# 75
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“I believe that human nature is evil. So, if a greater favor were offered to him, even Demeter would betray me.”
“Sirtain, this…!”
I was about to speak up in defense of Duke Roger's family, but Sertain was quicker to respond than me.
"But, he's too old-fashioned to do that. He doesn't have the nerve to betray me, and he's so simple that he considers friendship valuable and important."
Cyrtain laughed lightly as if he remembered Roger's Demeter.
What a relief.
The moment I saw that smile, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.
It will be different this time.
I said feeling like crying.
“This is not naivety, but intelligence.”
“…Maybe he has a side that looks like you.”
My cheeks puffed up a little as I looked at Sirtain.
"You're right, he's smart. He's different from someone like me. He always knew what was most important, and he constantly wanted to teach me that."
In the original story, Cyrtain never acknowledges Demeter's efforts.
"But I kept saying no. The world I knew wasn't that warm."
In the original story, Cyrtain never knew that warmth at all.
“I thought I had no one on my side.”
“…Does this mean that things have changed now?”
“Because you are here.”
Sertain smiled gently, as if flower petals were flying around him.
He looked so happy.
It no longer makes any sense to compare this certain with the one in the original story, because I was not there in his story.
“You are the one who sacrificed your life to protect me, Evelyn. You are the one who gave me something in return.”
“…It wasn’t completely for nothing. You protect me too…and if you get hurt, I might get hurt too...”
Even with my justification, Certain laughed with relief.
"No matter the reason, what matters is the result. This was my first time."
“Sirtin…”
“So, if you trust Julia and Demeter, then I will trust them too. They say that smart people can recognize each other, right?”
I felt like crying again. I didn't think I was such an emotional person.
“So, what do you think of Roger?”
she asked in a low voice.
“I think Demitor really succeeded in deceiving Duke Spellman.”
My heart was filled with enthusiasm.
This was a statement from Cyrten that he trusted Demeter. More than I expected.
“Yes…as Sertain said.”
Well done, Sirtin. You really did well.
I felt like hugging him. I hope that after he opens his heart, he will never be hurt again.
“I don’t understand why you like him.”
“I'm just glad you have a trusted friend, Serten.”
I'm also happier because it means your unhappiness goes away.
“Is this enough? It's not even good for you.”
"naturally! Anything that's good for Sirtain is good for me, too.”
I said that honestly.
Because his happy ending may be connected to my happy ending. I hope Sertin is happy for all of us.
“I feel like exciting things will happen by the end of our journey. Don't you think so?
He narrowed his eyes and smiled.
Three days later, I received news of the death of the wife of the young Duke Augustin.
On that day, the cruise ship was approaching the port of Ljuris, driven by the wind.
Augustin crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at the lawyer assigned to the case.
“You took too long.”
“I… I tried to come as fast as I could.”
The man answered hesitantly, looking very tired. He did not get a chance to rest due to Augustin's constant urging.
During the past three days it had taken him to reach the West, he had barely eaten anything and slept in the wagon in an uncomfortable position.
"And where is Mr. Lucas? Why did you come alone?"
Lucas was one of the most prominent lawyers in the Lixia Empire.
He worked for Spelman.
He was known for his ability to win even unwinnable cases, using any means necessary.
Augustin shook his leg with an uncomfortable expression.
"What? Is Lucas starting to ignore me too because he thinks I don't matter anymore?"
“Ah, no young master, that can’t be the case! That’s not why...”
The man lowered his voice after taking a quick look around.
“It's just that Mr. Lucas is busy with an urgent matter.”
“Urgent matter?”
“Yes. Duke Spelman has been sued. Of course, it is a ridiculous case, but Mr. Lucas is determined to win. For this reason, he is quite busy.”
“Ha…”
Augustin smiled wryly.
“Who did this amazing thing?”
"What?"
“The person who filed the case against my father. Who on earth is this wonderful person?”
“Ah, actually... it's Princess Veronica...”
“Hahaha. She was completely ignoring him, but now she hit him hard. I always thought that my father needed to be hit from behind at least once.”
The lawyer remained silent, smiling nervously, unable to find the right words to respond.
'Isn't this son disobedient?'
Augustin smiled lazily as he ran his fingers across his lips.
“Okay, let's get this over with quickly. It doesn't seem like a big deal, does it?”
“Yes...we will try to solve it by any means possible.”
It was difficult to see Augustin as a human being when he spoke of killing his wife with such indifference.
Of course, he was known to have low moral standards, but this time, he revealed the true extent of his decadence.
“Okay, you can go now.”
As soon as Augustin gestured with his hand, the lawyer walked out of the room and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
“Huh...”
There was no doubt that this case would be very difficult.
Both father and son were accused at the same time, and both were involved in murder.
Lucas was pessimistic.
He was sure that the Supreme Court and the Crown would link the two cases together and take advantage of the situation.
“One of them will have to abandon his case.”
“What? This is unbelievable, Mr. Lucas! Duke Spellman will not stand idly by!”
"Duke Spelman wants his case resolved as quickly as possible. As you know, these types of cases can drag on forever if they are not handled intelligently."
“What do you mean by that...?”
“The Duke is willing to give up his son to quickly end his case.”
"W-What?! This is going to be a big problem! The young Duke will be sentenced to death! You know, the evidence against him is quite clear… He was almost caught red-handed…"
“They claimed he was sick. Bribe some people, it's not difficult to fabricate such things.”
“But... the details are very clear. In such circumstances...”
“You don't seem to understand. His death was inevitable anyway, so they claimed it was a sudden accident. They focused on the idea that it wasn't intentional. That's all we have to do.”
“Even if we do, there is a high probability that he will be sentenced to life imprisonment...”
“Tell me, does it seem to you that Duke Spellman cares about his son now? Do you think he is someone who would put aside his personal safety for the sake of his son? We follow whoever pays us, that’s all.”
In the end, this issue was already settled.
All that remained was to negotiate and agree on the terms.
Simply put, it was a question of deals, not justice.
The man glanced toward Augustin's room.
Should he call him naive for thinking he could survive without having a clue?
Or should he describe the Duke as cruel?
The lawyer did not want to understand this dirty game or participate in it too much.
“At least it's good that he realizes his status is fading.”
The lawyer clicked his tongue and left.
Son and father...they're both monsters alike.