Chapter 30

While everyone was stunned because they didn’t know what those earrings were, someone shouted from the nobility’s seats.

“Those earrings were made by processing video stones!”

It was the man who was wearing the magic tower badge earlier.

Yes. This was a special accessory made by selecting those with the qualities of a video stone among all the magic stones.

“Is that a video stone?”

“…How do you get the shape of an earring?”

“It must be the skills of Spinel that I’ve only heard of! It’s amazing!”

Still, in Aktoum, magic tools could only be created by engraving magic circles or spells and infusing them with magic energy.

Hence, it must be the first time they had seen it processed into a small shape like an earring.

So no one knew. They didn’t think that what I was wearing was a magic tool for capturing videos.

‘The same goes for him. Oh, he’s starting to sweat profusely.’

The confident Hermish’s eyes began to waver.

I didn’t care, and just asked the high priest.

“I would like us to watch the video evidence together.”

“You are welcome to do so, Your Majesty.”

Finally, in the video, the events of that day began to unfold vividly.

“Try it, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

Hermish wickedly handed over a poison cup.

“As expected, the first cup of tea that you poured is delicious.”

The day I stole the poisoned cup from Rixus in the middle.

In addition, there was also a line that shocked all the nobles at once.

“My wife’s taste is super cute. Don’t you think so?”

The nobles roared with excitement like chimpanzees who saw a red banana at that cold prince’s adoring lines.

Embarrassed, I coughed a little and tried to maintain my cool expression.

Then came the highlight of the video.

“The crime of murdering the imperial family is a summary execution. You know that, Baron Tevelon.”

“If you stand on my side, I’ll give Your Majesty what you want!”

“……What I want?”

“After marriage. If you help me avenge my wife… I will become Your Majesty’s man so that you can seize control of the Aktoum Empire!”

Of course, it soon came to be seen that I sternly slammed the offer down.

At the part where I said, “He is not a prince who would die to a trivial and lowly human like you.” 

For some reason, I could feel Rixus’ warm gaze from the side.

‘No, looking at it now, it sounds like a line from 8th grade syndrome.’(TL/N: Chuunibyou, often translated as 8th Grade Syndrome, is a Japanese term typically used to describe early teens who have grandiose delusions, who desperately want to stand out, and who have convinced themselves that they have hidden knowledge or secret powers.)

I was so embarrassed that I pretended to focus intently on the video.

“Your Majesty… I must have gone crazy! I have committed a mortal sin!”

“Then die.”

Eventually, when I threatened him horribly and pushed him through the window, everyone in the hall held their breath.

I must have been like the wicked woman in the rumors.

However, it was clear that I had left a good impression by rejecting the proposal to swallow Aktoum and standing on the side of the crown prince.

The high priest looking at the scene seemed very impressed.

Eventually, when the video was turned off, a voice erupted from the nobility’s seats.

“How dare such a coward want to harm His Highness the Crown Prince!”

“You must be beheaded right now. You cannot be forgiven for trying to hurt the roots of the Empire!”

“I, I… I…”

Hermish stepped back, sweating profusely with a tired face that was like a corpse’s.

His limping gait was very pathetic.

If he had any intelligence at all, he should have left Aktoum right away.

I folded my arms, and looked down at the pathetic man coldly.

At that moment, Rixus, who quickly approached Hermish, grabbed him by the collar and swung him forward.

It seemed like he didn’t give it much strength, but it was different from what it looked like, and Hermish’s limbs swayed in a scattered mess.

His dawn-like eyes shone like the eyes of a beast in the dark night.

“You dared to try to kill me.”

“Y-Your Highness the Crown Prince… I- I am!”

“You staked your life for your lies, so I will take your life.”

“!”

“Immediately imprison him. The date of execution will be set later.”

Hermish’s eyes grew terrified. He looked at Deborah with a teary expression, but she just turned a blind eye to it.

‘Oh my God, look at her.’

I expected it, but it was a scene that did not defy expectations.

“Additionally, you bet your entire fortune. It will all go to the Aktoum Treasury. Your family will be like beggars for the rest of their lives.”

“Your Highness…… Please, please!”

Hermish clung to Rixus’ feet, tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Please, save me! It’s okay for my family to become beggars. Just my life…!”

I opened my mouth slightly in amazement.

‘He was much more heartless than I expected.’

Ordinary people who had a conscience would plead something like, ‘Take my life, but please leave my family with enough for their daily food’, wouldn’t they? 

Unsurprisingly, Rixus’s eyes became contemptuous as if looking at garbage. He blew him off right away.

“I changed my mind. Drag him and cut his throat immediately.”

“Yes!”

Hermish, who seemed surprised as if he was playing a game, was dragged away by the guards. Even when he was further away, I could hear his crying voice.

After the chaos, I turned my eyes to Deborah.

She was still looking straight at me.

‘Ha… It must be frustrating. She didn’t even open the prepared chest and got attacked instead.’

She probably wanted to turn me into a crazy bitch who brutally beat up the innocent Hermish.

So, I had no choice but to bring the poisoning case, which I was trying to quietly pass over, to the surface first and explode it.

‘Because a preemptive strike is the best defense.’

In the past, I was worried that I would be suspected, but there was no such danger when I gathered evidence and blast it in one shot in front of the high priest.

Suddenly, Hermish’s cries had completely disappeared. The atmosphere became a little more organized.

The high priest lifted his staff without hesitation.

“Then I will draw a conclusion by gathering the content of the discussion and public opinion.”

It was then.

“Sir, please accept my accusation!”

With a brave voice, a green-eyed woman came forward.

It was Lucia.

‘Oh my God, it’s the right timing.’

I cheered inwardly and gazed at her with joy.

I wondered if she would move as I had planned. And the answer was immediately apparent.

Lucia pointed her finger precisely at Madam Deborah.

“I accuse Duchess Deborah of having an affair with Marquis Kalen!”

She detonated the bomb before the high priest could say anything.

“!”

Deborah dropped the fan that was in her hand.

Duke Douglas, who was just keeping to his seat, turned serious and stared at his wife with his eyes wide open.

The nobles began to talk loudly in shock and surprise.

“What… What kind of crazy talk is that!”

Deborah lost her composure for the first time and jumped up from her seat.

“High Priest! Lady Lucia is insulting me!”

“It’s not crazy talk, it’s the truth.”

“I’m innocent! I’m not such a vulgar woman. How can I do that to Duke Douglas?”

“I saw it with my own eyes. While looking for Her Majesty’s earrings, I saw the scene where the two of them had a secret meeting in the flower garden!”

The noble social butterfly was out in the open with an unmarried young nobleman……?

A scream-like exclamation flowed out among the nobles. However, some argued that this was not possible.

“Isn’t Lady Lucia trying to get revenge on Madam Deborah?”

“Oh my, the Duchess is not the kind of person who would do such a thing to her husband…!”

In fact, there were often times when a noble had a mistress, but there was a big difference between ‘kept secretly’ and ‘relatively exposed’.

Moreover, it was tremendous that the protagonist of the scandal was the noble social butterfly.

It was an irrecoverable scandal. Deborah must be desperate.

Deborah trembled and shuddered in anger.

“Lady Lucia, if you can’t prove that, shut up!”

“You two didn’t attend Madam Verdi’s tea party yesterday. Where and what were you doing?”

“At that time……!”

“There is testimony from a gardener that he saw both of them enter the flower garden. He said so.”

Lucia spoke provocatively to the crowd.

“…That when Marquis Kalen came out, he had an ecstatic expression on his face.”

“Oh my gosh.”

A young lady covered her cheeks as if she was embarrassed to hear it.

Marquis Kalen’s ears twitched and he covered his mouth with her hand.

Deborah and Lucia, who are not usually involved, must have turned their heads when they attacked without a tomorrow with evidence.

Even though Deborah tried to not get involved, Lucia had forcefully turned her around because she attacked as if there was no tomorrow with evidence.

“Lady Lucia hates me because she misunderstood that I took the place of Countess Hermes. Is there anyone here who doesn’t know that?!”

But in the midst of this, she was a scary woman who tried to attract the audience to herself.

The nobles had no words to say. Because that was true.

Deborah exclaimed with a triumphant smile.

“…So she’s paying the gardener to commit perjury! We’ll have to torture him to tell the truth!”

But Lucia was forminable. It seemed that she was going to let go of all her resentment from her mother’s case today.

Lucia raised the corner of her lips as if sneering at Deborah, and immediately responded.

“Those who commit infidelity have ugly excuses.”

“!”

As Lucia struck the core, Deborah bent her brows and bit her lips.

Judging from her expression alone, it was a mere second before she completely exploded.

And indeed, she exploded.

“Never! I only love Duke Douglas!”

But it was then.

“Madam, do you really only love your husband…?”

Marquis Kalen rose from behind her husband, shedding tears.

“!”

He was betrayed and hurt by the action and words of his love, who was of course, Deborah.

All the nobles’ faces hardened.

Among them, the most hardened was by far Duke Douglas.