“What? What do you mean?” Grey asked, surprised.
Instead of answering, Ashid repeated his question with a blank expression. “Then what about the conversation between the Marquis of Cadogan and Helena Strand? Have you not uncovered that either?”
“No. You know better than I do, Your Highness, that they are people who weave their conspiracies so secretly and meticulously. They keep the number of servants to a minimum when they’re having important conversations, so it’s not easy to find out the exact details.”
“Still, it’s a noble family’s mansion. They say even empty walls have ears, and closed doors have mouths. These are people who can’t even pour themselves a cup of tea, so someone must have overheard their conversation.”
Ashid paused for a moment before sneering, pulling up one side of his mouth. Then, he picked up several letters at once and said, “And that someone is my person.”
“…!”
“Just as my lovely Duchess guessed, they plan to use the fact that you and Director Lisander Wills met privately in the director’s office as a pretext to hold a religious trial.”
He said this and handed one of the letters to Grey. Grey requested permission to open it. It contained a summons for Grey to appear as a defendant at the Grand Temple of Asilia in the capital two days from now. Grey carefully folded the letter back up and said, “As I expected, this is how they’re going to do it.”
“That’s right. And the accusation listed in the enclosed document is, let’s see… a sin for Lisander Wills of creating a ‘revenge play that excessively punishes enemies,’ in violation of the Goddess’s teaching to ‘offer the right cheek if an enemy strikes your left.’”
Ashid continued, his eyes fixed on Grey with a blank expression. “And you, as a noble who should be an example to all, are being accused of defying the will of God by sponsoring the one who created this ‘vulgar play.’ They intend to summon my wife to the courtroom after your sin is revealed.”
“Hah. They sure know how to spin a narrative that the dogmatic old men of the temple will love.” Grey couldn’t help but say, scoffing, as Ashid read the contents of one of the other letters.
Instead of scolding Grey for her rudeness, Ashid chuckled and shrugged his shoulders as if to agree with her. “Moreover, the high priest Richard Strand, Helena Strand’s brother, will be the inquisitor for this trial. He must have heard what kind of humiliation his sister experienced in our mansion, so he will try every trick in the book to link you and my wife to this matter and have you punished.”
“Please don’t worry, Your Highness. That will absolutely not happen. Even if I’m punished in the worst-case scenario, no harm will come to the Grand Duchess.”
When she declared this, Ashid shook his head resolutely. “No. That’s not an option either. My wife would be quite heartbroken if you were branded as a heretic and your status was demoted. So you must be acquitted.”
“…Your Highness.”
“Sir Deo, show the baroness what you prepared.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Deo replied with a meaningful smile and handed several documents to Grey. As Grey accepted them, he gestured for her to read them quickly.
Grey did as she was told and opened the documents. Her eyes widened in surprise as she scanned the contents.
“This is…”
“Well, Jane? Don’t you think you can use this to be acquitted at the trial without any trouble?” Deo asked with a pleasant smile. Grey immediately nodded and replied, “Yes. Not only can I be acquitted, but I can also ensure that the marquis’s daughter can never use the temple to pull such a foolish stunt again. You are truly amazing, Sir Deo.”
“Psh, this is easier than drinking cold soup. Tell Lisander Wills to do exactly as it says in there.” Deo said, feeling pleased with Grey’s praise. Ashid gave him a mild glare, chuckled softly, and then said to Grey, “And one more thing you have to do.”
“Please tell me, Your Highness.”
“It seems that Duke Rodian and Marquis Cadogan offered Helena Strand an appropriate price and suggested she use a person to poison the medicine supplied to the hospital my wife established. They said it would be a sure-fire way to corner my wife and me.”
“…Those!”
“Keep a watch on everyone who can access the hospital’s medicine until we find out who the spy instigated by the marquis’s daughter is.”
“Yes, Your Highness. And should I inform the Grand Duchess of this as well?”
“No. I’ll do that myself. You just focus on being acquitted at the trial.” Ashid shook his head. This was his chance to exchange even one more word with Daniela, and he couldn’t pass it on to someone else.
“Leave it to me, Your Highness.” Grey replied with a slight smile and a respectful bow.
In the heart of the imperial capital. The Grand Temple of the Goddess Asilia, First Tribunal.
Another important religious trial was being held in the place where many significant religious trials from the empire’s history had taken place. This trial was initiated by the marquis’s daughter Helena Strand and her brother, High Priest Richard Strand. The accused were Lisander Wills, the director of the opera troupe who created the play that was popular across the nation, and Baroness Jane Grey, the administrator of Grand Duchess Daniela Alberic.
The news of the trial drew the public’s attention. People said they knew the Grand Temple would eventually find fault with the play’s contents and wanted to confirm if the Grand Duchess and her associates were really behind the opera troupe. Thus, the imperial family and nobles rushed to the Grand Temple to observe the trial.
Among them were not only the accuser, Helena Strand, but also Duke Lambert and Duke Rodian—two of the emperor’s most beloved vassals—Marquis Cadogan and his fiancée, Lady Claire Blackwood. And the actual parties to the case, Daniela and her husband, Ashid.
To avoid the public’s attention, Daniela was wearing a hooded robe and a mask. She leaned toward Ashid, who was sitting next to her dressed in the same way, and whispered, “Grey will be alright, won’t she?”
“Don’t worry. Just watch.” Ashid replied gruffly, but he tenderly held her trembling hand.
A moment later, the three high priests presiding over the trial, the inquisitor Richard Strand, and the defendants, Lisander and Grey, entered in succession.
Daniela gazed intently at Richard Strand. She noted how his hair and face were very similar to his sister, Helena’s.
