The Duke's Flower is Precarious (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 104

“Article 1 of the Imperial Constitution explicitly states that all citizens of the Empire are equal before the law.”

Aidel’s opening statement, surprisingly, was the very first sentence of the Imperial Constitution.

“……!”

Count Refenser, who had expected the Grand Duchess to assert her noble privileges first—just as she had during the previous meeting of the House of Lords—was left flabbergasted, his mouth hanging open.

“However, women are neither granted the right to vote on policies that concern them nor the freedom to achieve economic independence. Can this truly be the equality spoken of in the Constitution?”

Aidel’s calm yet incisive question resonated clearly through the silent courtroom. The expressions of the male nobles at the witness stand—including Count Refenser—and even the men seated in the gallery all stiffened simultaneously.

“The sole reason I stand before this court is because I am a woman. The law, which claims equality for all, has consistently treated the spheres of activity and destinies of men and women differently. It has severely restricted women’s societal participation, citing their supposed frailty.”

“That is the will of the Creator! Women were simply born to be that way!”

An elderly gentleman in the gallery, one of the conservative nobles aligned with the Emperor, shouted back in an agitated tone, as if refuting Aidel’s words. Seizing the momentum, Count Refenser pressed Aidel with a sharp retort.

“Are you, Grand Duchess, now casting doubt on the legitimacy of the Constitution—an institution explicitly established since the founding of the Empire? The Constitution is the law that must naturally be obeyed!”

“Law is not divine in origin; it is merely a tool created by people to live together in society, and never an end in itself. Merely being written in the Constitution does not justify something as inherently right. Unjust laws must be corrected, and laws must be revised to keep pace with an evolving society.”

Faced with Aidel’s logical and lucid response, Count Refenser was left speechless, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly.

With evident satisfaction, Aidel clearly recited one after another the unjust legal provisions in the Jupiter Code that discriminated against women. She also explained fluently why these laws needed to be changed.

The focus of the trial naturally shifted from whether the Grand Duchess had overstepped her authority to whether the laws restricting women’s rights were unconstitutional. Sensing this shift, the presiding judge addressed Aidel.

“Are you, the defendant, asserting that the legal provisions you mentioned are unconstitutional?”

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