(58) I can do it. (2)
News that Ariana's custody trial would be reopened by imperial decree spread quickly. When the Western Duke's carriage arrived at the courtroom, it was crowded with people.
Ariana's breathing became increasingly rapid due to the pain, but she followed the Western Duke and Rachel, trying to breathe as calmly as possible. With each step, the knife moved, slicing into her flesh.
'It's okay. This is nothing. I've been through worse. I can bear it.'
She whipped herself into the courtroom, threatening to faint.
'At least I can't collapse until the trial begins and the witnesses appear.'
The Western Duke was already out. This time, he was sitting in the defendant's chair. Because the trial was so sudden, he couldn't bring a lawyer. But the Eastern Duke's side felt the same way.
Duke Russell cast a pitiful glance at Ariana, but she had no energy to return it. All she could do was struggle not to faint.
Finally, she reached the manuscript table and sat down, and the pain had eased.
'Hurry...'
She knew that rushing wouldn't do anything, but she was anxious.
'Before I collapse.'
Ariana glanced at the audience to distract herself from the pain and found Third Prince Harold sitting in the front row.
Her breath caught in her throat.
'Harold Blenwit!'
She nearly screamed. She felt as if she had forgotten where she was and had returned to the time she'd spent with him.
She pictured herself, fooled by his sweet words, jumping into the flames as if it were yesterday.
How foolish had she looked then? Just to hear a sweet word, to be recognized as useful, how foolish did she look, risking her own fear and leaping to her death?
Ariana wanted to rush over, grab him by the collar, and ask him if he enjoyed using her like that. Was the high position he held, where he had cornered a foolish woman desperate for love, happy?
'Hold on. Not yet.'
Ariana quickly lowered her head before meeting Harold's eyes.
'He's just out to watch because he likes fun. So I mustn't stand out.'
News that Ariana's custody trial would be reopened by imperial decree spread quickly. When the Western Duke's carriage arrived at the courtroom, it was crowded with people.
Ariana's breathing became increasingly rapid due to the pain, but she followed the Western Duke and Rachel, trying to breathe as calmly as possible. With each step, the knife moved, slicing into her flesh.
'It's okay. This is nothing. I've been through worse. I can bear it.'
She whipped herself into the courtroom, threatening to faint.
'At least I can't collapse until the trial begins and the witnesses appear.'
The Western Duke was already out. This time, he was sitting in the defendant's chair. Because the trial was so sudden, he couldn't bring a lawyer. But the Eastern Duke's side felt the same way.
Duke Russell cast a pitiful glance at Ariana, but she had no energy to return it. All she could do was struggle not to faint.
Finally, she reached the manuscript table and sat down, and the pain had eased.
'Hurry...'
She knew that rushing wouldn't do anything, but she was anxious.
'Before I collapse.'
Ariana glanced at the audience to distract herself from the pain and found Third Prince Harold sitting in the front row.
Her breath caught in her throat.
'Harold Blenwit!'
She nearly screamed. She felt as if she had forgotten where she was and had returned to the time she'd spent with him.
She pictured herself, fooled by his sweet words, jumping into the flames as if it were yesterday.
How foolish had she looked then? Just to hear a sweet word, to be recognized as useful, how foolish did she look, risking her own fear and leaping to her death?
Ariana wanted to rush over, grab him by the collar, and ask him if he enjoyed using her like that. Was the high position he held, where he had cornered a foolish woman desperate for love, happy?
'Hold on. Not yet.'
Ariana quickly lowered her head before meeting Harold's eyes.
'He's just out to watch because he likes fun. So I mustn't stand out.'
Now there was one more reason not to faint.
At least in front of Harold, she would never, ever, ever show weakness.
Cold sweat ran down her back. It felt both cold and too hot. She repeatedly fought back the urge to see blackness.
After what felt like an eternity, the judge and the cardinal entered. This time, it was Chief Judge Tubeson and Cardinal Eodes. But unlike last time, they didn't sit down right away; they stood up.
"His Majesty the Emperor is here."
Someone announced loudly outside the courtroom door.
Everyone rose. Ariana followed suit.
"Meet the Sun of the Empire!"
The Emperor, clad in his robes, strode silently across the long red carpet. His red, gold-embroidered mantle fluttered.
He walked to the high chair between the judges and the cardinal. The Emperor's gaze lingered on the Countess for a moment. His gaze flickered subtly for a brief moment before he sat down and nodded to his aide.
"Everyone, please take your seats," the aide shouted.
Ariana sat down, her eyes downcast, lost in thought. Calmly reflecting, she realized the situation wasn't as positive as before.
'This isn't necessarily going to be to my advantage.'
The Emperor harbored a grudge against the Eastern Duke.
'Perhaps this witness is something the Emperor hastily concocted to bring down even the Eastern Duke.'
At least in front of Harold, she would never, ever, ever show weakness.
Cold sweat ran down her back. It felt both cold and too hot. She repeatedly fought back the urge to see blackness.
After what felt like an eternity, the judge and the cardinal entered. This time, it was Chief Judge Tubeson and Cardinal Eodes. But unlike last time, they didn't sit down right away; they stood up.
"His Majesty the Emperor is here."
Someone announced loudly outside the courtroom door.
Everyone rose. Ariana followed suit.
"Meet the Sun of the Empire!"
The Emperor, clad in his robes, strode silently across the long red carpet. His red, gold-embroidered mantle fluttered.
He walked to the high chair between the judges and the cardinal. The Emperor's gaze lingered on the Countess for a moment. His gaze flickered subtly for a brief moment before he sat down and nodded to his aide.
"Everyone, please take your seats," the aide shouted.
Ariana sat down, her eyes downcast, lost in thought. Calmly reflecting, she realized the situation wasn't as positive as before.
'This isn't necessarily going to be to my advantage.'
The Emperor harbored a grudge against the Eastern Duke.
'Perhaps this witness is something the Emperor hastily concocted to bring down even the Eastern Duke.'
No, that's highly likely. No matter how interesting the trial, there's no reason for the Emperor to personally intervene in a custody case.
If the Emperor had arranged this situation to side with the Western Duke and drive a wedge into the Western Duke's side, it would have been over.
'The Emperor's position means he may intend to issue an imperial decree to deal with the outcome of this trial. If the imperial decree granting my custody to Rachel is issued, and if the Eastern Duke is also overthrown... there's nothing I can do.'
Dealing with the Emperor at this point was far outside Ariana's plans. Ariana had no way to respond to the imperial decree at this point.
If the imperial decree regarding custody was issued, even if Rachel openly tortured or killed Ariana, Ariana would not be able to escape Rachel.
The imperial decree was absolute and perfect.
If Ariana refused to accept the result and fled, the imperial knights would move to capture and kill Ariana.
Those who disobey the imperial decree should not exist in this world.
'What should I do? Is there nothing I can do right now?'
She was debating whether it would be better to reveal her current state and faint, but the Emperor spoke. His solemn voice echoed throughout the vast courtroom.
"There is a witness who has questioned the proceedings and requested a retrial. The matter seems urgent, so I have unintentionally issued an imperial decree."
The courtroom's eyes widened in surprise at his words. Who could dare to rush the Emperor to the point of needing an imperial decree?
"The arguments for the plaintiff and defendant concluded yesterday, so now let's hear the testimony of this witness. Witness, listen."
Everyone craned their necks to see the witness who had moved the Emperor.
The courtroom doors opened.
The light streaming in from outside made the figure standing in the center appear only as a dark shadow.
He strode majestically across the red carpet that the Emperor had trodden. His cloak billowed, his silver hair becoming more vibrant as he drew nearer.
Ariana stared breathlessly at the man entering. The others did the same.
Tall, broad shoulders, silver hair that sparkled like the moon, a face as beautiful as marble, fierce eyes beneath dark gray eyebrows, and blood-red pupils.
Everyone present could guess the identity of this man, who possessed a beautiful appearance like a descendant of the moon god.
Finally, he stood before the emperor and spoke.
“The Northern Duke Cyrus Carha thanks Your Majesty for granting me this troublesome request.”
The room was silent.
They took in the scene as if they were watching a magnificent play.
The Emperor and the Northern Duke.
The Eastern Duke, who had fallen out of favor with the Emperor, was an entertaining spectacle, but the Northern Duke surpassed him.
The fact that the noble king of the northern kingdom, who had been personally invited to a party by the Emperor and who had never responded to countless nobles’ requests, was here made them doubt their eyes.
But their surprise was nothing compared to Ariana’s astonishment.
Ariana thought she was dreaming.
The Emperor said,
“Witness, testify.”
Cyrus stared intently at the Western Duke, who had been glaring at him for a while.
“I visited the West last March. I stayed at the Western Duke’s Rosen Castle for a while before setting out to return to the North.”
Cyrus’s tone was polite, as he was in front of the Emperor.
“Shortly after entering the Weifen Mountains, I heard a woman’s voice calling for help. I rushed there with my men and found several armed men attempting to kill a woman. I fought the armed men and rescued the woman, and asked the survivor why he had harmed her. He replied, ‘He was ordered to kill that young girl. ’
Several people in the audience gasped, and a few bowed their heads in excitement.
“So I asked, ‘Who is that someone, and who is that young girl?’ And he answered, ‘He was ordered by the Duchess of Bronte to kill the second daughter of Bronte.’”
“Oh my!”
“Oh my!”
The weight of Cyrus's words was heavier than any witness's testimony.
Screams and lamentations echoed throughout the air. Rachel and the Western Duke paled. The Western Duke abruptly rose, but the Emperor raised a hand to stop him.
The Western Duke, trembling, had no choice but to return to his seat, while Rachel panted heavily, almost fainting.
"I don't know the circumstances of the Bronte family, but I couldn't bear to see the young girl in such peril. Therefore, I postponed my journey to the North and escorted her to the East. You can confirm that I accompanied Miss Ariana by asking at the inns in each city we stopped at."
Cyrus turned to Rachel.
"Also, lest the Duchess of Bronte use our company as an excuse to tarnish Miss Ariana's reputation, I want to warn you in advance that the escorts for our journey were not me, but Viscountess Louisa Cheveny, the leader of the Black Knights, so please don't misunderstand."
Cyrus finished speaking and stared at Tubeson, who was sitting on the bench.
“Chief Judge, you handed down an interesting verdict yesterday. Do you feel no shame in that decision?”
Tubeson, suddenly confronted, swallowed dryly and shook his head.
“W-what are you talking about?”
“I’m asking if you know anything about gold, jewels, and ten young slaves.”
“That...”
Tubeson’s face turned pale. He looked as if he might suffocate at any moment.
Cyrus smiled coldly and pulled a document from his pocket.
“I picked this up on the street on my way here. It has your signature and that of Lord Count Rodian Oblen on it, so I thought it might be an important lost item, so I brought it here.”
The Emperor gestured for the document. Cyrus approached the Emperor and politely handed it to him.
As the Emperor's expression hardened as he read the document, the expressions of the Western Duke and Tubeson also changed by the minute. Tubeson blinked his eyes and repeatedly raised and lowered his hips, while the Western Duke's lips quivered.
From their reactions, the audience guessed what the document meant: a bribe for a good trial outcome.
That meant yesterday's outcome was the result of a bribe. If the matter was urgent enough to warrant a bribe, it was clear which side was true and which was false.
The Emperor, who had set down the document, spoke coldly.
"I command."
The courtroom, which had been bustling with shocking events one after another, suddenly fell silent. Everyone bowed their heads to listen to the Emperor's command.
“Ariana Bronte will be Ariana White from this moment on, and no one will usurp that authority. Furthermore, Rachel Bronte, who has repeatedly abused her young child and attempted to ruin her child’s life by giving false testimony, is severely punished. She is to be fined thirty million gold and imprisoned for six months. Count Rodian Oblen, who attempted to bribe the judge and bring about an unfair outcome, is to be fined ten million gold.”
The Emperor added coldly.
“Does anyone object?”
There could be no objection.
If the Emperor had arranged this situation to side with the Western Duke and drive a wedge into the Western Duke's side, it would have been over.
'The Emperor's position means he may intend to issue an imperial decree to deal with the outcome of this trial. If the imperial decree granting my custody to Rachel is issued, and if the Eastern Duke is also overthrown... there's nothing I can do.'
Dealing with the Emperor at this point was far outside Ariana's plans. Ariana had no way to respond to the imperial decree at this point.
If the imperial decree regarding custody was issued, even if Rachel openly tortured or killed Ariana, Ariana would not be able to escape Rachel.
The imperial decree was absolute and perfect.
If Ariana refused to accept the result and fled, the imperial knights would move to capture and kill Ariana.
Those who disobey the imperial decree should not exist in this world.
'What should I do? Is there nothing I can do right now?'
She was debating whether it would be better to reveal her current state and faint, but the Emperor spoke. His solemn voice echoed throughout the vast courtroom.
"There is a witness who has questioned the proceedings and requested a retrial. The matter seems urgent, so I have unintentionally issued an imperial decree."
The courtroom's eyes widened in surprise at his words. Who could dare to rush the Emperor to the point of needing an imperial decree?
"The arguments for the plaintiff and defendant concluded yesterday, so now let's hear the testimony of this witness. Witness, listen."
Everyone craned their necks to see the witness who had moved the Emperor.
The courtroom doors opened.
The light streaming in from outside made the figure standing in the center appear only as a dark shadow.
He strode majestically across the red carpet that the Emperor had trodden. His cloak billowed, his silver hair becoming more vibrant as he drew nearer.
Ariana stared breathlessly at the man entering. The others did the same.
Tall, broad shoulders, silver hair that sparkled like the moon, a face as beautiful as marble, fierce eyes beneath dark gray eyebrows, and blood-red pupils.
Everyone present could guess the identity of this man, who possessed a beautiful appearance like a descendant of the moon god.
Finally, he stood before the emperor and spoke.
“The Northern Duke Cyrus Carha thanks Your Majesty for granting me this troublesome request.”
The room was silent.
They took in the scene as if they were watching a magnificent play.
The Emperor and the Northern Duke.
The Eastern Duke, who had fallen out of favor with the Emperor, was an entertaining spectacle, but the Northern Duke surpassed him.
The fact that the noble king of the northern kingdom, who had been personally invited to a party by the Emperor and who had never responded to countless nobles’ requests, was here made them doubt their eyes.
But their surprise was nothing compared to Ariana’s astonishment.
Ariana thought she was dreaming.
The Emperor said,
“Witness, testify.”
Cyrus stared intently at the Western Duke, who had been glaring at him for a while.
“I visited the West last March. I stayed at the Western Duke’s Rosen Castle for a while before setting out to return to the North.”
Cyrus’s tone was polite, as he was in front of the Emperor.
“Shortly after entering the Weifen Mountains, I heard a woman’s voice calling for help. I rushed there with my men and found several armed men attempting to kill a woman. I fought the armed men and rescued the woman, and asked the survivor why he had harmed her. He replied, ‘He was ordered to kill that young girl. ’
Several people in the audience gasped, and a few bowed their heads in excitement.
“So I asked, ‘Who is that someone, and who is that young girl?’ And he answered, ‘He was ordered by the Duchess of Bronte to kill the second daughter of Bronte.’”
“Oh my!”
“Oh my!”
The weight of Cyrus's words was heavier than any witness's testimony.
Screams and lamentations echoed throughout the air. Rachel and the Western Duke paled. The Western Duke abruptly rose, but the Emperor raised a hand to stop him.
The Western Duke, trembling, had no choice but to return to his seat, while Rachel panted heavily, almost fainting.
"I don't know the circumstances of the Bronte family, but I couldn't bear to see the young girl in such peril. Therefore, I postponed my journey to the North and escorted her to the East. You can confirm that I accompanied Miss Ariana by asking at the inns in each city we stopped at."
Cyrus turned to Rachel.
"Also, lest the Duchess of Bronte use our company as an excuse to tarnish Miss Ariana's reputation, I want to warn you in advance that the escorts for our journey were not me, but Viscountess Louisa Cheveny, the leader of the Black Knights, so please don't misunderstand."
Cyrus finished speaking and stared at Tubeson, who was sitting on the bench.
“Chief Judge, you handed down an interesting verdict yesterday. Do you feel no shame in that decision?”
Tubeson, suddenly confronted, swallowed dryly and shook his head.
“W-what are you talking about?”
“I’m asking if you know anything about gold, jewels, and ten young slaves.”
“That...”
Tubeson’s face turned pale. He looked as if he might suffocate at any moment.
Cyrus smiled coldly and pulled a document from his pocket.
“I picked this up on the street on my way here. It has your signature and that of Lord Count Rodian Oblen on it, so I thought it might be an important lost item, so I brought it here.”
The Emperor gestured for the document. Cyrus approached the Emperor and politely handed it to him.
As the Emperor's expression hardened as he read the document, the expressions of the Western Duke and Tubeson also changed by the minute. Tubeson blinked his eyes and repeatedly raised and lowered his hips, while the Western Duke's lips quivered.
From their reactions, the audience guessed what the document meant: a bribe for a good trial outcome.
That meant yesterday's outcome was the result of a bribe. If the matter was urgent enough to warrant a bribe, it was clear which side was true and which was false.
The Emperor, who had set down the document, spoke coldly.
"I command."
The courtroom, which had been bustling with shocking events one after another, suddenly fell silent. Everyone bowed their heads to listen to the Emperor's command.
“Ariana Bronte will be Ariana White from this moment on, and no one will usurp that authority. Furthermore, Rachel Bronte, who has repeatedly abused her young child and attempted to ruin her child’s life by giving false testimony, is severely punished. She is to be fined thirty million gold and imprisoned for six months. Count Rodian Oblen, who attempted to bribe the judge and bring about an unfair outcome, is to be fined ten million gold.”
The Emperor added coldly.
“Does anyone object?”
There could be no objection.
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