Translator: Nox

Chapter 7

Aristina's joker card. The trump card that could overturn a completely lost game.

Ruelian Rackroitz, the absolute ruler of the Holy Church.

That card had finally made its appearance.

The name 'Ruelian' supposedly meant Archangel of Light, or angel of light.

So I'd vaguely imagined blond hair.

Unexpectedly, he had jet-black hair and proudly lifted rare violet eyes.

His pure white cape fluttered dramatically, enhancing his brilliance, embodying a strong yet arrogant proxy of God.

People feared his dignity while admiring his statue-like appearance.

"We see you, Yeha."

Everyone reverently paid their respects.

A normal person might have at least pretended to acknowledge it.

True to his reputation as utterly unapproachable, he ignored everyone and headed straight to the judge's seat. He flicked away his fluttering cape as if it annoyed him, plopped down, and crossed his legs.

Just like a mob boss about to pull out a cigarette, stick it at an angle, and light it.

The holy knights approached to perform the rites, but he dismissed them with "Skip it all."

Then he immediately looked toward the defendant's seat where I sat.

"Trespassing into the Holy Church 'again' without permission and illegally seizing Church property 'again.'"

His violet eyes, seeming to pierce everything, shot toward me like arrows.

"I clearly warned you then that doing this again would mean death. Does the Duchess have no brain in her head?"

A gaze truly treating me like a brainless creature.

As if I should apologize for dirtying his noble vision and vanish quickly.

'He's beyond what I imagined.'

Even I, who usually brushed off most power trips, felt a bit intimidated.

But... at least on the outside, it didn't show at all.

The upright posture ingrained since childhood, the haughty expression, the cold and cruel red eyes. Facial muscles unmoving in any situation.

These were truly useful. No matter my mental state, to others, I appeared the epitome of an arrogant villainess.

'Yeah. Whatever. No one knows I'm shaking. Just charge ahead.'

I looked straight at Ruelian and opened my mouth.

"Then does Yeha have no eyes? Can't you see right now? There's a brain in my head, and that's why I'm here using it."

Aristina's signature insolent tone.

Murmurs arose among the silent spectators. They seemed stunned by my brazen reply even in this situation.

Ruelian slightly furrowed his brow.

"To find traces of reason in the Duchess's actions, I'd need a microscope, not eyes? Don't talk back—let's proceed quickly. Do you think I don't know you're dragging this out to delay imperial punishment as long as possible?"

"Far from it, Yeha. That's not why I came here. And the important thing isn't that... "

"Whether this talk or that, is there any reason I must personally listen to the worthless nonsense from the Duchess's mouth? Then my conclusion on this blasphemy case is... "

What? Ending the trial on his whim after just 3 minutes?

I sprang up from the defendant's seat.

"Ah, Duchess!"

Thinking I might attempt terrorism, the holy knights rushed to grab me.

But I'm not that kind of person?

"Yeha!"

Thud.

I knelt subserviently.

As an expert, timing matters—half-hearted hesitation ruins it. Just shut up and slam your knee down.

The spectators gaped in shock at my textbook kneeling technique.

Ruelian paused proceedings and asked.

"Duchess, didn't you shatter your knee?"

"No? It's fine."

It actually hurt.

But I'd succeeded in halting the holy trial momentarily and drawing all eyes with my knee as tribute. Now came the real important part.

"Everyone."

I pulled out the pouch I'd kept deeply hidden.

"...?"

The holy knights flinched back. Ruelian scoffed.

"Preparing a bomb too—impressive."

"What are you saying, Yeha? This is all for survival—why would I self-destruct? This isn't a bomb."

"Then?"

I glanced around at the people.

From my conversation with Duke Karnel in the annex, I'd learned one lesson.

Whatever Aristina did, she was the villainess who got trashed.

'The gardener overheard Serene's secret conversation in the greenhouse and obtained this ring as evidence.'

No one would believe that. They'd all say I stole Serene's ring, smeared blood on it, and fabricated a lie.

So I'd prepared differently.

Kneeling on the floor, I shouted.

"God gave me a revelation. This is the proof!"

"...?"

The gallery stirred.

Sudden 'revelation'? To become the survival king, you can't gloss over anything.

I'd benchmarked the idea the empress used during the Amarancia frenzy two years ago.

"Aren't you God's proxy, Yeha? You can't ignore someone claiming revelation. Verify if what I received was real or hallucination."

"... "

Ruelian's expression seemed to shift slightly.

He'd probably expected the foolish wastrel duchess to just flop on the floor and throw a tantrum. He hadn't anticipated this approach.

He furrowed his brow faintly.

"A revelation suddenly to a false believer like the Duchess?"

"It's only natural. Doesn't the one who abandoned God usually experience a miracle one day and repent?"

I said brazenly.

"Despairing in house arrest, God came to me and showed me a scene. The very day of the tea party that changed my fate. While I was frantically preparing the event. At the exact same time, what happened elsewhere in the Rosen Duke's Mansion!"

Appearance did the work again.

The blonde lady with rose-colored eyes shining, hand on chest, speaking fervently—people couldn't look away.

"It was shocking. I couldn't believe my eyes and screamed, 'Lies! It's a lie! This must be a hallucination!' Then God said, 'Foolish one, will you only believe with proof?' and gave me this. And to ask its owner. That owner is... "

With a solemn demeanor as if truly receiving God's command, I raised my hand and pointed to one side of the jury.

"Pardon? Me?"

Serene, with the world's most pitiable face, widened her eyes.

"Yes. Serene."

I scanned her up and down.

"Come to think of it, you didn't wear that cherished initial ring today, Miss Serene? What happened? Did you lose it?"

"No... "

Serene answered with a puzzled expression.

"I don't know why it matters in this situation, but my physician removed it during treatment, and it's safe at home."

"Is that so?"

Stepping forward one pace, I said.

"Then what is this, Serene? On the day of the incident! In the Rosen Duke's Mansion greenhouse! While you were frantically doing something! God quietly retrieved this."

I opened the pouch and revealed its contents.

The bloodstained initial ring that Aristina never got to show anyone due to her murder.

It was finally revealed to the world.

"...!"

Color drained from Serene's face.

A look anyone could see as shocked and flustered: 'Why is that coming from there?'

The gallery erupted.

"What? The ring that's at home—why is it in Duchess Aristina's hand? Covered in blood too!"

"Why that expression on Miss Serene? What's this about the greenhouse? Did Miss Serene lie? No way!"

Operation success.

People who plugged their ears to my truths...

But seeing Serene expose her own flaws would make suspicions unavoidable.

Everyone loves a mystery, right?

"Answer me, Serene. Why the greenhouse, not the tea party venue? You never mentioned entering our mansion's greenhouse that day. Why hide your movements and lie? Not the physician removing it, but your fingers soaked in blood made it slip off. How did the pure, pitiable duchess's hands get drenched in blood?"

"... "

"Just confess honestly now. God already showed me everything. That day there, you said to someone, 'This is a secret just between us two.' What exactly is that secret?"

Serene's face turned deathly pale, as if suffocating. Fear filled her sapphire-blue eyes.

"Th-that... I can't say... "

The gallery grew even noisier.

I quickly checked Ruelian. That was key.

'Did he bite?'

Seemed good.

The sarcasm and mockery had vanished from Ruelian's face.

He gestured to the holy knights ready to drag me out. They immediately stepped back.

His sharply gleaming violet eyes turned to Serene, then to me.

Seeing me corner Serene flawlessly had piqued his interest.

"Duchess Hyperion, what is the meaning of this? Was what Duchess Aristina saw not a hallucination but truly God's revelation? Did you really meet someone in the Rosen Duke's Mansion greenhouse for a secret conversation before the attempted poisoning that day?"

"Th-that... "

Facing the stern interrogation, Serene nearly panicked. Her pale lips trembled.

"I can't answer... "

Her inability to continue only fueled people's doubts.

"Why can't she speak?"

"Maybe it's related to the poisoning right after?"

"Nah, no way!"

"But God showed that scene to Duchess Aristina for a reason, right?"

A thrilling sense that the situation was tilting in my favor washed over me.

But separately, it was a bit odd.

'Why so clumsy?'

I tilted my head inwardly.

Not burning with jealousy for the Crown Prince like the original, I observed objectively.

Serene seemed too naive to be the black curtain.

If this incident was her scheme to eliminate the early villainess me?

Panicking, trembling hands, emotions plain on her face—it's weird. Is this high-level scheming too?

Well, schemes need gains. To anyone, it looked like consecutive self-destructs.

At minimum, lies and cover-ups. Cracks formed in her built-up image of kindness and uprightness.

The situation turned ever more against Serene.

'Something's off. See? Digging there yields something. I nailed it.'

What was the truth?

I turned to the judge's seat. Ruelian had sensed the oddity too.

The hook was completely set.

He now watched us both with intensely intrigued eyes.

"Who knew such a secret hid in this seemingly obvious case."

Ruelian rose from the judge's seat.

"As Duchess Aristina says, as God's proxy, I have a duty to verify the revelation."

His pure white cape fluttered.

The judge himself descended to the podium.

Under all eyes, he strode to stand before the jury.

"Duchess Hyperion, I command you to tell everything that happened that day."

His right hand in a white glove began to glow.

The mysterious stigmata hidden somewhere on his body. Divine power activated through God's mark.

"...!"

Terror filled Serene's face.

Then.

"I'll tell you everything!"

Hm?

I turned at the sudden voice.