“It’s cold.”
In the end, that was all Orkis said.
“Are you hurt anywhere?” Carl pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the ink-stained palm of Seraphie’s hand. He didn’t look happy either. It was similar to the first time they met in the library.
…He’s at it again.
She’s fine. Just a bruise, hardly deserving pity. Seraphie deliberately thought bluntly. After all, most of these bruises were suffered by the ‘real Seraphie,’ not herself.
But the cloak draped over her was warm, and the handkerchief wiping her hand was soft.
“Thank you,” Seraphie whispered her gratitude.
Carl’s expression noticeably softened.
“Did it have to come to this?”
But Orkis didn’t seem too pleased.
“Another nagging…”
Seraphie fiddled with her ear. She’d heard so much nagging she thought she might start bleeding. Thankfully, her hands were still clean.
“…You are in front of Her Majesty.” Orkis quietly reminded her. “It’s best to be careful with your actions.”
“That’s why I’m doing this.”
At Seraphie’s retort, Orkis frowned.
Seraphie, thinking that seeing for oneself is better than hearing a hundred times, pointed upwards. Orkis’s purple eyes followed, widening in surprise.
“She’s finally noticed me.”
That esteemed person, up on the balcony. For the first time, the emperor, who had kept out of sight, appeared at the balcony railing. The emperor looked down with great interest. Seraphie was at the center of her gaze.
“It seems Her Majesty has a taste for dramatic situations.”
“…”
“I really want to win here, but even if I lose, I have many ways to survive.”
A month of her efforts prepared for any eventuality had borne fruitful results.
“Does that mean you’re willing to do anything since you have nothing to lose?” Orkis asked.
“It’s the opposite, Sir.” Seraphie corrected him. “It’s because I still have things to lose that I’m willing to do anything.”
Even without a title, one could live without much trouble. However, Seraphie knew that a title would be a great help in finding her way back to her original world. A title would expand Seraphie’s range of actions.
* * *
With Count Vallidus’s trial concluded, it was now Seraphie’s turn.
“Your Majesty and the gathered nobles…”
Seraphie began with flowery words, but her argument was much the same as the rumors. The assault by Count Vallidus, the events that happened within the household, and even the experiences she and her mother had endured.
Seraphie thought that her claim might be an act of surrendering her honor as a noble, as she was airing her family’s dirty laundry. But she didn’t feel embarrassed or think it was wrong. Thanks to that, her voice was calm as she spoke, which lent her credibility to listeners. The bruises on her skin shown earlier were a significant help.
Throughout Seraphie’s speech, everyone remained silent and focused.
After both sides presented their arguments, witnesses from each side were called. The witness brought by the Count was the stableman of the mansion.
This is ridiculous. Seraphie couldn’t even muster a laugh.
The stableman had been the first to curse the Count and the happiest to receive back wages from Seraphie. Yet now, he stood as a witness for the Count, claiming that the Count’s misbehavior was due to his wife and daughter and that his violence was merely disciplinary.
“…Moreover, the young lady is addicted to gambling.”
Yeah, and with that gambling, I paid your overdue wages.
Seraphie turned her gaze away from the stableman, who hurriedly left after his testimony. She could feel Orkis’s piercing gaze beside her. This guy too…! He also suspected Seraphie of being addicted to gambling.
Next, it was Seraphie’s turn. Seraphie’s witnesses were three people. Orkis and Carl, who had arrested Count Vallidus in the act. The other person was the doctor who had been treating Seraphie and her mother for free.
Orkis and Carl each testified in detail about the moment they arrested Count Vallidus. Each time, gasps of astonishment could be heard from the audience. The final witness, the doctor, spoke about Seraphie’s condition and that of her mother, whom he had treated.
I should build a good relationship with this person. Seraphie felt gratitude and guilt toward the doctor. She was thankful enough for the free treatment, and now he had even come forward as a witness. She vowed to repay this favor many times over.
“Plaintiff.”
At that moment, a new voice interrupted from the balcony. It was just a title spoken, but the voice carried such power that it commanded everyone’s attention. The voice was relaxed and unhurried.
The emperor…!
Seraphie realized a beat late that she was being addressed and quickly bowed. She was flustered but tried her best not to show it. Now, Seraphie could clearly feel the gaze drilling into her bowed head.
“The defendant claims you were gambling, is that right?”
Seraphie nodded. “That’s correct, Your Majesty.”
Seraphie’s straightforward admission caused a stir among the crowd.
“That’s an interesting tale.” The emperor’s voice held no hint of amusement despite her words. “Plaintiff claims that due to the defendant’s habitual violence and squandering of wealth through gambling, he’s unfit to inherit the title, correct?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Yet you wish to claim the title? Despite your gambling?”
At the emperor’s question, Seraphie slightly bent her knee. “Your Majesty, I have only bought a lottery ticket once in my life. I also bet on horse racing just once.”
Seraphie handed a prepared envelope to the court official beside her. “As evidence, I have brought the lottery ticket and betting slips I purchased.”
The court official passed them to the chamberlain, who then handed them to the emperor.
“You can verify it.”
Just as the chamberlain handed the envelope to the emperor, Seraphie continued.
“The lottery ticket I purchased won first place, and the betting slips also won. I did not squander any wealth.”
Seraphie clearly heard Orkis’s shocked gasp. She glanced at Orkis and smiled with her eyes.
“…Verify it.” The emperor, with a doubtful tone, ordered the chamberlain.
After a brief moment, the chamberlain whispered into the emperor’s ear.
“…You’re quite lucky.” The emperor’s eyes narrowed as she looked down at Seraphie. Her curious gaze carried a hint of faint interest.
Seraphie clenched her fists in triumph inwardly. However, the stinging gazes she felt from behind were becoming uncomfortable. It was coming from Carl, who looked at Seraphie with a gaze of surprise and admiration, but Orkis’s gaze remained one of distrust.
How embarrassing it must be for them. For the first time since the trial began, Seraphie felt joy. They must have thought she was addicted to gambling this whole time. Of course, she lightly ignored the greedy gaze from the Count. Hearing that his daughter had gained a fortune through the lottery and horse racing had clearly piqued his interest.
“Why did you resort to gambling, then?” The emperor asked.
“To restore my family.”
Seraphie suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at the ridiculousness of the question and kept her smile polite. To think you would ask such a question. There was nothing else you could do. Seraphie found it absurd but decided to feign loyalty and bowed even more respectfully.
“My father continuously delayed paying the wages of our servants and turned his back on my mother and me. Not long ago, we couldn’t even afford breakfast the next day.”
Seraphie pinned all the blame for the tragedy on her father.
“After being struck in the head by my father with a liquor bottle, I was reborn.”
She explained that the family was on the verge of collapse and that she and her mother’s lives were at risk. That’s when Seraphie resolved to restore the family’s honor.
“I had no right to access the family’s finances. Besides, there was hardly any wealth left to use.”
“So, you bought a lottery ticket and betting slips?” The emperor asked. “As if you knew you would win.”
Seraphie lifted her head and smiled. “…I had a dream.”
Orkis’s lip twitched.
“Whether you believe it or not, I had a dream.”
“A dream?”
“In that dream, beautiful flowers bore gold and silver treasures, and a rainbow embraced me warmly, though it was upside down.”
The courtroom had fallen silent. The conversation was now solely between the emperor and Seraphie.
“Are you asking me to believe that?”
“I hardly believe it myself.”
Of course, it was a lie. But I can’t exactly tell the truth either.
This is a world inside a novel, and she remembered the part in the prologue where the lottery and horse racing were mentioned. So, she struck it rich. That would make her sound crazy.
She couldn’t reveal the truth, and she couldn’t think of a logical excuse. That’s why she decided to bluff.
Does luck need logic? It doesn’t.
After much thought, Seraphie decided to credit her windfall to a truly good dream.
“Despite the ominous number of flowers, they were warm and fragrant.”
It would naturally be considered as a good omen for a lottery win.
“And a rainbow descended from the sky, but strangely, the colors were reversed.”
Of course, Seraphie didn’t just spout whatever came to her mind. Her dream was crafted to resemble the teachings of religion in this empire. It was one of the things Seraphie had prepared for over the past month while gathering information about the Ortus Empire.
The empire’s religion was oddly nature-oriented. The deity is said to watch over people through flowers and plants and bestows blessings through rainbows. So, Seraphie crafted her dreams in line with those beliefs.
“…Quite the auspicious dream.”
The emperor nodded as she listened. But Seraphie knew this alone wouldn’t be enough to satisfy her.
It’s not over yet. The lottery and horse racing were mere strokes of luck. Seraphie still had to prove her worthiness to inherit the title and lead the family.
“…”
Seraphie subtly glanced at the audience. Her gaze stopped at one particular spot. There stood a man who resembled Orkis. Much older than Orkis, but the round forehead revealed under his slicked-back hair was just like his son’s.
“…”
Duke Felicia slowly curled his lips into a smile.
Having received the signal, Seraphie spoke to the emperor. “Your Majesty.”
Now.
“I have found the ‘Land Abandoned by the God.’”
It was time to end this wretched trial game.
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