“You tell lies so shamelessly.”

It was a small but clear statement filled with anger. Gilrod hesitated at the unexpected response. A lie?

Does the queen not know why Siana is standing behind him right now?

While he was frozen, the queen spoke as if she truly found it ridiculous.

“I can’t listen to this anymore.”

“…Did you say my words were lies?”

“That’s right. I can’t understand how a person born human can be so shameless.”

And the queen lifted her head slightly and snorted. Gilrod frowned slightly at that attitude, subtly resembling her husband.

A question with a sharply raised tone fell.

“Did I say I cast out your daughter?”

“Then are you saying you never did such a thing, Your Majesty?”

Gilrod couldn’t understand what the queen was thinking. He looked at the king who wasn’t stopping the queen. Originally, this time was for him to report to the king, so the king should have stopped anyone who interrupted the conversation.

The queen must have thought the same, as she turned to look at her husband.

Gilrod thought the king would surely stop the queen from speaking. As long as he had market priority rights in Edegrun and the surrounding lands, even if the king disliked him, he wouldn’t be able to openly oppose him.

But the king acted completely opposite to his expectations.

“If you have something to say, go ahead.”

The permissive voice was exceedingly affectionate.

With her husband’s permission, the queen turned back to him. She continued in a sharp voice.

“After offering Siana to me, you came to the palace saying you missed your daughter. Seeing that, I pitied you and your daughter. I too came to a distant land at a young age for marriage, so I know how it feels to be separated from family.”

Hearing those words, Gilrod thought something was strange. Why was the queen comparing Siana to herself? It sounded as if the queen was defending his daughter.

Moreover, Siana had clearly said the queen was uncomfortable with her husband and not adapting well to the palace. In fact, since it was extremely rare for the royal couple to appear together in public activities, Gilrod thought that statement was credible.

But now the queen seemed to have no reservations about revealing her thoughts in front of her husband.

The queen’s words continued.

“But as you said, since I couldn’t take away the great honor of serving the royal family from Siana, I wanted to at least let her see her family’s faces often as a compromise.”

Gilrod wondered what the queen was relying on to lie so boldly. In any case, once Siana testified, everything would be revealed, so something was strange.

But the queen’s displeasure was so evident on her face, and she looked so confident that Gilrod felt an eerie chill down his spine.

Just as he was about to turn to look at his daughter standing behind him, the queen’s thunderous voice fell.

“And you repay that kindness with this insult? Are you looking down on me because I came from a foreign country?”

Along with the sudden surge of irritation like a mouse that didn’t know it would be given water biting, he felt uneasy that the queen’s reaction was different from what he had expected.

Surely the queen must know what her situation was. So what was she relying on to act so shamelessly?

But he couldn’t back down in this situation either. Gilrod raised his voice and asked.

“Then, why did you separate my daughter from her longtime attendants and nurse?”

At that, the queen shouted as if she couldn’t stand it anymore.

“You insult me to the very end!”

And she straightened her back rigidly.

“It’s natural law that when you enter the royal palace, you keep the people of the royal palace by your side. I too have maids and knights I brought from my home country, but I live receiving service from others, not them.”

I am royalty, so I was raised far more preciously than a mere family’s daughter, yet that is how it is. When the queen added coldly, Gilrod couldn’t understand those words.

The queen doesn’t keep attendants from her home country by her side? He had never even imagined that. Because the previous queen, Isdae, always had knights and servants from her homeland with her wherever she went.

For a moment he even thought she might just be lying to avoid the situation, but her anger seemed too genuine to be a lie.

“Are you now claiming that I should have given better treatment to someone who is merely the daughter of a lord than to myself?”

It was then that the king grasped her hand. Gently stroking his wife’s hand, he said: That’s enough, don’t get too angry. I’m worried you might harm your body.

And the king looked down at him with cold eyes.

“Gilrod Nebel. You dare insult my wife with lies to my face?”

“No, I swear I have not uttered a single falsehood.”

“Then are you now saying my wife is lying?”

“Your Majesty, I have only reported what I heard from my daughter. My daughter will testify that I have spoken the truth.”

At that, the king openly mocked him and then said.

“Fine, let’s do as you say. Siana Nebel. Come forward.”

Siana stepped forward as ordered and stood beside Gilrod.

“Is what your father said true?”

Gilrod waited for his daughter to simply answer yes to the king’s words. Even with her stutter, Siana was the person involved in the incident. The king would not be able to ignore her testimony.

It was then that unbelievable words were heard.

“N-no, it is not.”

“What?”

At those words so different from what he had expected, Gilrod turned to look at his daughter beside him with wide eyes. Then the king commanded in a voice like a knife.

“Gilrod Nebel, shut your mouth.”

His face reddened at those words that already seemed to treat him like a criminal, and his hands trembled with anger and humiliation. Gilrod wanted to strike his stupid daughter’s head right then, but everyone all around was watching him.

“Siana Nebel, swear to the royal family and testify again.”

“I-I swear on my loyalty to the royal family, m-my father is lying.”

What on earth is this worm saying now.

But Siana went further and began to falsely accuse him.

“O-originally, my father t-tried to make me give false testimony. But kn-knowing that lying to the royal family is a serious crime, I c-cannot comply with that.”

This is not something that can just be listened to. Gilrod shouted, momentarily forgetting even the king’s command.

“It’s a lie! I never said such…”

“Gilrod Nebel, do you need your tongue cut out to shut your mouth!”

It was then that Siana collapsed in her seat. Gilrod watched his abominable daughter kneel down.

“Y-Your Majesty the Queen did not cast me out. She only t-took pity on me.”

And Siana bowed her head right there. She began to beg in a stammering voice.

“I d-didn’t know my father would repay that kindness like this. I’m s-so sorry.”

“Siana Nebel! How dare you…”

“Will you not shut that mouth!”

It was then that the queen by the king’s side touched her forehead. She closed her eyes and let out a small groan as if dizzy.

The king, quickly turning to her side, asked his wife. Are you alright? The whispering voice was so gentle it was hard to believe it belonged to the man who had been roaring just moments ago.

Gilrod saw the queen lean her head on her husband’s shoulder. The queen murmured weakly, but clearly enough for everyone to hear.

“How could they inflict such an insult on me. What did I do wrong… I only showed kindness.”

The queen looked so pitiful saying those words that a sigh was heard from somewhere in the hall. The appearance he had thought lacked dignity now made her look even more docile.

Gilrod blinked at the situation where he seemed to be the villain to anyone watching. If even he, who was being falsely accused right now, saw the queen as pure, he didn’t need to think about how she would appear to others.

The king, after looking at his wife’s figure as if deeply concerned, turned his gaze forward again. When those eyes as cold as the northern mountains pierced straight at him, Gilrod flinched slightly.

Looking at him with eyes filled with undisguised murderous intent, the king said in a low voice.

“…What should I do with you.”

As those words fell, the head of the Chesa family rose from her seat and stepped forward to the platform. Bowing deeply, she said.

“Your Majesty, this matter cannot be left as is. Gilrod Nebel has defiled the hall where only truth should be spoken, and insulted Her Majesty the Queen to the point of harming her body.”

“This is the first time I’ve encountered such a thing in my life, so let me hear your opinion. Ineb Chesa. Do you have an opinion on how this crime should be punished?”

“If I may humbly suggest, I think it would be right to banish him from the royal palace, confiscate part of his assets, and then place him under house arrest. Please look at how he dared to instigate false testimony to slander the royal family. I worry that if he is allowed to freely enter and leave the royal palace, he may harm Her Majesty the Queen.”

The words that came out as if she had been waiting were smooth beyond measure.

Realizing that this entire situation was a trap to catch him, Gilrod looked down at his daughter still prostrated beside him. The back of his head throbbed as if he had been struck hard by something.

How dare she betray this father. Siana Nebel, that stupid thing, that abominable thing, not knowing the grace of being fed and clothed and raised…

As his face gradually contorted, the king spoke in a cold voice.