The Trial (1)
The trial of Count Ludvi Silanda was held in private. Only the presiding judge, seven jurors, and three observers were permitted to attend. The observers were myself, Illid, and Hellion.
Ebony Blair Vladin had agreed to serve as Karina Linton’s defense attorney, while Count Silanda chose to represent himself without legal counsel.
The moment we stepped through the courtroom doors, a suffocating tension pressed down on us. Illid, Hellion, and I took our seats in the very last row, with the seven jurors occupying the row directly ahead. Soon the judge entered, followed by Ebony Blair Vladin, Karina, and Count Silanda.
Karina and the count sat at the same time. Karina fixed him with a razor-sharp stare. The count met her golden gaze without flinching, as though determined to prove his innocence.
“We shall now begin the trial on the murder charge brought against Ludvi Eliot Silanda, Count of Silanda.”
After the judge’s declaration, the indictment was read aloud. Its contents were already well known: that Count Silanda had poisoned a woman named Esmeralda, and that a paternity test had been requested for his daughter, Rubia Silanda.
I leaned toward Illid on my left and whispered, “You oversaw the initial investigation, did you not? Did you meet any of the witnesses beforehand?”
“I did meet them—to confirm their identities. Only those with clear, verifiable backgrounds can have their testimony weighed for credibility.”
“And what did you think?”
“The maid from the Silanda household had an impeccable record. The clowns who claimed to be friends of the dead dancer, however, will likely leave a poor impression on both the judge and the jurors. Their station alone makes them suspect.”
“What about the drug merchant?”
Hellion, seated to my right, twisted slightly to ask Illid.
“I looked into him as well. He runs a small shop in a remote area, but his identity is not in question.”
“So the witnesses are usable enough, once we exclude the clowns. That maid in particular could prove decisive.”
A note of keen interest colored Hellion’s low murmur.
“They’re all appearing as witnesses today, then?”
“They should be. I saw them waiting inside the building earlier.”
“I’m curious how Ebony Blair Vladin managed to recruit even the count’s own maid. In situations like this, she almost certainly dug up some weakness and applied pressure.”
“Shh, Hellion. The jurors will hear you.”
At Illid’s quiet warning, Hellion fell silent. A moment later, Ebony Blair Vladin stepped forward before the bench.
“Honored presiding judge and members of the jury. As you know, we are gathered here today to deliver judgment on the poisoning of Miss Esmeralda by Ludvi Silanda. I am Ebony Blair Vladin, counsel for the plaintiff Karina Linton.”
With her black hair swept into an elegant twist and a fine coat draped over her shoulders, Ebony offered a courteous bow that bore no resemblance to her usual irreverent manner.
“As the presiding judge has stated, the plaintiff Karina Linton seeks two rulings. First, that Count Silanda acknowledge the crime of murder. Second, that a paternity test be conducted between Rubia Silanda and the Count’s wife.”
“Count Silanda, do you have anything to say in your defense?”
At the judge’s question, Ludvi Silanda slammed his chair back and rose with a thunderous voice.
“I wish to declare that every accusation is false, and that I have no obligation to submit to any paternity test.”
The seven jurors’ shoulders all twitched in unison. Every one of them was a central noble active in politics. No matter that the count stood accused of murder, they could not help but remain mindful of his considerable power.
“I do not know any woman named Esmeralda. The plaintiff, Karina Linton, has either mistaken me for the murderer or conspired with those who wish to slander me in order to drag me into this courtroom.”
Count Silanda’s sharp eyes swung toward Ebony Blair Vladin. She scratched absently at the side of her ear and subtly looked away.
“Furthermore, a paternity test is not the duty of my household. The plaintiff Karina Linton has no standing to demand such a thing from our family. And not even between myself, the defendant, and my daughter—but between my wife and the girl? Whose idea was this outrageous overreach?”
“Ahem…”
The count’s tone dripped with open contempt for the plaintiff. Yet no one in the courtroom moved to check him. Such was the weight of Ludvi Silanda’s authority.
Ebony studied the count with evident fascination. Karina, by contrast, looked as though she were barely containing her fury.
“Your Honor, may I call my witnesses in sequence?”
“You may.”
At the judge’s permission, Ebony turned to the guards. “Bring forth the first witnesses.”
The guards moved with crisp efficiency, escorting a small group into the chamber. Five or six men and women shuffled forward, visibly tense and hesitant.
“Who are these people?”
The jurors, silent until now, began to murmur as one. They regarded the newcomers with undisguised scorn.
“Clowns,” Hellion muttered. The jurors frowned in open disappointment.
The shabbily dressed performers clustered together and approached Ebony. A few caught sight of Karina and started to wave in happy recognition, only to be hastily restrained by their companions. It seemed they had been thoroughly briefed on proper courtroom conduct before arriving.
“Welcome, artists of Pleco Square! Come forward and greet the presiding judge.”
Ebony ushered them forward with a brilliant smile. The clowns bowed deeply to the bench.
At the front of the group stood a gaunt man I had seen once before—the very pickpocket who had tried to steal my gold bracelet and been caught by Esi, earning a humiliating scolding.
“Now then. What testimony have the witnesses come to offer? But first, please identify yourselves.”
The judge struggled to mask his discomfort as he addressed the thin man at the front. The gaunt clown started, then blurted out, “R-Rico!”
“And your family name?”
“Family name? I don’t have one. It’s just Rico.”
“Ah… Then I take it you were never registered at birth within the empire?”
“Probably not. I never did it, so it’s unlikely. I’m an orphan, you see.”
“Dear me.”
At Rico’s answer the jurors clicked their tongues in distaste. The atmosphere grew heavy with disapproval that someone without official standing in the empire should stand in court.
“We were asked to come here to identify a face. There was a man Esmeralda had been meeting shortly before she died. The gentleman here asked us to testify to what we saw while he searches for that man.”
“Yes, that is correct. I located them and requested their testimony,” Ebony said, stepping closer to Rico and the performers.
“First, could you tell us what your relationship was with the deceased Miss Esmeralda?”
“Of course, of course. We traveled the country performing together. Eventually we settled permanently in the capital and earned our living mainly at Pleco Square.”
“Do you recall anything that happened just before Miss Esmeralda’s death?”
“Certainly. Around that time we were frantic, running all over trying to find her.”
“Why was that?”
“From one day to the next, she began skipping performances. She had never done so before. So we followed her in secret and discovered she was meeting a man.”
“I was told Miss Esmeralda was exceptionally beautiful and received many offers from noblemen. Is that true?”
“Yes, it is. But she had never actually met with anyone until then. She always avoided nobles. Said nothing good ever came from getting tangled up with them.”
“Wise of her. That was merely my personal opinion—please disregard it.”
Ebony’s sly remark drew snorts of laughter from Hellion and the clowns. The other nobles in the courtroom, however, wore expressions of pure disgust.
“At any rate, seeing Esmeralda with a man for the first time left us terribly curious. I only caught a glimpse of his back, but these friends followed more closely and saw his face.”
Rico indicated the two women behind him. Their identical features marked them clearly as twins.
“We are Risha and Lucy.”
“Very good. Risha and Lucy, can you describe the man you saw? Tell us freely where and how you saw him, and what he looked like.”
“Yes. Three years ago, my sister Lucy and I followed Esmeralda. After all, there’s nothing more entertaining than spying on someone else’s romance. She had turned down so many suitors—we were dying to know who she had chosen.”
“We remember it perfectly. The man who stepped down from the carriage and took Esmeralda’s hand! From his clothes and bearing, he was unmistakably a noble. If not a noble, then certainly from an extremely wealthy family!”
The younger twin nodded vigorously at her sister’s every word.
“He was quite tall, with brown hair. I don’t recall the exact color of his eyes—nothing too dark, so perhaps a lighter shade? His jaw was somewhat angular and his forehead straight. We even whispered to each other that he was the most handsome of all the men who had ever pestered Esmeralda.”
“How old did he appear?”
“Early to mid-thirties. Since that was three years ago, he would be in his late thirties now.”
“Would you recognize him if you saw his face again?”
“We believe so. In truth, we didn’t see him only that once. We followed Esmeralda several more times and caught sight of him again. We would know him.”
“Then please step this way.”
Ebony took each twin by the wrist and led them toward the plaintiff’s table. They stopped directly in front of Count Silanda.
“Have you seen this man before?”
The twins’ brown eyes flew wide. At the same instant they clapped hands over their mouths and cried out in shrill voices.
“Yes! It’s him! This is the man!”