“Enough.”

At the Crown Prince’s command, the chaotic assembly hall fell silent as if cold water had been poured over it.

“That question is irrelevant to the trial proceedings.”

The jury representative bowed his head, saying he would rectify it. The Crown Prince looked at those still blinking with curiosity and said:

“The atmosphere seems to have become too heated, so we will take a brief recess.”

A thirty-minute break was given. The jurors headed to the jury-only lounge prepared separately so that the plaintiff or defendant could not approach them, and the Crown Prince left the assembly hall with his guards.

“What’s the contingency plan?”

At Askal’s whisper, Rimon pulled out a file from deep inside his bag.

“As you instructed, I prepared the paternity test results. I was hoping we wouldn’t need to use them…”

Rimon gritted his teeth as he looked at Aron. Seeing him whispering with his own lawyer with arms crossed was infuriating. If he felt this way, how much worse must Askal feel?

As Rimon and Askal were busily preparing their rebuttal amidst the sigh-inducing situation, they turned their gaze at the clanking sound of armor.

They saw a fully armed guard knight lifting Aron up and taking him outside.

“What could they be scheming?”

Rimon whispered softly, sticking close behind Askal’s back.

“Probably trying to silence him. Nothing good would come from this getting out.”

If it were revealed that the Crown Princess had an illegitimate child, and with a duke’s child no less, the already plummeting image of the royal family would reach its worst point.

Especially for the commoners’ association demanding the abolition of the class system, the Crown Princess would become the perfect prey.

Aron, who had been summoned to the Crown Prince’s private lounge, was kneeling on the floor. The reason he had no choice was the blade menacingly held to his neck.

“Tell me the real reason you want the title.”

Seated in a luxurious and sturdy chair, the Crown Prince was smiling gently, but inside he was boiling with anger.

“Your Highness, there is no real reason. I simply wish to live as a noble, having been born one. And to be an elder brother who teaches justice to his younger sibling who seeks to monopolize power alone.”

The Crown Prince closed his eyes tightly and then opened them. He inwardly repeated that if he could turn back time, he would not have placed Hegelia on the Crown Princess’s seat.

“Then do not bring up the matter of the young Duke Artenbach in court.”

“If it is necessary for victory, I will.”

The Crown Prince’s expression froze menacingly. In contrast, Aron continued speaking with a vile smile.

“The justice I desire is to succeed the Modesto County title according to my father’s will. Your Highness, seated as the judge, need only make a fair judgment.”

“…You’re more of a scumbag than I thought.”

The Crown Prince instructed the knight to withdraw his sword. Aron then stood up, dusting off his knees.

“I believe you know what kind of relationship Hegelia and I had.”

“…”

“You must have known all along that the young duke is my biological son.”

He brushed back his black hair that had fallen forward with his hand.

Then he stared intently at the Crown Prince with the same golden eyes as Askal. As the knight tried to draw his sword at the disrespectful attitude, the Crown Prince raised his hand to stop him.

“I will keep my mouth shut so as not to tarnish the royal family’s honor. So please rule in my favor, Your Highness.”

“Noble trials are more strongly influenced by the jury.”

Aron cleared his throat with a ‘hmm’. Then, lowering his posture again, he said:

“Take pity on me, who wishes to discard the past and be reborn anew, and grant me a title even if I lose the case. That way, you can show that the royal family is merciful and inclusive.”

He was increasingly crossing the line. It wouldn’t be strange to behead him right away, but the Crown Prince just listened quietly.

After a long silence, the Crown Prince slowly opened his mouth.

“Will that be enough?”

Aron’s expression instantly brightened. If he won, Modesto would fall into his hands, and even if he lost, he would gain a title he could sell.

“Yes, as long as I can live like a noble, that is enough.”

“I will trust that your promise to keep your mouth shut is not an empty one.”

“How dare I lie before Your Highness?”

Aron’s mind was already filled with stacks of money. As he kept bowing at the waist, pledging loyalty to the royal family, the Crown Prince who had been watching him silently flicked his hand, signaling that he could leave now.

After the guard knight escorted Aron out, the Crown Prince, with a strong cigar from the Western countries in his mouth, covered his trembling eyelids with his hand.

His most trusted knights, not knowing how to comfort their lord who seemed so troubled, simply stood guard faithfully at their posts.

“So that’s the only way after all.”

After thinking for a long while, he seemed to have finally reached a conclusion as he stubbed out the cigar he hadn’t even finished smoking. His eyes flashed ominously through the rising smoke.

“Lando.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The most trusted knight who responded to the call lowered his posture, bringing his hands together in front of his chest.

“After the trial ends, kill him and dispose of the body.”

Even though he didn’t specify who, the knight understood immediately.

“I will obey your command.”

The Crown Prince slowly rose from his seat. It was time to return to the courtroom.

With Aron’s confession of his slip of the tongue, the matter of whose son Rublion was was no longer mentioned.

It was fortunate that they didn’t have to use the paternity confirmation as evidence, but since it had been a topic of controversy in the courtroom once, high society would be gossiping about this for a while.

After all, it’s the nature of high society to dissect any interesting matter, regardless of its truth.

Anyway, the trial flowed in a direction favorable to Askal. It could be said that the probability of the defendant’s victory was 100 percent.

However, it was a victory with only wounds. Some of the jurors, fixated on who Rublion’s birth mother was, followed Askal as soon as the trial ended.

The Artenbach knights waiting outside blocked them, bringing the matter to a close for now.

Askal, who had left the main palace, spoke with a serious expression in the carriage heading to the townhouse.

“Rimon, can you find out what conversation the Crown Prince and Aron had during the recess?”

Sitting across from him, he hesitated for a moment before answering.

“Well, it’s difficult, but isn’t that my job?”

“I don’t care how much money it takes. Find out no matter what.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

He didn’t know what deal Aron had made with the Crown Prince, but he intended to take action to prevent Aron from causing any more trouble. He felt that if he didn’t cut him off completely now, he would continue to be dragged along.

Discussing the next steps to take, they arrived at the townhouse. Rimon slightly lifted the curtain to check outside. As expected, reporters from newspaper companies were gathered in small groups at the front gate of the house.

“Your Grace, shall we use the back entrance?”

Askal nodded after looking out the window. There was no reason to show his face and give them something to write about.

Entering the house alone, Askal sat at his desk and wrote letters to Schmidt and Rublion. He wrote only that he was doing well in a way that wouldn’t worry them too much, and that he would win the trial.

‘What did the Crown Prince offer Aron?’

Why did Aron, who had been acting like he would spill everything, suddenly become so docile?

‘If I were the Crown Prince…’

He too would think that if he didn’t cut him off now, he would be dragged along by Aron who had a hold on his weakness. Perhaps his decision and the Crown Prince’s were the same.

As that thought occurred to him, goosebumps rose on Askal’s back. He had a feeling that the Crown Prince might kill Aron under the pretext of silencing him and then pin the crime on him.

Askal was a person whose intuition was frighteningly accurate in these matters. He decided to consider countermeasures, taking into account even the worst-case scenario.

‘Haa… that bastard Aron.’

He resented his brother for creating a situation that required going this far. He truly wanted to just kill him outright.

Rimon, who had gone to the palace to gather information, returned. It had been three hours.

“There wasn’t much to find out. He was blabbing everything himself.”

Rimon told him that Aron had agreed to receive a title.

“And one of the royal guards is attached to Aron.”

“Protection?”

“No. Surveillance.”

It was as he had expected, though he had hoped otherwise.

“Rimon, after we receive the verdict tomorrow, have someone tail Aron. It seems the Crown Prince will make his move.”

“…So he’s going for elimination after all?”

“If my prediction is correct.”

“Isn’t it good for us if the royal family takes care of it? They’d be dealing with someone we’d like to kill ourselves.”

Askal shook his head. If it were the Crown Prince, since he’s getting his hands dirty anyway, he would definitely try to gain at least one benefit.

“If Aron dies, I will be the first suspect. So he must stay alive no matter what.”

“It’s frustrating to have to keep alive someone we want dead.”

Rimon became serious along with Askal, who was spouting various hypotheses. After all, the fall of Artenbach could be seen as the fall of Tirel as well.

The next day. Askal, who had come to the main palace for the verdict, clenched his fist as he saw Aron, who showed clear signs of having spent an enjoyable night. Seeing his expression as if he had gained the whole world, anger boiled up inside him.

“I will now deliver the verdict.”

The Crown Prince, seated in the judge’s position, spoke holding the gavel. At once, the noisy assembly hall fell silent.

“Regarding the return of the Modesto County title, the plaintiff’s claim is dismissed. This was decided unanimously by the jury, and there will be no retrial.”

The sound of the gavel striking echoed throughout the assembly hall. The spectators and jurors looked perplexed at the plaintiff who seemed happy despite losing, and the defendant who looked rather gloomy despite winning.

After the trial had completely ended, Askal, who had come out into the corridor of the assembly hall, watched intently as Aron walked away with a broad smile. As Rimon had said, there was indeed an unidentified man discreetly following behind him.

“Your Grace, we will begin close surveillance from now on.”

Rimon, who had been looking in the same direction, reported in a low voice. Askal nodded in response.