Chapter 89

"Father! Are you all right!?"

Erik, standing a little distance away, called out to the Duke of Bapotte and glared fiercely at Opal. The spectators, seemingly remembering Erik’s presence, widened the space they had closed in on.

"You, what are you doing to my father! Even if you are a suspect, such violence cannot be tolerated! You should be immediately removed from the courtroom!"

"I was insulted by my husband. Isn't it my right as a wife to protest?"

"What—"

"Madam, Duchess of Lucelle, please continue."

Alessandro urged Opal to continue, essentially acknowledging her claim. Opal, bowing slightly to show her gratitude and acceptance, fell silent, looking regretful.

"These letters have been examined, Your Grace. The Duke of Seames has also acknowledged his connection to you. Here is the record of that acknowledgment, signed by Duke MacLeod and Viscount Croixel."

"Isn't Duke MacLeod your ex-husband?"

"Yes, so what?"

"Such a thing cannot be trusted. Could you have manipulated it?"

"…For what purpose?"

"Duke MacLeod has been wielding considerable power at the palace recently. Could it be that the Duke of Seames became an obstacle? Lucelle must have felt the same way. You and your son must have been a hindrance to becoming the king's first minister. That's why you must have plotted this conspiracy that spans two countries. Don't you think so, everyone?"

The Duke of Bapotte asked the spectators confidently. The nobles, especially those considered moderates and neutrals, began whispering to each other. Claude and Baron Barba looked exasperated, while Alessandro seemed amused.

"--- Duke of Bapotte, your hypothesis is very interesting, but why would Duke MacLeod need to specifically target the Duke of Seames, and why would Duke Bottselli need to specifically target you and Viscount Amadi? My current husband and ex-husband already hold positions and wealth that cannot be surpassed. Oh, and I also hold a considerable fortune. If the reason for this turmoil was that I was short of tribute, I would have been more than willing to lend you the money."

Opal’s unpleasant words made everyone finally remember that the woman before them held a high position and considerable wealth. Until then, they had been preoccupied with the bad rumors and had not realized how terrifying it would be to make her an enemy. The whispers stopped abruptly, and the speakers straightened their postures slightly.

"How vulgar. You are just boasting about how you manipulated a man of high status. Just as the rumors say, you are a real troublemaker—!"

Turi’s words of contempt, which were nothing but sour grapes, were cut off by Claude’s fist. This time, the guards noticed Claude’s movement but did not stop him, nor did they intend to reprimand him.

"Claude! What are you doing to my brother!?"

"It’s the husband’s right to defend his wife, isn’t it?"

While swinging his right hand lightly, Claude answered Erik’s protest. Opal ran to him and grabbed his right hand to check for injuries.

"It’s red. Does it hurt?"

"It’s nothing serious."

"But—"

"Lucelle, I’m getting a bit tired of this exchange."

Alessandro, who had been watching the worried Opal and the smiling Claude, called out in a dissatisfied tone. It was a snide remark about the completely opposite interaction from the previous day. The surrounding people were surprised, but this time they seemed to think it was inevitable, and there were no conversations that contradicted this.

Opal and Claude bowed slightly to Alessandro and moved away from Turi and the Duke of Bapotte, who were glaring at them with resentment, and returned to their original positions.

"Then I will continue. The secret ledger of the lead mine here… The amount of gold produced, as recorded in this ledger, matches almost exactly the amount of smuggled gold recorded in the Duke of Seames’ ledger. This has been confirmed by the legal officers of the Kingdom of Sosie. Here is a certificate signed by several legal officers, including Kenjitt, the head legal officer—"

"Why! Why were the legal officers of the Kingdom of Sosie able to verify this ledger!?"

"Of course, because I told them."

"But why! How! The ledger was supposed to be disposed of long ago!"

Cole, with a desperate look, questioned Opal, who tilted her head, wondering why he didn’t understand something that was already clear. Perhaps Cole simply didn’t want to admit his own incredible mistake.

"While staying at the duke’s mansion at the foot of the lead mine, Julian brought me this ledger to pass the time."

"Julian! It’s him, of course!"

Cole shouted, half in anger and half in despair. The mention of Julian’s name not only startled Conary but also the Duke of Bapotte, whose expression changed for a moment. When Opal was locked in the attic, Julian had brought her not a book but Cole’s secret ledger. From that ledger, Opal had extracted numbers and written a letter to her uncle, a legal officer in the Kingdom of Sosie, asking him to investigate. She had entrusted the letter to Julian.

"Did you leave the disposal of the ledger to Julian instead of doing it yourself!?"

"Conary, didn’t you say Julian was trustworthy?"

"Julian was introduced to me by the Duke of Bapotte—"

"Shut up!"

The Duke of Bapotte silenced Cole and Conary, who had started to shift the blame onto each other. The hall fell silent at his stern tone. The duke glared at Opal with an angry expression.

"I did indeed exchange letters with the Duke of Seames a few times. Those so-called pieces of evidence were probably forged by taking advantage of that relationship. However, I know how cautious the Duke of Seames is. He should have been able to anticipate the legal officers’ actions, so it’s strange that he didn’t take any countermeasures."

"…No one condones evil deeds. Perhaps someone acted before the legal officers did?"

Before the legal officers or Hubert could act, Opal had asked Roubault to obtain the evidence. Recalling how the reputable moneylender Roubault had readily agreed, Opal almost laughed but quickly composed herself.

"So you did act first, didn’t you?"

"Duke of Bapotte, your attitude is disrespectful to your wife. Please apologize."

"Claude, it’s fine. I know very well what they think of me, whether it’s their son or the duke himself."

Opal patted Claude’s arm lightly as he protectively embraced her. Erik, who had been watching this, finally lost his patience. He stepped forward, but was stopped by the guards, and pointed at Opal, shouting.

"Claude and Duke MacLeod are being deceived! Your Majesty, please be careful! That woman is surely a demon who bewitches men! Julian, too, was deceived by her!"

"Oh…"

Unlike Opal, who thought it had been a while since she had been called a demon, Claude clenched his fists in anger. Noticing this, Opal grabbed Claude’s arm to stop him.

"Opal…"

"It’s not worth getting angry over, Your Majesty—"

She was about to say she was enjoying it, but noticed Alessandro’s smile had grown wider. Both Opal and Claude were puzzled and gasped in surprise at the figure that appeared before them. The figure passed by them and approached Erik, striking him before the guards could stop him.

"Julian!"

"…Julian?"

Amid the women’s screams, not only Opal but also Cole and Conary called out the intruder’s name. Turi was shocked, and Erik, unable to speak, stared at Julian, who was being restrained by the guards.

"What are the guards doing! Why is that man here!?"

"He was called as a witness. Besides, the guards are doing their job. But can you let me go? I have the right to punch this guy."

Julian answered the Duke of Bapotte’s angry question calmly and told the guards to release him. When Baron Barba signaled the guards to comply, they hesitantly let Julian go. Julian, dressed in formal attire suitable for appearing before the king, straightened his disheveled clothes.

"Right? What right does a woman’s lover have!"

The spectators’ excitement grew as they realized Julian was Opal’s eloping partner. Amid the whispers, Julian bowed gracefully to the Duke of Bapotte and the spectators.

"It’s been a while, Duke of Bapotte. Conary and Cole, I thank you for your past kindness. And to those I meet for the first time, please be kind to me. My name is Julian Holloway, and I am the brother of the unworthy sister standing there, Opal."