Chapter 12
“That necklace, could it be…?”
Evan widened his eyes and asked.
“If my guess is right, it’s the real heirloom of the Belcaris family.”
“Then the necklace that skeleton was wearing… it really was fake?”
“Probably. This one was found in the room your mother used. That makes it far more credible.”
But there was still one thing bothering her.
Just how perfectly had they forged that fake green diamond on the skeleton?
They had pulled off a big scheme, so it probably wasn’t a shoddy job…
Liette studied the necklace carefully. The gemstone on it was at least the size of a fingertip joint.
“Evan, do you happen to know something like this?”
“Know what?”
Given how he could memorize anything he saw once, she thought he might.
“A green diamond of this size… how much would it be worth?”
“Not exactly sure, but at the very least, as much as a middle-class house.”
Wow, that price was jaw-dropping.
So if Haart had faked the skeleton, she wondered if he could’ve afforded to have another green diamond necklace made.
“Is your uncle rich?”
“No. I heard he blew a lot of money betting on horse races recently.”
Oh-ho.
Liette felt the pieces of the puzzle snapping into place.
“Alright then. Let’s submit this necklace as evidence.”
“Good idea. There’s no way my uncle has enough money lying around to buy a spare diamond worth a house. It’ll be revealed soon.”
A confident smile spread across Liette’s face. Evan nodded as if he’d reached the same conclusion.
Then Liette said, “This should prove Uncle’s innocence.”
The day of the trial was finally just a day away.
The capital had been abuzz for days about Duke Croyt.
At first, it looked like he was admitting guilt—but then he denied the charges and submitted the Belcaris family’s real heirloom as evidence.
And behind it all was Liette.
‘Tomorrow, Uncle will be declared innocent.’
Liette was enjoying a rare moment of peace, sipping tea.
That is, until the cursed letter arrived.
“Young miss, a letter has arrived from the courthouse.”
Liette hurriedly unfolded the letter. At the end of the text, it said:
[According to appraisal results, due to the identical cut and appearance, it is impossible to distinguish which green diamond is authentic.]
Oh, those useless idiots.
She had kindly brought them the real heirloom, and what? They couldn’t tell which was real?
At the bottom of the letter, it also mentioned that to do a more precise appraisal, the item would need to be sent to facilities in another country, and it could take several months.
So Uncle would have to remain imprisoned for months. Who knew what might happen in that time?
Liette rose immediately to go see Duke Croyt.
When she arrived at the courthouse, a clerk recognized her.
“Lady Liette, you came after reading the letter, I presume.”
“Yes, that’s right. But what do they mean they can’t determine the authenticity? There can’t possibly be two of those necklaces!”
“We know that, but… the fake is incredibly well-crafted. We honestly can’t tell which is which…”
Liette knew it wasn’t the clerk’s fault.
“I need to see Duke Croyt.”
“Ah… He’s currently being visited by his younger brother. Would you mind waiting a moment?”
Haart…?
She didn’t like the idea of him being there, but Liette agreed and sat down in the waiting area.
Thankfully, she didn’t have to wait long.
Soon, a very irritated-looking Haart came up the stairs. His eyes met Liette’s.
This was their first meeting since Duke Croyt’s birthday.
“You…”
“Hello,” Liette greeted calmly, gauging her opponent.
Unlike the jovial face at the banquet, Haart now had a sharp, hostile look.
“So you found the Belcaris family’s necklace.”
“Yes, I did. And the one I found is the real one.”
When Liette answered confidently, Haart gave a dry laugh.
“You went through a lot, but it won’t be enough to prove innocence. The appraisers couldn’t tell which one’s fake.”
“Why does it sound to me like you don’t want your brother to be proven innocent? That’d be strange coming from a sibling.”
Haart couldn’t hide his growing hostility in response to Liette’s brazen remark.
“You’re a clever girl, just as my brother said. But no appraiser will ever be able to tell the fake from the real.”
“……”
“Pay the right price to a back-alley craftsman, and he can make a perfect diamond out of glass.”
Haart patted her on the shoulder twice, as if encouraging her.
“So, do your best, young lady.”
With a sly smirk, he walked past and disappeared.
Liette, who might have shrunk back at Haart’s smugness, instead chuckled.
And muttered to herself:
“Idiot.”
The day of the trial arrived at last.
Liette headed to court with her parents.
She had originally planned to attend as a spectator to Duke Croyt’s sentencing, but that changed after she met Haart the day before.
“Uncle, I want to testify at the trial tomorrow.”
Because the authenticity of the necklace was key, Liette, who had first discovered it, would take the witness stand herself.
More importantly, thanks to Haart’s unintentional clue yesterday, she had figured out how to definitively tell the real necklace from the fake.
“We’ve arrived.”
With a pounding heart, Liette stepped down from the carriage.
Upon entering the courthouse, she saw Evan.
“Evan.”
“Hey, Liette.”
Evan looked a little nervous—understandable, given how much this verdict could change everything.
“I heard you volunteered to be a witness.”
“Yup. I’ll get everything straight, so don’t worry, Evan.”
Though she tried to reassure him, Evan still looked uneasy. Then his eyes fell on something in her hands, and he frowned.
“…What’s that?”
“Oh, this? I’ll be using it in a bit.”
Liette quietly hid the tool behind her back.
“You’re not going to do anything dangerous, right?”
“Of course not.”
Only then did Evan smile. It was weak, but it was the Evan she knew.
“The trial will now begin.”
Bang bang!
The judge struck his gavel, announcing the start. Liette sat beside Evan.
“We shall now begin the trial for the accused, Heil Croyt, regarding the murder of his wife.”
The trial proceeded based on the facts known so far.
First: A skeleton, presumed to be the Duchess, was found in the mountains wearing the Belcaris family’s necklace.
Second: Duke Croyt, who had hidden the truth of her death, was named the prime suspect.
Third: It was revealed that the necklace found on the bones was a fake, and Liette presented the real necklace. Therefore, the skeleton wasn’t the Duchess.
Fourth: But the idiot appraiser couldn’t tell which necklace was real.
And now, it was Liette’s turn.
“Witness Liette Meren, please come forward to testify.”
Liette rose and took the stand.
She never thought she’d be part of something like a crime or political movie.
“Witness, why have you come here today?”
“I’m the one who first discovered the necklace. I found it seven years ago while playing hide and seek with the Duke’s son.”
“It’s been a long time, yet you remember clearly.”
“Well, the necklace was so ugly and outdated, I couldn’t forget it.”
Liette replied confidently to the judge’s sharp tone.
Thankfully, this world had no prosecutors or defense attorneys—she just had to persuade the judge.
“Why do you believe the necklace you found is the genuine one?”
“Because it was discovered in the Duchess’s room. And the design matches the one in her portrait.”
So far, it was all known information.
“I understand what you’re saying. But the appraiser still couldn’t identify the fake. Unfortunately, the discovery location and appearance aren’t enough.”
Hearing that, Liette glanced at Haart.
He was smirking at her with ridicule. That smirk… It reminded her of something from the book.
Yeah, I did it all. Even my brother—I made it happen.
Those were the lines that came to mind…
But that wasn’t important right now.
“No. I’ve found a way to distinguish the real one.”
Liette’s unexpected words caused a stir in the courtroom. Haart’s expression darkened, obviously shaken.
Still, he quickly regained composure, as if to say, That’s impossible.
Liette pulled out the tool she’d brought with prior approval.
“Wh-what is that, Liette Meren?”
“A hammer.”
“Yes, I can see that… But what are you planning to do with it?”
The judge looked alarmed at the tool, so unfitting for a girl.
“Haart Croyt, Duke Croyt’s brother, told me this—”
She pointed straight at Haart.
“No appraiser will ever be able to tell the fake apart.”
Liette approached the evidence table with her hammer.
“If you pay a back-alley craftsman enough,”
The courtroom buzzed loudly.
“They can make a perfect-looking diamond out of glass.”
Then Liette raised the hammer high—
CRASH!
And smashed the necklace found with the skeleton.
“What in the world…!”
The courtroom exploded into chaos. Liette, the one who struck it, was the only calm one.
The most furious person was none other than the Marquess of Belcaris.
“You dare destroy our family’s treasure…!”
Liette held up the shattered pieces for all to see.
“Looks like even a fourteen-year-old like me can break the Belcaris heirloom.”
Silence instantly fell over the courtroom.
“As you can see, the green diamond found on the skeleton is fake.”
“……”
“No matter how well it was made to resemble the real one, it couldn’t match the strength of a true green diamond.”
The first to recover from the shock was the judge.
“Then who orchestrated this fake skeleton to frame Duke Croyt?!”
Uh, Judge, that’s your job to figure out! Why expect me to spoon-feed it all?
Still, Liette decided to end it neatly herself.
“The one who first discovered the skeleton, and who would benefit most if Duke Croyt fell—his younger brother, Haart Croyt.”
All eyes turned to Haart again.
Red-faced, Haart leapt to his feet.
“Y-you!”
“Seize him!”
At the judge’s command, the guards moved—but Haart was faster in his desperation.
In a final frenzy, he drew the dagger from his waist and bolted through the courtroom, aiming the blade—
Straight at Liette.
