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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: 0001_55
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“On that day, Miss Ariana looked terribly haggard and sickly. Her body had bruises, big and small, and there were even old, yellowish bruises still visible. Her chapped lips and emaciated arms didn't look like she'd gone hungry for just a day or two. But it seems she's much better today, perhaps she was well cared for during her time in the Eastern Territory. That's a relief; I've been quite worried about her since that day.”
There was no falsehood in the soft, calm voice. The benevolent gaze directed at Ariana held genuine concern, showing she had worried about Ariana all this time.
Rachel's lawyer said.
“The witness is giving an unobjective testimony. I understand the witness has long-standing ties with the White Family.”
“If you're going to put it that way, the defendant's witnesses are no different...”
As Ariana's lawyer was about to argue, Duchess Loventa raised her index finger, cutting him off. She then stared intently at Rachel's lawyer and said.
“Are you implying that I, His Imperial Majesty's cousin and the mistress of the Loventa Ducal Family, would give false testimony due to personal connections?”
“Th-that's not what I meant... I merely wondered if your judgment might be clouded by your acquaintance...”
“Do you truly believe that my eyes would be so clouded by a mere acquaintance that I would distort the truth?”
Duchess Loventa's voice was low, but it left a deep impression on the spectators.
Even after Duchess Loventa descended from the witness stand, the verbal sparring between the lawyers continued. Witnesses came in intermittently to testify, followed by more periods of lawyers' heated arguments.
Finally, as the proceedings neared their conclusion, the defendant and plaintiff were given the opportunity to make their final arguments.
With a face that struggled to hold back tears, Rachel summarized and repeated what her lawyer had said. She added that she loved her daughter, had given her ample affection, and couldn't understand why it wasn't recognized, then she sat down.
Ariana, who had sat expressionless throughout the trial, transformed when it was her turn to speak. With mournful blue eyes, appearing terrified yet feigning composure, she said.
“I believed that one day you would love me, and I tried to act according to Mother's wishes. I endured and persevered, trusting that one day you would show me affection. But after I learned you intended to frame me for murder, there was only one thing I could do. I merely wanted.”
I would never be loved again.
I would neither crave love nor give it.
“I merely wanted to be loved. Like other children.”
I wanted to be loved. Once.
Not anymore, but I could easily pretend.
I could produce a pitiful, trembling voice, like a child pleading for her parents' affection.
Because all I had to do was replicate my past self.
She veiled her burning gaze with glistening tears.
Throughout the trial, Rachel's schemes to portray Ariana as a cruel and disgusting child made her teeth clench, but she barely managed to hold back. Her feelings towards Rachel and the Bronte Family, who attacked Ariana without remorse, grew colder than before.
Her heart was frozen, but the hatred stirring within it burned hot.
Even after the Judge and Cardinal left for deliberation, Rachel continued to perfectly play the role of a wounded mother.
Russell asked, sounding worried.
“Are you alright, Ariana?”
“Yes, I'm fine.”
“Don't worry too much, we'll win. Don't fret.”
“Yes, I'm not worried.”
As Ariana quietly replied to Russell, a man seated in the very front row of the spectator gallery watched her with interest.
It was Third Prince Harold.
Next to Harold, who had pulled his wide-brimmed fedora low, sat his old friend, Viscount Fabric Geo. Fabric asked.
“Who do you think will win?”
Harold answered without hesitation.
“Rachel.”
“But doesn't the Eastern Duke's side have a valid point? I feel like everything that young lady is saying is the truth.”
“It is the truth. But the outcome of a trial isn't decided by such things. While the Eastern Duke's arguments might sway people's emotions, they can be easily shattered. In that case, the party who has held custody until now will inevitably have the advantage.”
“Oh dear. Well, there's no evidence of abuse left on that young lady's body now... And even if she fabricated everything, there's no way to prove it's a lie. So that poor young lady will fall back into the Bronte Family's hands.”
“Hmm. That's also uncertain.”
“Pardon?”
“There are two ways left for the Eastern Duke to win.”
Fabric's eyes widened.
“What are they?”
“One is to obtain testimony from a being so noble that no one would dare question it.”
“Like His Imperial Majesty...?”
“No need to go as high as him; someone like me would suffice.”
“Ah. And the other?”
“To prove that the person who rendered the verdict was not impartial.”
“You mean... we have to expose Tuveson Heon's corruption?”
“Exactly. But the Eastern Duke only arrived a few days ago. He wouldn't have had time to uncover the corruption of a renowned Chief Judge. So the outcome of this battle is clear.”
Harold fixed his gaze on Ariana.
Her light-blue hair, shimmering like a clear sky on a fine day, framed a small face, complemented by sharp, cat-like eyes and deep blue irises. Her features, perfectly filling her delicate face, were as flawless as a well-crafted doll, and her slender physique was so frail it made one want to embrace her.
But what surprised Harold the most was Ariana's patience, remaining still throughout the trial.
She was merely a sixteen-year-old lady. A girl, moreover, who had been confined to a mansion, deprived of proper education, and forced to live doing chores typically assigned to maids.
Yet, such a girl did not move for a single moment without reason throughout the hours-long trial.
Even when Rachel's side unleashed piercing accusations, even when the swept-up spectators whispered amongst themselves, and even when Ariana's lawyer recounted a sorrowful and cruel past, Ariana sat quietly, taking it all in with her eyes and ears.
Her demeanor was like that of a beast preparing its next attack, or an Emperor observing a court assembly from the throne.
He couldn't tear his eyes away.
Only when the Judge and Cardinal declared a brief recess and left their seats did he realize he had been staring intently at Ariana.
Harold managed to pull his gaze away from her and said.
“It's a pity for that girl, but she won't be able to escape the Bronte Family's hold.”
+++
As Harold had predicted, the trial was a victory for Rachel.
When Tuveson ruled in Rachel's favor, the spectators divided into those who accepted the verdict and those who rebelled against it, becoming boisterous.
Rachel's side eagerly stood up and embraced in their joy of victory, while Ariana's side, lost in thought, steadfastly remained seated, waiting for the commotion to subside.
Rachel and Ariana's eyes met.
A fleeting, cruel smile appeared on Rachel's lips before vanishing, but Ariana silently met her gaze.
*Thump, thump, thump!*
*Thump, thump, thump!*
Only after Chief Judge Tuveson struck his gavel several times did the noisy courtroom quiet down.
Tuveson majestically surveyed the people, then spoke to Russell.
“Eastern Duke, you are to transfer Miss Ariana to Duchess Bronte.”
“Please, Your Grace, Eastern Duke.”
Rachel didn't remain silent either.
“Please return my daughter. I beg you.”
Rachel, bowing deeply and pleading, resembled a mother desperate to regain a daughter she had suddenly lost. Her tearful voice swayed even those who had been angered by the trial's outcome.
Ariana, who had been sitting calmly, reluctantly rose from her seat. Russell took Ariana's wrist.
“Ariana.”
Ariana bowed her head, gazing at her wrist held by Russell. It was warm. Both the spot where he held her and Russell's gaze. Though she didn't want to admit it, it was absurdly warm, almost enough to make her fear getting burned.
“I'm fine.”
Ariana gently pulled her wrist away.
“I'm fine.”
Just a few days.
For now, she would fall into Rachel's grasp, but by tomorrow, Oatmeal would expose Tuveson's corruption. Then, the Eastern Duke would appeal, questioning the trial's outcome, and another trial would be held within a few days.
'The Western Duke secured the judge for a victory. If that gets out, it will be poison for the Western Duke. People will think he spent money because he had something to hide. We'll win the next trial even without special preparation. The next judge will never side with the Western Duke.'
She would endure a few days of terrible contempt and torment from Rachel and the Western Duke, but she was used to it. For a better future, she could gladly bear a few days of darkness.
Ariana put on the most pitiful expression she could manage and approached Rachel. Rachel opened her arms and embraced Ariana.
A dank breath brushed Ariana's ear. A voice, cold as a snake, slithered into her ear.
“Did you have a good dream? No matter how much you struggle, you can't escape me.”
“...”
“Since I carried you in my belly and gave birth to you, your life and your death are mine. Do you understand, Ariana?”
Rachel, pulling away from Ariana, shed tears and caressed Ariana's cheek with both hands. She perfectly mimicked the image of a mother who had regained a child she thought lost.
Even knowing she only had to bear it for a little while, Ariana wanted to bite Rachel's throat. She wanted to watch with her own eyes as that detestable face twisted in genuine pain, dying.
But she held back.
If she killed Rachel here, all the lies Rachel had fabricated would become truth. Ariana would become a girl with a wicked nature from birth, and Victoria and Helena would become pitiful young ladies who lost their mother because of their cruel sister.
Ariana, barely tearing her eyes from Rachel, spotted the Western Duke behind her. The Western Duke's gaze was not on Ariana, but elsewhere.
In the direction of the Eastern Duke and his family.
Ariana quickly turned her head to check on the Eastern Duke and the former Eastern Duke. They looked indignant, but that was all.
'This is bad.'
Her heart sank.
She should have subtly informed them what expressions to wear, what actions to take, when they lost the trial.
She should have instructed them to act like a family who had sorrowfully lost the daughter they wished to protect, by showing more distress, regret, and making futile protests.
The Eastern Duke knew that Oatmeal would soon be the card to overturn the trial's outcome, so while he showed anger at this moment, he did not act like a father who had lost his daughter forever.
A cold gaze was felt on her forehead. When she subtly shifted her eyes, she saw the Western Duke sending a probing look.
A wry smile appeared on the Western Duke's lips. With his gaze fixed on Ariana, he quietly gave instructions to the aide beside him.
Her heart tightened. But there was nothing Ariana could do right now.
