Chapter 7: Where Fiction Lies
A short time before Christina and Duke Huguenot were summoned by Francois, Rio and the others had left the Ricca Guild and boarded a carriage back to the castle. Stewart and Duke Gregory were also heading from the Ricca Guild back to the castle on their own carriage at the same time.
As soon as they reached the castle, both parties immediately went to King Francois’s office, as there was no other way of settling the situation that had gotten out of hand.
“Why are you here?!”
“What’s the meaning of this?”
“This slave belongs to our family!”
Rio tried to feign ignorance of Latifa’s identity, but Stewart refused to accept that. He had been so agitated, nothing Rio said could reach him.
Since the situation couldn’t be resolved by both parties discussing things themselves, Liselotte suggested they return to the castle and have King Francois make an impartial decision.
Duke Gregory agreed with Liselotte’s suggestion. The original plan had been for Stewart to check Rio’s face, so why was Stewart making such a fuss about this? He wanted to use their travel time in the carriage to get the details from Stewart.
Francois, who had been doing paperwork in his office, invited them inside after hearing there had been an incident. Thus, everyone was gathered once again in King Francois’s office.
Currently inside the room were Francois, Rio, Latifa, Liselotte, Miharu, and Aki, as well as Duke Gregory and Stewart. Rio and Liselotte sat beside each other on the sofa, while Stewart and Duke Gregory were seated similarly across from them. King Francois was positioned between them, creating a U-shape seating formation.
As for Latifa, she was seated on a chair placed behind the sofa Rio and Liselotte were sitting on, with Miharu and Aki seated on each side of her.
“What on earth happened?” Francois asked, immediately requesting an explanation once everyone was seated.
“We were in the middle of shopping at the Ricca Guild when Duke Gregory and Duke Huguenot’s son approached Sir Haruto,” Liselotte said, acting as Rio’s witness.
She too had asked him about the circumstances on the carriage ride over, after which she had deemed Rio and Latifa innocent and decided to protect them. In a rare show of anger, Liselotte’s tone of speech towards Stewart and Duke Gregory was notably harsher than usual.
“Then, Lord Stewart suddenly started claiming that Lady Suzune was a slave of the Huguenot family. He seemed too enraged to discuss things properly on the spot, so I suggested we bring this case to Your Majesty for arbitration.”
Once Liselotte finished giving her summary, she glared at Stewart sharply in objection. Stewart looked daunted for a brief moment, but soon retorted in anger.
“O-Of course I’d be enraged. A slave from our family was freed without our permission!”
Unexpected as it was, now that he had a chance to censure Rio, he couldn’t back down anymore.
“I have never seen a werebeast before, but I have heard that they all have animal ears and tails. I do not see such traits in Haruto’s sister Suzune. Do you have any proof of your claims that she belongs to the Huguenot family?” Francois asked, glancing at Latifa as he addressed Stewart.
“The fact that the girl is terrified of me should be more than enough proof. She illegally escaped her slave status and is now trembling at the thought of the consequences,” Stewart said smugly.
While it sounded like good reasoning at first, that was no more than his own subjective view. He hadn’t provided any objective evidence to his claim. Stewart seemed to think that was enough to win the argument, but this wasn’t just a verbal quarrel. There was no way an accusation with no evidence could convince Francois.
“I’m sure you know already, but Haruto is a noble of our kingdom. Defaming his sister’s honor is equal to defaming Haruto’s. I will ask once more. Do you have adequate evidence to back up your claim? Are you aware you are already defaming Haruto and his sister at this very moment?”
Will you be prepared to face the consequences if we discover that you’re lying? That was what Francois was asking implicitly.
“A-Are you accusing me of lying?” Stewart recoiled with an offended look.
“I’m saying the truth cannot be confirmed without proof.”
“If you need proof, then I’m a witness!”
“But Suzune has no traits of a werebeast. You said your slave was a werebeast.”
“I-I know she has no traits of a werebeast, but all her other features are identical. Enough to conclude she’s the same person.”
“Even so, as far as I’m concerned, that’s just your mistaken assumption.”
“In that case, please confirm it with Amakawa himself, Your Majesty. Ask him if Suzune over there was actually a slave of the Huguenot family before,” Stewart said insistently.
His encounter with Latifa had created an unexpected commotion, but it was too late to turn back now. There was nothing he could do but push on forward.
Hmph! Let’s see if you can lie to the king through your teeth. The moment you do, your sins will become that much graver. Once the king has lost trust in you, I’ll expose your past. It’s a two-pronged approach.
Besides, Stewart was certain of his success. He believed Latifa to be a weakness he could use to bring about Rio’s downfall.
“If this is the truth, our kingdom cannot turn a blind eye to the situation. I advise you not to brush this off without consideration, Your Majesty,” Duke Gregory said, speaking up for the first time to support Stewart.
“Very well,” Francois said with a sigh. “What is the truth, Haruto?”
“May I say something before I answer the question?” Rio said slowly.
“Go ahead.”
“If this situation grows out of hand, the Restoration may be notably affected. However, I do not wish for that to happen. Of course, I have every intention of explaining the full truth to Your Majesty, but could you please resolve the situation with that alone?”
“You mean you want Stewart and Clement to leave the room?”
“Yes,” Rio said, nodding.
“Wh-What are you saying?! Don’t be ridiculous! This is a conflict regarding my family’s slave, what gives you the right to make such absurd demands?!”
Stewart flew into a rage. He had been expecting Rio to lie and dodge the question, yet now Stewart was the one being openly excluded instead.
“If you back down here, the situation can at least be resolved without affecting the Restoration. That is what I’m saying,” Rio said to Stewart coldly. While he appeared to be extremely calm, there was a horribly angry look in his eyes. It seemed he was putting on a rational front despite his bottomless rage towards Stewart.
“Grr...!”
That isn’t for you to decide, Stewart thought, but he swallowed those words at the pressure from Rio’s gaze.
“Perhaps it would be best to just come out and say it, Stewart. I can explain things to His Majesty if you need,” Duke Gregory interrupted.
Stewart took a deep breath to calm himself, then nodded. “Yes, so it seems. Can you please?”
“What do you mean by that, Clement?” Francois’s dubious gaze turned to Duke Gregory.
“It has to do with the reason we appeared before Amakawa in the first place, Your Majesty. During the attack on the castle yesterday, someone called Amakawa by the name Rio. When I mentioned that to Stewart in passing, he said it was a name he was familiar with.”
Duke Gregory observed Rio’s reaction as he gave his explanation. Stewart took the chance to sneer at Rio triumphantly.
Sora, huh?
Rio immediately realized the cause, but he didn’t think it was Sora’s fault at all. He had told her to call him what she wanted, since everyone’s memories would be reset through the transcendent rules anyway. But even if that hadn’t been the case, he wouldn’t blame her for paying attention to other things during the middle of a battle.
“When I questioned him for the details, he explained that Rio was the name of a felon in the Beltrum Kingdom. He attempted to kill Princess Flora and disappeared to avoid trial.”
Rio maintained an unreadable expression throughout Duke Gregory’s explanation.
“Amakawa’s past is unclear enough as is,” Duke Gregory continued. “If the Honorary Knight is actually a wanted criminal hiding his identity, this is a matter our kingdom cannot overlook. However, there is no proof that this Rio is the same person as Amakawa. That is why I asked Stewart to investigate the matter further.”
“There’s no mistaking it anymore. Amakawa is the same Rio that fled our kingdom to avoid his sins. Now that I think about it, our slave vanished shortly after he disappeared too. His former teacher, Professor Celia, is now living with him in his mansion. That should be more than enough evidence that he’s Rio.”
Stewart stood up from the sofa and pointed at Rio while giving his long-awaited accusation. Rio, however, remained silent without any emotion on his face.
Hmph. Not even a rebuttal, huh?
Stewart smiled in satisfaction, thinking Rio was panicking.
“If you don’t think I suffice as a witness, then there are others that knew him back then. Queen Christina, Princess Flora, Duke Fontaine’s daughter Roanna, and Count Brandt’s daughter Elise were all there. You can ask Professor Celia too. In fact, you can call them all here and make them testify whether Amakawa is the same person as that sinner or not. How about it?” Stewart suggested, talking away eloquently. He only mentioned the facts that were convenient to himself and connected his points with fiction strewn about, making himself seem better.
Rio closed his eyes, a rare frown on his face. He was thinking.
Why was Stewart pulling a stunt like this? Why was he so good at irritating others? Even if he didn’t know that Duke Huguenot had raised Latifa as an assassin, why didn’t he question why she had remained with Rio all this time? As someone with a reasonable sense of mind and listening ability, Rio paid attention to Stewart’s words.
But no matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn’t understand Stewart’s point. Was it because he was only thinking of himself? Could he only perceive the truth when it was convenient for him? Did he even consider what kind of effect this situation would have on the Restoration if his claim was dismissed?
If not, he could only be called a fool. No, it would be better if he was only a fool. If he was doing this maliciously, then there was no way of defending him.
“Onii-chan...” Latifa mumbled anxiously behind him. At that, Rio made his decision.
“It’s okay,” he said, turning around to smile at her gently.
Enough.
Stewart could do what he wanted.
If he wanted to charge towards his own ruin without considering the effect he’d have on those around him, why should Rio stop that?
If what he wanted was downfall, then he could fall as far as he wanted by himself.
Rio’s composure had reached its limit. He could have endured it if he was the only one being targeted, but his fuse was extremely short when Latifa was involved.
Stewart Huguenot had foolishly angered Rio. He had incurred the wrath of the man reincarnated from the Dragon King.
With Stewart being this foolish, there was no way to resolve the matter without involving the Restoration. In this situation, the punishment could no longer apply to Stewart alone.
“What shall we do, Haruto? Do you mind if those he named are summoned here?” Francois asked, deferring to Rio with a sigh.
“Do as you please.”
And so, Rio stopped thinking about how others would be affected.
◇ ◇ ◇
Fifteen minutes later...
The first to arrive in Francois’s office was Celia from the mansion. She was accompanied by Charlotte, who had sensed something had happened, and Gouki as her guard.
Shortly after her, Christina, Flora, Roanna, Elise, and Duke Huguenot arrived. Vanessa accompanied them as their guard.
The moment Duke Huguenot entered the room, his expression froze over.
There was so much information to process, his brain couldn’t handle it. Why was Stewart sitting across from Rio? Why was Duke Gregory sitting beside him? And why was Stewart wearing the knight uniform of the Galarc Kingdom?
“My deepest apologies, Sir Amakawa.”
Christina had also stiffened, but she must have realized the situation wasn’t good. Even though she didn’t have a clue what happened, she bowed her head at Rio and apologized in a fluster.
The heir of a kingdom—one who had declared their accession to the throne and was acting queen, no less—had lowered their head to the noble of another kingdom before even hearing an explanation. It was an impossible sight.
“I should apologize too,” Rio replied, standing up and returning her apology with a frown.
Stewart immediately stood up as well and yelled, “H-Hold on a minute! Why are you apologizing to him?!”
“Shut your mouth!” Duke Huguenot snapped.
Stewart flinched, but he still tried to explain himself. “F-Father, I...”
“I told you to shut your mouth. Why are you sitting there? What is that uniform? What mess have you gone and created?”
Duke Huguenot marched forward with the intent of grabbing Stewart in anger.
“Wait. Let me explain the situation first. You may speak afterward,” Francois said, stopping him.
Duke Huguenot barely managed to stop himself. He silently glared at Stewart with a look that could kill.
“Clement and Stewart, vacate your seats. Queen Christina and Princess Flora will take your places. Huguenot, you may sit as well. Charlotte, you take your seat beside Haruto. The others shall remain standing,” Francois ordered. Everyone moved to their assigned position. Rio was sandwiched between Liselotte and Charlotte, while Flora, Christina, and Duke Huguenot sat across from them.
“Now, Liselotte. Give a summary of the situation and issue at hand.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Liselotte nodded respectfully and began her logical summary of the events.
“...and so, that is why you have all been called here as witnesses. At present, there are two points of issue to be resolved: first, whether Sir Haruto is the same person as the Rio who once attended Beltrum’s Royal Academy, and second, whether Lady Suzune is the same werebeast slave that belonged to the Huguenot family.”
She concluded her explanation with a succinct list of the matters to be addressed. The reactions from the members of the Restoration were all varied.
Christina was staring at Rio apologetically with a look of complete resignation. Flora had every intention of defending Rio, so she had a rare look of sullenness on her face. Meanwhile, Roanna didn’t appear particularly surprised. She may have had a faint inkling that Haruto was Rio already. Either way, she appeared to have conflicted feelings about something, as there was a bitter look on her face.
In contrast, there was someone whose eyes were darting about the place in shock. It was Elise Brandt. Her former classmate—one who had been bullied for being an orphan—had achieved astounding success in a foreign kingdom and was now in a position far superior to hers, making her shock even greater. The color drained from her face.
However, there was someone who had been backed into a corner more than anyone else.
This idiot...!
Duke Huguenot. He had just decided to accept his sin and confess to Christina when this had happened. He had even planned on making an official apology to Rio, but now everything was ruined because of Stewart. For some reason, Latifa, whom he had sent out as an assassin, was here as well. This must be what it meant to be struck by a bolt from the blue.
Did this idiotic son of his have something against him? Duke Huguenot turned to glare daggers at Stewart behind him. Stewart let out a squeak of fear.
But this wasn’t the time to be distracted by that fool. Duke Huguenot opened his mouth to apologize to Rio, when...
“First, let’s hear the statements from both parties,” Francois said first.
“I-In that case, please allow me to give my statement first!”
Stewart hurriedly requested the chance to explain himself first. The father he feared had arrived, and the air in the room was different to what he had expected.
“W-Wait a moment! Instead of having this fool talk, allow me to explain things!” Duke Huguenot interrupted in a hurry. However...
“Why not? Let the fool speak,” Charlotte interrupted with a cheerful smile.
“Wha...” Stewart was flabbergasted by being so openly called a fool.
“If you miss this chance, you’ll never be able to speak again, no? I think it’s fine to give you the time to make one last struggle in vain—as a parting gift to the afterlife.”
Even though no verdict had been given yet, Charlotte’s words assumed Stewart’s defeat.
“What do you have to say, Stewart?” Francois said with a sigh, urging Stewart to give his statement.
“This person is the criminal who once shoved me into Princess Flora, sending her off a cliff! On top of that, he stole our family’s slave and keeps her with him now! These are all reasons for due punishment, are they not?!”
Unable to understand why he was the one being backed into a corner, Stewart pointed a finger at Rio and ranted in a fluster.
“If what you say is the truth, that is,” Francois said.
“It’s the truth!”
“Then let’s hear Haruto’s statement.”
Francois looked at Rio calmly.
“First, the fact I once attended Beltrum’s Royal Academy is the truth. Rio is my other name, and my little sister’s name is indeed Latifa. Out of fear of a situation such as this, we used fake names for ourselves.”
Even without testimony from his former schoolmates, Rio readily revealed his own background. Hearing him acknowledge it himself had Roanna and Elise swallowing their breaths.
“My hair color changed, and this is now my natural color. But previously, I had black hair. I’m sure those of you who were in the same class as me would know this. Latifa’s werebeast traits are being hidden by a magic artifact.”
“S-See? I was right!”
Stewart had also swallowed his breath, but the next moment, he was cheering with joy. However, seeing how easily Rio had admitted his background made him feel suspicious at the same time. He started to wonder if this really was a favorable turn of events for him.
“However, I have objections to everything else. First, I have no recollection of pushing Princess Flora off a cliff, and I believe I had an adequate reason to release Latifa from slavery,” Rio said, appealing his innocence.
“L-Liar! This man is lying!” Stewart immediately wailed.
“It’s true that the only means we have of proving this is human memory,” Francois said.
“That’s right! That’s why there’s no way of proving his innocence! I was the one who was shoved first, so I know. There were other male students who witnessed the whole thing and testified. That was why he was deemed guilty. You can’t overturn that ruling now!”
Just prove it if you can, Stewart said through his gloating smirk.
“No, Sir Amakawa is innocent,” Christina objected.
“Yes. Sir Haruto... No, Sir Rio never pushed me!” Flora chimed in immediately.
“H-Hah?! What are you...?” Stewart stared at the two princesses in astonishment. “Princess Christina, back then you said you didn’t see who it was that shoved me! Princess Flora, you also said you didn’t know who did it!” he said to the two of them in confusion.
“Indeed, I didn’t see who did it. But I’m saying I believe Sir Amakawa over you.”
“I also believe Sir Rio!”
Christina and Flora both supported Rio unanimously.
“Th-That’s ridiculous! That doesn’t even count as a witness testimony!”
Stewart expressed his anger at the purely emotional argument.
“No, there was a witness.”
However, Duke Huguenot interrupted him with a look of resignation.
“What do you mean?” Francois asked dubiously.
“I also had suspicions about Sir Amakawa’s background after yesterday. When I investigated the incident once more, I discovered there was someone who gave an account that differed from the truth they witnessed.”
“What...?”
“Elise, please describe what you witnessed back then with full honesty.”
Ignoring Stewart’s spluttering, Duke Huguenot requested Elise Brandt’s testimony.
Everyone in the room focused on Elise.
“Huh? Um...”
Elise was extremely flustered by being addressed so suddenly, but she didn’t have the nerve to refuse to give testimony under such conditions.
“I-It wasn’t Sir Amakawa who shoved Stewart aside,” she confessed.
“Then who did?” Francois asked.
“It was the male student who tried to pin the blame on Sir Amakawa alongside Stewart. We had just been attacked by monsters, so everyone was panicking. Stewart was injured in the commotion and sought help from the male student by grabbing at him... But when he was thrust aside for being in the way, he collided with Princess Flora. All Sir Amakawa did was save Princess Flora and fell off the cliff in her place...”
“Why did you stay silent about this?” Roanna, who was standing beside her, asked, aghast.
“I-I’m so sorry! I couldn’t defy Stewart back then, and the male student who was actually the culprit agreed with him, so I couldn’t speak up!” Elise bowed her head, face pale in terror.
“You’re lying! It’s a lie! That’s absurd!” Stewart yelled. His face was also as white as a sheet.
“In short, the one who should have been punished was the male student who actually did the pushing, and Stewart, who lied to shift the blame,” Francois concluded, slowly turning to Stewart.
“Vanessa, arrest the criminal,” Christina said, ordering Stewart’s capture.
“Understood.”
“Wha?!”
Vanessa pinned Stewart down from behind as she gave her reply. She then placed her entire weight on him, crushing him as he lay face-down. “Allow me to assist,” Gouki said, immediately approaching to help hold Stewart down. He had no mercy for the man that had wronged his master; he secured his arms behind his back and twisted his wrists.
“O-Ow! That hurts! Gah!” Stewart screamed in pain. “Y-You must be kidding me! Why am I being treated like this? Do you know who I am?! I’m the son of the Huguenot family!”
He ranted and raved, raising all hell. This prompted Duke Huguenot to get out of his seat and walk over to where Stewart was being held down on the floor.
“As of this moment, I declare your disownment,” he said.
Disownment—in other words, completely cutting off their relation as parent and child. It was a heavier punishment than disinheritance, which only took away the inheritance of court rank.
“D-Disownment?!” Stewart yelped, losing his composure in shock. “Y-You’re joking right? Don’t say that, father! Father?!”
“I wish you had never been born,” Duke Huguenot spat in disgust, glaring down at him.
“Wha...”
The blood drained from Stewart’s face. It would be the end of the line for him; he could not afford to be stricken like this.
“Wh-What kind of parent are you? How could you believe the words of that woman over your own son?!” he objected, appealing for sympathy.
“I-I am not telling any lies!” Elise screamed in a panic.
“You! You dare speak over me with your lower status?!” In his restrained position, Stewart glared at Elise for interjecting.
“Eek!” Elise instinctively backed away.
“Have you all forgotten?! That man stole a slave belonging to the Huguenot family and freed her! Do you even intend on addressing that?!” No longer caring for his appearance, Stewart evaded the question at hand by attempting to bring Rio down.
At that moment, Duke Huguenot raised his foot in a rage. He looked like he was about to stomp down on Stewart’s face—but changed his mind and slowly brought his foot back to the ground. Then, he turned to face Rio.
“Haruto—no, Sir Amakawa... Please accept my sincerest apologies!” Duke Huguenot got on his hands and knees before Rio, bowing with his forehead pressed against the floor.
“Wha...?”
Stewart was rendered speechless. He couldn’t believe he was seeing his father prostrate himself before someone, nor could he understand what reason he had to do so.
“I will make no excuses for the reason that girl is with you. I accept all the blame to be placed on me,” Duke Huguenot said, apologizing to Rio with his head still pressed on the floor.
“Hold on a minute. What’s the meaning of this?” Christina asked with a dubious look. She had heard about the situation at the outdoor drill from Rio himself, but she didn’t know that Latifa was an assassin that had been sent after Rio.
“I will explain what happened. Duke Huguenot, please raise your head,” Rio said with a sigh.
“No, I do not deserve to do so.”
“Then I will refuse to speak.”
Despite Rio’s words, Duke Huguenot kept his head pressed against the floor, until...
“Raise your head, Huguenot.”
At Francois’s order, he finally stood up. Rio began speaking.
“Immediately after the events of the outdoor drill, I learned that the crime was to be pinned on me, so I bid farewell to Celia and fled the Beltrum Kingdom. My destination was the Yagumo region, where my parents were born, but I was attacked by an assassin around Amande. That assassin was Latifa.”
Christina and the others froze with startled expressions. Since Stewart had already admitted that Latifa was a slave of the Huguenot family, it was clear whose orders it had been.
“I fended her off and restrained her, but she was wearing a Collar of Submission and couldn’t defy her master’s orders. That’s why I removed her collar and freed her from slavery.”
“Then how did she end up as your sister?” Charlotte asked curiously.
“Back then, Latifa was no more than a nine-year-old child. As a werebeast, she had better physical abilities than a trained knight, but there was nowhere in the Strahl region for a werebeast child to settle permanently. So I took her with me on my journey, and we developed a brother-sister bond on the way.”
“What a lovely story. As expected of Sir Haruto.” Charlotte praised him with a cheerful grin. “In that case, what Sir Haruto did was justified self-defense. He has nothing to be blamed for in releasing Lady Latifa from slavery,” she added in support of Rio and Latifa.
“Huguenot, was it you who ordered the assassination?” Francois asked.
“Yes, that is the truth.”
“Do you have anything to say to defend yourself?”
“I do not.”
Duke Huguenot gracefully admitted his crime without making excuses. It wasn’t because he didn’t care—the look on his face said he knew there was no meaning in excuses at this point.
“At least state the reason you gave such an order.”
“At the time, the war against the Arbor faction had intensified significantly. I was aware my fool of a son’s testimony was questionable, but I chose to prioritize the stability of the political situation and used Sir Amakawa as a scapegoat. I sent that girl after him to eliminate the possibility of him returning to make an unfavorable testimony,” Duke Huguenot explained smoothly.
“How could you...” Flora mumbled in shock, at a loss for words from the events she had been unaware of. Christina also had a bitter look on her face.
“I-It’s a lie...” Stewart shook his head, unable to accept reality.
“It’s not a lie. This was all your— No, I have committed the same sin as my son. I will accept whatever punishment is decided.”
Duke Huguenot was about to direct his anger at Stewart but immediately gave up and hung his head.
“No! I won’t stand for this! I know he still has a guilty past hidden away!” Stewart yelled, struggling in vain.
“Silence! There isn’t a thing in his past that he has to feel guilty for,” Christina snapped sharply. It was an anger she rarely expressed with her usual calmness, but Stewart was on the brink of ruin, and he wasn’t about to falter at that.
“You’re all lying! I know Alphonse had to have been killed by him!”
“Alphonse? Why do you bring up that man’s name now?”
“Shortly after this man appeared before us, Alphonse vanished! The timing was no coincidence! It’s obvious he eliminated him to get his revenge against us!”
“What absolute nonsense...”
“This is no nonsense! If you just think about it, you’d realize it! Why do you all refuse to see how suspicious he is?! Ah, I see: It’s because you’re that desperate to borrow his power, isn’t it?!” Stewart scoffed at Christina as though he saw through her intentions.
“What are you saying?”
“You want to get on his good side now that he’s made it in life, don’t you? That’s why you’re willing to discard me, just like my father once did to him! You’re despicable— Guh?!”
Stewart, who had been shouting at the top of his lungs, was silenced by the pressure Vanessa placed on his back. He gasped for breath in agony.
“My apologies. I couldn’t bear to listen any longer. I believe the statement just now would also count as lèse-majesté,” Vanessa apologized with a frown.
“Your timing is appropriate,” Francois said. “I cannot imagine him digging his grave further to produce any more sins than this. All that’s left is to give a sentence, but...”
“An Honorary Knight is of high-ranking status equal to a count. When their honor is defamed unjustly, the gravest possible punishment is the death penalty, father,” Charlotte said, explaining the weight of the crime brightly.
Of course, Francois knew that already, but she had said it out loud on purpose to make Stewart aware of the weight of his crime. A light crime wouldn’t result in the death penalty, and because of the type of crime it was, it would require Rio to make an accusation as a victim first, but she purposefully failed to mention that—and the result was extremely effective.
“Guh...” The blood drained from Stewart’s face.
“Oh? Your complexion was fine just a moment ago. Are you suddenly feeling unwell? Please let up on the pressure a little.” Charlotte gave an order as though she was concerned, but it was clear to everyone that it was just for show.
“Right away.” Vanessa looked to Christina for confirmation, then loosened her hold on Stewart.
“D-Duke Gregory, help me! You promised your assistance, didn’t you?!” Stewart shouted, seeking salvation from Duke Gregory.
“That was under the premise of Amakawa actually being a criminal. To think you’d tell so many lies to deceive me... I wish you never got me involved in this.” Duke Gregory discarded Stewart with an annoyed look, maintaining his uninvolvement.
“I will be questioning you afterward, Clement.”
“Naturally.”
Francois immediately kept Duke Gregory in check, to which Duke Gregory nodded calmly.
Hmph. Useless man, Duke Gregory thought as he looked down on Stewart.
“Ugh... Guh... Waaah!” Stewart started wailing.
“Oh my, he’s crying. Poor thing. When someone’s this foolish, they become more pitiful than comical,” Charlotte said, smiling charmingly in contrast to her words.
“Since he’s so grating on the ears, hand him to the knights outside and have them escort him to jail. Have him await his sentencing in fear. Does the Restoration have any objections?” Francois asked in confirmation.
“I do not,” Christina replied, shaking her head without hesitation.
“Stand up.”
Vanessa used the rope used for restraint that she always carried on her to tie Stewart’s arms behind his back and make him stand up.
“D-Damn it! Stop! Stop it!”
Stewart struggled with all his might, but he was dragged out of the room, helpless. Once the room became silent again...
“Now, Haruto. How do you wish for this incident to be resolved? Duke Huguenot’s actions were made before you became an Honorary Knight of our kingdom, and by our laws, we cannot retroactively punish him. It will have to be left to the Restoration’s judgment, but...”
To put it another way, there was plenty of potential to place pressure on them for a heavier punishment. Francois’s question to Rio had that meaning hinted implicitly.
“I’ve already told Queen Christina and Princess Flora my past. In doing so, I also told them I had no intention of bringing up the past again. I have no personal interest in what punishment is given, but what Latifa thinks is a different matter, as this incident has directly threatened her peace of mind.”
Rio stood up and moved before Latifa. She had been sitting on the chair with her head down and body curled up, but when Rio came up to her, she looked up.
“I’m sorry, Latifa. I didn’t protect you properly.”
“No, you protected me, Onii-chan. I’m sorry for losing my composure too.”
“What would you like to happen from here, Latifa? Can you forgive him or not? I will make sure whatever you say happens.” Rio crouched down to meet her eye level.
“As long as I never have to see him again, I don’t care. I’ll leave it to you, Onii-chan.”
Latifa made no attempt to look at Duke Huguenot. She probably didn’t even want to be in the same room as him and was just enduring it right now.
“You heard her. If you never come near Latifa or threaten her peace again, I will not ask for anything else.”
“And you’re sure about that?”
“Yes. I don’t want to waste anymore time bothering with this.”
“Heh. I see,” Francois said with a bemused chuckle. He then looked at Christina and Duke Huguenot. “Then that settles it. In regard to Duke Huguenot, we will yield to the Restoration’s judgment and not seek any punishment.”
“Thank you for the generous words. However, as a leader of the organization, Duke Huguenot must face some consequence for his actions. That is how severe his past is. You two may not care about the sentence, but I will be deciding one in the next few days.”
Christina bowed her head deeply to Rio and Latifa, expressing her intention to punish Duke Huguenot.
“I will accept whatever sentence you decide. I will not run or hide either. And I vow to never approach Sir Amakawa and his little sister Lady Suzune ever again.”
Duke Huguenot was already in a state of resignation, bowing his head calmly like Christina. There was a brief moment where he looked at Latifa with a complex expression that differed from anger, but that emotion promptly vanished.
“I shouldn’t allow him to remain before the two of you any longer. I will remove him from the room immediately, but please give me a chance to give my apologies and report on the resolution at a later date.”
Christina offered to leave the room, leading the Restoration to the exit before waiting for Rio’s reply. Duke Huguenot followed right after her.
Flora was looking at Rio and Latifa like she wanted to say something, but she probably thought it was best for her not to be the one to initiate conversation. She bowed once and made her way to the door, when...
“U-Um! Princess Flora...and Lady Roanna,” Latifa called out, having made up her mind.
The two paused in their steps.
“The sleepover promise. I really hope you’ll remember to come. You may hate me for being a werebeast, but...everyone else is looking forward to it too...” Latifa timidly invited the two of them.
“I-I don’t hate you at all, Suzune!” Flora burst into tears and hugged Latifa.
“Ah...” Having expected to be scorned or treated with disgust, Latifa looked surprised. “Thank you very much, Princess Flora,” Latifa said with tears in her eyes.
“I should be the one thanking you! I’m sorry, Suzune! Sir Haruto! I-If only I hadn’t almost fallen off the cliff...!” Flora sobbed, bawling at the top of her lungs. She must have been blaming herself in her heart, and those feelings had exploded.
“Flora...”
Christina had left the room with Duke Huguenot but returned when she realized her little sister was crying.
“P-Please don’t cry. If it wasn’t for that incident, I wouldn’t have met Onii-chan. If that had happened, I wouldn’t have been able to meet you, Princess Flora,” Latifa said, giving her thoughts while returning Flora’s hug.
“Suzune!”
Overcome with emotion, Flora started crying even harder. She was no longer in a state where she could move right away.
“I will bring Princess Flora to you later. Please return first, Queen Christina. You go too, Elise,” Roanna said, encouraging Christina to move. Thus, the uproar caused by Stewart more or less came to an end.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login