Chapter 63
The judge’s words paused for a moment, leaving the courtroom in silence. I, too, closed my mouth and waited for the continuation of the judge’s statement.
The judge flipped through the documents he had brought, then spoke again.
“The actions committed by Gaiman Tristan under the guise of being the stepfather of Diarna Theodore are undeniably clear. Therefore, it is deemed appropriate to transfer the title of Duke Tristan and the assets listed in the claims to Diarna Theodore. Thus, Gaiman Tristan is to cooperate in handing over the title of Duke and the assets to Diarna Theodore without delay. Failure to comply may result in forced execution at the request of Diarna Theodore.”
After the judge finished speaking, he struck the gavel. This was the moment when everything I had lost was finally being returned to me.
“This is nonsense!”
Baron Hazel, the former Duke Tristan and once my stepfather, shouted. He rushed toward the judge as if to attack, but was quickly restrained by the nearby guards.
Even after that, he continued to shout and cause a scene, but nothing went according to Baron Hazel’s wishes. The commotion in the courtroom settled only after he was dragged out by the guards.
I watched him being pulled out with a heavy heart.
As he was dragged away, he didn’t forget to curse me and spew hateful words toward Richard. He shouted things like he would never forgive us, or that he would return and kill us both—those same tired old threats.
“It’s finally over.”
“Yeah, it’s quite an anticlimactic ending.”
I had imagined reclaiming everything from Baron Hazel in the past. I had expected something more dramatic, more intense, but the verdict in the courtroom was unexpectedly simple and anticlimactic.
“Is there something else you wanted?”
“No, not exactly…”
I trailed off with a bitter smile.
It was just that, looking at myself back then, I felt ashamed of how foolish and naïve I had been.
“Now that you’ve regained the title of Duke Tristan, you could officially claim the title, but why not enjoy it more? After all, it’s the title your mother wanted to pass down to you.”
“Well, that’s true. I am happy, but… it feels like there’s something I’m missing.”
“You don’t have to force yourself to be happy right away. It won’t disappear just because you don’t feel it now. When the time comes and you really feel it, you can enjoy it without any guilt.”
“Alright. You always seem to know me better than I know myself.”
“Well…”
Richard hesitated as he was about to respond. When I looked at him in confusion, I saw him frowning, staring at the door through which Baron Hazel had been dragged out.
“I’ve been through it too.”
At Richard’s next words, I fell silent for a moment, watching him. It seemed like he was lost in thought, thinking about the past.
He must have been here in this courtroom once too.
For the young Richard, everything that took place here must have been difficult and overwhelming, but he endured it.
I thought of the young Richard and gently placed my hand on top of his. I then carefully took his hand in mine. His large, rough hand engulfed mine. His hand was so large that even holding it, I still couldn’t fully grasp it.
“Richard, you’ve suffered too. It must have been hard.”
No one had probably ever said those words to Richard. He had always been strong from a young age, but after going through such experiences, I’m sure he would have wanted to be comforted, even if just once. I had been comforted by him many times, but I felt regretful that I couldn’t offer him more.
Richard, when he heard my words filled with genuine sympathy, turned his gaze away from the door and looked at me.
His blue eyes, unreadable, stared back at me. For some reason, I felt like my own reflection was flickering in them.
A very brief moment passed. Richard, finally, turned the hand I was holding and grasped it firmly, letting out a soft smile.
“Well, we have somewhere to go, so it’s best not to waste any more time here.”
Before I could respond, Commander Black approached us.
“Congratulations on today’s trial outcome, Duke Tristan.”
Black exaggeratedly greeted me with a flourish.
“Thank you for the congratulations.”
I smiled faintly and nodded, accepting his greeting.
“According to Count Theodore’s orders from yesterday, we’ve stationed guards at Duke Tristan’s estate. It seems you should head there next.”
Upon hearing Black’s words, I turned to Richard. Apparently, without my knowing, Richard had instructed Black to station guards at Duke Tristan’s estate.
When I looked at him, I wasn’t sure what he meant, but he gave a small nod in acknowledgment.
“Then, let’s go.”
I stood up, and with Richard’s escort, we moved forward. Black was also with us.
Since the Duke’s title and assets included his castle, I needed to check the estate as well.
I hadn’t been able to visit it due to Baron Hazel and Cecilia living there, but now I could finally go.
We quickly traveled by carriage and arrived at Duke Tristan’s mansion.
However, strangely enough, I heard a woman’s scream coming from the mansion. While I was confused and wondering what was happening, Richard seemed to have expected this. Then, the scream sounded familiar, and I realized what was happening.
As soon as we got out of the carriage, the scream grew louder. I moved faster than Richard toward the source of the sound. And sure enough, the familiar figure I had expected came into view.
“Cecilia.”
Cecilia, who had been screaming moments before, turned her head abruptly to look at me. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes bloodshot, and tears streamed down her face, making her look almost like a ghost.
“Diarna, you!”
Cecilia called out to me with a piercing tone, stumbling as she got to her feet. The sound of gold coins clattering to the floor echoed as they fell from her arms.
“This is all your fault!”
It was Richard who stopped Cecilia as she rushed toward me.
“Pathetic. Cecilia Hazel.”
Richard spoke in a low voice, and Cecilia flinched. She then turned to glare at him, as if she wanted to kill him with her eyes.
“That’s right, you! If you hadn’t instigated Diarna, none of this would have happened!”
Cecilia charged toward Richard. The soldiers beside her tried to restrain her, but she was quicker. She was ready to grapple with Richard right there. I turned my head in surprise, but in an instant, Richard pivoted and avoided her charge.
The momentum caused Cecilia to fall ungracefully to the ground.
“Ugh…!”
I expected her to immediately rise and lunge at either Richard or me, but contrary to my expectations, she didn’t get up. Instead, she remained on the ground, her body trembling slightly as she gasped for breath, almost as if she were crying.
Richard looked down at Cecilia, then turned to check on me. It was as though he was silently asking me what we should do.
I turned away from the sobbing Cecilia and looked at the guards who had been holding her back.
“What happened here?”
One of the soldiers stepped forward and bowed his head.
“While guarding Duke Tristan’s estate, this lady returned after going out, attempted to take the estate’s treasures, and tried to flee. I know it’s disrespectful, but we were in the process of stopping her.”
I understood the situation after hearing the soldier’s explanation. Cecilia, who had come to see me in the morning, must have realized things were hopeless and decided to escape by taking the treasures with her.
Since she was about to lose her title as the Duke’s daughter, the mansion, and all the assets, it seemed she had planned to run away like this. Unfortunately for her, Richard had already sent guards to the estate yesterday, so her plan was thwarted.
I took a deep breath, slowly exhaling, and then walked toward Cecilia.
“Cecilia, did you really do that?”
When I asked her for confirmation, she only glared at me, her face covered in dirt and streaked with tears, a complete mess.
But she didn’t say anything. Instead, she chewed on her lower lip, looking frustrated and wronged.
I quietly observed her for a moment, then moved to where she had dropped the gold coins.
There, I saw a bag that had been left behind, probably searched by the guards. The bag was messily open, and inside, there were jewels and gold coins. The sight of this bag confirmed the soldier’s story.
I slowly crouched down and retrieved a small pouch I always carried with me. I began filling it with the gold coins.
It was a small pouch I usually carried, but it was large enough to hold a handful of gold coins. After filling it to the brim, I stood up and approached Cecilia again.
I placed the pouch filled with coins in front of her, the sound of clinking gold unpleasantly loud.
“What are you doing?”
Cecilia’s venomous shout made me look down at her and speak.
“This is the best I can give you. It’s far less than what you wanted, but then again, it wasn’t even yours in the first place.”
Cecilia trembled as she clenched the dirt beneath her. I quickly lost interest in her and turned to face Richard.
“Let’s go in, Richard. It’s where I used to live; I’ll show you around.”
I grabbed Richard’s arm, and as he briefly glanced at Cecilia, he eventually turned away and followed me.
Behind us, I could still hear Cecilia’s frustrated shouts, but I chose to ignore them.
