Time passed steadily, and before I knew it, the trial was just a day away. Even after Armin had returned, I hadn’t caught so much as a glimpse of a single strand of his hair.
Meanwhile, Sasha, who had come back from the border looking like a complete wreck, decided he deserved compensation for all his suffering and had been thoroughly enjoying a leisurely vacation at home.
Sasha’s behavior was completely unexpected.
“Sasha.”
“Yeah?”
“Why are you so relaxed?”
I asked out of genuine curiosity, and Sasha replied with a tone that said he couldn’t believe I was asking.
“Am I not allowed to be relaxed?”
“No… it’s not that.”
It was just strange because I thought he’d be doing everything he could to prepare for the trial—but he wasn’t doing anything at all.
Even though I hadn’t said it aloud, Sasha seemed to already know exactly what I was thinking.
“Sorry, Vivi, but I can’t help you with this trial. I’m your family.”
He shrugged nonchalantly. Lying on the sofa like some carefree aristocrat, flipping through a novel, he couldn’t have looked more laid-back.
“This is actually pretty good. Where’s the next volume?”
“It hasn’t come out yet—it’s still new. No, that’s not the point! Brother!”
Why was I the only one panicking? Our heartfelt sibling bond had apparently already run dry, and it was just me whose nerves were fraying thanks to the radio silence from Armin.
“You don’t need to be so worked up. Everything will unfold in due time. Come sit and read with me.”
Sasha didn’t even glance in my direction as he spoke.
“But what if I lose the trial? Huh?”
“Then I’ll have no choice but to rise in the world. Thanks to having the Crown Princess as a sister.”
“Sasha!”
I screeched, and Sasha chuckled at me. He wasn’t being serious, of course, but with how on edge I was, even his jokes sounded deadly earnest.
This was shaping up to be the most bizarre trial in the Empire’s history. Just like it was unheard of for someone to be accused of lacking purity at the Crown Princess’s chastity ceremony, the trial itself was unprecedented too.
“Don’t worry. Even the Imperial family can’t extend its claws into the court.”
This country’s judicial system used a jury. And the identities of those jurors remained confidential until the trial day itself. So just like us, the Imperial family couldn’t bribe or sway them beforehand.
“If they don’t know, then we don’t know either. The court won’t want to take responsibility for a mess like this.”
If anyone leaked confidential information and the opposing side found out, it’d be a massive disgrace for everyone involved—especially the presiding judge.
“If it were just some average noble, maybe. But we’re up against House Grey. No one’s pulling any funny business unless they have ten lives to spare.”
Sasha had a point. No one would risk tampering with something this big. If the Imperial family got caught leaking info, they’d deny everything. The Church would leap at the chance to shame the courts for their corruption.
Most adults—even powerful ones—tend to avoid taking responsibility unless they absolutely have to. Sasha was right.
Still, even though I understood all that in my head, I couldn’t calm the turmoil in my chest.
“What if…”
“What if?”
I bit my nails out of habit. Seeing me fret, Sasha grabbed my hand.
“Don’t chew your nails.”
“What if… Armin’s given up on me?”
At that, Sasha let out a long, exasperated sigh.
“Good grief.”
Even if he was worried about giving our enemies something to latch onto, if he really wanted to reach me, there were plenty of other ways to do it!
“Come on. After the storm he kicked up the moment he got back, you’re still anxious? Imagine how disheartened Armin would be if he heard you.”
He sounded like he knew something. I rushed over to Sasha and grabbed him, shaking him roughly.
“Hey, hey! Let go! I’m gonna fall!”
“Sasha! You do know something, don’t you?”
But Sasha only laughed and didn’t tell me anything.
“Not knowing is what’s best for you. Just stay still. It’s better if you just prepare yourself mentally.”
“Prepare myself mentally?”
“There’s a reason.”
Over the past five days, there’s been one phrase Sasha’s kept saying: ‘There’s a reason.’
“What is this reason you keep talking about?”
“I told you. There is a reason. Instead of wasting time worrying, just get your head ready.”
“That’s what I’m asking! Ready for what?”
Just like Sasha kept repeating the same phrase, I’d been relentlessly pestering him in return for the past five days.
Eventually, Sasha gave in and got up from the sofa. As he left, he tossed me a vague remark—like a hint—and vanished.
“Enjoy this peace while you can. In two days, you’re going to be the most famous woman in the entire country.”
* * *
The courtroom was packed. I could feel just how much attention this case was drawing.
Officially, I was the defendant being accused, and Armin was the plaintiff who had brought the charges.
In court, we sat facing each other. At Armin’s side, there was no one. It seemed he intended to prove the charges himself.
By my side sat a lawyer sent from the Imperial family. Just one look told me how capable he was—my palms were damp with sweat.
He looked even more meticulous than Sasha, who was practically the poster child for book smarts. I don’t normally put much stock in things like face-reading, but his expression alone told me he’d never lost a verbal battle in his life.
And sitting in the front row of the gallery was none other than Crown Prince Zeta.
Armin wore a black formal uniform. The stark, austere color made his platinum hair stand out even more.
I too wore black—a plain dress. When I met Armin’s eyes from across the courtroom, a faint smile flickered across his face, then disappeared.
But I couldn’t bring myself to smile back at him. Crown Prince Zeta, watching Armin and me with a blank expression from the front row, was too distracting. I had no idea what tricks that man might try to pull, and I couldn’t relax for a second.
Soon the jurors filed in. I recognized a few nobles by face alone, but just as Sasha had said, many were people I didn’t know—clear evidence that the selection had been fair.
After the nobles entered, the doors were opened to commoners as well. A flood of people poured in, filling the courtroom so tightly there wasn’t even room to move. Even the presiding judge looked overwhelmed by the immense interest.
And it made sense. The plaintiff was the heir to that House Grey, and while the defendant—me—was just the daughter of a viscount, in reality, I was as good as the Crown Princess herself.
Once inside the courtroom, I began to understand why Sasha had been so relaxed.
“Of course. In this situation, impartiality is the only way to avoid disaster.”
If that’s the case…
I turned to look at the jurors. The excitement on their faces at being part of this unprecedented trial was obvious.
The outcome of today’s case rested entirely in their hands. The court had assigned an odd number of jurors—clearly intending to reach a final verdict today.
“Now then, we shall begin the trial.”
Bang bang!
The judge struck the gavel. The once-boisterous atmosphere quieted, and at last, the trial was underway.
“The defendant stands accused of violating the standard of chastity during the selection for the Crown Princess. Do you acknowledge this accusation?”
“I do.”
“We will begin with the defense.”
As soon as the judge finished speaking, the lawyer beside me rose and walked to the center of the courtroom. Calmly, he surveyed the gallery and the jurors.
“I am here today to defend the chastity of Lady Vivian Roha.”
Then he shrugged.
“Ladies and gentlemen, do you know the dictionary definition of the word ‘chastity’?”
He didn’t seem to expect an answer, continuing without pause.
“Chastity refers to purity before God. It means one has committed no immoral acts. Lady Vivian Roha?”
“Yes, yes?”
The lawyer, who had suddenly addressed me, gave a smooth smile as he asked his question.
“Have you, by any chance, been secretly married away from the public eye?”
“What? No!”
“Then have you ever given birth in secret?”
“What? Absolutely not!”
What on earth was he talking about? My confusion quickly turned into anger. He was supposed to be my lawyer, and yet he showed no sense of tact or regard for me at all.
“If that’s the case, then can we really say there’s any issue with the chastity of Vivian Roha, who has neither married nor given birth? I must question the very legitimacy of the plaintiff’s accusation.”
The murmuring among the crowd grew louder. Here and there, I could hear people agreeing. That’s right. I hadn’t married, hadn’t had a child—so what exactly was there to question about my chastity?
“The defendant, Vivian Roha, is only twenty-two years old. Armin Grey, likewise, is not old by any standard. At their age, love is more emotional than physical. However—”
The lawyer paused deliberately. He knew exactly how to draw attention at the right moment.
“Once you grow older, you come to understand that love has deeper stages. I’m not here to criticize Armin Grey’s clumsy first love—”
He purposely used the word ‘clumsy’ to downplay the significance of Armin’s feelings for me. His expression remained perfectly relaxed.
“But isn’t it too harsh to cast doubt on a woman’s chastity based solely on emotions? Let’s be honest—how many of us in this courtroom haven’t had a first love? It may not be my place as her defense, but still—”
He ended with a charming smile that somehow didn’t make me feel any better.
“—it’s not the first love that matters, but the last one. That will be all.”
