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Chapter 194: Purple Tulip (1)

“The Count finally touched the reverse scale.”

“What is it? Isn’t the House of Andresy an extremely devoted house?”

“That itself was the issue.”

Only the Empress’ closest confidants such as Duke Simon de Sarnez and Marquis François Duhem maintained their poker faces.

Most of them looked astonished.

Eva, who was here in place of Duchess Cecil Blanquer, looked quite shocked as well.

I slightly turned my head.

Beyond the sculpture-like side view of the Imperial Crown Prince, I could see Cardinal Boutier to Empress Frédérique’s right side.

“Leave it to us from here.”

She mouthed to me. The sentence was pretty long but that was the gist of it.

“These are her Majesty’s criminals, Count Gerald Andresy and Lady Andresy!”

– Boom!

As soon as that happened… The attendant made the announcement and the large doors to the audience room opened.

Captain Hervé Duhem dragged the Count in with his thick arms.

Lady Andresy was walking about two steps behind them, with the Imperial Guard keeping their eyes on her.

I was surprised after looking at the couple. The two of them looked gentle and elegant.

They did not look like terrible people who had iron for blood to throw children away and live as if nothing had happened.

The criminals quickly arrived at the bottom of the steps up to the Empress.

– Plop!

Captain Duhem basically threw the Count down.

The Captain’s light pink eyes were full of scorn as he looked at the man.

It was to be expected, but he seemed to have heard the whole story about Madame Victoire during the night.

“It’s been a while, Count Andresy.”

“I greet the sun that has descended to the ground.”

The middle-aged man was kneeling as he calmly showed his respect.

He did not bow to beg, nor was his voice shaking.

He truly looked and sounded like a noble.

The Empress’s cherry-colored eyes sparkled like a newly-sharpened blade.

“You should know of your crimes.”

“… It will be a crime if you call it a crime, your Majesty.”

“My goodness, Count Andresy! Snap back to your senses!”

Christelle, who was standing behind her father, scowled while I bit my lip in shock at the Count’s response.

‘Did I hear him properly? He himself does not believe he did anything wrong?’

“Do you want to see the blade of Durandal?”

“Quickly confess and ask for her imperial benevolence!”

A portion of the nobles were loudly scolding him.

However, the Count simply looked forward with a calm demeanor.

He was so calm that it gave me the chills. The Empress broke the silence.

“Twenty five years ago, you threw away your two year old daughter in the forest near the Lord’s Castle. That child grew up to become a thief.”

“…”

“Victoire. That was the only thing written on the note your servant hid in the basket.”

“Victoire D’Andresy. It’s the thief who tried to steal Prince Jesse,” Eva pointed out.

The nobles’ jaws dropped after hearing that.

Some of the people here knew about it, but more people did not know the details of the Count’s crime.

Some of the people who finally put the puzzle together became loudly angry and pointed at him.

“How could you throw your own flesh and blood in the mountains?! That’s basically telling them to die!”

“You should have sent them to be adopted. No, you should have never had a child in the first place! Is that something you should do as a child of the Almighty God?”

“I did it because I am a child of the Almighty God.”

The Count suddenly answered. The crowd turned completely quiet as if someone had poured cold water over them.

The Empress was looking down at him with a calm gaze.

“Do keep running your mouth.”

“…A healthy plate and a complete body. If they lack such basic foundational pieces, how can they fulfill the will of the Almighty God in their life?”

‘What… What kind of bullshit is this?’

“I am not talking about above average intelligence or physical strength. I am simply saying that they must do the basics if they are born. If they are unable to honor the Almighty God, there is no value in continuing their already deficient life.”

‘This trash-like bastard!’

“Please watch your mouth!”

I suddenly shouted. I felt extremely upset. The entire hall froze up at my shouting.

I was so angry that I was boiling inside.

“Who are you to put a value on someone’s life and control their life and death? Choosing a path forward should only be based on a person’s own decision. Until a child becomes cognizant enough to make such a decision, any and all of them should be protected. Whether they have physical discomfort or their plate is broken… Why does any of that matter?”

Huff, huff. I was breathing extremely heavily. I quickly tried to catch my breath and looked around.

I finally realized that all eyes were focused on me.

Christelle was blankly looking at me. My lips dried out thinking I had made a mistake.

My cheeks instantly flushed and my neck turned red.

I was so embarrassed it even felt as if my eyelashes were shaking.

Crown prince Cédric quietly looked at me before giving a short glance to the attendants of the Empress Palace.

“Excuse us, your highness.”

“Uhh, of course.”

They instantly brought over a chair for me to sit on and an appleade with mint leaves and ice was placed in my warm hands.

I blankly answered and looked up at the crown prince on the platform.

‘Umm, your mother and godmother are the only ones seated right now. Is it really okay for me to sit?

‘…Is the appleade in place of cidre?’

“The prince has made things easier for this Empress.”

The Empress calmly commented.

I gulped down the sweet and cool ade as my eyes roamed around.

I couldn’t tell whether the Count and his wife’s faces were red or blue.

They were probably humiliated at the fact that I exposed them but could only grumble internally without responding back.

‘Such crude and wicked people. Go to hell.’

“The silk clothes you put on the child when you threw her away and the diamond necklace she stole from the County are here as evidence. The Imperial appraiser confirmed this morning that it is the real 120-year-old article.”

“…”

My teacher slowly explained.

Her beige-colored eye blinked emotionlessly underneath her golden monocle.

I got chills for a moment.

“Child abandonment is not your only crime. Your wife’s carriage hit that child and killed her, but you did not report it. You paid off her family to quiet them instead of going through the court per the law. Prince Jesse has confirmed that this testimony was true and the witnesses to the confession include four people, one being the crown prince.”

“These motherfucking trash.”

Margrave Caroline Moutet, who returned to the Imperial Capital for the first time in a long while, swore in front of the Empress.

However, nobody dared to even glare at her as she was a sword master.

In fact, everybody seemed disgusted at the Count’s cruelty.

Eva was covering her mouth with both hands as she looked up at me. I slowly nodded my head.

Everything was true.

“I’m sure that you are both well-aware of the fact that this is a concealment of fatality. You two are supposedly blessed with intelligence, per your own words.”

“…”

“You both should also know that this is not the end.”

The Count jerked his head up after hearing the Cardinal’s comments. His eyes flashed.

“Your Eminence, that is not true. Please do not mock our family like that. My father and grandmother made extremely rational judgments…!”

“You threw children away. Multiple children over three generations. Maybe it started long before that.”

I quietly sighed. As I expected, the Empress and her partner were aware of it.

The nobles in the back were loudly condemning the Count’s crimes.

However, the Count did not lower his head. The man’s gaze sparkled with lunacy.

“It is for the mighty god of our continent. We have served our lord with perfect mind and body!”

“The Almighty God does not want tyranny from humans. There is no such verse in the holy text either.”

The Count suddenly tried to dart.

The Captain of the Imperial Guard quickly pushed his shoulder down to suppress him. The man was basically spitting as he shouted.

“Humans must be flawless. You know that is the case. Your Eminence!”

“Stop.”

She cut him off. Her voice was as cold as an iceberg.

“I will not vouch for your family’s faith.”

“Ah ah! How… How could this be…”

Lady Andresy started tearing up.

It was the face of someone being persecuted by the world.

I was at a loss for words and just quietly sat there. It was terrible.

The couple were already at a point where they could not apologize for their actions.

The dead Henriette was their daughter.

But their only sadness seemed to come from the fact that the ‘Royal Daughter of Faith’ would not approve of their faith.

This was not the thought process of normal people.

“The old lady who looked after that child was a daughter thrown away by the Countess two generations ago. It was probably for the same reason you blabbed about.”

“Ha, ha….”

The Empress commented. Count Andresy’s face took turns turning blue and yellow.

He was gasping through his completely dry lips.

It seemed quite humiliating that their ‘life as believers’ was ending during his generation.

However, there was no mercy. The Imperial Decree came in a stern voice.

“Starting today, this Empress is relieving Count Gerald Andresy of his title and taking back his territory. The Imperial records will also not recognize any of his or the past Count’s achievements. The Count and his partner will be imprisoned for life for child abandonment, abuse, and concealment of fatality. Based on the severity of their crimes and their lack of remorse for their actions, they will also not get any chance of bail. The staff who committed the sins at their command will not be able to avoid this Empress’s wrath either.”

“Your majesty! This is not fair!”

“Shut up!”

Some shouted and some pointed their fingers. I could see Eva clenching her small fists.

I really wanted to be standing by her side. Marquis Duhem had his eyes closed.

Duke Sarnez was looking at the Count and his wife with a tranquil gaze.

“Your child is still not of age, so I will choose to believe that they have not committed the same sins. As a result, a small amount of funds will be left for him as he will have to now be self-reliant. The rest of your wealth will be confiscated into the Imperial Treasury. This will be used to create an orphanage in the Imperial family’s territory and to hire medical staff.”

“No, you cannot do that, your Majesty! My son!”

Lady Andresy started shouting. There wasn’t the slightest movement in the Empress’s steel-like demeanor.

She gently motioned with her chin and,

“Stand up.”

“Your Majesty, your Majesty! Please listen to me, your Majesty!”

“Your Eminence!”

Captain Duhem and the Imperial Guard grabbed the two of them and dragged them to the door.

I was tightly clenching onto the cup and glared at them until they were completely gone.

‘Be persecuted forever and suffer in prison.

‘No matter how terrible your lives become, it won’t be as bad as what Old lady Pomme and Henriette had to go through.’

“You all should have seen clearly.”

The Empress commented. Her head was looking forward.

Everybody looked toward the throne.

“This Empress respects each and every one of your rights to autonomy. I have no interest in pressuring those who are doing good jobs.”

“…”

“However, do not believe that you will be safe if you commit crimes while avoiding the eyes of the Imperial family.”

She warned in a husky and gloomy voice.

“Do not believe that I will also overlook the issues that my mother and my grandfather missed.”

She looked so scary. I got the chills despite not having done anything wrong.

It reminded me of an old saying, ‘confess and find the light.’

Everybody must have been feeling similar things as they did their best to not make eye contact with the Empress.

Only Marquis Duhem was smiling elegantly as he shot finger arrows at us.

‘Must be nice being a proud collateral line of the Imperial family…’

“Next.”

However, that was not all. I flinched and turned my gaze.

Vice Captain Élisabeth, who had been standing at attention, moved as soon as the Empress spoke.

She walked to the door and opened it without any hesitation.

– Boom!

A combination of familiar and unfamiliar faces showed up.

Numerous bound nobles were waiting outside.

‘That person is the one who hit the twenty year old young man in the tavern…’

“Now it is time to fuck up the people who disobeyed the Imperial Decree and excessively taxed the commoners, threatening their livelihoods.”

The Empress almost growled.

I bit down on the piece of apple in the ade and blankly looked at her.

‘Damn, I might fall in love with her like this.’

*

Some time passed after that.

The sun started setting outside the Empress Palace and the criminals were all dragged out. I thought today’s judgments were all done.

However…

“Prince Jesse. Her Majesty has invited you to the Rear Tulip Garden.”

Chief of Staff Laura bowed toward me as she said that.

I slowly put down the sixth piece of bugne I was eating as snacks.

The Empress and my teacher had already left the audience room, and the other nobles were quickly leaving as well.

Benjamin and Ganael were walking over in the distance with a robe and gloves.

I wiped my mouth with a napkin and nodded my head.

‘…Do tulips even bloom in December?’

—

Translator’s Comments

Ether pig gonna go crazy if you say that out loud…