Episode 163. Judgment Day
The day of the trial.
A large crowd gathered to witness the proceedings.
A reinvestigation was conducted as per Rose's request. The court, which had previously concluded that the Grand Duke of Artaeum was the culprit, now identified a new suspect alongside the Grand Duke.
The Grand Duke, the first suspect, entered first.
The Grand Duke of Artaeum strode confidently and looked around the courtroom, searching for Rose among the throng of people. The Grand Duke, who had been searching for Rose, found Rose.
Instead of waving, Rose offered a small smile.
"Don't worry, Grand Duke. It will all end well."
Rose's smile was composed.
She had no doubt that the Grand Duke would be released.
This was because the reinvestigation had sufficiently proven his innocence.
The Grand Duke returned Rose's smile with a slight nod.
He gently raised the corners of his lips and gave Rose a nod.
The Grand Duke returned to his seat. And then, a second suspect appeared.
A tall, slender man with neatly slicked-back black hair, he looked just like Cedric.
This second suspect was none other than Eric.
Perhaps because the curse cast by the Grand Duke had lifted, Eric's expression seemed remarkably happy.
He no longer had dreams of Cedric.
Thanks to his life with the night, he had regained his composure.
Despite being identified as the possible murderer of his father, he was remarkably confident.
Eric's expression showed no trace of guilt.
Rose stared blankly at Eric as he walked away from afar.
'Is he shameless?'
...Has he lost his memory?
Rose swallowed hard.
As she continued her reinvestigation, she realized that every single piece of evidence in this case pointed to Eric as the culprit.
And Eric Rose knew he couldn't have been so shameless.
Eric was certainly a piece of trash, a mere recyclable waste in relationships, but he wasn't the kind of person who could commit a crime and still be okay.
At least, that's what Rose felt Eric was like.
The courtroom erupted in commotion when Eric appeared.
"How can he be... accused of murdering his father?"
"Count Wence may be a scoundrel, but he wouldn't be the kind of person to do something like this, would he?"
"Look at that confident expression. A criminal wouldn't act like that."
"What kind of child would harm their parents?"
The people found it quite surprising that he was a suspect.
And, on the other hand, their gazes toward the Grand Duke of Artaeum were not kind.
"His Highness the Grand Duke of Artaeum was a bitter rival of the Count of Wence."
"If one of them is the culprit... wouldn't it be His Highness the Grand Duke?"
They all unanimously predicted that the Grand Duke of Artaeum was the culprit.
Rose walked through the whispering crowd and joined in their conversation.
"Don't drive a harsh man crazy."
At the sound of Rose's voice, the surroundings fell silent as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over them.
“There’s overwhelming evidence that the Grand Duke isn’t the culprit.”
Rose smiled. At first glance, she seemed friendly, but her gaze was fierce.
“So, don’t talk nonsense.”
Rose carefully scanned those who had been gossiping about the Grand Duke.
As if she were memorizing each and every one of them, her eyes etched their features into hers.
Perhaps Rose’s aura was quite frightening, so they couldn’t say anything and just swallowed dryly.
Soon, Rose turned and left. The frozen atmosphere finally broke.
“Lady Serviat... She's changed a lot, hasn’t she?”
“She has been hanging out with the Grand Duke Artaeum, and even her personality is becoming exactly like his.”
“Until recently, she was definitely a woman like a blind man...”
The Rose they knew was a flawed woman, unable to say a single word of disapproval.
Even when Rose was evaluated as having become quite intelligent while running a department store distribution business, many people laughed at her. They said there was no way that foolish Rose could do such a thing.
“When I heard the rumors that she had changed, I thought it was ridiculous...”
However, seeing it in person confirmed that it wasn’t a false rumor.
“Get out of my way. Let me pass.”
At that moment, Beliana came in, pushing through the crowd.
She blushed for no reason as she watched Rose walking away.
“...Isn’t she so cool?”
How could she be so strong for the man she loved?
Beliana vowed to become closer to Rose today and walked towards her.
“Sister Rose.”
Beliana stopped Rose as she walked.
“Sister?”
Was there anyone worthy of calling her sister?
Rose glanced back. Behind her stood Beliana, smiling brightly at her.
Beliana's already bright face brightened even more, perhaps pleased that Rose had turned around.
Beliana quickly approached Rose and linked arms with her.
“Hello again, Sister?”
Rose felt uncomfortable with Beliana's friendly approach. She gently pushed Beliana's arm away and spoke in a stern tone.
“What is it, Countess Wence?”
Unlike Beliana, who called her sister, Rose maintained a businesslike demeanor.
“Oh, Countess Wence? I’m divorced now.”
Beliana burst into laughter at the trivial remark.
“Please call me ‘Belia,’ Sister.”
“I don’t think we’re close enough to call each other ‘Belia,’ Lady Dikar.”
Rose was wary of Beliana, who approached her.
There was no reason for Beliana to be friendly with her.
She had practically threatened Beliana's father, the Marquis of Dikar, and there had been no significant connection between her and Beliana before the possession.
‘What are you trying to find out from me?’
Surely... You didn’t notice that Emily, who married into the Count Wence instead of you, was still alive?
Or... The Emperor’s confidant?
‘Whatever... I don’t want to be close to Beliana.’
Rose glanced at Beliana with a dubious gaze and spoke in a cold voice.
“Congratulations on your divorce. You almost...”
You almost became the wife of a murderer.
Rose swallowed her words.
Rose drew a line, as if to tell her not to talk any further, and left.
Soon, the judge came in.
The Grand Duke's lawyer and Eric's lawyer argued fiercely, arguing for his innocence.
"The Grand Duke of Artaeum is undoubtedly the culprit. His whereabouts that day were extremely vague. Why would he have gone to the south, where he had no connections? Didn't he just lie about going south to establish an alibi?"
Eric's lawyer began to corner the Grand Duke of Artaeum.
"Any testimony about seeing the Grand Duke in the south is clearly a bought lie! The only thing that will prove the Grand Duke's alibi is the testimony of seeing him. Beyond this, there's nothing to prove the Grand Duke's innocence!"
"Ha, how ridiculous. That's not something you should say, you who have convicted a man without evidence. Count Wence is the one who is suspicious in more than one way. His testimony is inconsistent."
The Grand Duke's lawyer brought a stack of documents he'd written while interrogating Eric to the judge.
"These are the documents I've compiled while investigating Count Wence. Count Wence constantly changes his story. Furthermore, his self-confessed alibi differs from the statements of his employees."
The Grand Duke's lawyer argued that Eric's alibi was flawed.
"Memories are inherently imprecise! How can busy employees remember every little detail? And Count Wence lost his father in this incident! It's only natural for him to be so shocked that he can't fully recall the situation."
Eric's lawyer retorted, his face flushed.
The Grand Duke's lawyer ignored the opposing lawyer and thrust another sheet of paper at the judge.
"While investigating this case, we discovered a secret basement in Cedric's mansion. And we found evidence that Cedric was disciplining Count Wence there."
The Grand Duke's lawyer signaled to someone. Soon, a man arrived with a bundle of blunt weapons.
“Count Wence has been disciplined by Cedric since childhood. Unable to bear the continued violence even after becoming an adult, Count Wence eventually crossed the river of no return.”
As he finished speaking, Eric’s face hardened.
Cedric’s harsh discipline was an open secret.
Only Tercia and Baku knew about it.
And yet, his secret was leaking out like this... Eric was utterly bewildered.
“What kind of nonsense are you writing? That’s where my late father practiced martial arts. Harsh discipline? Don’t talk nonsense. How could my father discipline his only child? Eric’s voice trembled as he spoke calmly."
It was funny to defend his father, but that wasn’t what was truly strange.
It was the image of himself desperately trying to hide the secrets of the basement.
Why? At the opposing lawyer's single words about crossing a river of no return, Eric's heart pounded violently.
Thump-thump.
The irregular heartbeat was uncomfortably fast.
For a moment, his head spun dizzy, and the image of Cedric from his dream flashed before his eyes.
'Eric... Eric... Eric...'
Cedric desperately called his name.
The image of his father, covered in blood, kept flashing before his eyes.
A memory too vivid to be a dream slowly choked Eric's throat.
Eric gasped for breath and grimaced in pain.
Then, the Grand Duke's lawyer called for a witness.
"I call Baku, Cedric's subordinate, who knows the truth of this case, as a witness."
The tightly shut door of the courtroom swung open.
Baku strode confidently into the strong sunlight.
Baku declared that he would tell the truth and continued without hesitation.
“I know the real culprit in this case.”
The courtroom became utterly chaotic when Baku, Cedric’s henchman, appeared. Baku turned his head toward Eric with a solemn expression.
“I witnessed the Master’s death... with my own eyes.”
Baku’s gaze at Eric was deeply sorrowful.
“The Master’s only son... Count Wence is the culprit.”
The day of the trial.
A large crowd gathered to witness the proceedings.
A reinvestigation was conducted as per Rose's request. The court, which had previously concluded that the Grand Duke of Artaeum was the culprit, now identified a new suspect alongside the Grand Duke.
The Grand Duke, the first suspect, entered first.
The Grand Duke of Artaeum strode confidently and looked around the courtroom, searching for Rose among the throng of people. The Grand Duke, who had been searching for Rose, found Rose.
Instead of waving, Rose offered a small smile.
"Don't worry, Grand Duke. It will all end well."
Rose's smile was composed.
She had no doubt that the Grand Duke would be released.
This was because the reinvestigation had sufficiently proven his innocence.
The Grand Duke returned Rose's smile with a slight nod.
He gently raised the corners of his lips and gave Rose a nod.
The Grand Duke returned to his seat. And then, a second suspect appeared.
A tall, slender man with neatly slicked-back black hair, he looked just like Cedric.
This second suspect was none other than Eric.
Perhaps because the curse cast by the Grand Duke had lifted, Eric's expression seemed remarkably happy.
He no longer had dreams of Cedric.
Thanks to his life with the night, he had regained his composure.
Despite being identified as the possible murderer of his father, he was remarkably confident.
Eric's expression showed no trace of guilt.
Rose stared blankly at Eric as he walked away from afar.
'Is he shameless?'
...Has he lost his memory?
Rose swallowed hard.
As she continued her reinvestigation, she realized that every single piece of evidence in this case pointed to Eric as the culprit.
And Eric Rose knew he couldn't have been so shameless.
Eric was certainly a piece of trash, a mere recyclable waste in relationships, but he wasn't the kind of person who could commit a crime and still be okay.
At least, that's what Rose felt Eric was like.
The courtroom erupted in commotion when Eric appeared.
"How can he be... accused of murdering his father?"
"Count Wence may be a scoundrel, but he wouldn't be the kind of person to do something like this, would he?"
"Look at that confident expression. A criminal wouldn't act like that."
"What kind of child would harm their parents?"
The people found it quite surprising that he was a suspect.
And, on the other hand, their gazes toward the Grand Duke of Artaeum were not kind.
"His Highness the Grand Duke of Artaeum was a bitter rival of the Count of Wence."
"If one of them is the culprit... wouldn't it be His Highness the Grand Duke?"
They all unanimously predicted that the Grand Duke of Artaeum was the culprit.
Rose walked through the whispering crowd and joined in their conversation.
"Don't drive a harsh man crazy."
At the sound of Rose's voice, the surroundings fell silent as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over them.
“There’s overwhelming evidence that the Grand Duke isn’t the culprit.”
Rose smiled. At first glance, she seemed friendly, but her gaze was fierce.
“So, don’t talk nonsense.”
Rose carefully scanned those who had been gossiping about the Grand Duke.
As if she were memorizing each and every one of them, her eyes etched their features into hers.
Perhaps Rose’s aura was quite frightening, so they couldn’t say anything and just swallowed dryly.
Soon, Rose turned and left. The frozen atmosphere finally broke.
“Lady Serviat... She's changed a lot, hasn’t she?”
“She has been hanging out with the Grand Duke Artaeum, and even her personality is becoming exactly like his.”
“Until recently, she was definitely a woman like a blind man...”
The Rose they knew was a flawed woman, unable to say a single word of disapproval.
Even when Rose was evaluated as having become quite intelligent while running a department store distribution business, many people laughed at her. They said there was no way that foolish Rose could do such a thing.
“When I heard the rumors that she had changed, I thought it was ridiculous...”
However, seeing it in person confirmed that it wasn’t a false rumor.
“Get out of my way. Let me pass.”
At that moment, Beliana came in, pushing through the crowd.
She blushed for no reason as she watched Rose walking away.
“...Isn’t she so cool?”
How could she be so strong for the man she loved?
Beliana vowed to become closer to Rose today and walked towards her.
“Sister Rose.”
Beliana stopped Rose as she walked.
“Sister?”
Was there anyone worthy of calling her sister?
Rose glanced back. Behind her stood Beliana, smiling brightly at her.
Beliana's already bright face brightened even more, perhaps pleased that Rose had turned around.
Beliana quickly approached Rose and linked arms with her.
“Hello again, Sister?”
Rose felt uncomfortable with Beliana's friendly approach. She gently pushed Beliana's arm away and spoke in a stern tone.
“What is it, Countess Wence?”
Unlike Beliana, who called her sister, Rose maintained a businesslike demeanor.
“Oh, Countess Wence? I’m divorced now.”
Beliana burst into laughter at the trivial remark.
“Please call me ‘Belia,’ Sister.”
“I don’t think we’re close enough to call each other ‘Belia,’ Lady Dikar.”
Rose was wary of Beliana, who approached her.
There was no reason for Beliana to be friendly with her.
She had practically threatened Beliana's father, the Marquis of Dikar, and there had been no significant connection between her and Beliana before the possession.
‘What are you trying to find out from me?’
Surely... You didn’t notice that Emily, who married into the Count Wence instead of you, was still alive?
Or... The Emperor’s confidant?
‘Whatever... I don’t want to be close to Beliana.’
Rose glanced at Beliana with a dubious gaze and spoke in a cold voice.
“Congratulations on your divorce. You almost...”
You almost became the wife of a murderer.
Rose swallowed her words.
Rose drew a line, as if to tell her not to talk any further, and left.
Soon, the judge came in.
The Grand Duke's lawyer and Eric's lawyer argued fiercely, arguing for his innocence.
"The Grand Duke of Artaeum is undoubtedly the culprit. His whereabouts that day were extremely vague. Why would he have gone to the south, where he had no connections? Didn't he just lie about going south to establish an alibi?"
Eric's lawyer began to corner the Grand Duke of Artaeum.
"Any testimony about seeing the Grand Duke in the south is clearly a bought lie! The only thing that will prove the Grand Duke's alibi is the testimony of seeing him. Beyond this, there's nothing to prove the Grand Duke's innocence!"
"Ha, how ridiculous. That's not something you should say, you who have convicted a man without evidence. Count Wence is the one who is suspicious in more than one way. His testimony is inconsistent."
The Grand Duke's lawyer brought a stack of documents he'd written while interrogating Eric to the judge.
"These are the documents I've compiled while investigating Count Wence. Count Wence constantly changes his story. Furthermore, his self-confessed alibi differs from the statements of his employees."
The Grand Duke's lawyer argued that Eric's alibi was flawed.
"Memories are inherently imprecise! How can busy employees remember every little detail? And Count Wence lost his father in this incident! It's only natural for him to be so shocked that he can't fully recall the situation."
Eric's lawyer retorted, his face flushed.
The Grand Duke's lawyer ignored the opposing lawyer and thrust another sheet of paper at the judge.
"While investigating this case, we discovered a secret basement in Cedric's mansion. And we found evidence that Cedric was disciplining Count Wence there."
The Grand Duke's lawyer signaled to someone. Soon, a man arrived with a bundle of blunt weapons.
“Count Wence has been disciplined by Cedric since childhood. Unable to bear the continued violence even after becoming an adult, Count Wence eventually crossed the river of no return.”
As he finished speaking, Eric’s face hardened.
Cedric’s harsh discipline was an open secret.
Only Tercia and Baku knew about it.
And yet, his secret was leaking out like this... Eric was utterly bewildered.
“What kind of nonsense are you writing? That’s where my late father practiced martial arts. Harsh discipline? Don’t talk nonsense. How could my father discipline his only child? Eric’s voice trembled as he spoke calmly."
It was funny to defend his father, but that wasn’t what was truly strange.
It was the image of himself desperately trying to hide the secrets of the basement.
Why? At the opposing lawyer's single words about crossing a river of no return, Eric's heart pounded violently.
Thump-thump.
The irregular heartbeat was uncomfortably fast.
For a moment, his head spun dizzy, and the image of Cedric from his dream flashed before his eyes.
'Eric... Eric... Eric...'
Cedric desperately called his name.
The image of his father, covered in blood, kept flashing before his eyes.
A memory too vivid to be a dream slowly choked Eric's throat.
Eric gasped for breath and grimaced in pain.
Then, the Grand Duke's lawyer called for a witness.
"I call Baku, Cedric's subordinate, who knows the truth of this case, as a witness."
The tightly shut door of the courtroom swung open.
Baku strode confidently into the strong sunlight.
Baku declared that he would tell the truth and continued without hesitation.
“I know the real culprit in this case.”
The courtroom became utterly chaotic when Baku, Cedric’s henchman, appeared. Baku turned his head toward Eric with a solemn expression.
“I witnessed the Master’s death... with my own eyes.”
Baku’s gaze at Eric was deeply sorrowful.
“The Master’s only son... Count Wence is the culprit.”
As Baku finished speaking, Tercia’s scream was heard.
“Lies!! Lies!!”
Tercia screamed in exasperation before eventually being kicked out of the courtroom.
Even after Tercia was removed, Eric and the Grand Duke's lawyers continued their tense standoff.
The judge stared blankly at the documents submitted by each lawyer.
Neither side had any substantial evidence.
There was only testimony.
In this situation, with each side pointing the finger at the other as the culprit, what verdict should be reached?
The answer was easier than expected.
No, in fact, this trial had a definite ending.
The judge recalled the face of the Emperor who had come to see him. And then, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.
“I cannot render a light verdict in the absence of compelling evidence. To ensure a fair verdict, I will determine the innocence of both parties through a duel.”
Bang, bang, bang.
“Oh my, a duel? It will be quite an interesting spectacle, Sister.”
Beliana, who had approached her, smiled shyly and whispered.
“The winner is innocent, the loser is guilty. How can such a romantic trial be?”
Beliana, who had been croaking, stopped laughing at Rose’s frozen expression. She then continued, taking note of Rose’s reaction.
“Don’t worry too much, Sister. Count Wence, he looks so fragile, doesn’t he? The Grand Duke of Artaeum will surely win.”
Whatever Beliana said fell on deaf ears.
“A duel...”
The damned Emperor had cleverly twisted the situation. The duel proceeded with remarkable speed, as if it had been planned.
Eric, as if he had foreseen this situation, hired the greatest gladiator of the time to fight in his stead.
Meanwhile, the Grand Duke of Artaeum had no opportunity to hire anyone. Everyone had rejected his offers. He was now facing a duel with the greatest gladiator of the time. The Archduke's trial, a trial that could see him die.
Rose, sweat dripping down her fists, glared at the Emperor, who had come to witness the duel.
Rose still didn't know that the Grand Duke of Artaeum was a naturally gifted magician.
This was a historic day, the day when the Grand Duke's abilities, hidden all his life, would shine brightly.
“Lies!! Lies!!”
Tercia screamed in exasperation before eventually being kicked out of the courtroom.
Even after Tercia was removed, Eric and the Grand Duke's lawyers continued their tense standoff.
The judge stared blankly at the documents submitted by each lawyer.
Neither side had any substantial evidence.
There was only testimony.
In this situation, with each side pointing the finger at the other as the culprit, what verdict should be reached?
The answer was easier than expected.
No, in fact, this trial had a definite ending.
The judge recalled the face of the Emperor who had come to see him. And then, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.
“I cannot render a light verdict in the absence of compelling evidence. To ensure a fair verdict, I will determine the innocence of both parties through a duel.”
Bang, bang, bang.
“Oh my, a duel? It will be quite an interesting spectacle, Sister.”
Beliana, who had approached her, smiled shyly and whispered.
“The winner is innocent, the loser is guilty. How can such a romantic trial be?”
Beliana, who had been croaking, stopped laughing at Rose’s frozen expression. She then continued, taking note of Rose’s reaction.
“Don’t worry too much, Sister. Count Wence, he looks so fragile, doesn’t he? The Grand Duke of Artaeum will surely win.”
Whatever Beliana said fell on deaf ears.
“A duel...”
The damned Emperor had cleverly twisted the situation. The duel proceeded with remarkable speed, as if it had been planned.
Eric, as if he had foreseen this situation, hired the greatest gladiator of the time to fight in his stead.
Meanwhile, the Grand Duke of Artaeum had no opportunity to hire anyone. Everyone had rejected his offers. He was now facing a duel with the greatest gladiator of the time. The Archduke's trial, a trial that could see him die.
Rose, sweat dripping down her fists, glared at the Emperor, who had come to witness the duel.
Rose still didn't know that the Grand Duke of Artaeum was a naturally gifted magician.
This was a historic day, the day when the Grand Duke's abilities, hidden all his life, would shine brightly.
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