Jocelyn raised her head. Cediloy no longer harbored any sympathy for her. There was no lonely sentiment arising from the past.

In front of him was nothing but a heinous criminal. Tainted with arrogance, she brainwashed herself, created unreasonable arrogance again through that brainwashing, and as a result, she was just a murderer who harmed two innocent people.

“Do the sinner have anything left to say?”

There was no longer any response from Jocelyn. Shaking her head and trembling, she continued to repeat the same words. No, no……. No, no.

“No.”

“No……. I am unjustly accused. Everything was for the sake of this family. For the honor of the Valtermindster family, I did what I had to do. I protected this family with the blood on my hands. I upheld the honor of Valtermindster!”

Cediloy sighed sadly.

“No, Jocelyn.”

Jocelyn’s head tilted to the side. Her appearance, like a broken, worn-out doll, was incredibly chilling.

“What you did is nothing but a vile and cruel crime. With the authority of the duke, I will cut off your name from the Stafford family, which has served in the Stapford family. You are no longer Jocelyn Stafford. You are as if you never existed in the Stafford family from the beginning. Of course, all the things you did for Valtermindster will also be considered non-existent. Do you understand my words?”

She understood. No, she didn’t understand. Jocelyn opened her eyes as if hearing such foolish words for the first time in her life, then slowly expressed an astonished expression. Her jaw dropped as if it would fall off.

“No! That can’t be! Please, at least kill me here! Please, tear me apart and kill me! That can’t be, Your Grace. Living for this family was my entire life! Kill me!”

“Why would I kill you? You won’t die, Jocelyn. Her Majesty ordered so.”

He turned his head and looked at Harman. When the soldiers restrained Jocelyn, who was almost going insane, Harman stood up.

“I convey the sentence of Her Majesty, the King of El Bleu En and my mother, Queen Elmerat, who rules it, on behalf of the sinner.”

Jocelyn’s struggling stopped. Harman looked at Cediloy for a moment with a face full of excitement when the soldiers suppressed Jocelyn, then turned his gaze back to Jocelyn.

“The crime of brutally and ruthlessly murdering a member of the Valtermindster Duke’s family in a cruel and reckless manner, and attempting to harm the successor of the duke’s family, is too heinous to be put into words.” He spoke with a stronger tone after taking a moment to catch his breath.
“To strip the sinner of all the privileges rightfully enjoyed by free citizens and banish them to the remote prison in the western outskirts of the kingdom is the decree. The sinner shall labor there until death, enduring twenty lashes daily and loudly repenting.”

Jocelyn attempted to bite her tongue, but she was prevented from doing so. Bound by a bit, her body convulsed, and suppressed cries burst from her constrained mouth.

“Ugh……! Ueuup! Huff……!”

Cediloy, with a pale face, silently observed the writhing Jocelyn, then ordered, “Escort the sinner immediately. Muzzle her so she can’t do it voluntarily. Remember never to let her die.”

“I will follow your command, Your Grace.”

Jocelyn and Cediloy’s gazes met for the last time. Her wide-open eyes were already bursting with broken blood vessels, turning a reddish hue.

Cediloy spoke, “The noble house does not recognize someone like you, Jocelyn. Verbo was my stepbrother, and you contributed nothing to this household. You can no longer dare to mention the name of Valtermindster in front of anyone. You cannot be anything in this house, Jocelyn, even a ghost. Remember that until you die.”

Another scream erupted. The soldiers, to drag Jocelyn away, had to bind her even more tightly with stronger ropes, leading her away like an unruly beast. As Jocelyn, with her legs being dragged away, continued to kick and raise her head towards Cediloy, nothing could reach him.

“You can’t be even a ghost in this house, Jocelyn. Remember that until you die.”

Cediloy’s low voice made Jocelyn’s consciousness fade. Her legs, which had been kicking in the air, collapsed below. Jocelyn, looking through the fading view into the distance, saw hands emerging from the swamp, grabbing her, rendering her powerless.

It was her last day in the Valtermindster estate.

When Ariante, Swan, Ash, and Meianna returned from their walk in the forest, the Valtermindster estate was quietly holding its breath in perfect peace.

Although the door was closed, the estate’s servants witnessed the scene in the garden. Before Ariante returned, Cediloy gathered all the servants and warned them.

“The sinner Jocelyn has no connection to this household now. Keep in mind that she has never done anything for this house from the beginning. Anyone who mentions the sinner’s name outside or discloses today’s events to the lady and the heir to the marquisate will never be forgiven.”