The words sound like a thunderbolt.
The nobles looked up at Julion with trembling eyes.
His eyes were cold, and one corner of his mouth tilted up at an angle. Even with a glance, they could tell that he meant it, so they could only gape.
“Your Highness, if that happens, the empire will be in great turmoil. Please reconsider!”
Marquis Thetman bowed his head as he spoke his mind.
As the nobles secretly cheered him on, Julion threw a small vial at Thetman.
“Your wife was poisoned, wasn’t she? You betrayed the empire for her sake.”
“Your Highness, that’s…”
“It’s a poison that allows for an easy death. Take responsibility for your own choices, Marquis Thetman. Then, I’ll see to it that your wife is sent off comfortably.”
Julion’s words stirred up commotion once again.
With trembling hands, Marquis Thetman picked up the vial.
The red liquid swirled inside the vial, showcasing its presence.
But the Marquis couldn’t even unscrew the cap and collapsed to the ground.
“Your Highness, there must be a way! Please show mercy!”
“So you’re defying my orders.”
“Your Highness!”
There was no hint of affection or sympathy in Julion’s cold gaze.
Thetman bit his lip and glanced back briefly.
Dozens of nobles were watching him, their faces tense.
Among them was Countess Rivolain, who was at a loss, tapping her foot anxiously.
“I say again. Marquis Thetman, you will pay for your crimes.”
“…Your Highness, does this mean the Marquisate of Thetman will be spared?”
“Yes. Marchioness Raviette Thetman will also close her eyes as a novel woman.”
With a determined expression, Marquis Thetman looked at the vial and cautiously opened the cap.
Watching intently, the nobles held their breath, and Countess Rivolain cried out in anguish.
“No, Marquis, stop!”
As Countess Rivolain tried to approach the Marquis, Wolfgang drew his sword from his side.
His expression remained stoic throughout, as if he had received a signal from Julion in advance, with no hint of hesitation in his demeanor.
Blocked by the sharp blade, Countess Rivolain shouted in frustration at Julion.
“This is outrageous! Your Highness, does even the Emperor know about this?”
“Countess Rivolain. Do you not know that the Emperor has granted me all authority and power?”
Julion’s response made Countess Rivolain bite her lip as she glared at him.
Her distrustful gaze unsettled not only Julion but also the nobles.
Julion continued, his voice filled with vigor.
“Are you acting so recklessly because of your friendship with the Crown Princess?”
Countess Rivolain wanted to say more, but she felt overwhelmed by Julion’s voice and couldn’t do anything.
Facing the trembling Countess, Marquis Thetman smiled gently.
“I… I’m fine. As a noble of Sertizan, I must bear the consequences of betraying the imperial family and colluding with traitors.”
Countess Rivolain’s pink eyes widened in disbelief.
Her eyes caught Marquis Thetman lifting the vial to his mouth.
The Marquis locked eyes with Julion and uttered his final words.
“I, Graham Thetman, accept my punishment, trusting in His Highness’s mercy.”
The crimson liquid flowed into the Marquis’s mouth.
The nobles could hardly breathe, focusing on Thetman’s condition.
Soon, blood vessels appeared around his eyes, and he began to cough up blood.
“Cough…”
“No, Marquis Thetman!”
Countess Rivolain cried out in anguish, but the marquis’s body was already tilting.
With a thud, he collapsed onto the floor, motionless.
Screams echoed somewhere, and Julion gestured to the attendants to carry out the fallen Marquis Thetman.
“By proving his loyalty to the Empire, Marquis Thetman has earned forgiveness for all his sins.”
The first to react to Julion’s proclamation was Countess Rivolain.
Already distraught over the death of Marquis Thetman, she ignored Julion’s warning and shouted.
“You cannot do this, Your Highness! How dedicated Marquis Thetman was to the royal family! How could this…”
“You’ve gone too far. Refusing to honor the imperial decree warrants immediate execution.”
The Countess couldn’t finish her sentence.
Along with Julion’s piercing gaze, Wolfgang’s sword swung down.
“……!”
Countess Rivolain slowly fell to the ground, blood spurting from her back.
She pursed her lips to say something more, but her body shuddered at the depth of the wound, and she lost consciousness.
“Oh my…”
The nobles exchanged cautious glances, their faces paling.
Julion addressed the visibly uneasy nobles with indifference,
“If anyone wishes to express dissatisfaction, now would be the time to speak.”
No one dared to speak up.
He had just executed Countess Rivolain, a person close to the Crown Princess, without hesitation.
The nobles hurriedly concealed any remaining discontent.
Seeing no further resistance, Julion gestured to the servants to remove Countess Rivolain and returned to the main issue.
“I won’t force anyone to follow Marquis Thetman. Do you prefer to live like a madman and die? Then so be it.”
The nobles, meeting Julion’s gaze, recoiled in surprise and averted their eyes.
They would rather live as madmen than die sooner.
Many of the nobles gathered here felt that way.
Their own well-being was more important to them than loyalty to the empire, more important than protecting their families.
So Julion’s words just now gave hope to such shallow nobles.
They were ready to accept life as madmen.
But in the next moment, Julion’s next words shut them up again.
“However, if you choose that path, I can no longer spare your lineage. You have followed the words of a traitor, albeit under duress. For that, I will strip you all of your nobility and prevent you from rising in rank for the next five hundred years.”
“Your Highness!”
“You will also be branded with the traitor’s mark on your forehead and sent to the labor camps. If you wish to prolong your life, I won’t stop you.”
The words were spoken casually, but the implications were beyond imagination.
Turning almost into slaves, forbidden from rising social status for 500 years, it was beyond belief.
It meant that they would never be noble again, no matter what they did.
For those who had been nobles all their lives, this was unimaginably terrible.
“Now, the choice is yours.”
Julion’s final order fell.
For a long moment, the nobles remained silent, only staring at their feet.
Julion was about to speak again, bored with the silence, when a tall man stepped forward, his eyes shining brightly.
“With death, I, Roam Lanches, will put the shame of the past to rest.”
Starting with Lord Ranches, several nobles began to step forward in succession.
“We, House Feromia, pledge allegiance to the Crown.”
“House Geria will also follow suit.”
“Even Cherusila…”
“Lanette will follow too, Your Highness.”
“Elbet also confesses our sins. Please grant forgiveness.”
Julion looked at the nobles kneeling on the ground, then turned to those hesitating in the back.
“I’m sure there are many more poisoned, but are these the only ones willing to pay the price?”
Julion’s sharp gaze swept over each noble.
In addition to the poisonous beetles, many nobles had incurred the wrath of the common people.
Unable to withstand Julion’s gaze, or perhaps with a belated resolve to save their lineage, a few more nobles stepped forward.
“Please spare our lineage…”
In this manner, about ten or so individuals came forward, pledging loyalty.
Among the dozens of nobles, these were the only ones truly stepping forward to apologize for their wrongs, protect their lineage, and show loyalty to the imperial family.
Julion sighed heavily at the dismal situation.
“…Freck, give them the prepared potion.”
Freck followed instructions and brought a chest full of potion.
One by one, the vials with crimson liquid were placed in front of the kneeling nobles, the same ones that had killed Marquis Thetman earlier.
The nobles, who had pledged their lives, trembled in fear as they held the vials in front of them.
Nevertheless, they slowly opened the caps and brought the vials to their lips.
Some remained composed, some showed sorrow, and others showed anxiety or anger.
Though their expressions varied, their eyes revealed the same sentiments:
Pride in their nobility.
Shame on having been manipulated by Cassian.
Relief that they still had a chance to prove their loyalty to the imperial family.
And finally, the fear of death.
‘Although it may be contaminated…’
Julion’s golden eyes landed on several of the nobles holding the vials, who were looking at them differently.
It was obvious they were trying to trick his eyes into thinking they were drinking.
Regardless, they would regret their decision later.
“Your loyalty will be proven. Drink without worry,”
Julion’s final words echoed. With that, the nobles consumed the crimson liquid.
Gulps resounded in the tense atmosphere, as everyone remained on edge.
Some discreetly spilled the liquid into their clothing, but Julion merely observed, amused by their antics.
Shortly after, Marquis Ranches noticed something amiss, and drank the potion first.
“Why is my body…”
Was there something wrong?
As Marquis Ranches, blinking in confusion, checked his own condition, the sound of choking pain reached his ears.
Reflexively, he turned his head and saw several individuals collapsing to the floor, clutching their chests.
A deeper sense of bewilderment settled in his eyes.
Ranches grew even more perplexed, unaware that some of those who collapsed hadn’t consumed the potion.
He wasn’t alone in his confusion.
Aside from the few nobles who collapsed strangely, the majority of the others were unharmed.
With a smile, Julion addressed the puzzled individuals.
“Your loyalty has been proven. I forgive your past transgressions. Also…”
Julion’s gaze shifted to the nobles, who collapsed inexplicably.
Then came the revelation:
“The potion I provided was an antidote to the poisonous beetles. I cannot understand why some of you collapsed after drinking it.”
It was enough to shock the nobles gathered in the hall once again.
