# 79
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“I didn’t know that Her Highness the Princess Royal would be with us.”
The Crown Prince's wife said with a surprised expression.
“I wanted to pray for Evelyn too, Your Highness the Crown Princess. If you feel uncomfortable...”
“Not so...!”
The Crown Princess waved her hands with a confused face.
“It's an honor to be with you!”
Princess Elizabeth was a prominent figure known in high society even in the Kingdom of Joris.
There were many noblewomen who admired her and tried to imitate even her small habits, as she was a princess who came from the Lixia Empire.
The Crown Princess was also among those fans.
She's nice. And she looks younger than me too.
“Then, let's go.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
The response came with extreme discipline. The carriage carrying me, the Crown Princess and my great aunt set off towards the temple.
I grabbed the temple booklet and swallowed.
I read the booklet that Sertain had brought all last night, and the temple was larger than I expected. There is so much to see.
I also heard that they have delicious bread that is only sold there. I have to try it.
Sirtin told me with a frown
“You leave me alone to deal with boring old men, while you seem to be having so much fun.”
I couldn't deny it. How could I not have fun? I hike, study, and do whatever I want.
“I'm afraid you'll say you don't want to come back.”
“…Can I stay longer?”
Sertin gave me a surprised look.
“Then you weren’t being honest when you said you would protect me.”
What a pity. That's why I decided to make the most of my time here.
I looked away from the car.
In fact, leaving the palace in Lixia was a constant burden. I had to be constantly alert for any emergency, and be considerate of others.
But it's different here.
My great-grandmother was a protective shield for me.
“Evelyn seems unaccustomed to the place. I'm told she's not a taciturn girl.”
“Did I do something wrong?”
“How is that possible, Crown Princess? Maybe it’s just because this old woman is a stranger to her.”
That's how it was.
No one was hostile to me, so I felt comfortable and at peace inside.
We approached the Temple of Healing. The ivory-colored building sparkled in the sun.
It was a place teeming with people searching for miracles.
I stood there.
A miracle, huh.
What I hope for is not a miracle.
Rather, it is a reward for the effort I put in with two biographies, and a victory for justice.
However, today I will pray for a small miracle:
I hope no one gets hurt.
I hope we all reach the end of the road together.
May I always remain myf.
Because resisting fate may be a miracle in itf.
At that time, Princess Elizabeth used Evelyn's illness as an excuse to avoid social gatherings, spending time on museum tours and meeting with scientists.
In the capital of Lixia, Augustine's trial was in full swing. The Duke of Spelman also attended as an observer.
Duke Spellman's gaze was cold as ice.
He had no special feelings for Augustin. To be honest, Duke Spellman was one of those who only cared about what they had themves.
What would happen after his death, and who would inherit his place, did not concern him much.
He saw Augustin as a docile horse and nothing more.
But what gave him a feeling of defeat was this trial scene.
He stared at his loss.
Deliberations between the judges were long. As time passed, the faces of the representatives of the Duchy of Spelmann, including Lukas, began to lose color and fade.
Duke Spellman gripped his wand tightly.
He had previously agreed with the judges via Julia. The expected sentence for Augustin was life imprisonment.
He was planning to lock him up for a while, then release him at the right time. He thought it was better to keep him imprisoned than to let him cause problems.
But variables have emerged.
The number of judges in today's session was three, and two of them were faces he saw for the first time.
Which means that the judges who received money from the Duke of Spelman did not attend.
All the gears were turning with broken and loose teeth.
As for those judges who received money from the Duke of Spelman, they were summoned for other trials.
This was a decision of the Department of Justice, so it could not be reversed.
Duke Spelman turned his gaze to Mortega.
Mortega was also present as an observer.
'You damned bastard.'
Mortega met that look with a similar look. He was standing tall, shoulders straight.
Cyrtain's words were engraved inside it like a tag.
“You are the one who will take my place.”
“…Aren’t you referring to Duke Roger?”
“No, I need you.”
This trial was a test for Mortega.
There was a telegram in his hand that had arrived from Joris, bearing Sertin's orders.
[Pardon of the Duke of Spelman. Death sentence for Augustin Spielmann.]
I felt the weight of excessive responsibility placed on my shoulders. But if Mortega does not overcome this, his end will be the abyss.
Veronica also decided to follow Cyrtain's decision. She was satisfied because, she said, she had crushed Spellman's ankle.
'I have lost Taylor, while the Duke will lose his son.'
It is impossible to count the number of meetings Mortega had with the Ministry of Justice to achieve this. So he faced Duke Spellman's gaze with confidence.
Augustin, unusually, was rubbing his thigh with the palm of his hand with a tense face.
The duke who had not visited him, the lawyers who had ignored him, and Cyrtain's assistant who seemed strangely happy—
Something was going wrong.
After long discussions, the judges returned to their seats.
“The Ministry of Justice has decided on the punishment after lengthy discussions. Augustin Spellman murdered the daughter of a nobleman to whom His Majesty the Emperor himf had bestowed the title. According to the Lixia Law, this constitutes direct disobedience to the Emperor’s order and high treason. Accordingly, the Ministry of Justice issues the death sentence for Augustin Spellman! The execution will be carried out in three days, at ten o’clock in the morning!”
Voices of exclamation and moaning rang out in the hall from those waiting for the verdict.
“Damn it, is that reasonable! Don’t talk such nonsense! Why should I die just because I killed that vile insect!”
Augustin shouted frantically as he rose from his seat. The chair he kicked rolled to the floor.
"Sir! You can't do this!"
“Go away!”
Augustin kicked Lucas and he fell to the ground with the chair.
“You took the money and did not do what was asked, and now you talk a lot?! If your mouth is working, then answer! Is this reasonable?!”
“No, there was no such precedent, but the ruling is consistent with the letter of the law...”
“Did I ask you to explain the law now!!! I asked to buy the ruling with money! Father, father! Will you remain silent about this?!!”
Augustin rushed towards the audience seats.
Since the charge was treason, it was not possible to apply for a retrial.
His fate was inevitable death.
The knights stood in his way.
His eyes were red and he was spitting and screaming
“Answer me! Would you abandon your son like that! Think about what I did for Spellman! You bastard!!”
"Be quiet!"
“Ahhh! Why should I die when that bastard should be killed! Everything was done by order of Duke Spellman! I just followed orders!”
Augustin began to wallow and shout words as he wanted.
Mortega watched the chaos with a look of triumph.
This was an achievement he made thanks to the opportunity given to him by Sertain.
In his absence.
He smiled despite himf.
Just at this moment, he felt like a loyal servant beyond everyone else.
The veins in his hand on the railing were pulsing strongly.
This time, he would truly be able to stand by his master!
It is as if he sees with his own eyes the moment when he was recognized by Sirtain.