Chapter 78 – The Public Trial

After the vassals had departed, Edelweiss remained in the conference hall to speak privately with Tessen.

“How did you pull it off?”

At her question, Tessen smirked and twisted his lips.

“I gave him a choice: lose the ducal seat through Count Redian’s voting rights in the council, or hand it over willingly.”

“You had something to blackmail him with?”

“There’s proof that the Duke secretly purchased Vishne.”

Vishne.

A hallucinogenic, highly addictive herb that had been strictly banned.

Only then did Edelweiss fully grasp the situation.

Tessen had been steadily collecting the Duke’s weaknesses all this time.

“Edelweiss, even now… you can still divorce and return to the duchy. The Duke will retreat to the territory, and Rosemary will rot away in prison for the rest of her life with a life sentence. At the ducal estate, just the two of us—”

“……”

Tessen leaned toward her.

His gaze was as steady as ever, but there was a hint of desperation in his voice.

“Of course… I know you can’t forgive me right away. I’ll make it up to you. So please, Edelweiss.

Come back.”

But Edelweiss’s expression cooled instantly.

Tessen struggled to hide the urgency in her silence.

“I was wrong,” he said. “Truly.”

Regret flickered faintly in his eyes.

She had missed those affectionate eyes so deeply.

There was a time when she had longed to hear him say those very words.

Edelweiss closed her eyes for a moment.

Her heart had wavered—it was true.

Unlike the Duke of Stern, who had done nothing for her, Tessen had once been a kind brother.

He was the one who had caught her when she fell from the tree, smiling helplessly as if she were incorrigible.

He gave the love the Duke of Stern could not.

Yet—

Edelweiss closed her eyes and recalled her most wretched memory: the day Tessen passed the entrance examination and left for the academy.

He was going a full year early; he could have delayed.

Knowing that, Edelweiss had chased him barefoot, not even taking time to put on shoes, as he climbed into the carriage.

‘O-brother! I’ll behave, truly—I won’t cry anymore and I’ll do everything you say. So please don’t go, can’t you stay by my side?’

“You irritate me whenever I see you. Do you still not understand why I took the exam earlier than planned?”

‘B-brother.’

‘Don’t call me brother.’

Tessen coldly pried her hand away and left.

“When were we ever such loving siblings?”

“……”

“Not now—and likely never.”

Edelweiss let out a bitter, mocking laugh.

On her way toward the entrance she ran straight into the Duke of Stern. Edelweiss stopped.

“…I’m sorry, Edelweiss.”

First Tessen, and now even the Duke.

At the sound of her name, her cooled anger flared anew.

Fatigue blurred her vision; she bit her lip against the throbbing headache.

“Now that you know Rosemary isn’t your real daughter, you suddenly feel sorry for me?”

“…Edelweiss.”

“If she really were your daughter, you wouldn’t feel any regret—and I’m sure you’d be saving Rosemary right now.”

The Duke couldn’t speak.

His silence was as good as agreement.

Edelweiss brushed past him and left the mansion.

She could still see her younger self waiting by the door for the Duke—a memory she was ready to release at last.

***

Rosemary’s trial began the very next day. Because it was public, the courtroom was packed with nobles.

“What on earth? She lied about carrying Prince Adolf’s child?”

“She wasn’t even pregnant! If she hadn’t been exposed, she’d have smuggled in a newborn and pretended it was hers.”

“I hear Baron Benel disowned her, so she’s being tried as a commoner.”

Edelweiss blinked, trying to focus through the haze. The dizziness was bad today.

“Order, please. We will now convene the trial of Rosemary Widen.”

With the chief justice’s solemn voice, proceedings began. Noise settled as Rosemary, bound by Imperial Knights, was led in.

“Rosemary Widen, the defendant deceived the Imperial Family by claiming to be pregnant with the child of His Highness, Second Prince Adolf Rejenoel. Do you acknowledge this?”

“No! I was pregnant, but I miscarried! I was too afraid to speak of losing the baby!”

Edelweiss allowed herself a faint, scoffing smile. Hoping for leniency by claiming a miscarriage, was she?

Rosemary’s personal physician stepped to the witness stand, as though he had awaited this moment.

“Witness, state your identity and take the oath.”

“I am Evan Schultz, and for ten years I have served as Lady Rosemary’s personal physician at House Stern. I swear to speak the truth, withholding nothing.”

“Has Rosemary Widen ever been pregnant?”

“…No, she has not. Lady Rosemary is infertile. She has never conceived.”

Murmurs rippled through the gallery.

“You provided the certificate claiming she was pregnant—submitted to the Imperial Household. Why does your testimony differ now?”

The chief justice’s sharp question made Evan hesitate briefly before he spoke.

“Lady Rosemary threatened my family. As a physician, I have done something unforgivable; I now follow my conscience and tell the truth.”

He stepped down from the witness stand, relief in his eyes.

When Rosemary began to thrash, the guards restrained her.

“AAAAAH!”

She screamed and turned to Duke Stern.

“Father, save me—! Father!”

Yet the duke lowered his eyes, avoiding her gaze.

“So the Duke of Stern finally cast off his bastard.”

“Well, after crimes like these, how could he protect her? Still—only a life sentence? She ought to be a public example on the scaffold.”

The nobles’ mocking whispers spread.

“For insulting the Imperial Family and lying even here in this sacred court, I sentence Rosemary Widen to life imprisonment.”

At the chief justice’s signal, the guards dragged her away. Rosemary followed weakly, then suddenly veered.

“It’s that girl’s fault. I did nothing wrong. It’s all—!”

She pulled a shard of glass hidden in her sleeve and spun around.

Everything happened so quickly the guards lost hold of her.

Her gaze fixed on a single target—

only Edelweiss.

“Die!”

With a shriek she lunged, slashing the glass straight at Edelweiss’s belly. Dizzy, Edelweiss couldn’t dodge; she squeezed her eyes shut.

“Edelweiss!”

Damian’s shout pierced her ears.

She felt an arm seize her, pushing her backward. Opening her eyes, she saw Damian’s broad back.

Damian…? When did he arrive?

The shard drove deep into Damian’s side.

Edelweiss watched, unable to breathe, as the metallic scent of blood spread through the courtroom.

“No, no… Your Highness Damian, no—why you!” Rosemary stumbled back, shaking her head.

Damian yanked out the glass in one motion, shielding Edelweiss behind him.

“Seize the traitor who attempted to murder the Grand Duchess!”

At his command, Rosemary collapsed to the floor, strength gone.