“Crateon will leap again, either finding her husband or after confirming his death.”
Except when necessary, emotions are excluded, and I speak rationally. It may seem mechanical, but everyone knows that this demeanor is suitable for a leader.

“I think I can say the same.”

“I don’t speak empty words.”

“Even so, without the right of inheritance and without presenting a successor, doesn’t it lower your credibility, madam?”

When pushed into a corner, the card that can eventually be pulled out is the issue of the successor.

In the face of the returned remarks, I maintained a consistent attitude.

Above all, haven’t I already stated it? The mother of the child can be changed anytime.

What was hard to ignore as much as the bloodline was the justification. To recognize the child born out of wedlock as a legitimate successor, it was reasonable for my child to be involved.

“Even so, it hasn’t been revealed that the child is my husband’s, has it?”

“Are you insinuating something?”

The lawyer placed his hands on the thick stack of documents on the table.

Still, there was no excitement. I didn’t need to see that. To them, the child was the most significant weapon, so they must have prepared thoroughly to prove that it was Baeck’s child.

Rather than approaching it as an attack, I needed to take a different direction.

“I’m asking. Why was the child born so quickly?”

“The plaintiff and Lady Crateon have had a relationship for a long time.”

“Not my husband, but her husband.”

Expressions like illegitimate child, illicit relationship, incest. In society, these were expressions that couldn’t be used boldly, but here, they were hanging like prestigious medals.

Suppressing the laughter, I pointed out the contradiction carefully.

Since suspicion about Margaret had already arisen due to the incident with my husband’s death, now I just had to keep watering that suspicion.

“What nonsense is this?”

“Haven’t you forgotten? The woman sitting there is addressed as Lady Fisher.”

“…”

“According to her own words, Lady Fisher had an illicit relationship. Moreover, for a very long time, while her husband was alive.”

“What does that have to do with this trial?”

Even if it had no relation to the trial, it would likely affect the psyche of the crowd watching.

In this situation, the crowd would inevitably question Margaret’s morality without me having to mention the backstory.

If I could ask, I wanted to ask once. How many people would blindly believe the words of someone who harbored a dubious past?

“Lady Fisher’s husband died after she became pregnant.”

“Hasn’t that story already ended?”

“Of course, if my husband had not gone missing, and she hadn’t confessed to having a bastard and sued me, it would have ended.”

Lucky. It could be explained simply like this, but repeatedly relying on luck could not be positively accepted.

The lawyer seemed to share the same thoughts as me and quickly waved his arms to attract the judge’s attention.
“Once again, you intend to make absurd insinuations, don’t you? Your Honor! Please stop Lady Crateon’s remarks!”

“Whether it’s an insinuation or not, it’s not for the defense attorney but for Your Honor to judge.”

“I reject the plaintiff attorney’s remarks. Defendant, speak. However, if I deem it meaningless, I will stop your statement at my discretion.”

“Thank you for your consideration, respected Your Honor.”

It’s clear which way the judge’s sentiments are leaning now.

I stared at Margaret with an expression devoid of a hint of a smile.

“Quite a long time ago, a child was born as the daughter of Viscountess Pena.”

“Where is the Pena family?”

“Well, I’ve never heard of it either…”

A murmur rose from the audience as Margaret’s face flushed as if it couldn’t get any redder.

She must have realized. What I was about to say now would be a very uncomfortable story for Margaret.

“As a bankrupt family, Viscountess Pena was more concerned about her daughter’s marriage. One day, she finds out that her daughter’s belly has swollen. As it turns out, she had fallen in love with a knight trainee at the time.”

“The defendant is talking about a story unrelated to this trial.”

“That’s right! It’s an unrelated story!”

Margaret’s party tried desperately to interrupt me, but the judge did not lower the gavel. He, too, was showing interest in my story.

“In dire straits, Viscountess Pena sends the child away with the household maid as soon as the child is born. That way, the child grew up as the maid’s daughter and almost became an adult before being able to find her family.”

“…”

“Thanks to that, the child, though late, was admitted to the academy and met a woman there.”

With my final words, I placed my hand on my chest. It was a gesture pointing to myself.

From this point, those who realized the identity of the child I was talking about started murmuring.

“Thanks to the maid who raised the child. The maid, worried about her daughter who entered the academy late, made a request to the noble lady she was working for at the time.”

By talking up to this point, the gazes directed at Margaret changed in an instant.

Illegitimate child.

It was the moment the stigma Margaret took so much pride in for her child was stamped on her as well.

However, at the very moment the stigma was stamped, she wore a twisted expression.