Finally, the day of the trial.
The courtroom was packed with a multitude of people.
It was a case where the Empress herself accused her father, who was also the head of the most prestigious house in the empire, Count François.
Regardless of social status, everyone’s attention was inevitably focused.
After the audience took their seats, the defendant and plaintiff, along with their lawyers, appeared, except for the Empress.
Lastly, Emperor Henri, Empress Ermedillin, and Vallière took their seats in turn.
Vallière sat right next to the Emperor. Of course, it was one level lower, but it was the same distance from Empress Ermedillin.
Daring to show his face next to the Emperor at such a public event was highly unusual and insulting to the Empress, but Ermedillin tried hard not to pay attention to Vallière.
‘Right. They were lovers since they were young. Childhood sweethearts. They’ll divorce soon, so they won’t have anything to do with me. Why bother?’
Meanwhile, Vallière was struggling to suppress a constant smile.
He had heard about Ermedillin’s illegitimate child from Count François a few days ago.
Vallière had no intention of letting this trial go in favor of the Empress.
It was highly unlikely, but if they really settled the debt and donated, it would be a big problem.
Thinking of his miserable life, sacrificing and enduring for the position of Empress so far, he thought that the witch must fall.
‘The Count should do it right.’
In Tribian, the royal family receives different treatment from other people.
The Emperor is considered a divine being who especially loves humans among the many gods worshiped in Tribian.
Therefore, Ermedillin was sitting separately in the Empress’s seat as the plaintiff of this trial, and only Pellio was standing in the plaintiff’s seat, showing no emotion on his face.
Ermedillin glanced at Pellio, but his face showed no emotion, so she could not figure him out.
The trial was not supposed to be difficult, but suddenly a variable named Ferdinand appeared.
Ermedillin felt uneasy, not knowing how the Count would use that variable.
She looked around the courtroom and glanced at her father, Count François, sitting in the defendant’s seat.
His face, which was pale when he threatened her just yesterday, was strangely full of anxiety.
He seemed to be trying to remain calm, but his wandering eyes seemed to well represent his feelings.
‘He must be anxious about what he has done.’
From the beginning, she was only a possessed person and had no affection or family memory for Count François.
The only memories she had were unforgivable actions, barely human.
Having laid hands on the royal family, it was certain that he would receive severe punishment if found guilty, but she felt neither sympathy nor guilt.
He had abused his daughter, killed maids, and used his grandson for threats.
From a modern perspective, he was the worst of the worst, deserving of the death penalty.
So the trial proceeded as expected.
No matter how immoral she was, receiving the hatred of all the people, Ermedillin was still a royal.
Maidens and the guards who were dismissed by Henri, even Luize, the royal palace’s exclusive priest, nobody was on the side of the Count of Fransoir when testimonies were being given about his assault.
The Duke of Fransoir, thinking the trial was turning against him, suddenly stood up and began to shout at the Emperor, despite his defense team’s attempts to restrain him.
“It’s a conspiracy! Your Majesty! That bitch, no, Queen Ermedillin is a woman who lies every time she opens her mouth! The witnesses must all have been bribed! That woman never even deserved to be a queen in the first place!”
‘Ah, it seems like he’s about to explode now.’
I resolved to deal with it as calmly as possible, but I couldn’t help feeling nervous when it actually came.
Even though it was said that there would be no death penalty for having a child out of wedlock since it was born before the marriage, there still would be punishment.
‘I expected some punishment, after all. Given this woman’s history, I can’t just let it go.’
Ermedillin slyly glanced at Henri, who would decide her life or death.
He was looking at the Duke of Fransoir with an interesting expression, but that was all; I could not read his thoughts.
‘Why are all the people so hard to understand? At least Vallier seems to be the easiest to deal with.’
It’s only natural to find it easier to deal with someone who clearly shows their intentions.
Sure enough, as soon as the Duke of Fransoir began to speak, a triumphant smile appeared on Vallier’s face that he couldn’t hide.
“What do you mean, she’s not qualified?”
At Henri’s question, the Duke, pleased with himself, began to spill everything about Ferdant.
“She has a bastard! A son born before she became the queen!”
The hall began to buzz at this shocking statement.
But the spectators didn’t seem too surprised.
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
