Around the time when suspicions about Dad’s identity were swirling and billowing, a priest slowly rose from beside me.

“As you well know, I, as a priest, can prove that the ‘Yoter Group’s Paternity Test Kit’ is genuine.”

At that moment, I realized.

‘Ah, so this was the crown prince’s hidden trump card? I thought the development seemed a bit off.’

All of this was not simply a plan to draw me in alone.

They probably predicted even the situation where Dad would step forward directly to protect me.

In preparation for that situation, if the priest side directly vouches for the Yoter Group’s paternity test results, the prestige of the Mirmode family, who couldn’t even properly identify their own daughter, would plummet to the bottom.

And then…

“If, if the priest vouches for it, what will you do? Dad?”

…They would likely push their fabricated ‘fake daughter’ as a spy into the Mirmode family. They calculated that even Mirmode wouldn’t cast out blood kin.

Going further, the crown prince may have intended to play the role of benefactor who found the ‘real daughter’ for the Mirmode family.

I quietly reflected on the unfolding situation.

So, in fact, this operation was a joint operation with a ‘slightly tainted’ gullible Dad.

It was an operation where I would become bait and enter the trial, fall for their paternity test kit, then prove that the kit was defective.

But suddenly a priest appeared claiming to vouch for the paternity test kit, so all my plans could be shattered.

However…

‘No, that’s not it!’

I looked at Dad with a slight smile, without losing heart.

‘Now that their hand has been revealed, it’s time for us to strike back directly.’

I grinned as I looked at Dad’s bulging pocket.

Right in that pocket was hidden the secret weapon that Dad and I had prepared.

Just as Sien in the courtroom was wearing a victor’s smile, Matthias Mirmode looked at this situation with a smirk.

Right now, he was merely annoyed by the soldiers attached to his daughter’s side.

“The priest will vouch for it, huh. Well, I’m curious how they’ll vouch for it.”

Pressured by the atmosphere, Priest Eduard stammered.

“That, well…”

“More importantly, first get rid of… no, remove the guards.”

Matthias decided not to use harsh words for Sien’s education. Instead, he lightly nodded his head.

The guards beside Sien, well aware of Matthias’s notoriety, looked at the crown prince. The crown prince nodded while gritting his teeth.

Just as the guards, led by the one holding Sien’s arm, were hesitantly backing away.

Matthias walked towards the priest and slowly inquired.

“Now I ask. Priest, how do you intend to vouch for that paternity test kit?”

The crown prince, having regained his composure, said with a distorted expression.

“…Don’t pressure Priest Eduard. There are ways.”

“I’m merely asking what those methods are, Your Highness.”

“We’ll use Priest Eduard’s divine power. Priest Eduard’s divine ability is famous, after all.”

“I’d like to hear the specifics.”

The crown prince, seeming to have fully regained his composure, descended the judge’s bench one step at a time.

Objectively, he had a tall stature and good build, but in front of Matthias, he looked quite small. Perhaps feeling inferior about this fact, the crown prince frowned and said.

“Priest Eduard will use his divine power to discern the authenticity of the kit. Surely you don’t intend to ignore both the paternity test kit authenticated by the imperial administrator and a priest’s divine power?”

Matthias firmly set his lips. There must be a reason for the crown prince to go this far, but he couldn’t quite grasp it.

‘Using the imperial administrator and a priest just to get rid of Sien and tarnish the Mirmode family? While openly turning Mirmode into an enemy?’

It was an implausible development. There must be a hidden intention behind acting so stupidly.

“It seems Priest Eduard knows how to discern through divine power.”

Discernment power.

To be precise, it’s the ability to judge truth and falsehood.

Among those with divine power, there were extremely rare individuals who could distinguish between truth and lies.

This was effectively used to distinguish truth and lies in human speech, identify forgeries in paintings, or determine whether items were defective or not.

Priest Eduard, with a pale complexion, said.

“As is well known, yes. That’s correct.”

“Well then, use your divine power to discern the authenticity of that kit.”

Eduard’s hands trembled, then he stood up.

“Oh my.”

Matthias elegantly smiled and pulled out a swan sculpture from his jacket’s inner pocket. The crown prince gestured with his chin, expressionless.

“…What exactly did you take out?”

It was an arrogant expression, as if asking if you think you can turn this situation around.

Of course, his thoughts were correct. How could one overturn a situation where a priest would discern authenticity through divine power?

But…

Matthias smirked and waved the swan sculpture.

“It’s a divine relic, Your Highness. Swear directly on this, Eduard.”

“That…”

At that moment, Priest Eduard’s face turned red and blue. The crown prince, not noticing this fact, urged.

“If that’s what it takes for you to believe, then do so. Swear on the divine relic, Priest.”

The crown prince’s attitude suggested the oath ceremony was no big deal, but Priest Eduard was trembling. He seemed to have noticed what kind of divine relic the swan sculpture was. Matthias said with a cold sneer.

“His Highness the Crown Prince has given permission.”

“That… is…”

When Priest Eduard couldn’t continue speaking, the crown prince asked with an unstable expression.

“What are you doing? Priest?”

“…I.”

The priest tightly closed his eyes. Matthias laughed, tossing the swan sculpture in his hand high into the air and catching it again.

“You can’t do it, can you?”

“That…”

Priest Eduard, who had been hesitating, repeatedly wiped cold sweat from the back of his hand. The crown prince opened his mouth as if frustrated.

“Why can’t you do it? Priest Eduard!”

There must be a kickback between the priest and the imperial palace, so why can’t he do it?

“Because this swan sculpture is a real ancient divine relic.”

Priest Eduard raised his trembling hand and rubbed his dry face. The crown prince raised his eyebrows and whispered.

“…What exactly does it mean that it’s an ancient divine relic?”

“Those who lie under divine oath before the sculpture die.”

Those who lie under divine oath before the swan relic are torn to pieces and die.

Because of this notorious effect, the swan sculpture was also called the relic of the evil god.

There was a risk that the effect only occurs once, and after that, it returns to being an ordinary swan sculpture.

But even that one time was enough for intimidation.

Matthias looked at Priest Eduard with a satisfied smile, then shifted his gaze to Sien, who was staring intently at him with both fists tightly clenched.

Yes, in fact, today’s victory wasn’t a big problem.

The problem was…

‘Sien had told me that this swan sculpture was hidden in the Mirmode family’s warehouse. As if she had predicted something like this would happen.’

He wanted to ask how Sien knew that the swan sculpture was hidden in the Mirmode family’s warehouse. How did she know about the power of this swan sculpture relic?

But at that moment, the crown prince spoke up.

“…This is nonsense. Priest Eduard, what are you doing?”

In front of all the jurors, Priest Eduard’s lips began to tremble.

“I, I can’t… I don’t want to d-die…!”

This was enough.

“It seems the divine is saying that Sien and I are of the same blood.”

“This is… that is…”

“Priest Eduard. Listen well. I won’t say it twice.”

The gazes of Priest Eduard and Matthias clashed in the center. The first to avert his eyes was Eduard.

However, Matthias elegantly walked near Eduard. His hand froze as it gripped Eduard’s neck.

“The meaning of not saying it twice is, well, that…”

Matthias’s hand gripped Eduard’s neck. It was a light movement, not enough to create veins in his cool hand, but it was enough for Eduard.

Fortunately, he had adjusted the angle so that Sien, who had her back turned, couldn’t see.

“Well, I think you’ll get the hint just from this action.”

Matthias tilted his head slightly.

He still wanted to appear as a kind father, a gullible father to Sien.

Because then Sien would love him and depend on him. He didn’t want to appear as a trash villain father. Even if Sien wanted that, a young child wouldn’t be able to even fathom the weight of the blood on his hands.

“…Even, even without the divine vouching, it doesn’t matter. Because I’ve been, been threatened.”

“Threatened, yes. Threatened.”

There was still something left to do.

Matthias coldly gazed at Ambassador Heinrich, who was standing in the jury box, his hands trembling. But he wasn’t worth looking at for long. He soon shifted his gaze towards the courtroom door.

Right then, the courtroom door opened carefully again.

“…We, we have something to say. We are from the principality…”

“We are people from the Sheraf Group.”

“Why arbitrarily enter the sacred courtroom!”

Matthias said quietly.

“They’re attending as witnesses for my daughter, what’s the problem?”

The Sheraf Group people appeared to testify accurately about the paternity test kit.

In their hands were tools to prove their technology.

“We’ve come to properly prove about the paternity test kit.”

“…To do a real paternity test!”

The crown prince, who had been quietly seething, raised his eyebrows and retorted.

“…What?”

“Because that Yoter Count over there stole our technology and is making fake paternity test kits!”

At those words, another wave swept through the audience. Count Yoter’s face turning pale was just a bonus.