Ruzen slowly surveyed the room. The room, shrouded in darkness with the curtains drawn, was silent. Unless one looked closely, they wouldn’t notice Inyoung crouched on the bed.

Margaret, who had her face buried in her knees, lifted her head cautiously as Ruzen took a step forward. With his steps, a faint light from outside seeped into the room, casting a glance over Margaret.

Margaret looked at Ruzen in the unfamiliar light. Her face, once full of color, now seemed incredibly pale in a short span.

“…When do you think it will be resolved?”

Margaret reached out her trembling hand. Ruzen waited and willingly held her hand, meeting her gaze.

“Don’t be too anxious, just wait patiently. It’ll be okay soon.”

“But we’ve already filed a lawsuit.”

“Even if a lawsuit is filed, it takes time to get to trial. Just wait until then. If things don’t work out, I might be able to delay it at my discretion.”

“…”

“Don’t blame yourself too much. I haven’t seen anything.”

Margaret’s eyelashes trembled.

When she realized that things had gone wrong, she thought she would be reprimanded.

But once again, the Emperor did not abandon her. It was an unexpected action that she couldn’t expect from Bake.

Margaret looked up at Ruzen, pressing her chest against his warmth.

Bake may have compared the Emperor to a nut, but that was because he didn’t know Ruzen well.

Ruzen was infinitely kind to his people. And no matter what others said, she was his person.

“…I’m sorry.”

“I don’t know what you’re sorry about.”

“If it were a boy…”

“Shh. Don’t say any more. Secrets should be kept from spilling out as much as possible.”

“…”

The affectionate gaze was truly comforting.

Margaret blushed at the warmth of the hand she held, then pressed her lips against the crying baby again.

She pledged to love the child more than anyone else when it was born. Every day, she whispered that she would let the child live a different life than hers. It was definitely like that.

Margaret closed her eyes tightly. Even though several days had passed since she had relaxed her body, the baby’s crying still echoed in her ears.

“I’ll say it again, don’t worry too much. Everything will be sorted out soon. Understand?”

“Yes.”

Margaret nodded obediently, but her eyes still trembled with anxiety.

It seemed wrong, but there was nothing she could do.

Stopping here would be unthinkable with Creighton so close. Letting it go at this point would not make sense.

“If you want to stop, you can stop now.”

“I can’t! Ah, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to shout at Your Majesty…”

Margaret shouted with her newfound voice but quickly covered her face with both hands.

It wasn’t kneeling and pleading in front of people, and she didn’t forget her embarrassment. It was for the sake of getting what she wanted.

“I understand. It must be very difficult for you right now.”

“…”

“Still, try to calm your mind as much as possible. You don’t want to show that side at the trial, right?”

“I…”
“He will be the new owner of Creighton.”

“…….”

“I believe in you. You won’t disappoint me.”

Margaret involuntarily swallowed hard.

With Bake gone, there was only one fence left to protect her. She had to be of help to him. Therefore, she needed to steel her resolve even more.

What she needed now wasn’t just a child. It was the successor to Creighton.

A child who couldn’t become the successor was not needed.

“…I’m sorry. But please, find it as soon as possible.”

Ignoring the wailing in her mind, Margaret grabbed Ruzen’s sleeve.

He was the only person she could trust now.

“Silence!”

The resounding sound of the hammer striking down made the surroundings quiet.

Only selected individuals could enter the courtroom, but due to the large number of people, the seats were still filled.

Following the disappearance of Creighton’s owner, now the whereabouts of the vast inheritance were about to be decided.

Depending on the trial outcome, many things would change.

Even though the trial hadn’t started, the attention of everyone was on the door where today’s protagonists would enter.

Then it happened. The firmly closed door opened.

However, the person who entered was not the one everyone had expected.

“I am here as a proxy because Creighton’s Lady is currently in a difficult situation to move.”

The man who walked confidently towards the center was Cepter, the late Creighton’s subordinate. As close to Bake as he was, it was rare for him to voice his opinions.

The choice of Creighton’s Lady to appoint him as a proxy was not a bad one.

Except for the fact that her situation wasn’t favorable.

To gain an advantage in this trial, the unborn child had to be proven to be healthy. Without a child, she couldn’t be recognized as the rightful owner of Creighton.

Nevertheless, in her unstable position, Creighton’s Lady chose to represent herself.

Why? Did Creighton’s Lady really inherit as the rumors say?

Amid growing doubts, the door opened again.

“That woman, or rather Fisher, Lady Fisher.”