Shioana opened her eyes and felt a slight pain in her stomach. An unfamiliar landscape slowly came into view through her blurry vision.
"...Here, where is this place?"
She tried to get up from her seat at once, but her body wouldn't move as she wanted. Her head ached, her body ached all over, and she felt so nauseous it was like her stomach was turning upside down.
Just then, a large hand patted Shioana's shoulder.
"Don't worry, this is my home."
At the sound of a familiar voice, Shioana hurriedly spoke up.
"Surely I'm not dead?"
In her fragile memory, only the loud neighing of a horse remained.
"If that were the case, would I be dead by now? I haven't even dated or gotten married yet, so I can't die yet out of sheer unfairness."
Shioana felt relieved yet confused by Raul's playful voice, as usual.
"...Boss. What on earth happened?"
Shioana clung to him with a face that could neither laugh nor cry.
***
"Katrina Bernhard, I will allow a proxy."
The Emperor's permission was granted, and Katrina, having barely managed to suppress her anger, expressed her gratitude for the Emperor's mercy.
"I will hold the court duel at noon."
Subsequently, detailed instructions were added that the same weapon must be used.
Soon after, many people moved to the dueling arena set up next to the courtroom. The dueling arena consisted of the judge's seat, the gallows, and an area where the duelists took an oath.
The crowd, waiting for the trial results since dawn, packed the dueling arena.
"We have melt-in-your-mouth tarts, pates, and fried pies!"
The merchant shouted at the top of his lungs to sell snacks to the crowd gathered at the rare spectacle.
As Marquis Calix appeared, having already put on his armor and helmet and finished preparing for the duel, a roar shook the dueling arena.
"God helps the righteous!"
"Long live the great Marquis Calix!"
"Long live Duke Bernhard!"
The sound of chants shouting for the families each sided with was deafening.
Just as everyone's eyes were burning with intense anticipation for the upcoming duel, Etienne, who had been looking around, staggered forward.
"Mother, I will bring glory to the Bernhard family through a duel."
As he spoke in a solemn voice, Katrina frowned.
His opponent was Marquis Calix, a seasoned veteran of the battlefield. He was not an opponent that this young Duke, who looked like he had been rolling around somewhere all night, could defeat.
'Do you think I would send you to such an important duel?'
Katrina, holding the Duke's arm, shook her head.
"What if you get hurt, you precious body? I have already found a substitute."
"But Mother, it is dishonorable to use a proxy when I am here."
Etienne acted as if he would immediately jump into the dueling arena barehanded.
"His Imperial Majesty has authorized this, so what is there to worry about? You just need to stay here."
Katrina, having barely managed to stop the Duke, approached her henchman.
"..."
The man in armor immediately knelt before her.
"Remember that if you lose the duel, your wrist will be cut off for perjury."
As always, the man simply bowed his head in silence. As he strode into the dueling arena, all preparations were complete.
"Goddess Diana! Show favor to the righteous!"
Starting with the sound of someone's prayer, the crowd cheered in unison.
"Fight! Fight!"
Duels between noble families were a rare occurrence, and with both Marquis Calix and the representative of the Bernhardt family facing the duel today possessing sturdy physiques, a fierce battle was anticipated.
"They sent a guy who's all big and burly."
Marquis Calix, who was swinging his spear around, looked down on his opponent and acted nonchalantly.
'How dare you report me?'
The problem began with a letter that arrived to him one day. It contained the news that Katrina would accuse him of plotting treason.
At first, it was hard to believe, but every single piece of evidence supported the contents of the letter.
'It is true that there are no eternal allies or enemies.'
It wasn't a bad move to crush the Bernhard family before they grew too big.
Then the sound of a trumpet echoed through the hall, and the judge ordered the plaintiff and the defendant to take an oath.
"Katrina Bernhard will prove her sincerity with her body."
As Katrina made the declaration from behind the representative, Marquis Calix also spoke.
"Jonathan Calix will defend himself with faithfulness."
The battle of wills between the representative and Marquis Calix was intense, and the crowd was equally tense.
However, unlike this atmosphere, there was someone who was relaxed. Etienne swept his disheveled hair back and stared at the dueling arena with a blank expression.
'I hope my stepmother wins...'
Only then could he proceed with the rest of the work he had planned.
'How pathetic it is to fight without even knowing who started it.'
Etienne took advantage of the fact that the Marquis and Katrina were suspicious.
Just as the sound of drums was heard, the Marquis and Katrina's representative aimed their spears at each other. Then, as the dust rolled in, the Marquis suddenly appeared, collapsed on the ground.
Compared to the tension that had been palpable, the match was anticlimactic.
"The Bernhard family declares Katrina's victory."
Katrina, having won the duel, was proven innocent, and Marquis Calix had to pay the price for plotting treason. As if unable to believe his defeat, the Marquis's face turned pale.
"Your Majesty, I am truly innocent."
The Emperor rose from his seat and looked at Marquis Calix with a cold gaze.
"Marquis Calix, it has been revealed that you plotted treason, challenging the Emperor's authority. Although the principle is to execute a traitor by hanging, in recognition of your past contributions, I will punish you by confiscating all your property and sending you to prison instead."
Marquis Calix, who had suddenly lost everything, still had a look of disbelief on his face.
"...Your Majesty! This is absurd."
Marquis Calix's desperate scream echoed through the dueling arena.
***
Katrina's face lit up with joy after winning the trial.
"Good heavens, it looks like our family has received Diana's blessing today."
Her voice, as she mentioned God, sounded just like she was singing.
"Actually, since there is no fault, it is only natural."
Katrina did not stop talking even though Etienne did not answer.
'I wonder if this will be the last time they chatter like that.'
Etienne leaned quietly against the carriage seat and just listened. After all, the happier Katrina was, the better it was for him.
As the carriage drew closer to the Bernhard mansion, a sharp aura began to set in Etienne's previously expressionless face.
"Duke, on a joyous day like today, we must raise a toast."
"Great."
The two sat side by side across from each other at the long dining table. Looking at the empty table, Katrina opened her mouth.
"Why didn't you invite anyone else?"
"I thought it would be more meaningful for the real members of the Bernhard family to raise a celebratory drink among themselves."
At Etienne's words, Katrina curled the corners of her mouth upward as if to say she understood.
"That makes sense. After all, there are very few genuine Bernhard members in this huge mansion."
Etienne let out a wry laugh, taking the glass away from his lips. The past. There was a time when this long table was full.
With the addition of Katrina and Ludwig following his father's remarriage, the dining table was truly bustling. There was a day that could be called a very brief, ordinary day.
"Now, if the Duke just marries Diana and has a son, the Bernhard family will return to its golden age."
"So you mean, even Marquis Calix ended up like that?"
"So why is he so greedy? People are supposed to covet only as much as they can handle."
Katrina clicked her tongue and raised a glass for the Calix family, who had fallen in an instant. Etienne took the glass from his lips and smiled slightly.
“Is that so?”
"What do you mean, Duke?"
"I am asking if this family was worth coveting."
At the Duke's voice, which had suddenly turned cold, Katrina spilled a little of the alcohol she was drinking.
"Why are your eyes like that...?"
His eyes, which had been hazy just moments ago, were burning bright red.
"I hated you from the beginning."
Katrina tilted her head at the fact that she was already familiar with.
"What on earth is the problem? His Imperial Majesty has sided with us, and isn't everything going well?"
From Katrina's perspective, everything will go smoothly.
"Would my family, who died unjustly, think the same way?"
The father and brothers who trusted such a woman and took her into the family, and Edwin, who followed her around calling her mother, could not close his eyes in peace.
"Didn't you hear it at night? The voice calling out for you in distress."
"W-what are you talking about? It seems the Duke is saying strange things because you drank too much. You would be better off stopping."
Katrina, feeling afraid, tried to stop the conversation.
"Mother, Mother, may I ride the foal with Ludwig?"
As Etienne mimicked someone in a thin voice, Katrina's face instantly turned pale.
"Th-that's all you need to do."
"How wicked must one have to be to use poison on a child who called them 'Mother' and showered them with affection?"
The metallic smell of dark red blood flowing from Edwin's mouth still lingered at the tip of Etienne's nose.
He could do nothing while holding his dying younger brother.
The reason Katrina was not brought to trial on charges of parricide was by no means due to a lack of evidence.
"On what grounds are you making such terrible speculations! You saw right beside me just how much I grieved over the loss of my family!"
Katrina went into a frenzy, gasping for breath.
As she said, when Etienne's father and brother died, Katrina’s appearance was so exemplary that it served as a model for someone who had lost a loved one.
"That's right. You did a spine-chillingly good job. I mean your acting."
"I won't listen to this anymore. Let's talk again when you sober up."
As the situation became unfavorable for Katrina, she tried to leave.
"Where are you going without my permission?"
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