Chapter 36

“I am being wrongfully accused!”

Earl Nen raised his voice. At the center of the hall, seated on the platform and looking down at the audience, the Emperor’s brow furrowed deeply.

“If I have committed a sin… it is only the fault of raising my child this way!”

‘That’s true…’

‘If we’re pointing fingers, the fault lies with the eldest son, not the Earl.’

The observing nobles silently agreed with this sentiment.

The Emperor had remained silent since earlier, and public opinion was in Earl Nen’s favor. Suppressing his laughter, the Earl put on a pitiful face and pleaded.

“Of course, Clunchid claims he didn’t know such things were happening at the auction house. However, as the manager of the establishment, it is only right that he takes responsibility. My foolish son is deeply remorseful for his actions, so I humbly ask for your mercy.”

A clever mix of acknowledgment, appeal, and a display of fatherly love—his argument, accompanied by a tearful performance, was designed to tug at the heartstrings.

The nobles murmured sympathetically, praising the Earl’s kindness, but their chatter was abruptly cut off by a cold voice.

“You sure know how to spew nonsense at length.”

The atmosphere in the courtroom froze instantly. Earl Nen, who had thought he had succeeded, looked up, bewildered.

“Y-Your Majesty?”

“So you’re claiming you knew nothing, that everything happened behind your back at the auction house?”

“…”

“And now you expect me to believe such nonsense? There’s a limit to how stupid one can be.”

‘Wow, that’s harsh.’

From a hidden corner, Shaterian, who had been observing, felt like whistling and giving a standing ovation.

The Emperor waved his hand dismissively, as if he had heard enough.

“I will now pass judgment. Earl Nen, who has disgraced the honor of the nobility, will be stripped of his title and sentenced to ten years in prison. This applies to all nobles involved in the auction house. As for the main operator of the auction house, Clunchid Nen…”

The courtroom was deathly silent, filled with an air of chilling tension.

“Given the gravity of his crimes and the likelihood of recurrence, he will be sentenced to execution by guillotine. The execution will take place today, in an hour.”

(T/N: A guillotine is a machine that beheads people by dropping a blade onto their neck.)

“W-What? Your Majesty… Your Majesty…!”

“Take him away.”

The Emperor’s golden eyes, radiating authority, showed not a shred of mercy.

“All nobles are to attend the execution. That is an imperial order.”

The nobles, dragged out of the courtroom against their will, swallowed their fear at the terrifying imperial decree.

Shaterian was no exception. Witnessing someone’s death was never a pleasant experience, especially when it involved the gruesome punishment of beheading.

However, Shaterian had a shield of immunity. After all, it was she who had captured the criminal to restore order.

Even so, the sight of young nobles scattered throughout the courtroom weighed on her mind.

Letting out a sigh, Shaterian decided to step forward.

“Your Majesty. Please reconsider the imperial decree.”

In the midst of the grim atmosphere, a single lifeline appeared.

Who would dare challenge an imperial decree? As expected, it was none other than Shaterian Melis, famously known as the “crazy lady.”

“While the criminal deserves the guillotine, what crime have innocent people committed to deserve witnessing such a brutal scene? Moreover, there are young nobles present here… Such sights are not good for their education.”

Her words were entirely reasonable. The Emperor, who had been fuming, scanned the audience with a calmer gaze.

‘Lady Shaterian is making such a sensible argument?’

Amidst the tense atmosphere, the nobles shared the same thought.

Shaterian felt wronged. Although she had spent most of her life behaving recklessly, the past few years had been relatively quiet.

After a brief moment of contemplation, the Emperor spoke.

“Very well. Nobles under the age of twenty are exempt.”

It was a compromise.

Shaterian, satisfied with having protected the young, nodded in agreement.

The nobles began murmuring among themselves.

“Didn’t the lady get kidnapped during her investigation?”

“His Majesty must have been furious to make such a decision…”

“While the punishment for the Nen Earldom was deserved, stripping other nobles of their titles is excessive.”

“Did you hear? The surviving nobles are now outcasts in high society.”

“…”

The murmuring group fell silent, unable to refute the claim of social ostracism.

After all, sixteen noble families were implicated. Many of them were influential figures in high society, even if their titles were below that of an Earl.

Just as Shaterian was about to leave, someone stopped her.

“Lady Shaterian, are you feeling better?”

“Oh… Earl LePell.”

Earl LePell, dressed in a blue gown, asked with concern.

She was the former Countess who, after divorcing her unfaithful husband and expelling him, had taken over the title of Earl herself.

After a brief nod to Eched, the Earl focused all her attention on Shaterian.

“When I heard about the unfortunate incident, I was so shocked…”

“Thank you for your concern. Resting at the estate has helped me recover almost completely.”

“That’s a relief. To think such a scoundrel caused harm to an innocent lady… It must have been terrifying. You’ve been through so much.”

The Earl clutched her chest, recalling the incident, still visibly shaken.

As the Earl continued chatting, Shaterian couldn’t hide her awkwardness.

The stares from other nobles were piercing. They found it strange to see the once self-centered lady conversing with others.

However, not all gazes were hostile. A group of young noblewomen, who had gathered on the terrace during the founding festival, watched with curiosity.

“Even stepping forward earlier… It seems Lady Shaterian has changed a lot, doesn’t it?”

At an age brimming with romantic curiosity, they blushed as they noticed the Duke standing close to the lady.

“I thought the Duke wasn’t interested in romance, but perhaps that’s not the case?”

“Is this what they call the classic male lead who’s only kind to his woman?”

The gaze was so intense. If she stood there any longer, she might just melt away.

“Shall we save the detailed conversation for our next meeting?”

The Earl chuckled softly.

“Are you still feeling shy?”

“Shy…”

‘No, not even as much as the dirt stuck in the lace holes.’

This won’t do. If this continues, the legendary opera ‘Eched and Shaterian’ might actually see the light of day.

“Earl, I don’t want my name to hang on a theater marquee.”

“As expected, using your real name feels a bit awkward, doesn’t it?”

“That’s not what I meant… As I mentioned last time, we are ‘not at all’ in such a relationship.”

She emphasized the word ‘not at all,’ speaking firmly so that not only the Earl but also the ladies behind her could hear. And of course, Eched beside her as well.

Everyone turned to Shaterian with stunned expressions, glancing back and forth between her and Eched, gauging the situation.

The Earl opened his mouth to salvage the situation.

“Oh dear… My apologies. I was being too presumptuous, wasn’t I?”

“Not too much, just a little.”

“…”

The atmosphere turned icy. Shaterian seemed completely unaware of the frozen mood.

No, Shaterian was deliberately pretending not to notice.

‘The sharper someone’s intuition, the more they pretend not to notice.’

Those who flaunt their sharpness are amateurs. True experts grasp the situation early and quietly withdraw.

“W-why is that?”

The reaction resembled the denial one experiences when discovering their favorite celebrity is dating.

“Do I need to explain… that we’re nothing to each other?”

“I-I’m sorry…”

Though she asked as gently as possible, the young lady stammered an apology, seemingly frightened. Her face turned pale, as if she might burst into tears any moment.

“No… Sigh. Shall we call it a day for now? I’ll arrange another meeting later to continue the conversation. I’ll send invitations to the young ladies as well.”

It seemed necessary to set aside a day to thoroughly address the matter.

The Earl quickly responded, sensing the need to change the atmosphere.

“Oh my, if it’s Lady Shaterian’s tea party, I’ll attend without fail.”

“If you invite me, I’ll definitely come.”

“Then I’ll send invitations next time.”

The nobles departed one by one, promising to meet again.

It wasn’t entirely baseless that people misunderstood the situation.

‘What kind of Divine Beast spreads rumors like that…’

Shaterian glanced at Eched with a sharp gaze and stepped away from him.

“Don’t stick too close. It looks like we’re close.”

“Well, since we are close, it shouldn’t matter.”

“Are we close?”

“We share the same room every night. Shouldn’t we be called more than close, perhaps intimate?”

Isn’t that right? 

He even posed the question.

Eched’s casual remark made Shaterian jump in surprise.

“Are you crazy? Don’t say things like that outside. Someone might hear.”

Shaterian warned in a low voice. Of course, Eched, who didn’t care who heard, paid no attention.

As Shaterian feared, their conversation was overheard by someone who absolutely should not have heard it.

Behind them, the current Emperor of the Kentri Empire, Pen Van Net, had a hardened expression.

It was like going to watch a neighbor’s house collapse, only to find out it was his own house—a ridiculous turn of events.

He had been the one to push for their marriage, yet somehow, he felt unsettled.

The Emperor, unable to interject between the two who bickered yet seemed strangely close, quietly turned away.

The story of them sharing the same bed began on the first day of Shaterian’s recovery.