As Seraphie stepped into the courtroom, she felt drained. Isn’t this a banquet hall…?
Even though she had never experienced a banquet before, Seraphie could tell. The forced succession trial that held someone’s future was set to be publicly held in a dazzling banquet hall.
It seemed that Seraphie was the only one taking this trial seriously. For everyone else, it was merely an amusing spectacle, a topic of gossip, nothing more.
So that’s why they made it public. To come and watch. Enjoy the despair and efforts of someone else as entertainment.
The nobles sat in the audience, in chairs set apart for them, whispering among themselves as they watched Seraphie. Most seemed surprised by her short hair. Seraphie felt like an animal in a zoo.
But really, no one else has short hair here? Like the nobles seated around her, Seraphie also found herself observing them with curiosity. After all, this was her first time seeing proper nobles.
“My desperate struggle seems to be entertaining,” Seraphie muttered to herself without much meaning. She had no expectations, so there was no room for disappointment now. On the other hand, the expressions of Orkis and Carl, who were beside her, grew somber.
While Seraphie was outwardly muttering, her attention was drawn to her own attire. I should have dressed up…
Everything around her was so extravagant that she felt her appearance seemed particularly shabby. This feeling was only amplified by the presence of the handsome knights flanking her.
Though she had come into some money from winning at the lottery and horse racing, Seraphie had been frugal, just in case. Moreover, she had strategically chosen plain clothing, thinking that dressing too lavishly for the trial wouldn’t help her cause. Seraphie now regretted not wearing a couple of brooches just like her maid suggested.
Even that b*stard is dressed to the nines!
The real reason for Seraphie’s regret over her attire was sitting across from her—Count Vallidus. He was adorned in expensive clothing she had never seen before, with two large rings set with enormous jewels on his fingers.
That damned old man!
She had thought he only spent money on alcohol and debauchery, but it seemed he had a penchant for luxury as well.
I’ve spent the entire month pulling my hair out trying to deal with the loan sharks he left behind, and yet he’s got gemstones the size of his eyeballs on his fingers?
Seraphie closed her eyes tightly, trying to suppress the anger welling up inside her. The more she thought about it, the more infuriating it was. She was angrier than when the count had hit her. The repulsive image of Count Vallidus’s triple crown was now elevated to a quadruple crown in her mind.
That sc*mbag…! Even as she cursed him in her mind, Seraphie was grateful that her face looked innocent and pure. It allowed her to hide the fury boiling inside her.
“Lady.” Orkis quietly warned. “Many eyes are watching.”
“I didn’t do anything,” Seraphie replied, pretending to wipe her eyes with a handkerchief.
“Didn’t you curse him?”
“Only in my head.”
“I didn’t hear her curse.”
Seraphie and Carl answered simultaneously, exchanging curious glances.
Did she really curse?
What’s wrong with him?
Their meaningful glances met for a brief moment before Seraphie shot Orkis a glare. “I didn’t curse out loud.”
“But you did it with your eyes.”
“How could I not be in this situation?”
“You need to be careful until you win.” Orkis reminded her once again.
Seraphie was tired of the constant nagging. The guardians who were supposed to protect her were instead making her even more stressed. She felt like raising her hand and asking to switch them out immediately.
“Your Majesty the Emperor has arrived.” Fortunately, the chamberlain announced the emperor’s arrival just in time.
The nobles all stood simultaneously. The sound of footsteps echoed from above. From the balcony installed in the center of the banquet hall, several people made their presence known.
The emperor appeared, and everyone, as if on cue, bowed their heads. Seraphie imitated them, though the act of holding her skirt and curtsying still felt awkward.
The emperor scanned the scene below with an indifferent gaze, pausing at one point.
Huh…?
Seraphie sensed that gaze lingering on her for a long time.
Ah. Because of her short hair. The moment she realized who the gaze belonged to and why it was lingering, the chamberlain announced that the emperor had taken her seat.
The nobles sat down as well, including Count Vallidus, Orkis, and Carl. It was only then that Seraphie could see the emperor.
The emperor is a woman.
The emperor, with her platinum blonde hair tied up, was, contrary to Seraphie’s expectations, a woman. Seraphie belatedly recalled that the original novel never described the emperor’s gender. Of course, the emperor’s gender was irrelevant at this moment.
“Let the trial begin.” The emperor raised her hand. From her eyes cast down at the courtroom and the tone in her voice as she commanded to start of the trial, there was a clear sense of annoyance and weariness.
The court official began explaining the trial procedures to the audience. However, none of it reached Seraphie’s ears. Part of it was because she had already memorized the order of the proceedings, but more importantly, the emperor’s presence above her brought a nagging sense of uncertainty.
This is going to be troublesome. While the audience might be swayed by her pitiful appearance to feel sympathy, Seraphie had the distinct impression that such shallow tricks would never work on the emperor.
In the meantime, the court official introduced the issue at hand in this trial. After the sensational introduction about a daughter challenging her father’s competence to forcibly inherit his title, the proceedings began with Count Vallidus.
“…Is that right?” Seraphie muttered.
“Is there a problem?” Orkis leaned down slightly to whisper.
“Why are they questioning my father first?” She was the plaintiff, so it didn’t make sense for Count Vallidus to go first.
“This isn’t a formal trial. Several procedures have been skipped or simplified. As long as the general order isn’t disrupted, it’s not an issue.”
Unless the emperor pointed it out, it would simply be overlooked. And indeed, the emperor made no comment about it.
Count Vallidus predictably proclaimed his innocence. “I did not abuse my wife or my daughter!”
Count Vallidus’s claim was no surprise to Seraphie. He began by admitting his faults. His confession about his addiction to alcohol and gambling seemed to be sincere.
“Not looking good.”
Seraphie heard Orkis muttering under his breath. She glanced at him. He was looking at Count Vallidus with disapproval.
“Who knew he could speak so well?” Carl seemed surprised too.
In their minds, Count Vallidus had been nothing more than an incorrigible scoundrel. Count Vallidus’s slightly tearful words and seemingly repentant face were far too convincing.
This is really bad. A frown formed on Seraphie’s forehead.
This was definitely not a good situation. He admitted his faults but framed the trial as a new opportunity for his family. He even pleaded that he would now dedicate himself to his family and restore the honor of their house. In summary, he boiled it down to two points: a brief moment of indiscretion and sincere repentance.
He’s acting like he’s going to win. Seraphie bit the inside of her lip. His strategy is solid.
Despite the disadvantages, Seraphie had to admit that Count Vallidus’s strategy was pretty good. The unexpectedly composed appearance of Count Vallidus, who they thought was beyond recovery, was making the nobles reconsider their opinions of him.
“It’s true that I made a grave mistake towards my daughter. But it was all in the name of discipline, out of concern for her…” He even subtly shifted the blame, making it seem as if Seraphie’s grievances were mere childish complaints.
Count Vallidus was downplaying the severity of the situation, trying to make it seem like this was just a minor family dispute and not something that the emperor needed to waste her time on. Since forced succession trials, unlike natural succession, were complicated affairs that involved the movement of titles, the emperor would no doubt find this to be an annoying extra burden.
He’s using his head. Seraphie was torn between admiration and frustration. If he had used even a fraction of that cunning and strategy to care for his family, she wouldn’t have had to go through all this suffering. But…
Seraphie covered her mouth with both hands as if in fervent prayer. “Haha…” A small, light chuckle lingered in the darkness of her hands before disappearing.
Even so, Seraphie was confident she could still win.
* * *
“He’s surprisingly composed.”
Lunie Mars, the daughter of Count Mars, who had come to watch the trial, muttered behind her fan. The white feathered fan matched perfectly with her red hair.
Lunie had been looking forward to the trial. Not only was her beloved fiancé Carl testifying, but she would also get to see the infamous Vallidus family in person. And the trial had been even more intriguing than expected.
First, she was shocked by Lady Vallidus’s short hair, and then she winced at her frail figure. The count, who had such a notorious reputation, seemed surprisingly sane as he asserted his innocence. Of course, Lunie and the other nobles didn’t believe him. Instead, they felt even more convinced that the rumors they had heard were true.
There were countless testimonies about how awful Count Vallidus was.
“Peni,” Lunie called out to Peonia, who was sitting next to her, equally engrossed in the trial. “What do you think?”
“About what?”
“The trial. Who do you think will win?”
Peonia turned her gaze back to the courtroom. “The Count seems more rational than I expected.”
He only seemed rational, but Peonia could still tell he was far from a good person.
But the young lady will lose.
Even so, Peonia predicted a pessimistic outcome. After all, this trial wasn’t about determining guilt or innocence.
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