“Th… That can’t be, that can’t be…! Your Majesty even sent me a letter! Saying it was sent secretly because there would be trouble if the nobles found out…!”

“It would have been interesting if you had even forged my letter, Count.”

Carlos cast a cold gaze towards the Count.

“You have committed the crime of insulting the Emperor, so throwing you in prison right away would not be enough… But alright. For now, I am also curious about the Empress.”

This time, he turned towards the Empress with a smirk.

“Whether I can trust her. Seeing how the Emperor’s seal was reproduced in such detail, could the Empress be involved?”

Mercedes covered her mouth once more, as if shocked again by those words. Her hand was trembling slightly.

“If the Empress is such an unqualified person, it seems she really should be deposed. I will consider it very ‘coldly’, as you all say. Empress, do you have anything to say?”

“…If Your Majesty… abandons me.”

Mercedes’ eyes quickly reddened. She continued speaking with a trembling voice.

“I have no choice, but… I… I…”

She seemed to be struggling to suppress her surging emotions.

The atmosphere had completely reversed. The nobles who had just been sneering at Mercedes, saying she was pretending to be pitiful, fell silent. They could not lend support to the Count’s side since his seal was a forgery.

So they kept quiet, careful not to catch the Emperor’s eye or become the subject of others’ gossip.

After trembling for a moment, Mercedes lowered her hand and raised her head as if resolved.

“I feel wronged.”

Now it was Mercedes’ turn to defend herself.

“Regarding the seal, I clearly made a mistake and am sorry for that. After coming to Room, I exchanged letters with my father.”

Letters. The nobles were not surprised, as the Count had also said he exchanged letters containing greetings, even though he had summoned his father to Room late and had not properly looked after his family who had become troubled because of him.

“At that time, I was… naive. I could only ask His Majesty for help, so I borrowed the imperial seal, which His Majesty gladly provided.”

“Gasp.”

“The Emperor’s seal…!”

The Emperor’s seal necessarily bears the Emperor’s insignia and signature. It was to indicate that the letter must not be tampered with carelessly.

“Yes. To use His Majesty’s seal, the insignia and signature are used. Very meticulously… My father must have made a forgery after seeing that.”

Mercedes calmly defended herself.

At that, the Count once again slammed his fist on the table, leaning forward as if about to devour Mercedes right then and there.

“What nonsense! There was nothing on the letter you sent−”

“Count, show respect to the Empress. This is the sacred noble assembly hall of the great Room Empire.”

Carlos coldly cut off the Count’s words. The Count’s face turned red and blue.

“At the time I sent that letter with the seal, I did not think my father would make a forgery…”

Mercedes reached under the table and pulled out a heavy bundle of letters, placing them on the table.

“And here are the letters my father sent in reply. I simply exchanged greetings, using the seal His Majesty kindly provided out of goodwill. I did not betray familial bonds, and even sent the gold coins my father needed. It pains my heart that this is the result.”

People stirred greatly at the enormous bundle of letters.

They had prepared public opinion so that bringing out correspondence would not be a problem. But for it to be connected to the seal. They did not expect that woman to come out like this.

The Count had no way to prove Mercedes’ lie that his letter had the Emperor’s insignia on it.

All of her letters that had simply come in plain white envelopes had completely burned up in the fire!

“I, I made a forgery? What would I have done that for? Your Majesty! There was no need, was there? I am the one who feels more wronged! I only committed the crime of raising Your Highness preciously−”

“That’s a lie too, that you raised me preciously. Father.”

“Your Highness, have you forgotten everything I did for you! How could you, to your father…”

“I found witnesses. Won’t you know if you listen?”

Mercedes glared at the Count, biting her lip.

Her hand trembled furiously.

It was not because of fear.

“Ha! Witnesses? Isn’t that just commoners you bribed to match stories? Your Highness the Empress has done such things before. You were skilled at lying since childhood!”

The sight of her father flailing about was quite enjoyable.

“Count, calm down and let’s bring in the witnesses first. Then we’ll know.”

Carlos calmed the agitated Count Cromwell. The Count closed his mouth with a reddened face.

The seal had already been proven fake. Flailing here would only make public opinion worse.

So it was better to calmly prepare to frame the witnesses as fake and erase his crime by claiming the forgery of the seal was a lie. For now, no matter what witnesses there were, it would not be too difficult to portray them as ‘lies’.

Yes. It would be fine.

Though he had already become a criminal, the Count tried not to give up hope until the end. It was the foolish tenacity of one who had lived an easy life all along.

“Bring in the witness the Empress has prepared.”

“To be precise, witnesses.”

Mercedes said calmly.

“Witnesses?”

The Count asked, dumbfounded. Mercedes did not bother to look at him, turning her head towards the door.

“It turns out several people could be found when I tried. Please open the door.”

A court servant moved quickly and soon the door opened.

Outside were…..

“…!”

The Count tried not to show his surprise. He simply stared with the same face at the witnesses entering.

The faces of the people entering were familiar. They were the servants who had spat at the Count’s mansion before leaving during the fire.

It was Carlos who persuaded those who refused to testify out of fear of how the Count might harm them. He promised to protect them until the Count completely sank and was imprisoned, unable to touch them, and even give a large reward.

And he said he would help them settle in countries or regions where the Count could not find them.

With all that, the witnesses found courage.

“We are former servants who worked at the Count’s mansion. We each have our contracts.”

“Oh my…”

“Contracts…”

“If there are doubts that I fabricated the witnesses’ testimony in advance, that can’t be helped, but at least I was able to bring witnesses. Count Cromwell only brought false evidence.”

Mercedes said calmly, then brought the servants forward. Their faces turned pale as the nobles’ gazes focused on them.

They seemed quite nervous.

“And that person. She is the nanny who took care of me since childhood. Gertrude?”

Mercedes pointed to a middle-aged woman standing at the very end of the servants.

Gertrude slowly stepped forward. She was limping.

“Yes, Your Highness the Empress.”

Despite her health being halved due to Mercedes’ ability, Gertrude had stubbornly fled and survived. Then, she had no choice but to come running at Mercedes’ call.

It was because of the words, ‘I will restore your health. I will end the curse.’

Mercedes’ ability was strong, and even after time passed, Gertrude could not fully recover her health. As Mercedes said, her power really was clinging like a curse.

In fact, it was simply because Mercedes had only restored her health enough to keep her alive, but…

For Gertrude, who wanted to walk properly, eat normally, and escape her fear of Mercedes, she had no choice but to return to her.

Of course, it was not easy to find her hiding after leaving Shame. But Carlos’ people managed it. It was an impressive ability no matter when you saw it.

“Now let’s hear from each one−”

As Mercedes was about to speak calmly, the Count slammed the table and stood up.

“Isn’t it just that Your Highness the Empress bribed them to give false testimony? The fairness of the witnesses is lacking!”

“As I said before, I understand you may not believe it. They have contracts too, but… you may think I bribed them. However, why don’t we listen first?”

Mercedes responded calmly without wavering.

“Just as I silently watched the Count’s false evidence.”

Mercedes at least quietly accepted it when the other party submitted evidence, without trying to stop or question it.

The difference in attitude was stark. So the nobles whispered among themselves.

“…Well. Shouldn’t we at least listen? Her Highness the Empress must have felt wronged too, but she listened calmly. And come to think of it, every time the Count came out to social events, he always talked about Her Highness the Empress…”

“At the welcome party too, wasn’t there talk of taking her as a third wife?”

“That’s right. In fact, getting so angry like that seems to suggest there’s something he feels guilty about.”

“Hmm. Moreover, the seal he brought as evidence was a forgery… and he even insulted His Majesty, so the Count’s claims lack credibility.

Public opinion tended to move quite easily. Especially when ‘lies’ were perfectly revealed.

Mercedes looked at Gertrude and the servants with a composed face.

“I would like each of you to come forward and talk about whether my father, Count Cromwell, really raised me ‘preciously’.”

“Let me make it clear to everyone since they don’t believe. False testimony will be punished. Think of at least fifty lashes, and be careful as your head may end up on the guillotine in the square. I can’t trust the Empress right now either, so objectivity is needed.”

The Emperor showed a cold attitude towards the Empress and even added threats.

The servants, their faces turning even paler, really did not look in any state to tell lies.

“Y-Yes…”

Though trembling, they stepped forward according to the order they had decided amongst themselves beforehand.

“Her Highness the Empress…”

A servant opened their mouth in a tiny voice. After gulping down saliva, they spoke clearly despite shaking:

“Grew up being abused her entire life.”