Chapter 39
The crowd murmured again, casting glances at Merriot. It seemed clear now that he had indeed bribed someone. If that was the case, this trial would be infinitely unfavorable for Merriot Lorant.
The judge cleared his throat and asked the next question.
“What about the marks of beating on your face? Were you assaulted?”
The examiner’s gaze turned toward Julian in response to the judge’s question. Everyone in the courtroom’s eyes also shifted toward Julian.
“…I cannot say.”
This, too, was an affirmative answer. Since it was the same reply as when asked if he had taken a bribe, if that answer was tacit admission of bribery, this should be interpreted the same way.
Captain of the Guard Julian Tollin assaulted the examiner.
If this was true, there was no choice but to suspect Julian’s intentions for whatever reason.
Julian’s claims were now tainted.
“Captain, you mentioned that the ‘internal audit’ suspected the examiner of taking a bribe? I am very curious about how this internal investigation was conducted. Could you please recreate it for us?”
Merriot opened his mouth toward Julian as if to simply explain this situation plainly.
From the start of the trial until now, his eyes had been full of confidence.
Julian thought bitterly that he should have read that hateful expression earlier.
‘The autopsy report from the Imperial Medical Center still hasn’t arrived. That will be the last chance to catch Merriot Lorant.’
Thinking there was still a chance left, Julian soon regained his composure.
It was nearly time for the report to arrive.
Behind the courtroom, where others could not see, stood the Crown Prince and Ober Tollin.
They had been watching the trial, which was practically Merriot’s solo stage, from the beginning.
“He’s quite something…”
Julian had thought he wouldn’t just stand quietly, but he hadn’t expected him to come so prepared.
Julian had assumed he made a foolish mistake driven by revenge.
But this — Merriot, through this trial, had firmly ingrained into people’s minds that he had been under constant surveillance in Mozeni, and that the city guard wanted to frame the examiner as the murderer by even beating him.
A cunning and delicate approach.
Even if one was truth and the other falsehood, people’s minds would already see Merriot Lorant as a victim persecuted by the current emperor and the crown prince.
“The autopsy results from the Imperial Medical Center have arrived.”
Ron’s attendant came running with the documents. The autopsy report, expected today, had arrived late.
Ron stretched out his hand and snatched the report.
If they wanted to declare Merriot a murderer in today’s trial, this was their last resort.
Ron hurriedly opened the document to check its contents.
Now, Merriot, let’s see how you killed Albert.
“How… how is this possible?”
Ron doubted his own eyes as he read the report.
Cause of death: Death due to long-term arsenic poisoning. Estimated to have been taken for at least two years.
While Ron was frozen, staring at the words in the report, Ober also checked the contents.
The autopsy results shocked him as well.
Ober frowned with a grim expression.
“Evidence that arsenic was administered long-term for more than two years… it’s impossible to find now.”
This was supposed to be a one-shot decisive battle.
The trial was about Albert Buvier’s death, but politically, it was a fight between Merriot and Ron.
It was a place where the people of the Ivy Empire would judge who was the victor and who smartly played their hand.
‘This is your debutante, huh.’
If Merriot had returned to Central to reclaim the throne, Ron expected a more brilliant start.
Merriot, who wielded obsessive perfection and beauty in every aspect as his weapon, would have done so.
But now, he didn’t shy away from shady conspiracies or holding a political debutante in a shabby courtroom.
Ron’s misjudgment had been to think Merriot couldn’t give up his fiery temper.
Merriot had become someone who understood the fear of lingering embers over the last ten years.
“Today, that guy won.”
Ron muttered words of defeat.
Ober agreed with his thoughts and said nothing more.
According to Ron’s judgment, it was best to wrap up the trial as it was.
“Woman! There was a woman!”
At that moment, another shout broke the courtroom into turmoil again.
Count Buvier pointed his finger at Merriot and yelled like a madman.
“I personally investigated! That day! There was a woman! There was an outsider still under investigation at the Lorant estate! Tell us who she is, Your Grace!”
Buvier said confidently, as if finally catching Merriot off guard.
The woman he referred to was probably Emilia Tollin.
Merriot’s gaze naturally shifted to Julian.
He exchanged a brief glance with Julian and sighed softly.
He had expected Emilia Tollin’s name to come up at any time, but he didn’t think they would bring it up now, when things were already turning in his favor.
After all, it had become an accepted fact that Merriot had killed Albert Buvier.
There was no reason to bring up a new figure like Emilia Tollin.
Count Buvier, like his son, wasn’t very politically sharp.
“Where exactly did you hear that?”
“I heard that the woman stayed in the hall for a while and only left by carriage around dawn. She rode the Lorant family’s carriage! That woman must be summoned to this court!”
Merriot gave a short laugh.
Not only was he foolish, but he hadn’t even investigated properly.
Emilia Tollin left the hall and immediately took a carriage, so the time she left should be considered midnight, not dawn.
Merriot’s inner voice slipped out without him realizing it.
“Nonsense.”
Count Buvier jumped up like in a fit.
“Is it really nonsense? Even though that woman is Emilia Tollin herself?”
When the count named her, people murmured again.
Hera, watching the trial from the second floor, clenched her hand tighter on the railing when her name was mentioned.
Going to the Lorant estate that day had been a huge mistake.
The thought that she might become Merriot’s stumbling block sent a cold sweat down her spine.
“Seeing it from the desperate heart of a father who lost his son, I understand well. The secret collusion between the Tollin family and Your Grace!”
When the name of a famous scandal figure was mentioned, people’s eyes showed interest.
The count misunderstood that people had begun to believe him and spoke even louder.
“This trial today! It’s not to clear my son’s innocence but a scheme by the two families to make Your Grace innocent, isn’t it?”
“Calm down, Sir Buvier.”
“Don’t try to calm me, Captain of the Guard! Tell me! Why does the report omit all mention of Emilia Tollin? There are so many witnesses!”
Blame flew indiscriminately in all directions.
The count was so excited he didn’t even know who was on his side.
Julian frowned at the count’s behavior with displeasure.
He was irritated by how often the count mentioned his sister’s name.
“Judge! Summon Emilia Tollin immediately!”
When Count Buvier strongly demanded, Julian immediately objected.
“She is unrelated to this case.”
“You say that because you’re her brother, of course!”
The count showed he didn’t even have the manners required in a courtroom.
Julian, as if to suppress him and no longer tolerate him, said:
“Sir Buvier, it would be better for you to restrain yourself.”
“What?”
“Order! Order!”
Only after the judge intervened did Count Buvier calm down.
He still glared at Merriot and Julian with a sullen look.
Merriot glanced at the count and swallowed dryly.
‘The mention of Emilia Tollin’s name is nothing more than a trivial incident. But the image that the Captain of the Guard is in cahoots with her, against me, is not good. I need to divert attention somewhere else. Should I reveal that the stimulant Albert took came from Dierk? If I say he took smuggled drugs from Dierk, people’s focus will surely shift that way. I’m not free from smuggling charges either, but for now, there’s no other way…’
“Um…”
While Merriot was forming this new plan, a woman’s cautious voice came from above him.
Merriot, who hadn’t been startled once during the trial, widened his eyes at that voice.
He looked up toward the source of the sound—the terrace seats on the second floor—and there was Emilia Tollin wearing a wide-brimmed hat with pink hair.
She raised her hand to about face height and said:
“I am Emilia Tollin. I am already here in the courtroom.”
