CHAPTER 124
"The murderer is deceiving everyone by pretending to be kind, but it's so frustrating that I have to speak up."
"Murderer!"
The emperor exclaimed in surprise.
"What do you mean, Marquis?"
"The landslide in Davio didn't happen due to natural causes. The Crown Prince ordered Count Madden to cause it."
Lewis answered arrogantly.
"I'm saying this incident is a collaboration between the Crown Prince and Count Madden."
"What did those two do?"
The emperor asked, bewildered.
Let me tell you!
"They claimed they were selecting a crown princess, but they locked me up in a room."
I usually avoid stepping forward, but the situation was already ruined.
Since I had come up to the podium with Lewis, I decided to speak as a victim of this incident.
"When I escaped through the window, they released knights to search for me."
The crowd murmured.
"Why would His Majesty imprison the lady?"
One of the nobles asked with a curious face.
Isn't he too much in spectator mode?
"He thought Selina was my weakness."
Lewis answered that question.
"So when I went to the palace, I took Selina and fled."
"That was in Davio!"
I added.
"The Crown Prince saw the Marquis arrive and ordered Count Madden to cause the landslide to bury us!"
Testifying in front of so many people made me nervous, but I could muster the courage because Lewis was by my side.
When I finished speaking, a young noble who had been listening asked,
"Then what happened with the landslide? I heard traces of the Marquis were found in the landslide."
"Do you think I wouldn't be able to avoid something like that?"
No one found his confident words annoying.
"Nonsense."
Except for Philip, who stepped forward to refute.
He must have felt he couldn't remain silent since it was a place accusing him of his crimes.
Philip shouted in frustration.
"What reason would I have to harm you? The lady's claim that I imprisoned her is also a lie!"
"Because I was a hindrance to your royal power, and you wanted to kill me?"
Philip's eyes widened briefly, but he quickly denied it.
"Words are just words. I will address the responsibility for causing this disturbance after this matter is settled."
Then he tried to hastily end the session.
"We have heard about the tax issues from the people of the territory, so let us adjourn. Everyone may rise."
But no one rose.
With the situation unfolding like this, who would leave?
If I hadn't been up on this podium, I would have been watching with interest like them.
'Wow! What is happening?' I would have thought.
"This isn't just talk."
Lewis said sarcastically, taking out a stone from his pocket.
I knew what it was because Lewis had told me about it on the way here.
"What is that?"
"Isn't it a magic stone?"
In response to the nobles' questions, Lewis answered.
"It's evidence that the Crown Prince tried to summon demons."
"What?!"
Everyone was greatly shocked by his words.
Of course, they wouldn't have imagined it.
The Crown Prince, who was expected to lead the empire's peace, tried to summon demons.
Demons hadn't appeared in recent centuries, but ancient records clearly mentioned their existence.
Especially demon summoning was a prohibited act in the empire, and the Crown Prince attempted it...
"The Crown Prince tried to summon demons?"
The atmosphere became clearly unsettled.
Lewis placed the projection stone on his palm.
Then an image of Philip and Madden talking appeared above the stone.
-It's not working.
-Didn't I tell you there was no guarantee of success? It's demon summoning, not something trivial.
-Next time, make sure to succeed. I want to deal with the Marquis as soon as possible.
Sending me away and recording this? I had only heard about the video, so it was my first time seeing it too.
'This is going to be disastrous.'
They openly mentioned demon summoning, so there's no denying it now.
"Even attempting to summon demons can put the empire in great danger!"
"That's right. Did the Crown Prince not understand how dangerous this was?"
As I expected.
The square, which was already in turmoil due to the demon's mention, became completely chaotic when the video was revealed.
"The Crown Prince tried to summon demons?"
Nobles were shocked, but the bigger problem was the commoners gathered in the square.
"How could the Crown Prince...!"
The enraged public was in an uproar.
Lewis looked calmly at the emperor.
"Your son gambled dangerously out of personal feelings. Surely you won't just let this slide?"
Both the nobles and the public had a poor opinion. Would he really cover for his son in this situation?
I watched the emperor quietly. He seemed conflicted too.
The emperor looked around at the citizens whose respect had disappeared and the nobles ready to demand answers.
He closed his eyes tightly as if his head hurt.
I understand. How troublesome it must be when the only heir has caused such trouble...
Soon, the emperor gave a firm order.
"Arrest the Crown Prince. We will interrogate him thoroughly when we return to the palace."
"Your Majesty! I am innocent!"
Philip pleaded alone.
But no one was there to support him.
* * *
Since there were many witnesses in the square, the news quickly spread throughout the empire.
Due to the nobles' influence, demanding that the matter not be overlooked, it was decided to hold a public trial to determine Philip's crimes.
I discussed this with Lewis while having dinner at his mansion.
"A trial for the Crown Prince. Surely they won't just give him a light punishment and end it, right?"
"Of course not."
Lewis answered without any concern.
"But he's the only heir."
"He's the only direct heir. There are plenty of collateral relatives."
"Oh, there must be someone among the collateral relatives."
"The nobles who favored the Crown Prince have all turned their backs now."
"Public opinion towards the royal family seems very grim too."
I chatted about what I had observed lately. But Lewis suddenly changed the subject.
"Why did you say you were coming to my mansion?"
"What?"
"I was supposed to come to the Duke's mansion. I'm glad to meet at my mansion, but why?"
Ah, that's why he was curious.
Indeed, I had a reason to come to Lewis's mansion.
"You haven't mentioned it yet."
About the public revelation.
In the square, Lewis only accused Philip of demon summoning and attempted murder.
"Aren't you going to talk about the late emperor?"
"It was a place to accuse the person who tried to kill us. Bringing up the late emperor would have distracted from the main point."
"That was in the square, but now you can talk about it, right?"
"That's true. I've been thinking about how to mention it."
Lewis tilted his head.
"If the emperor sides with the Crown Prince, I might bring it up to shake the royal family, but it seems unlikely. It's more likely the emperor will cut ties with the Crown Prince."
"Hmm... There's no need to frame it as shaking the royal family."
Then Lewis looked at me curiously.
"Think of it as clearing your father's name!"
Even though the late emperor, who committed the act, was dead, it shouldn't remain unknown.
"Just mention it as a personal issue of the late emperor, not a royal family problem."
We can't let the late emperor be remembered only as a scholarly ruler. Not when he was such an evil eccentric!
"Reveal the late emperor's atrocities and clear your father's name."
Feeling motivated, I asked as it came to mind.
"What about finding additional evidence?"
* * *
A month later, on the day of the trial.
The emperor presided over the trial.
Although he was the Crown Prince's father, the situation was not favorable for Philip.
"The Crown Prince forgot his duty to be a role model for everyone and committed acts that could endanger the empire. Do you acknowledge this?"
The emperor's gaze at Philip was the coldest I'd ever seen.
Of course.
In the past month, the situation had worsened for Philip. His closest aides had confessed their crimes since the last trial.
No matter how loyal they were, they couldn't withstand severe torture.
Philip's assistant, who quietly followed his actions, was the first to confess, followed by Madden.
With Madden admitting to the magic, there was no way Sir Shuster could remain silent.
So in the end, Sir Shuster confessed too.
It was now difficult for Philip to claim innocence.
"If you do not confess, the punishment will be even harsher. Confess your crimes."
"·······."
Philip seemed to be contemplating.
He looked like he wanted to claim innocence, but with his accomplices already admitting guilt, what could he say?
Philip had no choice but to confess.
"I have nothing to say."
After a long pause, Philip bowed his head deeply.
Then the emperor delivered the verdict without delay.
"I strip Philip of his title as Crown Prince and sentence him to twenty years of imprisonment."
"Your Majesty!"
Philip's eyes widened in surprise, likely at the harsh punishment.
But the emperor's gaze remained cold.
"You wicked man. Did I raise you like this? You are no longer my son."
The emperor ordered the knights.
"Take the deposed Crown Prince to prison immediately."
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty...!"
Philip was escorted out by the knights.
Once he completely disappeared, the emperor's expression changed.
He no longer looked unyielding; he seemed weary of the entire situation.
I quietly observed him.
As the nobles waited in silence, the emperor soon spoke in a tired voice.
"The verdict is delivered, so you may all disperse."
Oh, it's not over yet.
"Your Majesty."
I raised my hand quickly.
"I have something to say!"
All eyes turned to me.
Ugh. I gathered attention with courage, but it was still burdensome.
I felt sorry for the emperor who seemed eager to rest, but when else could I speak
with everyone gathered?
I wanted to reveal what we had investigated.
"There are some records from the late emperor's time with missing details."
"Records from the late emperor's time?"
The emperor showed interest.
Since his relationship with the late emperor was not good, I thought to frame it as a personal issue.
"Yes. You can confirm it in the library."
"Why mention that now?"
"I found out what that research was about with Marquis Yaniels."
I began explaining the facts we had discovered.
Lewis's father participated in the late emperor's experiments for immortality, and they tried to summon demons, resulting in the deaths of his father and the research team.
I had just mentioned demon summoning, which got Philip deposed, and now linked the late emperor to demon summoning too.
The nobles all looked shocked.
"The late emperor also tried to summon demons?"
"Yes. We found evidence at the Marquis's mansion."
Here is the evidence!
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