Latifa wore an uneasy expression, watching Hades, who had turned strangely menacing since Luhane’s appearance.

“Ahaha. As expected, worrying was pointless against the invincible Hades.”

Luhane smiled gently at Hades, then blushed slightly when he locked eyes with Latifa, lowering his head.

‘She’s shy, it seems. She was like this the first time I saw her.’

The image of Luhane blushing in front of her on the day they met came to mind.

“No, Luhane. It’s not that you’re pointless; the deal itself was pointless.”

“Huh?”

At the same time that Luhane looked puzzled, Eota showed the gathered crowd Tarek’s shoulder injury, choking back tears.

“Everyone, look at this. Prince Tarek’s injured shoulder! A warrior who wields a sword with ease—how heartbreaking must it be that his precious shoulder is injured?! He may never be able to wield a sword again!”

It was a voice full of malice, rather than persuasion.

When Latifa looked at Tarek, he seemed to nervously chew on his lower lip.

Hades sneered maliciously at the sight.

“Luhane. Tarek is useless. He can’t even beat my mother. The deal you made was useless from the start. The idea that Tarek could sway Eota is laughable.”

Luhane murmured with a somewhat regretful expression at Hades’ words.

“It’s my mistake.”

“That guy is not wrapped around a skirt; he’s trapped by it. Until that skirt is torn, we can’t use Tarek. Luhane, get your act together.”

Hades lightly tapped his head with his finger as if to wake him up.

“I just wanted to help you.”

“Have you been distracted lately, Luhane? And how could you easily—”

As Luhane and Hades conversed, the desert fox cuddled in Latifa’s arms began tugging at her clothes with its teeth.

“Fox, don’t do this. We can’t cause a scene here.”

Even as Latifa tried to soothe it, the fox seemed to have something to say, constantly whimpering and shaking its snout.

Finally, Latifa discreetly focused her mind on the fox. Soon, a thin silver spirit rose above its head.

‘Stay still, fox.’

[Lat! Lat! They threw me! Water! Cold!]

‘Huh? What are you talking about?’

[They threw me in the water! Right there! That fat one! My leg! It hurts! My leg is trapped! Water!]

As the fox mentioned ‘water,’ something quickly flashed through Latifa’s mind.

‘Wait, are you talking about the day the water bag burst?’

Looking quickly in the direction the fox was pointing, she saw it was where Eota’s guards were gathered.

‘So, among those people, someone threw you?’

[Yes! I was in a hole. He pulled me out. Then threw me in the water! Cold! That fat one!]

Sure enough, among Eota’s guards stood a plump, overweight man.

While animals might have lower reasoning capabilities, their senses of sight and smell were highly developed, as was their memory.

Though she couldn’t blindly trust the fox’s words, it was worth suspecting.

‘That man might have burst the water bag.’

She might not have understood the motives for such an act before, but now she had an inkling.

‘If Eota, the mother of the second prince, wanted to get rid of General Hades, who gained merit in the war, that would make sense.’

While Latifa was lost in this speculation, Hades ended his minor dispute with Luhane and handed her a small scroll.
“The final argument is coming up. This is Tarek’s prescription that Omar stole.”

“A prescription?”

“The prescription states his injury isn’t severe. This alone could end the trial, Latifa.”

“Just with a prescription?”

“Given that Iota is misleading people about the extent of Tarek’s injury, there’s no better evidence.”

It was true that Iota was currently garnering public sympathy by claiming that Tarek had suffered a deep wound.

‘If I show this and prove his injury isn’t severe, the justification for punishment will disappear!’

Only then did Latifa feel relieved. She accepted it and nodded decisively.

“Alright. I’ll trust you, General Hades.”

“I see I had no chance to interrupt.”

Ruhan, who had been observing everything, looked at Latifa and muttered bitterly.

“Ah, General Hades. Your conjecture might be correct, after all.”

“What are you saying?”

Latifa slightly leaned in and whispered into his ear.

“I think it wasn’t the fox who tore the water bag last time. There is a soldier over there who said he was thrown into the water by the fox. Even hurt his leg.”

Hades’ eyes quickly flickered toward where Latifa was pointing.

And a low growl of anger escaped from his lips.

“Yes, Iota… old sly fox, I knew it was you.”

Latifa somehow felt her body shiver at the deep anger in Hades’ voice.

“But there’s no evidence. Nothing is certain.”

“No, it’s her doing. Iota is the only one capable of such heinous acts.”

Latifa was frightened by his intense tone, and was about to calm him down when the Sultan announced the resumption of the trial.

“Enough with the break. Let the final arguments begin. Iota.”

Latifa returned to her seat and everyone turned their heads toward the Sultan, but Hades only kept glaring at Iota with menacing eyes.

At the mention of the final arguments, Iota stepped forward with tears in her eyes.