A conversation like a comic dialogue took place.

“Who are you?”

“I am a servant belonging to the Annex Palace. I serve His Highness Prince Trilian.”

“Are you saying you know who tried to assassinate His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“I, I know someone who possesses items that could be used for assassination……”

“Who is it?”

“That, that is……”

“Don’t be afraid, speak up!”

“It’s His Highness Prince Trilian……!”

The banquet hall was in an uproar.

“What? His Highness Prince Trilian? Are you sure? If this is an unconfirmed rumor, you’ll have to pay with your life!”

“……It, it’s certain! I heard it from a former attendant of the Annex Palace.”

“……Your Highness, what will you do? Can we trust this person’s words?”

“……It’s hard to believe, but let’s hear him out. The matter is too important……”

The Princess muttered, covering her eyes with a handkerchief while leaning on the Duke’s chest.

As permission was granted, the Marquis gave a nod signaling to begin.

“Explain in detail. What exactly did you hear that makes you dare to suspect a member of the royal family……”

“From what I’ve heard, His Highness Prince Trilian always carries a poison sachet on his person.”

“Wh, what? A poison sachet?”

“Yes. There was also an incident where a maid from the Annex Palace fainted after smelling the scent of the poison sachet on the Prince’s clothes.”

The murmuring of the people grew louder. An alarmingly large number of eyes turned towards Trilian.

“……Is this true? Prince Trilian?”

“That is merely an item I carry for my own protection.”

“……So you admit to possessing it?”

A poison sachet at a royal ball? Could it have gotten into our food?

Voices of anxiety grew louder. Diana noticed that Trilian’s voice, standing next to her, was trembling slightly.

‘He’s scared.’

The cornered protagonist clenched his fists tightly and gritted his teeth.

However, to Diana’s eyes, it looked like the last gasp of someone desperately trying to survive.

The royal knights began to approach Trilian.

As the encirclement tightened, Trilian shook with anger, his eyes wide open, revealing the whites.

At that moment, various thoughts flashed through Diana’s mind.

‘No. Don’t intervene. If I step in carelessly, I might end up in even bigger trouble. Look at Raoul. Because I brought him herbs, he ended up being bullied by the slaves……!’

However, the moment a knight grabbed Trilian’s arm, Diana’s conscience raised its hand.

‘Are you really going to leave him like this? You know who the real culprit is! You know his alibi!’

Diana grabbed Trilian’s left wrist, which was not yet caught, and raised her hand.

“……I will testify!”

People’s gazes instantly shifted to Diana.

Cold sweat ran down her back.

She tried her best to calm her trembling body, ignoring the loud thumping of her heart.

The sharp gazes of the Marquis and the Princess flew like knife blades. The Duke also looked surprised.

“……I, I will testify.”

Diana pushed Trilian behind her and stepped forward.

‘I never thought the day would come when I’d play the hero……!’

“St, state your affiliation.”

“I am Diana de Arnel. May I speak……?”

The Marquis looked at Duke Carlyle with disapproval. It was a clear signal to stop her, but the Duke seemed to have no intention of helping the Marquis.

“Ahem, ahem, proceed with your statement.”

The Marquis reluctantly granted permission to testify, with an unpleasant expression.

Diana explained as clearly as possible, trying not to appear intimidated.

“Prince Trilian cannot possibly be the culprit. Because I heard the real culprit’s voice on the terrace. The real culprits were clearly two people, an adult man and woman.”

“……”

The Marquis glanced at the Princess with a bewildered look. She glared at the Marquis with a cold gaze and buried her face in her handkerchief again.

“It was such a shocking scene that I can even reenact it accurately……!”

Diana repeated exactly what she had heard.

“Is the effect certain? Of course it is. You’ve already experienced it, haven’t you? You couldn’t get the timing right last time. You said it would kill in 2 weeks, but it took 3 months. This time, we’ve greatly increased the dosage period and amount. Don’t worry too much. Do your job properly! That’s exactly what they said……! Right above the terrace where I was.”

“Lady! Are you sure you weren’t dreaming? What fearless person would easily say such things at a royal ball, not in their own bedroom?”

‘I suppose the Princess finds the ballroom as comfortable as her own bedroom!’

Diana frowned indignantly and argued back.

“How could I remember so accurately if I hadn’t heard it……? This is the absolute truth without a shred of lie. I swear before the Goddess Aiona.”

“……Ahem, ahem! How dare you take an oath so lightly! Even if someone conspired, we can’t know who actually carried it out! The most accurate evidence is physical proof!”

‘This is ridiculous!’

Diana, though trembling, argued back without backing down.

“I can explain that as well. There is another reason why the Prince carries a poison sachet. It’s because His Highness is being severely abused!”

What? Abuse? What is this about? People kept whispering and looking at Trilian.

Diana turned around and met Trilian’s eyes.

“I’m sorry for exposing your private matters arbitrarily……. But there’s no other way to clear your name.”

“You……”

“Please show them. Even if it’s just a part……”

As Diana pleaded with her eyes, Trilian began to unbutton his uniform one by one.

As he unbuttoned his shirt, bruises and scars starting from around his neck were revealed to everyone.

“……Oh my goodness……”

“Who on earth would do such a thing……”

“Even if he’s the son of a maid, he’s still a recognized member of the royal family……”

Nobles who were dissatisfied with the current Crown Prince began to speak up one by one.

Currently, there was no strong royal authority to punish them.

The Emperor and Crown Prince were both bedridden, and the Princess didn’t have a strong enough support base to turn against the nobles.

As public opinion shifted, the Marquis’s eyes gleamed a cold blue.

It was enough to send chills down Diana’s spine.

‘Still, this is 100 times better than being hated by the original protagonist……!’

“Even today, the Prince was dragged to the main palace guest room and beaten. These scratch marks are fresh, the lines are still clear!”

“……Who on earth would do such a thing?”

Yuris, the captain of the knights who had been watching this scene with an uncomfortable expression, muttered.

‘Ah, that’s a relief. This person can be trusted. In the original story, he was the top meritorious subject who followed the Emperor’s will and helped Trilian.’

Diana, emboldened by public opinion, made her final argument.

“The Prince must have carried the poison sachet to protect himself……! To think there are those in this palace who would try to assassinate His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Prince……! This must be the work of traitors challenging royal authority……!”

Yuris, who had been watching the young girl’s desperate efforts, added to Diana’s words.

“……To begin with, that servant did not testify to directly witnessing the Prince poisoning anyone. Without catching someone in the act, it’s difficult to declare someone a criminal based solely on a poison sachet.”

“Moreover, there are various types of poisons. Shouldn’t we hear the coroner’s opinion and properly compare and analyze……?”

‘It’s done. Public opinion has shifted to our side……! If this goes to trial, it will be favorable for Trilian.’

Most of the prosecutors and lawyers belonging to the legal profession were academy alumni who despised Crown Prince Albert.

Even in the original story, there were some nobles who rejected the self-centered individuals full of a sense of privilege and turned to Trilian.

Diana gripped her dress and bit her lip tightly.

When the Marquis gave up and turned his gaze to the Princess, she ended the situation.

“……To think that after my brother, even my younger brother would be involved in such a thing……!”

“Your, Your Highness! Are you alright?”

The Marquis rushed over dramatically and clumsily supported the Princess’s right arm.

“Es, escort Her Highness! Of course, His Highness the Prince as well!”

Perhaps conscious of the gazes, they wanted all the royal family members to leave together.

‘Nominally, Trilian is also a prince, so they can’t just leave a sick child behind.’

Diana watched Trilian’s retreating figure as he left with Yuris.

Only then did the tension ease.

‘I’m crazy……! As I spoke, I feel like I said things I didn’t need to say, did I do well?’

As she stood rooted to the spot, staring blankly into space, suddenly a yellow head of hair turned slightly over a shoulder.

Red eyes curved slightly, and incomprehensible words followed between the lips.

Diana was curious about the words Trilian left behind, but she only guessed that it might have been words of gratitude.

She couldn’t even imagine that the words he had said were “See you again.”