“I do not know.”
After speaking in a way that invited inference, Diana drew a line at the end.
Miro fidgeted at the defendant’s bench like someone watching a child left by the water’s edge.
Understandably so.
‘One wrong move and Duke Gloria will bear all of it.’
It didn’t seem to be something agreed upon with Miro.
Seated beside her, Kairi kept glancing at Diana uneasily.
His expression, mixed with a little fear, curiosity, and wonder, clearly showed that he recognized who she was.
Still, perhaps because they had lived together in the poorhouse, he didn’t bare his teeth or show aggression the way he had when he first saw Eren or Ail.
In other words, Diana was that familiar to Kairi.
“Hm, then what was the poorhouse you stayed in like?”
At Ollas’s question, Diana answered readily.
“There were not many people. Only the head of the poorhouse and a few friends.”
It was the exact opposite of Kairi’s account.
“Was your family, the defendant’s House, aware of this?”
“No. When I was young, I did not know which region I was living in, and after I was adopted, I left the affairs of the House to my father.”
Liselotte smirked inwardly.
For someone who had stepped forward so confidently, she was consistently claiming ignorance of everything.
It was clear she had received advice from someone. She was skillfully avoiding problematic answers.
There was definitely someone other than Miro guiding her.
How much time remained on Duke Gloria’s confinement?
No sooner had the thought crossed Liselotte’s mind than Eren quietly murmured behind her.
“Not even twenty-four hours remain.”
That was unfortunate. If the hearing had been scheduled a little later, they could have summoned him for a confrontation.
‘No, more importantly, how did he know what I was wondering?’
Startled, Liselotte glanced back and saw Valen looking at Eren with the exact same expression she was wearing.
Eren himself merely gave a slight nod, indicating that the answer was correct.
One day. Even if the next hearing were scheduled as soon as possible, it would be at least a week later.
By then, Diana would have had more than enough time to bend Duke Gloria to her will.
Today was indeed the decisive day, but was there any justification to call Duke Gloria into the courtroom?
‘If only he were already a prisoner…’
In that instant, Liselotte’s eyes widened.
‘If he is not a prisoner, then we can make him one.’
Her gaze shifted to Diana.
Answering Ollas’s questions diligently, she looked, at first glance, like a truly innocent victim.
“None of the poorhouses I moved through ever housed more than a hundred orphans. However, I often saw numbers being manipulated to receive Founding Day benefits.”
“Was such manipulation frequent?”
“Poorhouses are always operated with the help of temples and villagers, so they constantly struggle with food and supplies. The East in particular has many poorhouses, so even if numbers were manipulated, it was difficult to notice. The head of the poorhouse mentioned this often.”
“Then is it impossible for a poorhouse to have housed such a large number?”
“It is more accurate to say that the real number was usually half the announced one.”
So she was attempting to neutralize the poorhouse-related information this way.
If even a single false element in the evidence could be exposed, its credibility would be damaged.
Of course, testimony without concrete proof naturally carried limited evidentiary weight.
Ollas asked no further questions.
“Very well. Plaintiff, you may examine the witness.”
Liselotte rose to her feet and reached Diana in just a few steps.
Diana looked at her with the same pitiful expression she so often wore.
Liselotte smiled brightly and asked,
“You stated that you entrusted the affairs of the House to Duke Gloria. Is that correct?”
“Yes. You may ask the household staff as well; they will say the same.”
Liselotte held out the evidence she had brought and presented it before her.
“During the subjugation cooperation, you stated that you would personally take charge of the aide’s duties. Then was your name used without your knowledge in this matter?”
‘Where are you trying to slip away to?’
Miro, quick to react, immediately objected.
“I object. The plaintiff is presenting assumptions as facts and pressuring the witness!”
Ignoring Miro’s protest, Diana hurriedly lowered her brows in a fragile expression.
“That was the first time. So, at the request of the North, I assigned a new aide afterward.”
“Then it is not true that you have never once taken charge of the family’s affairs, is it?”
“…It was a matter I ultimately did not oversee, so I had forgotten. Aside from that incident, I have never taken charge.”
She briefly looked up at Liselotte as if glaring, then brushed at her moist eyes with her hand.
Letting out a light snort, Liselotte continued.
“You stated that you are from a poorhouse. Is that correct?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“You also said that many poorhouses manipulate the number of orphans to receive Founding Day benefits. Is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“Does that apply to the poorhouse of Gelloa Village as well?”
“I am not certain that I was there, so I cannot say for sure. However, considering the size of Gelloa Village, it seems likely. That is my experience.”
Liselotte tucked the document listing only the evidence between her arm and side, then lifted a new sheet and spoke.
“When I went to Gelloa Village to confirm matters, the poorhouse had been burned down, leaving only the skeleton of the building.”
For a fleeting moment, irritation crossed Diana’s face.
It was as if she were asking why that was being said to her.
It was clear she wished to avoid any discussion related to Gelloa Village.
Turning a page of the document, Liselotte continued.
“However, within the ashes of the poorhouse, we discovered something. Your Honors.”
At her signal to Hedmilton, who was waiting behind her, he quickly handed identical documents to the clerk.
After receiving and reviewing them, the presiding officials briefly expressed their astonishment at the drawing depicted there.
The Commander of the Conrad knights, in particular, welcomed it.
“It is a tool we used when we were young.”
Liselotte didn’t miss the opportunity and asked,
“What is it used for?”
“It is mainly used to count large quantities of goods or numbers of people. Iron beads are placed into a wooden board structured like an anthill and moved according to the count.”
“For such iron beads to be used, what kind of numerical unit would it typically represent? Would it be used for units of ten?”
“It would not be used for such small numbers. It is generally used when the count exceeds one hundred.”
Smiling brightly, Liselotte gave her a slight nod.
“Thank you for the explanation, Your Honor.”
When she raised her head again, the smile had vanished from her face.
Holding up the sheet with the drawing, Liselotte declared,
“That is correct. According to our investigation, this tool is structured with a minimum unit of one hundred. And these iron beads were found in the ashes of the burned poorhouse.”
The day she and Eren found Kairi. They had discovered this within the ashes of Gelloa Village.
Even then, Eren had given the same explanation. Upon further investigation, there was abundant evidence that such tools had long been used for that purpose.
As her explanation lengthened, Diana’s eyes began to waver.
The pitiful expression she had been wearing seemed on the verge of collapsing.
Meeting her gaze directly, Liselotte asked clearly,
“Witness. You stated that many poorhouses in the East manipulate their numbers to receive Founding Day benefits. You also said most are small-scale. Is that correct?”
“…?”
Instead of answering, Diana bit her lip.
But Liselotte didn’t stop.
“Why, then, were the remains of a counting tool designed for units of one hundred found in the poorhouse of Gelloa Village? Would it not be reasonable to conclude that there was a need to count numbers of that magnitude?”
“I object! The plaintiff is relying solely on assumptions—”
Miro hastily attempted to intervene, but this time Emperor Perida’s leisurely voice cut him off.
“I will not sustain the objection. Plaintiff, continue your examination.”
Liselotte gave a slight nod of thanks and turned back to Diana.
“Another witness testified that there were at least three hundred orphans in Gelloa Village. I will ask again. Witness, how many orphans do you estimate were in the poorhouse of Gelloa Village?”
