He stepped into the courtroom, and murmurs arose among the people. Soon, the Chief Justice rose from his seat. Everyone stood and bowed in his direction.

Carson took his place at the top seat where he had the best view of Ines. As he sat down, the Chief Justice gestured to the audience to take their seats.

“Proceed.”

At his words, the Chief Justice nodded and turned his head back to Ines.

“Now, Ines Swalden. I ask you again. Why did you meticulously plan this crime and spare Joseph Brnoa at the last moment?”

Ines slowly lifted her head and locked eyes with Carson. She wanted understanding from him alone. Her eyes, which had always been calm, flickered as if meeting a fierce storm.

“Disturbance…”

However, she found it difficult to contain her wavering emotions.

“I can’t hear you. Say it again.”

“Disturbance should not occur. I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“I made a promise… to try, and it didn’t go well.”

In that moment, seeing Ines speaking with such desolation, Carson had to clench his fists to prevent himself from rising and taking her away.

He was choked up with emotion again. And finally, he came to realize the reality of that suffocating feeling.

It was a raw, overwhelming emotion. It was a fundamental sense of responsibility he shouldn’t and didn’t need to feel towards her.

It was so heavy that it sometimes took his breath away.

Even though he was not the one who brought her into this world, and even though he had not shaken her life in any way, Carson felt a strong sense of responsibility whenever he saw her. It almost resembled guilt.

The Chief Justice shook his head from side to side and announced a brief recess for the final judgment.

When everyone returned after the recess, Carson was nowhere to be seen. Ines humbly accepted the judge’s ruling while staring at his empty seat.

“The act of the defendant seriously disrupts the public order, creates unrest, and is a highly harmful crime. The defendant will be severely punished considering the organized, planned, and cruel nature of the crime. However, taking into account the defendant’s confession, first offense, age, gender, motives, methods and consequences of the crime, as well as post-crime circumstances, the sentence will be as stated.”

Originally, Ines would have been sentenced to three years in Romfield for attempted murder.

The sentence was lenient, considering she had meticulously planned a murder but changed her mind at the last moment, and her attack on Gemuren was deemed self-defense.

However, thanks to her immunity privilege, she was to serve as a maid for three years at the Edmont Shrine in Sanskria.

Gemuren Winingston’s sentence was also determined.

“Gemuren Winingston is sentenced to 20 years in Altrana.”

Screams filled the courtroom from Gemuren.

Altrana was a male prison on par with Romfield, also known as the Romfield for male prisoners.

At the moment Gemuren’s sentence was announced, Ines tilted her head back to the extreme.

It was the moment when everything was completely over.

It was Ines’ perfect revenge.

Before leaving for the shrine, Ines was led to the temporary facility where Charlotte had stayed. She knew this was also due to Carson’s consideration. And there, she met her father.

“I’m sorry, Father.”

Her father simply looked at Ines silently. Andrew, who had been holding his breath, slowly spoke.

“Thanks to the detailed immunity privilege you acquired, mentioning our family, there seems to be no problem within the household.”

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

“Ines… did you really secure this immunity privilege with all this in mind?”

“Yes.”

“Why… why on earth…?”
Father burst into tears. It must have been the shock and fear that finally made him show his tears. She was a daughter he had raised without a single shadow, a daughter who was naive and only cute.

“Please accept me back after three years.”

“You call that a promise…..”

Now that they were no longer nobles, there would be no titles or special treatment. Their parents would also be unable to show their faces in noble society. However, she had given up her social status herself by marrying Joseph. There was no regret for that now.

“I’ll write to you often. Please tell Mom I’m doing well.”

Ines seemed quite comfortable, contrary to what he had expected her to feel–nervous and anxious. Andrew’s tears gradually ceased at the sight of his composed daughter.

“I can’t ask you to completely understand me. But I’m not obsessed with something or controlled by a demon, as people say.”

“Ines……”

“It’s a deed I’ve done in my own way to protect things. Father, there is a gold mine in the mountain named after our family. The deposit is enormous.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Earl Graham aimed for that gold mine. That’s why he wanted to incorporate Landhill into Rethonia.”

Andrew could only listen to the surprising facts.

“Joseph took a bribe from Earl Graham and tried to marry me. He also attempted to fake his own death.”

Despite her calm, clear-eyed explanation, Andrew couldn’t compose himself.