Chapter 13 – Part 7

“I was afraid that ……if this became known, not only I but also Alaina would be blamed, so I did not tell my brother, even though I knew he could not be the emperor’s father.”

Callian jerked his head toward Leonard.

Silence still hung in the vast courtroom.

The sound of journalists flipping through their notebooks could be heard rapidly.

After hesitating for a while, Callian cautiously raised his head.

“But, Your Majesty, there are only two people currently fit to succeed the Marquisate of Salvatore, myself and Alaina. I deserve to be punished for not telling the truth all these years to cover my own sins, but Alaina is innocent of anyone’s wrongdoing, so…….”

It was a request for permission for Alaina’s succession.

Isaac continued to struggle, as if to say something, but he was held back by the guards’ firm grip.

Leonard glanced at him, then turned his attention back to Callian.

“Of course, if what you say is true, there should be no problem with Alaina inheriting the title of Marchioness Salvatore, given that she is confirmed to be of Salvatore lineage. However, discussions may be needed regarding your disposition.”

“…….”

Callian’s head snapped up wordlessly, but there was an indelible look of relief on his face.

Alaina merely sat there, her mouth clamped shut to hide her confusion.

Leonrard looked back at the judge.

“I think we’re at the end of the story, don’t you?”

“Yes, yes. Your Majesty.”

The judge, who had been absent-minded for a while, replied in surprise.

After clearing his throat a few times, he declared a brief recess.

Leonard pushed his way across the tumultuous courtroom and sat down beside Tenere again.

“……Your Majesty.”

Tenere addressed him cautiously. And then,

“Fuhahaha!”

It was at that moment that Eric, sitting across from him, burst out laughing.

Tenere tried to stop him, fearing he’d hurt his barely healed wound, but he slammed his fist down on the table and scowled.

All eyes turned to them, but Eric didn’t care.

“Wow, after all that bravado, he really….. was a snitch?”

“Brother, can you say something…….”

“Eh? Ah, okay. What do you call a snitch, then, an infertile person?”

“You could just say ……infertile and lower your voice a little bit…….”

Tenere whispered, and Eric stopped laughing, catching his breath.

But the way he covered his mouth and lifted his shoulders every now and then made it clear that he was still laughing.

Tenere patted him on the back and turned her head toward Leonard.

“Is Alaina…… going to be okay?”

Although the plan was to make Callian Alaina’s father, if that was indeed true, it would have been a shock.

And herself, too.

“And, Your Majesty, if what the Viscount says is true, perhaps I too…….”

“Even if it were, it wouldn’t change anything.”

Leonard interrupted her.

“No matter who your father is, you are my empress.”

His voice was clear, as if to assure her, and Tenere nodded in silence.

After a brief recess, the judge reentered the courtroom and bowed slightly to Leonard.

He sat down in a dignified manner and began to read from his organized verdict.

“The head of the Salvatore Ducal House, Isaac Salvatore, must become a role model for other nobles of the Empire of Evgenia. However, not only did he trespass on others’ territories with impure intentions, but he also attempted to shift the blame onto innocent people.”

The sentence began with the weakest offense.

The judge went on to mention Laura’s minor injuries, the deaths and injuries of six others who used Hale’s castle, and the grievous wounding of Marquis Eric.

“In addition, you have bribed the court to prevent the birth of an heir to the throne and have threatened the Crown Prince and Empress on three occasions with abortifacients, assassination guilds, and knights of the Marquis, even though the Empress has taken full responsibility and chosen to abdicate.”

“It’s a frame-up. It’s all a frame-up, all concocted by the Emperor to deny my blood……! Ugh!”

The judge paused as Isaac struggled for the last time.

“Alaina, how dare you betray your father? Callian, after all I’ve done for you……!”

The guards quickly subdued him, and the judge cleared his throat and resumed reading the verdict.

“Isaac Salvator denies the above crimes and claims paternity to the Emperor and asks for immunity, but tests have shown that he had been infertile for a long time, so there is no basis for his claim.”

Isaac still struggled to accept the news.

But the guards shoved a handkerchief into his mouth, and he merely squirmed and struggled.

The judge, seemingly unconcerned by the scene, continued.

“To deny the blood of the Emperor, the owner of Evgenia, in order to cover your own sins is an insult to the Imperial family, and by extension, to the entire imperial family.

Having said that much, the judge took a deep breath in and out as if with effort.

His gaze settled on Isaac.

“You are sentenced to …… death.”

It was a foregone conclusion.

The guards dragged Isaac away, struggling too weak to scream, and Tenere swept her hand across her chest.

Her gaze fell to where Alaina sat.

Alaina was sitting there, no longer able to hide her confused face.

She didn’t look at Callian, and she didn’t look at Isaac.

When her eyes met Tenere’s, she lifted the corner of her mouth slightly, as if to say she was fine, but she didn’t look comfortable.

Tenere looked around at the curious gazes and stiffened.

“……If we go now, we’ll get more stares, right?”

Leonard nodded slowly at Tenere’s question.

Tenere glanced in Alaina’s direction, then forced herself to look away.

***
As Isaac Salvator was led away, one by one, those who had been watching the trial left the courtroom.

While no one dared to openly mock or curse while the Emperor still held his seat, members of the noble faction supporting Isaac couldn’t hide their discomfort as they passed by, often clicking their tongues or coughing uncomfortably.

Alaina and Callian sat there for a long time.

Callian still hadn’t lifted his head.

Only when Tenere and Leonard had left the courtroom, both of whom looked at her with pity, did Alaina speak.

“……You’re not lying, are you?”

“…….”

“You only said that to keep my position in the Marquisate, didn’t you?”

Alaina’s question was more of a plea than a conviction.

That his words weren’t true. That he had lied just to protect her.

But Callian didn’t give her the answer she wanted.

“I’m sorry, Alaina.”

“…….”

“I’ve been trying to get you to…….”

Callian trailed off. Alaina raised her eyebrows, unable to find the words to respond.

“……Why didn’t you say anything until now?”

Alaina asked. Callian hesitated for a long moment.

“I tried to convince myself that you were not my daughter.”

After Isabelle’s death, Callian couldn’t get rid of the thought that he was to blame for her death.

Because he had a child not with her husband but with his brother. Because he was vainly greedy, Isabelle died, and he lost her.

If he hadn’t yielded to her demands, she wouldn’t have died.

His guilt was compounded by Isaac’s willingness to give him the Viscount Stuart title.

Unlike his parents, who valued only the fittest, he had always looked out for his brother.

And now he has betrayed him.

“I also tried to think of you as his daughter. Because I thought my brother cared for you, it’s good for you to be his daughter…”

Despite all his efforts to shake off his regrets, Callian could not forget Isabelle. Especially when he saw her daughter, who looked like her.

Every time he saw himself harboring resentment without understanding, he felt ashamed and fled to his estate as if escaping, but wasn’t even that estate given to him by his older brother?

Although he knew Isaac had betrayed Isabelle and committed adultery with the empress, it didn’t diminish his guilt.

Every time he acted like a good brother, like an affectionate father, Callian had to make an effort to abandon his desires.

‘She’s not my daughter. She’s my brother’s daughter. She’s his daughter, the daughter of a brother who cares for the brother who betrayed him without knowing it.’

But the moment Isaac was declared infertile, the moment his cornered brother shouted denouncing Alaina without hesitation, he had no choice but to speak.

As he continued to talk about the person he’d tried to forget, his unreasonable greed reared its ugly head.

“Despite what happened, I still feel guilty toward him, for he truly loved you, and he was a good brother to me.”

“…….”

“So don’t blame him too much either. A father can’t always be perfect. His outburst was just… inevitable, given his circumstances.”

Callian spoke soothingly to Alaina.

He didn’t want her to hate Isaac.

Isaac had been her father for all these years, and the fact that he blurted out his emotions for a moment didn’t erase that fact.

“I’m not disappointed in him.”

Alaina replied like an understanding daughter, but her expression remained stony.

“He’s the one who thought His Majesty and I were siblings and tried to marry us off, and the one who sold me into slavery in the mines when he found me after running away.”

“…….”

“I couldn’t be expected to be disappointed by such a man, could I?”

“Alaina, that’s…….”

“I don’t care if my uncle believes in my father or not; he’s going to die anyway, but don’t force that belief on me.”

Alaina spoke in her usual clear voice.

It was the same face that Isabelle had used to inform Isaac of his infidelity.

After staring at her for a long moment, Callian spoke.

“Alaina, if you still wish to be Empress, you must…….”

Alaina raised one eyebrow in question.

Callian hesitated a moment.

“Of course, it won’t be easy with the existence of the Crown Prince, but now that it’s known you’re not related to His Majesty, it’s not impossible. So…”

“I have no such thoughts.”

“…….”

“Not once since the day I ran away from the capital have I ever thought of being Empress, and I never will.”

Callian looked at Alaina with a pensive expression.

He knew that too. Alaina’s words hadn’t changed from the beginning to now.

His brother had said that she would betray her father in her desire to become Empress, but Alaina showed no interest in that position at all.

“I’m sorry, Alaina. I… I haven’t really listened to your story properly until now.”

A faint disbelief subtly lifted its head.

It had been coming from the moment his brother had shouted, denouncing Alaina without hesitation.

No, perhaps it started when he met Alaina in Isabelle’s room.

As he began to remember the person buried in his heart, he started to see the face of the deceased in his daughter’s face.

“If it’s okay now… could you tell me in detail what happened between you and my brother?”

At the cautious tone of his voice, Alaina turned to face Callian.

She nodded slowly.

“Come to the mansion first. I have something to check.”

After listening to Alaina’s story to the end, Callian said it with a stern face.

Alaina glanced over at him.

“……Do you believe me?”

“It’s natural for a father to believe his daughter’s words.”

“…….”

“Of course, it’s not something I should say, having never listened to you before now.”

Callian smiled bitterly, as if blaming himself.

Alaina didn’t nod, but she didn’t deny it either.

“I have some business at the palace, too. I’ll meet you at the manor later.”

She gestured toward the main palace, where Leonard was staying. Callian nodded and turned in the opposite direction from her.