Chapter 145: Public Apology Or Rather Trial [2]

Chapter 145

Maria added her voice to the chorus, weeping dramatically. "She truly must be punished, Father! The Northern Fortress should be searched immediately; who knows what other dark plots she hides within her walls?"

Sigrid’s eyes widened slightly at Maria’s dangerously sly request to raid her Northern home. Does the Crown Princess truly believe the Duke left incriminating evidence lying about? Is this another ploy to destroy both me and the Duke? Sigrid bit down hard on the inside of her cheek, quellling a surge of rising fury. Calm yourself, Sigrid. The Duke is no fool, and I shall not let these rats destroy my house.

Stepping directly into the center of the hall, Sigrid raised her voice so that it rang crystal clear across every corner of the opulent chamber. "You will do no such thing, Crown Princess! Yes, you wear the crown prince’s ring, but I remain a reigning Duchess of Arkovia, and you shall not authorize searches based on baseless, manufactured lies!"

Celestine stepped into her path, sneering. "And what tangible evidence do you possess to disprove these documents, Duchess? The King holds your own handwriting!"

Sigrid reached out, taking the disputed letters directly from the King’s bewildered hands. She held them up toward the light, pointing to the bottom corner of the parchment. "Indeed, the handwriting is a masterclass in forgery. But look closely at the custom wax seal and the embedded watermark."

Sigrid turned the true letter over, revealing the distinct insignia. "Every official piece of correspondence originating from my private study bears a custom watermark of a snow lily with precisely six petals—a rare flower that blooms exclusively in the freezing highlands of the North, infused with a distinct crystalline hue. While the forged letter addressed to Count Varenne attempts to mimic the lily, it features only five petals. Furthermore, the parchment itself lacks the northern mineral infusion."

A collective gasp of realization swept through the assembly as the nobles craned their necks to verify the discrepancy. Celestine’s face drained of color, her composure cracking visibly. "That... that proves nothing regarding your threats to the Viscount!" Celestine stammered.

Sigrid turned her icy gaze toward the trembling figure of Viscount Henry Dumbledore, who stood near the back of the room, sweating profusely. "Did the Viscount ever formally confess to you?" Sigrid asked loudly.

Celestine blinked, disoriented. "He was ready to—"

"He never confessed anything to you," Sigrid interrupted smoothly. Locking her eyes onto the terrified nobleman, she couldn’t use her sight at will but her judgment with the right conditions...

Her crimson eyes flared with a brilliant, hypnotic luminescence. Her judgment Sight possessed a dual nature: not only did it lay bare the hidden fears and secrets of a soul, but it also held the power to pass absolute judgment—and the catalyst for that judgment was unmitigated, crushing guilt. And right now, guilt radiated from Henry Dumbledore in waves.

"Tell me the absolute truth, Viscount," Sigrid commanded, her voice dropping into a hypnotic, inescapable register. Henry’s knees buckled under the weight of her gaze. Turning slowly away from Celestine, the wretched nobleman shouted out in despair, "The Duchess told me nothing of her plan! I was threatened! I was forced to lie!"

Another violent wave of gasps rocked the hall, and Celestine staggered back, her face turning chalk-white. From the middle of the crowd, an independent merchant raised his hand, shouting, "I witnessed Count Varenne approach the Crown Princess at the ball before Duchess Sigrid! Duchess Sigrid looked utterly panicked!"

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the courtiers as the fabricated narrative unraveled before their eyes.

Maria’s face lost all semblance of color, her knees trembling beneath her heavy skirts. Sigrid smiled coldly, turning her attention back to the pale Countess. "As is now abundantly clear to everyone assembled," Sigrid announced, her voice carrying a crisp, unyielding authority across the silent hall, "I have been wrongfully accused and deliberately framed." She pivoted gracefully, fixing her gaze upon the trembling figure of the Viscount. "Now, Lord Dumbledore... I bid you speak the truth before this high court. Name the coward who compelled you through threats to commit perjury."

Henry opened his mouth, terrified of the unseen shadows behind his tormentors. It must be a threat of monumental proportions to break a high noble so completely, Sigrid thought. Finally, Sigrid turned her gaze to Celestine and Queen Evelyn, whose expressions burned with pure, unadulterated hatred.

A brilliant, ruthless smile curved across Sigrid’s lips as she delivered the final, crushing blow. "Perhaps this vile plot was orchestrated by factions within the capital who are deeply unhappy with the Crown itself—individuals willing to go to such desperate lengths to frame the Crown Princess, and by extension, myself."

King Reginald blinked in sheer confusion. "What are you implying, Duchess?"

Celestine stared at Sigrid in sheer terror, realizing too late the trap she had walked into. Sigrid stepped closer to the trembling Countess, whispering softly so only she could hear. "I can only assume these conspirators coerced you into carrying out their dirty work, Countess. How tragic that you allowed yourself to be used as a disposable pawn."

Celestine gasped, desperately trying to salvage her crumbling standing. "No! That is—I was merely—"

"Do not worry, Countess," Sigrid interrupted smoothly, her melodious voice effortlessly commandeering the silence of the throne room. "His Majesty and the assembly can plainly see that you, too, were merely an unwitting instrument in this elaborate deceit. It is obvious that the true masterminds behind this treasonous plot preyed upon your earnest devotion to the Crown Princess, manipulating your loyalty to serve their own malevolent ends. You are as much a victim of their calculated villainy as the rest of us, and I harbor no desire to see an innocent noblewoman punished for being misled."

Celestine’s mouth remained slightly open, a flicker of sheer shock and desperate relief washing over her pale face as she hastily nodded along. "Yes! Exactly, Your Grace... I was utterly deceived by those who sought to undermine the realm!"

Sigrid offered her a small, tranquil incline of her head, though her crimson eyes burned with a frigid, predatory delight. Do not mistake this for mercy, Celestine, Sigrid reflected privately, a cold smile lingering beneath her composed mask. Executing you now would be far too quick, far too easy. I would much rather keep you alive on the board—spared by my grace, bound by debt, and forced to watch from the very front row as I systematically dismantle Maria and tear down everything you fools fought so desperately to protect.