Count’s face, I felt that I had been outwitted.

As the ferment of the crowd grew louder, Marquis Paren opened his mouth.

“This is a court session. Everyone quiet.”

Marquis Paren turned his head to Count Barten.

“Count Barten, go to the pulpit.”

“Yes, Your Honor.”