I Married the Mad Duke Who Killed My Husband - Chapter 75
“Let’s begin the trial. It must end before sunset.”
The Emperor still wore an indifferent expression. He looked as if he was about to get rid of a bothersome task, but the expressions of those who returned after the recess were quite different from earlier in the trial.
While Cassion and I showed little change as the situation was unfolding more or less as expected, Lorang’s face was filled with anger due to the personal insults he heard from someone he once had a relationship with.
Throughout the recess, he had only listened to what we said, maintaining an uncharacteristic silence, but as soon as the trial resumed, he was the first to approach the podium.
“I will not waste Your Majesty’s precious time. I have evidence that I started meeting Her Majesty the Empress when I was seventeen, that is, 27 years ago. May I submit it?”
The Emperor raised an eyebrow at Lorang’s changed attitude. As he flicked his hand, Lorang handed over the tightly held portfolio of drawings and returned to his seat.
“As I began to have feelings for Her Majesty the Empress… I started drawing more pictures in secret. Being still young, I drew exactly what I saw without any imagination, capturing Her Majesty’s appearance and attire of that time intact.”
The Emperor’s expression changed subtly as he slowly examined the sketchbook, following Lorang’s words. The Empress’s expression… was still unchanged.
“In the third picture, do you recognize the green jeweled necklace around Her Majesty’s neck? It’s an imperial jewel. Something she didn’t possess before marriage.”
“It might have been drawn in after you started plotting this scheme.”
Despite her unchanged expression, the Empress’s voice became slightly more urgent. I held back a smile as I looked at Lorang.
“It’s not just oil paintings or charcoal drawings! There are many done in fresco or tempera techniques that are not easy to modify!”
Cassion and I quickly brought forward the evidence paintings that we had moved during the recess. As the Emperor was not an expert in the field of painting, he called over an attendant standing by the door and handed them over.
We had also placed the Duke’s knights outside in case they were intercepted midway, and kept one or two pieces separate just in case.
“Whether they truly cannot be modified will be judged by the palace painters during the trial. The clothes and jewels depicted in the paintings will also be verified for their year.”
The Emperor tapped the armrest of his chair with his finger. As if pressuring someone. We were certain it wasn’t us.
“It is right to feel ashamed of having shared love even for a moment! Does shame follow social status? I cannot deny that I grew up on the streets and lived incompetently, but I swear I never intentionally tried to deceive the Empire and the imperial family!”
Good! Keep pushing with that momentum! Once more!
As if hearing my inner shout, Lorang, who had been crying out while looking at the Empress, slowly turned his body to face the First Prince, whose face was filled with shock.
As their eyes met and the First Prince instinctively flinched, Lorang spoke with perfect timing.
“He is certainly my son. If not knowing is a crime, I will accept punishment.”
What a surprise! Lorang, who had finished everything perfectly, tightly closed his mouth and stood behind me. I didn’t expect him to do this well!
“You, you really won’t punish me, right?”
…Well, that’s more like it.
“Just keep doing as you have been. I’ll make sure you don’t suffer any harm.”
Although Lorang’s whispered words to me were slightly disappointing, as if he was scared now that he had said everything, I thought this was better than nothing.
“You’ve prepared a lot. If either side has anything more to present, speak up.”
The Emperor’s fingers that had been tapping the armrest had stopped moving. His body, slightly leaning away from the backrest, looked as if he wanted to end the trial and deliver a verdict soon, so I pushed Lorang once more as he tried to regain his senses and hide.
“The, the meeting place was always the same, so I remember it. It had been closed off, but with His Grace the Duke’s help, I looked inside and…”
“…Ah.”
“In the corner of the wooden wall, I carved…”
“Shut that mouth!”
“M-ma’am!”
Surprisingly, the First Prince, unable to contain himself any longer, sprang from his seat. As he rushed towards Lorang in an instant, nearly grabbing him by the collar, Lorang quickly hid behind me.
Why behind me and not behind Cassion or the knights?
“Hand over that man, Duchess! I can’t listen to any more of this nonsense!”
“Your Highness, please calm down. We are in the presence of His Majesty.”
I quickly stepped to the front, stopping Cassion, who was trying to protect me, and looked up at him, pleading.
“…And in the presence of your birth father.”
“This…!”
Of course, it was a ploy to further provoke the First Princ,e who had lost his composure and was heated up.
As the Prince drew his sword from his waist, surprised screams could be heard from various places. However, about half of them seemed to be intrigued by this outrageous situation.
-Clang!
“Asil. Don’t provoke him any further, and stay put here.”
“Wait, where did this come from?”
Suddenly, I was grabbed by the waist and swiftly turned around, accompanied by the sharp sound of a blade. As I widened my eyes at the tiny piece of metal that had fallen at my feet, Cassion chuckled.
“From behind.”
I understood Cassion’s amusement, but we were still in front of the Emperor. Although it was satisfying to see how things were unfolding, it seemed a bit much to show such open delight. So, pretending to seek refuge in fear, I covered his mouth with my sleeve.
“Please control your expression.”
Clang-
“My apologies. I didn’t expect it to be this serious.”
Taking advantage of the commotion between the still-raging First Prince and the attendants trying to restrain him, a few more tiny metallic sounds rang out. From the back, not from the front where the First Prince or the Empress were seated. Flying daggers from the audience seats.
They were attempting to assassinate Lorang right up to the end, even in the Emperor’s presence. Is this truly a do-or-die spirit?
“This is the most interesting play I’ve seen recently.”
“Father!”
“What a farce.”
The First Prince, restrained by knights on both arms, cried out, but the Emperor still appeared indifferent. The Second Prince, who had picked up with a handkerchief the few flying daggers that Cassion had blocked with minimal movement, irritatingly stepped forward, passing by his half-brother.
“Isn’t this assassination attempt proof that Lorang’s testimony is true, Your Majesty?”
“Hmm.”
“He has more to testify, but as the court has become chaotic, I apologize for relaying it on his behalf. Lorang says he last met with Her Majesty the Empress on October 27th of the 139th year of the Empire, and they were intimate that day as well.”
“Second Prince! This is disrespectful!”
“It’s to reveal the truth.”
“To say such things without concrete evidence…!”
The Empress, who had kept her mouth shut even when the First Prince was raging, raised her voice for the first time.
The reason for revealing such unnecessarily detailed, embarrassing information was that this date was estimated to be the day the First Prince was conceived.
The Empress, whose everything had been exposed in front of many, shouted with a pale face, and even the maids who were watching her from the side covered their mouths in shock and stepped back a step or two from her.
“This is too insulting! I absolutely never…!”
“Enough.”
“Your Majesty! My words…”
“I hope you won’t make me order to silence you.”
Clang-
“Oh, come on, stop it already.”
I should be focusing on the Emperor who cut off the Empress’s words, but it’s driving me crazy. By now they should know the situation is over, but now daggers are flying from near the ceiling.
While the court preparations might be lacking, I have to give credit to the number of the Empress’s private soldiers.
“Didn’t I say we need to end the trial before sunset?”
Ding. As the bell of the trial rang for the third time, the tightly closed doors of the courtroom opened, and knights poured in, surrounding the area. They were the Emperor’s knights.
“There’s nothing more to hear.”
At the Emperor’s gesture, who looked bored, his knights who had rushed in began to identify the Empress’s private soldiers not only from the audience seats and ceiling but also from unexpected places.
…Surprisingly, it wasn’t a search, but merely picking out familiar faces.
“Well- Captain, it’s been a while.”
“Get lost and do your job.”
“I thought I’d protect the Duchess more for old times’ sake.”
Amidst all this, even some imperial knights who seemed to have been Cassion’s subordinates during the war came to greet him. The sight of them smilingly arresting the Empress’s soldiers doesn’t seem real.
“…How…?”
Fortunately, Lorang asked about this bewildering situation on my behalf. Yes, it would have been awkward for me to ask.
“His Majesty probably knew everything and just wanted to watch the trial, I guess.”
…This is a bit unexpected.
