Chapter 98: May You Be at Peace
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 98: May You Be at Peace
The trial commenced in a solemn atmosphere.
"Duke Delmark, you have maintained that the Late Empress was not the perpetrator of the Empress's Palace fire incident ten years ago. Do you have any evidence or witnesses to support this claim?"
"Of course."
Stepping forward with a leisureliness that bordered on arrogance, Herdin addressed the Emperor.
"First, Her Majesty the Grand Empress Dowager's claim that the Late Empress attempted to assassinate Her Highness the Imperial Princess is false. The testimony regarding this matter will be delivered directly by Her Highness, who is the sole survivor and witness of that incident."
It was Blair's turn.
Taking a deep breath, she rose from her seat and calmly stepped before Ivan.
"I, the witness, Blair Delmark, swear before God and Your Imperial Majesty to speak only the truth."
Once the oath was complete, Ivan questioned her.
"It is my understanding that the witness had lost her memories of the incident ten years ago."
"That was true until a few months ago. However, I was recently kidnapped by an unidentified intruder and caught in a fire. The shock of the event triggered the return of my memories from that day."
"The witness shall state everything she saw, without omitting a single detail."
Blair recounted her recovered memories, speaking the truth of that day.
She told them how Esmeralda, sensing something was wrong, had hidden her in a wardrobe. She described how, after waking from her sleep, she witnessed Marina Florent—the very maid from the Empress's Palace widely believed to have saved her—strangling Esmeralda to death.
And finally, how she herself had killed Marina.
"Her Majesty the Late Empress was not the one who sought to harm me," Blair declared. "She was my savior, the one who protected my life."
A wave of murmurs swept through the courtroom. To think that the Late Empress, who for a decade had borne the dishonor of a traitor who tried to assassinate the princess, was actually her protector.
"Therefore, though it is late, I stand here today to clear the name of the one who died in such unjust suffering."
Blair spoke calmly, looking directly at her mother.
Meeting her daughter’s gaze, Katrina’s expression froze. In that moment, the way Blair looked up at her was terribly, chillingly reminiscent of Esmeralda.
‘You’re determined to clear that dead woman’s name, even if it means dragging your own mother through the mud.’
Having finished her testimony, Blair returned to her seat. Behind her, she could hear the nobles whispering.
"Then does that mean the identity of the true culprit is a mystery once more?"
As if he had overheard them, Herdin spoke up at that exact moment.
"Based on that testimony, I reconstructed the incident and tracked down clues to reveal the true culprit. I have found both evidence and a witness."
Herdin gestured to Ruth, who was waiting nearby. Ruth approached the chief chamberlain standing below the dais and handed him a small object.
The chief chamberlain delivered it to Ivan. It was a coin.
"What is this? It doesn't appear to be a gold coin used in Ardel or any other nation."
"It is a coin that was in the possession of Marina Florent, the woman who murdered Her Majesty the Late Empress. If one takes this coin to a certain pawnshop, they can receive a promised payment. This method was chosen to minimize direct contact with the assassin."
"Where was this coin found? I recall no such evidence being discovered at the time of the incident."
"That is likely because the first soldier to arrive at the scene concealed it."
At Herdin's nod, a man who had been waiting stepped forward. It was the soldier who had hidden Marina Florent's coin.
He testified that he had pocketed the coin, thinking it was gold he could spend on alcohol, only to realize later that it was no ordinary currency. He confessed that he had kept it hidden out of fear of being punished if his tampering with evidence were ever discovered.
As the soldier departed, Ivan asked, "Do you also know who owns that coin?"
"The pawnshop owner refused to testify, but fortunately, we were able to track down the artisan who minted it."
"So, who is the owner?"
Before answering, Herdin glanced at Katrina. Her face was deathly pale as she stared at the coin in Ivan's hand.
"Viscount Vernon."
A massive clamor erupted among the nobles at the name that fell from Herdin's lips.
"Viscount Vernon? Isn't he Countess Magrid's younger brother?"
Just then, a man among the jurors leaped to his feet. It was Viscount Vernon.
"Th-this is a frame-up! I have never seen a coin like that!"
"A few days ago, we contacted the pawnshop owner and confirmed that someone is still using that coin to collect payments," Herdin delivered an immediate rebuttal, as if he had anticipated the viscount's reaction. "The source of those funds is, indeed, Viscount Vernon."
The courtroom buzzed with whispers once more.
"Then the real mastermind behind the incident is..."
Viscount Vernon was the younger brother of Countess Magrid, who was Imperial Concubine Katrina's closest lady-in-waiting.
That single fact was enough for everyone to deduce the identity of the true culprit, but none dared to utter her name aloud.
Amidst the commotion, Ivan gave a nod to the chief chamberlain, who understood the gesture and bellowed, "Silence!"
Once the room fell quiet, Ivan resumed the trial.
"It seems we have sufficient witnesses and evidence. I ask the jurors to freely cast their votes based on what has been presented."
The nobles hesitated, exchanging wary glances before one by one raising the placards placed before them.
Naturally, the imperial loyalists voted that the evidence was insufficient, while the vassals of Delmark voted that it was sufficient to overturn the previous verdict. This much had been predictable.
What truly mattered was the decision of the neutral nobles who belonged to neither faction.
Gauging the atmosphere, the remaining nobles began to raise their placards. In the end, the vote was nearly even, but the side declaring the testimony and evidence sufficient held a slight majority.
In truth, everyone knew Herdin's claim was far more credible. They were simply walking on eggshells around the Emperor and the Imperial Family.
However, the final ruling rested solely with the judge—the Emperor himself.
Katrina looked at Ivan desperately.
‘Ivan can never abandon me.’
Even if he had cornered her after she failed to kidnap Blair, she was still his mother. She did not doubt her son for a moment—not until he handed down his ruling.
"Having examined the jurors' verdicts and the evidence presented, it seems there were aspects that were not fully considered in the previous ruling."
“……”
"My imperial father, the Late Emperor, was the most dignified sovereign of the empire, yet he was never ashamed to admit his mistakes and always listened to the truth. Had my father been alive, I believe he would have reconsidered the previous verdict."
"In accordance with his will, I, as his son, shall correct what was missed, even if it is belated."
At Ivan's unexpected response, not only Katrina but even Herdin raised an eyebrow.
As the Emperor threw his weight behind Herdin's claim, the nobles who had stood against him began to lower their placards, warily reading the room.
Ivan, watching them, called for the Knight Commander waiting nearby.
"Marcus."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Escort Viscount Vernon to the imperial prison immediately. Interrogate him and find out who the true mastermind is."
"As you command."
Receiving the Emperor's order, the imperial knights dragged Viscount Vernon away.
"Your Majesty! I am innocent!" His wailing voice echoed from the hallway, but Ivan paid it no mind and proceeded to the next matter.
"And we must also clear the injustice suffered by Her Majesty the Late Empress."
“……”
"As of today, I lift the false accusations against the Late Empress Esmeralda Delmark and revoke the charge of treason laid upon the House of Delmark."
This was the moment Herdin had desperately yearned for over the past ten years.
Yet, for some reason, a lingering discomfort remained. Was it Ivan's attitude? He had expected the Emperor to eventually be convinced by the evidence, but he hadn't expected him to comply so readily.
‘Is he cutting off his own mother, already ruined by rumors, to save his image?’
While it was beneficial for his cause, Ivan's cunning, fickle nature was not entirely pleasant.
"I thank Your Majesty for your fair and just ruling."
"There is no need for thanks. If there are misunderstandings among family, they must be resolved."
The word 'family,' which he had heard so often, felt strangely loaded today. Herdin found it odd but soon brushed the thought aside as the trial was declared over.
"With this, I declare the trial adjourned."
Ivan rose from his seat and extended a hand to escort Katrina. Placing her hand in her son's—a son who was no longer on her side—Katrina glared at Blair.
Blair met the raw emotion in that gaze without flinching.
Spiteful girl.
It was as if she could hear Katrina screaming the words. But now, falling out of her mother's favor was neither frightening nor painful.
Because now, she had Asiel.
After staring at Blair with resentful eyes for a moment longer, Katrina followed Ivan out of the courtroom. Blair watched her retreating figure quietly.
Her mother's back, which had always seemed so imposing, looked small and pathetic today.
"Blair."
Approaching her as she stood lost in thought, Herdin gently took her hand.
The two left the Imperial Palace and boarded the waiting carriage. As she quietly watched the scenery pass by the window, Blair suddenly turned to Herdin.
"Herdin."
His gaze was fixed on her, as if it had never been anywhere else.
Staring into his eyes for a moment, Blair spoke. "Let's stop by the cemetery."
* * *
Despite it being summer, a chilly air hung over the Imperial Palace cemetery. Perhaps it was because it was so quiet, situated far from the other palace buildings.
The two crossed the empty grounds and stopped before a gravestone.
[Esmeralda Delmark]
Stripped of her title and imperial surname, falsely accused, and denied burial beside the Emperor, her grave would now be moved to its rightful place.
Recalling that fact, Blair’s chest grew tight with emotion.
She had finally kept the promise she made to herself before this very gravestone on the day she returned to the past, just before her second marriage.
‘Rest in peace now, Your Majesty.’
She felt a gentle breeze softly stroking her hair.
It was like Esmeralda's touch, like her smile from long ago.