(55) There's nothing you can do. (1)
"That day, Miss Ariana looked extremely haggard and sickly. She had bruises, large and small, and some were old and yellow. Her chapped lips and thin arms didn't look like she'd been starving for a day or two. But she looks much better today, so I guess she must have been doing well while in the East. That's good. I've been very worried since that day."
Her soft, calm voice held no lies. Her compassionate gaze toward Ariana contained the sincerity of her concern for her.
Rachel's lawyer said,
"The witness is giving inconclusive testimony. I understand she's had a long-standing connection to the White family."
"If you're going to be that particular, then the defense witness is the same..."
Ariana's lawyer was about to argue, but Duchess Rowenta raised her index finger and cut her off. She then glared at Rachel's lawyer and said,
“Are you saying that I, His Majesty’s cousin and the mistress of the Duke of Rowenta, am giving false testimony because of personal friendship?”
“T-That’s not what I meant... I wonder if your eyesight is clouded by friendship...”
As Harold had predicted, the trial was Rachel's victory.
When Tubeson ruled in favor of Rachel, the audience was divided into those who agreed and those who opposed, and there was an uproar.
Rachel's side jumped to their feet in triumph and embraced, while Ariana's side, unsure of what to do, sat firm, waiting for the commotion to subside.
Rachel and Ariana's eyes met.
A cruel smile briefly appeared on Rachel's lips, then vanished, but Ariana met her gaze silently.
Knock, knock, knock!
Knock, knock!
Only after Chief Judge Tubeson struck the gavel several times did the noisy courtroom become quiet.
Tubeson looked around with authority and addressed Russell.
"Your Excellency, I request that you relinquish Miss Ariana to the Duchess of Bronte."
"Please, Your Excellency."
Rachel remained silent.
"Give me back my daughter. Please."
Rachel bowed deeply, pleading like a mother desperately seeking the return of her lost daughter. Her moist voice stirred even those who had been furious at the trial's outcome.
Ariana, who had been sitting calmly, had no choice but to rise from her seat. Russell grabbed Ariana's wrist.
"Ariana."
Ariana lowered her head and stared at her wrist, where Russell had grabbed her. It was warm. The place where she was being held, and Russell's gaze. She didn't want to admit it, but it was so incredibly warm she worried she'd get burned.
"It's okay."
Ariana gently pulled her wrist away.
"It's okay."
"That day, Miss Ariana looked extremely haggard and sickly. She had bruises, large and small, and some were old and yellow. Her chapped lips and thin arms didn't look like she'd been starving for a day or two. But she looks much better today, so I guess she must have been doing well while in the East. That's good. I've been very worried since that day."
Her soft, calm voice held no lies. Her compassionate gaze toward Ariana contained the sincerity of her concern for her.
Rachel's lawyer said,
"The witness is giving inconclusive testimony. I understand she's had a long-standing connection to the White family."
"If you're going to be that particular, then the defense witness is the same..."
Ariana's lawyer was about to argue, but Duchess Rowenta raised her index finger and cut her off. She then glared at Rachel's lawyer and said,
“Are you saying that I, His Majesty’s cousin and the mistress of the Duke of Rowenta, am giving false testimony because of personal friendship?”
“T-That’s not what I meant... I wonder if your eyesight is clouded by friendship...”
“Do you think I’m so blinded by mere friendship that I distorted the truth and accepted it?”
The Duchess of Rowenta’s voice was quiet, but it left a deep impression on the audience.
Even after the Duchess of Rowenta left the witness stand, the lawyers continued their verbal exchange. Witnesses came in intermittently to testify, and the lawyers continued their verbal exchange.
Finally, the proceedings reached a conclusion, and the defendant and the plaintiff were given a chance to present their arguments.
Rachel, holding back tears, repeated the lawyer’s summary of what she had said. She added that she loved her and gave her ample affection, but she didn’t understand why Ariana didn’t recognize her, and then she sat down.
Ariana, who had sat expressionless throughout the trial, changed during the defense. With sad, blue eyes, she seemed terrified, but she tried to remain calm.
“I believed you would love me someday, so I tried to follow your wishes. I believed that if I persevered, you would one day show me your affection. But after learning that you were trying to frame me for murder, there was only one thing I could do. I just...”
She would never be loved again.
She wouldn’t crave love, nor would she give it.
“I just wanted to be loved. Like other children.”
She wanted to be loved. She used to.
Not anymore, but she could easily have pretended.
Ariana could have made her voice tremble, like a child seeking affection from her parents.
She just wanted to repeat her past life.
She concealed her burning eyes with tears.
Throughout the trial, Rachel’s tricks to portray Ariana as a cruel and disgusting child terrified her, but she barely held back. Rachel's reckless attack on Ariana made her feelings for the Brontes even colder.
Her heart was frozen, but the hatred simmering within her was still hot.
Even after the judge and the cardinal had gone outside to discuss the matter, Rachel was still playing the role of a wounded mother perfectly.
Russell asked, concerned,
"Are you okay, Ariana?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
"Don't worry too much, we'll win. Don't worry."
"Yes, I'm not worried."
A man sitting in the front row of the gallery watched Ariana quietly answering Russell with interest.
It was Third Prince Harold.
Next to Harold, wearing a wide-brimmed fedora pulled down low, sat his old friend, Count Fabric Geo. Fabric asked,
"Who do you think will win?"
Harold answered without hesitation,
"Rachel."
"But the Eastern Duke's argument makes sense, doesn't it? I think everything the young lady says is true."
“It’s true. But that’s not how the trial is decided. The Eastern Duke’s argument might sway people’s hearts, but it’s enough to shatter them. Then, the side that had custody until now can’t help but have the advantage.”
“Well, there’s absolutely no evidence of abuse left on that young lady’s body right now... And even if she made it all up, there’s no proof that it’s all a lie. Then, that poor young lady will fall back into Bronte’s hands.”
“Well, that’s another matter.”
“Yes?”
“There are two ways for the Eastern Duke to win.”
Fabric’s eyes widened.
“What are they?”
“One is to obtain testimony from someone so noble that no one dares to speak of it.”
“Like His Majesty the Emperor...?”
“There’s no need to go that far, I’m fine.”
“Ah. And another one?”
“It’s to prove that the person who passed the judgment is unfair.”
“You mean... we have to expose the corruption of Tubeson Hearn?”
“Yes. But the Eastern Duke arrived a few days ago. There wouldn’t have been time to uncover the corruption of the renowned Chief Judge. So the outcome of this fight is clear.”
Harold fixed his gaze on Ariana.
Her light blue hair shone like the sky on a fine day, her small face, her eyes as clear as a cat’s and bright blue. The features that filled her small face were perfect, like a well-made doll, and her slender figure was so delicate that you wanted to hug her.
But what surprised Harold most was Ariana’s patience, which remained unmoving throughout the trial.
She was only sixteen years old. A young girl confined to a mansion, uneducated, and living the life of a maid.
Yet, during the hours-long trial, she remained motionless for not a single moment without reason.
Even as Rachel's accusations poured out like stinging arrows, as the audience whispered, as Ariana's lawyer recounted her sad and brutal past, Ariana sat quietly, taking it all in with her eyes and ears.
She looked like a wild beast preparing for its next attack, or like an Emperor sitting on a throne observing the proceedings.
It was impossible to look away. Only when the judge and the cardinal declared a recess and left did he realize he was staring at Ariana.
Harold barely managed to tear his gaze away from her and said,
"I feel bad for her, but she'll never leave Bronte Castle."
The Duchess of Rowenta’s voice was quiet, but it left a deep impression on the audience.
Even after the Duchess of Rowenta left the witness stand, the lawyers continued their verbal exchange. Witnesses came in intermittently to testify, and the lawyers continued their verbal exchange.
Finally, the proceedings reached a conclusion, and the defendant and the plaintiff were given a chance to present their arguments.
Rachel, holding back tears, repeated the lawyer’s summary of what she had said. She added that she loved her and gave her ample affection, but she didn’t understand why Ariana didn’t recognize her, and then she sat down.
Ariana, who had sat expressionless throughout the trial, changed during the defense. With sad, blue eyes, she seemed terrified, but she tried to remain calm.
“I believed you would love me someday, so I tried to follow your wishes. I believed that if I persevered, you would one day show me your affection. But after learning that you were trying to frame me for murder, there was only one thing I could do. I just...”
She would never be loved again.
She wouldn’t crave love, nor would she give it.
“I just wanted to be loved. Like other children.”
She wanted to be loved. She used to.
Not anymore, but she could easily have pretended.
Ariana could have made her voice tremble, like a child seeking affection from her parents.
She just wanted to repeat her past life.
She concealed her burning eyes with tears.
Throughout the trial, Rachel’s tricks to portray Ariana as a cruel and disgusting child terrified her, but she barely held back. Rachel's reckless attack on Ariana made her feelings for the Brontes even colder.
Her heart was frozen, but the hatred simmering within her was still hot.
Even after the judge and the cardinal had gone outside to discuss the matter, Rachel was still playing the role of a wounded mother perfectly.
Russell asked, concerned,
"Are you okay, Ariana?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
"Don't worry too much, we'll win. Don't worry."
"Yes, I'm not worried."
A man sitting in the front row of the gallery watched Ariana quietly answering Russell with interest.
It was Third Prince Harold.
Next to Harold, wearing a wide-brimmed fedora pulled down low, sat his old friend, Count Fabric Geo. Fabric asked,
"Who do you think will win?"
Harold answered without hesitation,
"Rachel."
"But the Eastern Duke's argument makes sense, doesn't it? I think everything the young lady says is true."
“It’s true. But that’s not how the trial is decided. The Eastern Duke’s argument might sway people’s hearts, but it’s enough to shatter them. Then, the side that had custody until now can’t help but have the advantage.”
“Well, there’s absolutely no evidence of abuse left on that young lady’s body right now... And even if she made it all up, there’s no proof that it’s all a lie. Then, that poor young lady will fall back into Bronte’s hands.”
“Well, that’s another matter.”
“Yes?”
“There are two ways for the Eastern Duke to win.”
Fabric’s eyes widened.
“What are they?”
“One is to obtain testimony from someone so noble that no one dares to speak of it.”
“Like His Majesty the Emperor...?”
“There’s no need to go that far, I’m fine.”
“Ah. And another one?”
“It’s to prove that the person who passed the judgment is unfair.”
“You mean... we have to expose the corruption of Tubeson Hearn?”
“Yes. But the Eastern Duke arrived a few days ago. There wouldn’t have been time to uncover the corruption of the renowned Chief Judge. So the outcome of this fight is clear.”
Harold fixed his gaze on Ariana.
Her light blue hair shone like the sky on a fine day, her small face, her eyes as clear as a cat’s and bright blue. The features that filled her small face were perfect, like a well-made doll, and her slender figure was so delicate that you wanted to hug her.
But what surprised Harold most was Ariana’s patience, which remained unmoving throughout the trial.
She was only sixteen years old. A young girl confined to a mansion, uneducated, and living the life of a maid.
Yet, during the hours-long trial, she remained motionless for not a single moment without reason.
Even as Rachel's accusations poured out like stinging arrows, as the audience whispered, as Ariana's lawyer recounted her sad and brutal past, Ariana sat quietly, taking it all in with her eyes and ears.
She looked like a wild beast preparing for its next attack, or like an Emperor sitting on a throne observing the proceedings.
It was impossible to look away. Only when the judge and the cardinal declared a recess and left did he realize he was staring at Ariana.
Harold barely managed to tear his gaze away from her and said,
"I feel bad for her, but she'll never leave Bronte Castle."
***
As Harold had predicted, the trial was Rachel's victory.
When Tubeson ruled in favor of Rachel, the audience was divided into those who agreed and those who opposed, and there was an uproar.
Rachel's side jumped to their feet in triumph and embraced, while Ariana's side, unsure of what to do, sat firm, waiting for the commotion to subside.
Rachel and Ariana's eyes met.
A cruel smile briefly appeared on Rachel's lips, then vanished, but Ariana met her gaze silently.
Knock, knock, knock!
Knock, knock!
Only after Chief Judge Tubeson struck the gavel several times did the noisy courtroom become quiet.
Tubeson looked around with authority and addressed Russell.
"Your Excellency, I request that you relinquish Miss Ariana to the Duchess of Bronte."
"Please, Your Excellency."
Rachel remained silent.
"Give me back my daughter. Please."
Rachel bowed deeply, pleading like a mother desperately seeking the return of her lost daughter. Her moist voice stirred even those who had been furious at the trial's outcome.
Ariana, who had been sitting calmly, had no choice but to rise from her seat. Russell grabbed Ariana's wrist.
"Ariana."
Ariana lowered her head and stared at her wrist, where Russell had grabbed her. It was warm. The place where she was being held, and Russell's gaze. She didn't want to admit it, but it was so incredibly warm she worried she'd get burned.
"It's okay."
Ariana gently pulled her wrist away.
"It's okay."
It would only last a few days.
Right now, she would fall into Rachel's grasp, but tomorrow, Odmill would expose Tubeson 's corruption. Then, the Eastern Duke would appeal, claiming the trial's outcome was questionable, and a new trial would be held within a few days.
'The Western Duke hired a judge to win. If that were to become known, it would only be poison to the Western Duke. People would think she had spent money to hide something. We'll win the next trial without any special preparation. The next judge will absolutely not side with the Western Duke.'
She would face the utter contempt and harassment of Rachel and the Western Duke for a few days, but she was used to it. For a better future, she could gladly endure the few days of darkness.
Ariana approached Rachel with the most miserable expression she could muster. Rachel opened her arms and hugged Ariana.
A damp breath touched Ariana's ear. A voice as cold as a snake burrowed into her ear.
"Did you have a good dream? No matter how much you struggle, you cannot escape me."
"..."
"I carried you in my womb and gave birth to you, so your life and your death are mine. Do you understand, Ariana?"
Rachel, tearfully separated from Ariana, stroked Ariana's cheek with both hands. She perfectly imitated the image of a mother reclaiming the child she thought she had lost.
Even though she knew she only had to endure it for a moment, Ariana wanted to bite Rachel's neck. She wanted to witness with her own eyes that hideous face etched with genuine pain and die.
But she held back.
If Rachel were killed here, every lie she'd concocted would become truth. Ariana would be born a girl with a bad temper, and Victoria and Helena would become pitiful young ladies who lost their mother to their wicked sisters.
Barely able to tear her eyes from Rachel, Ariana spotted the Western Duke behind her. His gaze wasn't directed at Ariana, but rather in the direction of the Eastern Duke and his family.
Ariana quickly turned her head to see the Eastern Duke and her predecessors. Their expressions were filled with indignation, but that was all.
'This is terrible.'
Her heart sank.
She should have subtly told them what to do and how to act when they lost the trial.
She should have told them to act more anguished, more heartbroken, more meaningless, more like a family that had tragically lost the daughter they desperately wanted to protect.
The Eastern Duke knew that Odmill would soon be the one to overturn the trial's outcome, so he expressed his anger at this moment, but he didn't act like a father who had lost his daughter forever.
She felt a cold gaze on her forehead. She turned her gaze slightly and saw the Western Duke's searching gaze.
A bitter smile played on his lips. He kept his gaze fixed on Ariana, quietly giving instructions to the aide beside him.
Her heart pounded. But there was nothing Ariana could do now.
Right now, she would fall into Rachel's grasp, but tomorrow, Odmill would expose Tubeson 's corruption. Then, the Eastern Duke would appeal, claiming the trial's outcome was questionable, and a new trial would be held within a few days.
'The Western Duke hired a judge to win. If that were to become known, it would only be poison to the Western Duke. People would think she had spent money to hide something. We'll win the next trial without any special preparation. The next judge will absolutely not side with the Western Duke.'
She would face the utter contempt and harassment of Rachel and the Western Duke for a few days, but she was used to it. For a better future, she could gladly endure the few days of darkness.
Ariana approached Rachel with the most miserable expression she could muster. Rachel opened her arms and hugged Ariana.
A damp breath touched Ariana's ear. A voice as cold as a snake burrowed into her ear.
"Did you have a good dream? No matter how much you struggle, you cannot escape me."
"..."
"I carried you in my womb and gave birth to you, so your life and your death are mine. Do you understand, Ariana?"
Rachel, tearfully separated from Ariana, stroked Ariana's cheek with both hands. She perfectly imitated the image of a mother reclaiming the child she thought she had lost.
Even though she knew she only had to endure it for a moment, Ariana wanted to bite Rachel's neck. She wanted to witness with her own eyes that hideous face etched with genuine pain and die.
But she held back.
If Rachel were killed here, every lie she'd concocted would become truth. Ariana would be born a girl with a bad temper, and Victoria and Helena would become pitiful young ladies who lost their mother to their wicked sisters.
Barely able to tear her eyes from Rachel, Ariana spotted the Western Duke behind her. His gaze wasn't directed at Ariana, but rather in the direction of the Eastern Duke and his family.
Ariana quickly turned her head to see the Eastern Duke and her predecessors. Their expressions were filled with indignation, but that was all.
'This is terrible.'
Her heart sank.
She should have subtly told them what to do and how to act when they lost the trial.
She should have told them to act more anguished, more heartbroken, more meaningless, more like a family that had tragically lost the daughter they desperately wanted to protect.
The Eastern Duke knew that Odmill would soon be the one to overturn the trial's outcome, so he expressed his anger at this moment, but he didn't act like a father who had lost his daughter forever.
She felt a cold gaze on her forehead. She turned her gaze slightly and saw the Western Duke's searching gaze.
A bitter smile played on his lips. He kept his gaze fixed on Ariana, quietly giving instructions to the aide beside him.
Her heart pounded. But there was nothing Ariana could do now.
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