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Throughout the inquiry, Kalintz watched Blair and felt his certainty deepen. His eye for people had not been wrong.

Even framed for murder, she had kept her composure and argued her case steadily.

Maintaining that kind of calm before the king, the queen, and a room full of nobles was not something anyone without real nerve could do.

Well. She’s clearly holding herself together by force.

The way she occasionally bit down on her lip or clenched her fist told him she wasn’t entirely unaffected.

In particular, when she had been standing before Duke Brienne earlier……

The memory of her green eyes wavering with fear surfaced, and the back of his neck went stiff again.

He didn’t know why, but the moment he had seen her trembling in front of the duke, a wave of displeasure had hit him that he couldn’t contain.

How dare anyone.

He was still clenching his jaw against the feeling when the captain of the guard said something unexpected. The man held up a small pouch and said it had been found in Blair’s room.

The revelation that robetaine, the poison that had killed Anais Brienne, had been discovered in Blair’s room sent a ripple through the hall.

Olivia put in quite a bit of effort.

But.

Kalintz swept a sharp glance toward Duke Brienne. In the midst of the commotion, the duke was watching Olivia’s maid with an unpleasant smile.

What is he about to play.

It was nearly time for the duke’s hand to be flipped over.

Sure enough, the maid began saying strange things without warning. That Olivia had bought robetaine to kill Anais, and that Blair had stolen it and committed the crime.

“Truly, it is a cause for grief.”

And then came the speech, right on cue. Punish the frons who had done this terrible thing, abolish the outdated system. The intent was plain: if it couldn’t be his daughter, he would make sure it was no one.

“Ha.”

Kalintz let out a quiet, contemptuous sound.

Duke Brienne had no interest in who had actually killed his daughter.

That’s why, even knowing Olivia was trying to frame Blair, he bought off the maid and wove his own scheme around it.

Using his own daughter’s death for personal gain without a moment’s hesitation. The man was repulsive.

But the foolish nobles took the duke’s every word at face value and nodded along. The voices in the audience hall were growing louder, calling for Blair and Olivia to be punished and the frons abolished.

In the midst of the noise, Blair’s face was going pale. That didn’t sit well with him.

He tapped the armrest.

Her green eyes went wide and round.

Shall I help?

A flash of something prim crossed her clear face as she understood.

But before long, that small head moved up and down in a gratifying way. When he followed with the question about the princess consort position, she nodded again.

The satisfaction that replaced the sour mood of a moment ago was complete.

Blair looked away, flustered by Kalintz’s sudden bright smile.

What is he so pleased about.

Her face was starting to feel warm when a cool voice rang through the hall.

“Duke Brienne seems to have some very interesting things to say.”

Kalintz’s voice, thick with mockery, made Duke Brienne’s eyebrow twitch.

“You were the very one who called it a venerable tradition when recommending Miss Anais as a frons. Have you changed your mind so quickly?”

Kalintz looked down at the duke with his chin resting lazily in his hand.

“……Losing a child changes one’s perspective.”

“Ah, is that so. I nearly misunderstood. You spoke with such passion, as though you had been waiting for this moment.”

The duke’s eyes went cold and flat.

“But precisely because of that, should it not be more important to establish the truth clearly? Rather than debating whether a tradition should continue to exist.”

Kalintz’s sharp words cut into the duke’s conduct, and Queen Rhea, who had been sitting quietly, spoke up.

“The prince is right. This gathering was convened to uncover the truth behind Miss Anais’s death. That purpose must not be obscured.”

Duke Brienne smiled thinly in response.

“Everything has already been made clear. What more is there to uncover.”

“I wonder.”

Kalintz said it with open contempt.

“There is someone here who has been lying consistently from the very beginning. I fail to see what has been made clear.”

“……”

Kalintz’s amber eyes flashed like a predator’s.

“Miss Blair was with me that day. So I genuinely cannot understand what she is supposed to have stolen, or who she is supposed to have killed.”

“……What do you mean. She was with you?”

King Rubens, who had been silent, turned to Kalintz.

“Yes, Father. At the time this maid claims to have seen Blair, Miss Blair was with me. Outside the palace walls.”

“Outside the palace?”

The unexpected testimony made the king’s voice rise as he asked again.

Everyone else turned to look back and forth between the prince and Blair with expressions of bewilderment.

But Blair was just as startled.

He’s saying it outright? The fact that she left the palace can’t come out.

Kalintz, however, continued without missing a beat.

“That day, I was on my way out of the palace for an incognito outing.”

“Don’t tell me you snuck out again with that ridiculous wig.”

King Rubens looked thoroughly displeased.

“You always taught me that knowing the lives of the people is essential for a leader, Father.”

He really has no shame.

Blair nearly let out a laugh at Kalintz’s brazen answer.

“In any case, I was heading toward the palace wall near the north gate. Unfortunately…… Miss Blair, who happened to be enjoying a walk in the area, spotted me.”

Wait. It was me who got caught sneaking out. And what north gate wall? Not the lake?

The story had been considerably reworked, and Blair tilted her head slightly.

“She immediately tried to call for the captain of the guard. Understandable, given that I was in disguise and she had no idea who I was.”

He had been the one to threaten to call the guard, that much was true.

“So I took the liberty of throwing her over my shoulder and taking her out of the palace with me.”

That never happened at all!

Blair had to fight with everything she had to keep her expression in check. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, everyone was far more interested in what the prince was saying.

“Oh my…… he threw her over his shoulder?”

“Could it be that he fell for her right then and there……”

Other people’s love stories were always entertaining.

“……Prince. How could you do something so improper.”

Queen Rhea rebuked him in a somewhat stern voice, and the murmuring in the room quieted.

“After we were outside the palace, I revealed my identity to Miss Blair and explained the situation.”

Kalintz continued without a trace of shame.

“And since returning immediately was not an option, I asked her to accompany me on the outing. She stayed with me for the rest of that day. We only returned to the palace after sundown. And yet……”

Kalintz let his voice trail off and turned a cold look on Olivia and her maid.

“I find myself genuinely curious as to how she managed to steal Olivia’s robetaine and commit a murder.”

Every eye in the room turned to Olivia’s maid. Unlike a moment ago, the maid had gone ashen and her fingertips were shaking.

“I will ask you again. Was the person you saw that day truly Blair Mervish.”

“Th, that is……”

The maid, who had been insisting moments ago that she knew exactly what she saw, couldn’t get the words out.

Trembling, Olivia broke in.

“Evidence…… do you have evidence? Your Highness may simply be saying this because you have feelings for Blair!”

“Are you suggesting that I, the prince of this kingdom, would commit perjury over personal feelings?”

Kalintz’s voice was ice, and Olivia shrank back, shaking.

He’s embellishing quite a bit, but the bones of it are right.

Blair was nearly beside herself at Kalintz’s dazzling way with words.

She was about to open her mouth to add something in support when Kalintz reached into his br*ast pocket and began drawing something out.

“Evidence, you say. Should I show you something like this?”

No. Surely not. He wouldn’t.

A bad feeling flashed through Blair’s mind.

Blair saw the small brooch in Kalintz’s hand and nearly choked.

“This is the brooch she dropped when I carried her over the wall that day.”

She was still reeling at how calmly he was fitting the pieces together when Selina’s clear voice rang out.

“Oh my?! Isn’t that the old brooch Blair always carries around so carefully? I can tell just from that tacky little ornament.”