TPITT - Chapter 253

“What, what did you say?!”

“This, a human trafficking cartel?!”

It was a charge they never imagined they would hear again here.

The human trafficking cartel case that followed the Great Fire was a deep scar on the Imperial City of Hadelune. It was only natural to be cautious about reopening it. The members of the Privy Council were in charge of presenting evidence and conducting the interrogation.

“It has been revealed that the owner of the potion shop that manufactured the drug is Baron Rebel and that he is Chansley’s alias. Two years ago, during the process of taking over the shop, evidence was discovered that Her Highness the Third Princess had abused her authority to provide assistance.”

"Oh my god!"

“The purpose of the acquisition was to raise illegal funds, and the first business it touched was drugs. It seems that it gave instructions on not only the production of drugs but also their distribution... In fact, you can see that the recipe for black alchemy belongs to Her Highness the Third Princess.”

"Huh..."

“There is evidence that Chansley was already aware of the fact that he was working with the back alley guild and the night cult as he expanded his illegal fundraising business. The document discussing the contents of permitting distribution to the back alley guild is quite specific in its instructions, so there are suspicions that Her Highness the Third Princess was not only an aide but also a mastermind..."

When the shock was extreme, one would be speechless. Before long, a heavy silence fell over the courtroom. Some of the old nobles complained of difficulty breathing and were carried out of the courtroom.

Brigitte still stood there, her eyes wide open and red. She held her back straight and her head up, despite the hundreds of glares directed at her from all sides.

Count Fritz and Marquis Lamekal, who had been summoned as witnesses beside her, instead expressed despair.

“Your Highness, you are all wrong..."

“Ugh, it’s over... It’s finally over..."

Brigitte clenched her teeth even harder. The nobles poured out their criticism and anger at her, who showed no sign of reflection.

“How could you do such a thing with a human face!”

“The royal family...! Did the royal family view the people as tools?! Did they plan to make money off the lives and deaths of the people?!”

“I can’t believe the human rights abuse! Is it really true that such a vicious person was a candidate for the crown princess?!”

“Huh! The country was almost in ruins!”

The court was in an uproar. The prime minister and the chief justice had to sweat profusely to calm down the nobles who were all getting angry.

Desmond II, who had been quiet until now, raised one hand. The Emperor's voice rang out in the courtroom that had become as quiet as a lie.

“Bridget Agnes Hadelamid. Does the prisoner have anything to say about the above charges?”

Finally, the time for the final argument arrived. Brigitte's eyes, bloodshot from staring into space, flashed.

'It's finally time to counterattack! Just wait and see, Eve!'

She took a deep breath and began to recite the words she had prepared.

“If this is also the will of heaven, then I must accept it. I will consider it as my own fault. But! My cause for the Empire was not wrong.”

The sound of tongue-clicking echoed here and there in the audience. Brigitte paid no attention and continued talking.

“I have something I would like to tell you through this opportunity. Everyone here is being deceived by the Seventh Princess.”

Desmond II quickly stopped her.

“Third Princess, be careful what you say!”

“No! I must tell the truth!”

The crowd stirred. Everyone looked back and forth between Brigitte, who was making a sudden statement, and Eve, who was suddenly grabbed by her hair. One side was glaring as if to kill her, while the other side was watching calmly as if it was none of their business.

“Interesting.”

Instead, Eve created an atmosphere that allowed Brigitte to speak by saying a word.

Brigitte glared at Eve and shouted.

“The Seventh Princess is planning to use Michaelis Agnito to take control of the homunculus. No, she may have already taken control of them. Michaelis Agnito has been calling himself the King and preventing the homunculus from listening to the Princess’s orders!”

"..."

“If you think about it, it was strange from the beginning. Michaelis Agnito was a mutant monster that couldn’t be brainwashed. How could the 7th Princess imprint a homunculus that even the Emperor couldn’t? The 7th Princess must have been conspiring with Michaelis Agnito to pretend that the imprinting was successful! The two of them are conspiring to overthrow the imperial family for the sake of the homunculus! This is clear just by looking at the 7th Princess’s track record of protecting homunculus!”

The conclusion was a declaration so loud it echoed throughout the courtroom.

“The 7th princess, Evienrose, is the one who will join hands with Michaelis Agnito and destroy the royal family!”

Eve, who had been listening until now, thought to herself.

'Hmm, it was a good idea to join hands with Michael to overthrow the royal family. Not bad, Brigitte.'

Eve's impressions were just that much, and there was no sense of crisis at all.

Meanwhile, Brigitte, who had just finished making a series of accusations, seemed to be very exhausted.

After panting for a while, she looked around the viewing area with expectant eyes.

However, the nobles' reaction was different from what Brigitte had expected. Those who had been shocked and criticized Brigitte as each of her crimes was revealed were somehow quiet.

'What? Why is no one saying anything? Are you so shocked that you have no words? Yeah, well, treason is a serious matter..."

It was at that moment when Brigitte was somehow making up a reason to be convinced. The prime minister sighed and stepped forward.

“Is there any evidence?”

“Evidence? Oh, evidence is..."

Brigitte was inwardly embarrassed. She was the Third Princess of the empire. So, wasn’t her word testimony, evidence?

Just as she was about to question that firm idea, fortunately, or unfortunately, more appropriate evidence suddenly occurred to her mind.

“There is evidence!”

“What is that?”

There was no sign of anticipation on the face of the prime minister who was asking for confirmation.

“Order the homunculus to kill Michaelis Agnito.”

"Yes?"

“Michaelis Agnito has called himself a King, and I dare say that he rules the Homunculus with a power of dominion greater than that of an Emperor; therefore, if what I say is false, the Homunculus will be able to kill him, but if it is true, they will not be able to kill him, and this is a clear proof!”

It was at that moment that Brigitte confidently shouted, that the reactions she had been waiting for from the audience began to come in one by one.

“Oh, right!”

“You call that evidence now?”

Brigitte's eyes widened. Accusations poured in from all sides.

“Is Her Highness the Third Princess suggesting that we start a witch hunt now?”

“What level of evidence is that... If you drop her in water and she doesn’t float, she’s not a witch, so aren’t you telling her to drown to prove her innocence?”

“I’m speechless because it’s so absurd!”

Brigitte was embarrassed and shouted more violently.

“No, now is not the time for this! The Seventh Princess is plotting treason with Michaelis Agnito! They are plotting treason!”

Eve's lips slightly rose at the mention of the word treason. It was exactly the moment she had been waiting for.

“That’s an interesting story. Was there a traitor who, despite having military force, did not return to the imperial capital, but instead faced the demon dragon with only 10% of her force, risking her life? Am I perhaps misunderstanding the meaning of treason?”

Eve's remark gave the nobles an excuse to denounce Brigitte.

“Everything the 7th Princess says is correct! What do you mean by treason against a hero! Does the 3rd Princess intend to increase the number of false accusations here?!”

“That’s right! You can’t insult a hero like this!”

“You deserted because you were afraid of the dragon! And you insulted the two axes that led the legion to victory!”

“Is it even possible to say that the 7th Princess, who is a member of the royal family, is committing treason?”

“If you do it, it’s succession to the throne, but if your younger Sister does it, it’s usurpation of the throne, right?”

“If someone saw you, they would think that only the Third Princess was part of the royal family! Huh!”

Some people are starting to get excited and start shouting like this.

“If the 7th Princess is a traitor, there is no loyalty in this country!”

“Right! Right!”

Brigitte's mind went numb in a situation she had never imagined. She just stammered with a dumb expression.

“Ah, no... why... I, I am telling the truth, the truth... Why..."

Desmond II silenced the room and asked.

“Brigette, is that all you have to say?”

“Ah, Father!”

“I guess that’s all.”

The time has come.

Desmond II buried his back deep in his chair, looked to his left, and spoke with the authority of an Emperor and judge.

“I will pass judgment.”

The atmosphere in the courtroom became heavy. Soon the natural conclusion followed.

“Brigette Agnes Hadelamide is stripped of her royal title. As such, Brigette Lamekal is to be permanently confined in the Black Tower in the prison of Debonair!"

There were gasps of shock here and there. Of course, it wasn't because the verdict was light. As proof, Brigitte was gasping for breath, shaking like crazy all over her body.

“There, in the black tower... Uh, permanent confinement...?”

A three-story black tower built with black gold bricks without any gaps. What was unusual about this place was that it had no windows, not even a door.

So whenever the door to the Black Tower needed to be opened and closed to allow someone to enter or exit, the black gold wall had to be broken down and then rebuilt to seal it.

It was not a very frequent occurrence that a task requiring enormous effort occurred. Usually, it was done only once, on the very day the convict was admitted for confinement.

Eve looked down and thought.

'The Black Tower is nothing more than a sealed tomb for burial.'

Indirectly killing someone for the sake of honor can actually create much more barbaric and cruel forms in real life.

Brigitte screamed in a hoarse, shaky voice.

“Bah, I reported you for treason! This is an infinite punishment for an accuser who has accomplished great things...!”

“Shut up! We don’t need an evil person like you in my reign!”

It was the moment when Desmond II declared that he had completely given up on Brigitte.

Dump!

“Ah, ahhh... Aaaahhh!”

A sense of despair, as if she were being sucked into an abyss, came over Brigitte. She sat down on the floor, her nails digging into her hands and scratching her face.

Brigitte, who had been harming herself like that for a while, suddenly felt eyes on her back.

She turned her creaking neck like a broken doll. Her bloodshot eyes looked straight for the owner of the gaze.

It was her half-sister, looking down at her with an indifferent expression.

Eve spoke with her lips.

'It's your loss, Brigitte.'

As always, Eve's provocations were very effective on Brigitte.

“Ahhhh! Evienrose! Evienrose! You! You me! How dare you me!”

“Take her away! And shut the mouth of the sinner so she doesn’t dare say anything bad!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

''Ahhh... Woofwoof!''

Brigitte was dragged out like a piece of luggage, her mouth gagged by a wicked hand. It was a most villainous exit.

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