“Surely Lexion didn’t engage in this without any preparation. There must be something he believes in.”

Soon, the court physicians returned with a small glass bottle. The moment the blood inside it dripped onto the tip of the crystal rod.

Ziing―

The crystal rod emitted a bluish light visible from afar.

While Claude’s blood wasn’t as deep blue as that of the current Emperor, it unmistakably showed the same lineage.

“What is this… I expected a twist.”
“Even though it’s been done several times, what kind of twist can there be in the paternity test? It’s Lexion’s mistake to believe the words of a maid who was once the closest to the Empress.”

“Patricia also seems pitiful. Just because she comes from a powerless family, she has to prove her son’s lineage every time she becomes the subject of gossip.”

The more sympathetic public opinion towards her, the more Patricia’s smirk grew.

‘Those noble lawyers must be panicking.’

No matter how authoritative Turturk is compared to Lexion, Patricia realized it was enough to bother a few low-ranking lawyers.

But it was Velter who spoke before her.

“Do the paternity test again. This time, collect blood in front of everyone.”

It was a response as if deliberately allowing time to see how the Empress would react.

Feeling uneasy all of a sudden, Patricia reflexively retorted, “Duke of Lexion, restrain yourself a bit. It seems like you’re desperately trying to discredit Claude as not being of royal blood.”

Patricia pointed to the crystal rod emitting a bluish light.

“Your Majesty and Claude both inherit the blood of the Empress. The evidence is right there.”

There was no flaw in Patricia’s logic.

If the Emperor had other siblings, one could argue that the results were manipulated using their blood. However, Claude was the only one who survived the succession to the throne.

Logically, there was no way to manipulate the paternity test results.

“Dragging this out any longer will only invite more slander, so let’s finish here.”

As she was about to get up and leave, Velter’s voice echoed in the courtroom.

“We can use the blood of the Emperor.”

“…!”

Velter remembered what Edith had said in the carriage.

“Velter, according to the court records, Claude’s blood test was privately collected, and then they used the ‘Leuven Edward Blood Kinship Test Crystal Rod.'”

“Leuven… what?”

“It’s the name of the crystal rod we’ve used several times. The principle is to determine the blood relationship by checking how similar the waves are in the blood stains on both sides.”

The method and principle of the paternity test were unrelated to the Academy’s medical examination.

However, at the time of Adrian’s pregnancy, Edith, who spent her time reading books out of personal curiosity, had acquired extensive knowledge on the subject.

“Rozalin and Elizabeth also said Patricia went to the infirmary before the trial. She went there to obtain the Emperor’s blood. It’s not that difficult given the structure of the infirmary.”

Speaking like someone who had once stolen the Emperor’s blood, Edith was confident.
‘Did you anticipate such a situation beforehand?’

If it weren’t for Edith’s curiosity, Velter might not have grasped any clues. Thanks to her, Velter spoke without hesitation.

“If someone mixes the Emperor’s blood obtained from the infirmary with someone else’s blood and buries it in the crystal rod, the result will show a blood relationship, regardless of whether it’s Claude or anyone else.”

“…”

“Since the blood of the same person is on both sides, naturally, similar waves will result.”

Patricia, who had shown composure until now, began to noticeably waver.

“Originally, it is a principle to burn the blood of the royal family, and it shouldn’t be obtainable. However, Your Majesty is severely ill. As you frequently bleed, there must have always been waste blood with the infirmary. If you extract that, obtaining a few drops of blood shouldn’t be difficult.”

“…”

“Also, there is a preconceived notion that in a regular paternity test, blood is collected on the spot, making result manipulation impossible. It would be difficult to imagine that Empress Consort manipulated the result by bribing the physicians and mixing Emperor’s blood into Claude’s blood.”

“Duke, there’s no evidence right now…”

Velter didn’t miss the fact that Patricia’s voice was trembling.

“Respected Empress Consort, please conduct the paternity test again right now, in front of everyone, using your son’s blood. If I’m wrong, I’m willing to receive the punishment for insulting the royal family immediately.”

It was a well-chosen expression, but his eyes already harbored confidence in victory.

“Duke has raised a valid point. Claude, under the watchful eyes of everyone here, let’s proceed with the blood collection. Also, recollect Jim’s blood.”

The Emperor gestured to the court physicians with a meaningful expression, leaving Patricia unsure of what he was thinking.

Pale and shaken, Patricia plunged her trembling hand into her bosom as if concealing it, gripping the handle of a cold dagger sheathed there.