Although the Princess was currently 4th in line of succession, there had never been a woman who had become Emperor.
However, the Emperor was so obsessed with his bloodline that he had covered for the reckless Crown Prince Fritz’s misdeeds.
Because of his statement that everyone would bow their heads, the nobles couldn’t shake the thought that perhaps…
‘Or maybe he intends to place the princess’s son on the throne.’
As the nobles were troubled by various speculations, the Emperor spoke to the princess.
“Now, go to your seat.”
The princess bowed her head and headed to her seat.
The nobles observed the Duke Blant escorting her and thought,
‘The Duke has a lot of rumors surrounding his personal life, but no matter how you look at it, the Emperor’s attitude and everything else seem suspicious.’
While their thoughts were complicated, they couldn’t reveal their true feelings, and silence fell over the meeting hall.
At that moment, breaking the stillness, the Emperor announced,
“I will now commence the state council meeting. There are many important matters to discuss, but first, I would like to address the incident that befell my daughter, the princess, five years ago.”
As he spoke, the Emperor shot a fierce glare at Marquis Arzen.
Only then did the nobles recall the purpose of the princess’s attendance and began to speculate about why the Emperor had entered with her.
‘Ah, is it to protect his victimized daughter as a father?’
His statement that everyone would bow their heads made sense if interpreted as meaning that the perpetrators would bow their heads.
The paternal warmth radiating from the Emperor made the fathers who had daughters secretly sympathize and smile.
However, some conservative nobles, including Marquis Arzen, were smiling for different reasons.
‘Of course. What can a woman do?’
Finally, the Emperor spoke in a stern voice.
“Marquis Philippe, bring the criminals in at once.”
Marquis Philippe deeply bowed his head and instructed,
“Bring in the criminals.”
Soon after, the Grand Madam and Medelin, handcuffed, entered the conference hall.
The nobles involuntarily held their breath.
This was because the two women, dragged in as they were, looked utterly wretched.
‘Even if they are nobles, to treat them so roughly…’
Although they had been kept in solitary confinement, which was well-equipped because they were nobles, the Grand Madam and Medelin looked pale, as if they were about to collapse.
Medelin, in particular, looked like she was on the verge of tears, trembling with fear as she was dragged in.
At her pitiful sight, the expressions of the nobles, especially Marquis Arzen, darkened.
At that moment, Medelin spoke up.
“I—I’m innocent!”
Her voice was trembling and weak, and her expression showed her desperation.
Even the knight dragging her seemed to hesitate at her words.
However, the Emperor showed no mercy whatsoever.
“What are you doing? Hurry and bring the criminals in!”
At the Emperor’s shout, resentment began to rise in the expressions of the nobles.
‘No matter what, they are nobles; this can’t be allowed…’
Unable to endure the situation any longer, the first to speak up was Medelin’s father, Marquis Arzen.
“Your Majesty, this is truly too much! The princess is very much alive, and my daughter’s guilt has not been established. Yet you treat her like a traitor! Is this the reward for the loyalty and devotion that the Arzen family has shown to the Empire and Your Majesty?”
With those words, the other nobles began to agree.
“That’s right. This is an unjust treatment.”
Medelin, who had been looking around with a frightened expression, secretly stifled a laugh.
‘Hehe, it seems the few days I spent starving were worth it.’
Finally, she clenched her fists and shot a resentful glance.
‘And I truly am innocent. It’s that despicable crow who deceived me and led me to this.’
Though she was imprisoned, if there was one thing Medelin did not regret, it was the death of Cornelia.
However, when she learned from prison that Cornelia, whom she thought was dead, was actually alive, Medelin shed tears of blood.
In her heart she wanted nothing more than to kill Cornelia, who had deceived her.
But she was a criminal and could do nothing.
At that moment, Archduke Tarrant contacted her through an underling.
<Medelin Arzen, I will now convey my master’s proposal.>
What he proposed was something she excelled at.
‘He said he would pin all the blame on the Grand Madam, so I should act pitiful and claim my innocence at the state council meeting.’
Currently, her situation was that while there was a suspicion of attempting to murder Cornelia, no evidence had been found, and her exact crimes had not yet been revealed.
Last time, she had claimed to be innocent and incurred the Emperor’s wrath, so for now, it was better not to provoke him.
However, unlike before, when she had no allies, now her father was on her side, and she had the strong backing of Archduke Tarrant.
‘This is an opportunity to get back at the crow that tricked me; how could I let it slip away?’
So, before the state council meeting, she thought about how to present herself not as a villain but as a victim.
As intended, many were showing her sympathy and directing hostility toward the Emperor and the princess.
‘Hehe, by now, the crow’s expression must be utterly crumpled.’
As those thoughts crossed her mind, Medelin lifted her head, only to find her expression faltering.
‘Is that… really the crow?’
In the past, Cornelia had always worn extravagant lace dresses that didn’t suit her, seemingly trying to imitate Medelin.
She would also use excessive accessories like large hats or ribbons to cover up her complex about her hair.
However, now, with her hair neatly styled and a crown adorning her head, Cornelia looked like a princess from a storybook.
Her dress, while not extravagant, was elegant and exuded dignity, enhancing her grace.
Moreover, unlike usual, her lips painted a deep red did not appear vulgar; instead, they highlighted Cornelia’s mature beauty.
On the other hand, what about herself?
Although the prison cell was small, it had a bed and a bathroom, and she could receive cosmetics and other essentials from the outside, so she had thought that her beauty was still intact.
In fact, she had thought that her complexion had become even more radiant after a few days of fasting.
However, compared to Cornelia’s vibrant appearance, her own pale and wan complexion looked pitiful.
What she could not endure even more was seeing Erich, who was gazing solely at Cornelia.
Receiving his worried gaze, Cornelia looked back at him with ease.
‘How dare she? That crow…’
In a moment of involuntary defeat, Medelin clenched her fists and shot a venomous glare.
“Ha ha ha ha ha!”
Suddenly, the Grand Madam, who was walking ahead, burst into laughter as if she were about to choke, causing Medelin to flinch before secretly curling her lips into a smile.
‘Ah, so that’s it!’
When Archduke Tarrant proposed the plan, Medelin had wondered how the Grand Madam would willingly confess.
And the answer was right in front of her.
‘She mentioned giving a forbidden potion, right? Not only brainwashing but also a poison that drives one mad.’
Medelin’s eyes sparkled with delight.
The Grand Madam had a hand in how Medelin ended up like this.
‘If only she had kept quiet, I might have been found not guilty. But she had to go and mention the doctor, stirring up the Emperor’s suspicions.’
So, she was glad to see the Grand Madam’s downfall.
‘Consider this your karma. If you had opposed the crow and accepted me as your daughter-in-law, none of this would have happened. You brought this upon yourself by letting that woman in out of greed!’
Medelin glared at Erich.
‘Erich, you’ve been enchanted by that crow and have ignored me until now, haven’t you? Unfortunately for you, you will soon regret it. You’ll witness your mother’s death because of your wife! And in the end, you will fall into my hands!’
Medelin’s decision to cooperate with Reinhardt wasn’t solely driven by a desire for revenge against the crow.
<Alright. I understand what you’re saying. But what if the Emperor imprisons me again out of spite?>
<Don’t worry. Given the current situation regarding the Crown Prince’s downfall, the Emperor will be cautious in his actions. And in this situation, with no suitable candidates among the royal family, who do you think will be the next Emperor?>
Once everything was over, Erich’s reputation would also plummet.
Moreover, the moment Reinhardt ascended to the throne, Erich, positioned against him, would become irrelevant in politics and live as a disgrace.
When Erich was at his lowest, Medelin planned to take him for herself.
At that moment, the Emperor spoke.
“I will now begin the state council meeting. The first agenda for today is the attempted murder of the princess.”
Medelin suppressed a laugh at the Emperor’s dismissal of the nobles’ opinions.
‘This will only provoke backlash and have the opposite effect. Truly, he’s as foolish as the crow’s father.’
No wonder he couldn’t pass the throne to his son and was instead handing it over to the distant relative, Archduke Tarrant.
While Medelin was lost in such irreverent thoughts, the Emperor called her name.
“Medelin Arzen.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Her response was immediate, but her voice was weak and frail.
Even in her pitiful state, the Emperor continued in a harsh tone.
“Five years ago, during the public trial, you wrote a letter to Bianca Blant with the intent to harm my daughter, and Bianca Blant agreed. You have no objections to this, correct?”
In response, Medelin spoke tearfully.
“As I mentioned then, it was merely a momentary hatred. I truly had no intention of harming Cornelia!”
Finally, she gazed at Cornelia and said, “Cori, please believe me. I didn’t do anything!”
Just then, as Medelin’s tearful expression made Cornelia furrow her brows, the Emperor asked again, “I will ask you once more. Did you truly have no intention of harming my daughter?”
“Yes! I am truly innocent!”
At that, someone criticized her in a cold voice.
“How shameless.”
Medelin frowned.
The one she longed for, Erich Blant, was sending her a fierce glare, twisting his lips in disdain.
