Ines felt humiliation even as she responded. Between her hollow laughs, the chief of police continued speaking.
“You’ll claim it was all a meticulous plan as well. Furthermore, just because you have immunity doesn’t mean all crimes will be forgiven.”
“I know. I just… I just need not go to Lomfield.”
He abandoned the thought of saying more as he looked at Ines’s vacant face. She seemed as if she didn’t belong in this world.
“Let’s leave it at that for today. Do you have any more questions?”
When she shook her head, he paused momentarily before rising from his seat.
The next day, rumors of the attempted murder committed by a noblewoman spread throughout the domain. The story was so sensational that people couldn’t help but elaborate on it.
The love story between a commoner and a noblewoman was already enough to pique people’s curiosity. Add to it the tale of a knight of common birth and the daughter of Count Graham, and people were downright enthusiastic.
Due to the unprecedented interest of the domain’s residents, her trial proceeded much quicker than initially scheduled.
Moreover, the trial was public from the start, given the defendant’s immunity.
Ines ended up standing in that courtroom again.
The day of her trial, it rained just like the last time.
Ines wore the same white dress as she did that day and headed to the courtroom. The laws of the Keinz Empire had endured thus far under the protection of Goddess Heclercia.
Although one couldn’t assert they were entirely free from corruption and bias, the judiciary had comparatively handed down stern and fair rulings.
It was the reason the judiciary still held a significant standing within the empire.
Though different laws applied depending on one’s status, not even royalty could evade the laws of the Keinz Empire.
Alighting from the carriage, Ines braced herself for the rotten food and stones that people would throw at her. This time, she resolved not to tremble or bow her head.
But once she stepped off the carriage, she realized her resolve was useless.
There were many people in front of the courtroom, but none threw anything at her. Neither were there those who hurled abusive insults, as before.
Taking a deep breath, she entered the courtroom.
Upon entering, Ines mustered all her strength not to bow her head. People may label her a sinner, but she wanted to be upright, at least to herself.
She had no regrets about what she’d done.
Looking around the defendant’s stand, she saw Jemerun also wearing white and sitting in the waiting area. He seemed to be receiving a judgment for his sins as well.
He was glaring at her as if to kill her.
Turning her eyes toward the crowd, she saw her parents looking at her.
“Ah…”
In that moment, Ines felt as if her heart would rip apart. She hadn’t realized that seeing her parents’ faces in the courtroom would be so painful. Back then, she was only focused on her own fears.
Soon, the judgment of the law began.
“I am a member of Count Raymond’s knight order, John Cammerfield.”
After a few rounds of questioning, one of the knights present at the scene took the witness stand.
“Do you swear to tell only the truth in the name of Goddess Heclercia?”
“I swear to tell only the truth so as not to tarnish the name of Goddess Heclercia.”
In the Keinz Empire’s courts, three judges conferred to make a decision. They took turns asking questions to ensure there were no flaws in the judgment.
“How could you be present at the scene?”
“I was carrying out the orders of my lord, Count Carson von Raymond of Landhill.”
“What exactly were those orders?”
“I was escorting Lady Ines Swalden.”
“Do not attach titles to the defendant’s name.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Why did the Lord assign a guard to the defendant?”
“I’m not exactly sure, but it seems the Lord was concerned for Ines Swalden’s safety. He also assigned surveillance to Zemuren Winningston, who is sitting over there.”
The room buzzed at his words, and sighs mixed with groans flowed from people’s mouths.
“Describe the situation in detail.”
In response to the question from the presiding judge, John detailed the day’s events.
“My colleague Thomas and I were also on secret protective duty for Ines Swalden that day.”
“Secret protective duty?”
“Yes, the Lord was concerned she would find it burdensome.”
Following the judges’ inquiries, his words continued.
The two knights knew that Ines was usually in the garden in the morning. But as they couldn’t enter the mansion, they said they stayed at the entrance leading to the garden.
“We assessed that the mansion was relatively safe, so we were circling the perimeter at that time.”
While doing so, they encountered the knights who had been watching Zemuren and heard from them that Zemuren had slipped away.
“The four of us spread out in pairs to search the mountain.”
Then they saw Ines running up the mountain from outside the mansion. A man was also chasing her. Unable to follow her into the mansion, they took a detour to keep up with her.
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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