The Shocking News
Dazed and out of her mind, Olivia slowly looked at Johan.
“What do you mean… Miss Burkin is… dead?” Her lips trembled as she bit them and then let go.
“She was murdered.
“…”
The words were so hard to believe that her mind went blank. Her face went completely white, and her pale blue eyes trembled aimlessly.
“Olivia.”
After calling her name a second time, Olivia finally came to her senses. As she paused to catch her breath, Johan stepped closer. He stopped just a hand span away from her and gripped her shoulder tightly.
“So come with me.” His voice was heavy with deep fatigue.
Olivia bit her lip as she looked at him. Angela Burkin was dead. She didn’t need to confirm who was behind it. The memory of the kidnapping, which had been triggered by Miss Burkin’s death, was still so vivid.
“Take my hand.” Johan held out his large hand.
Just as Olivia’s gaze was about to land on his white-gloved hand, the faint bell of a private carriage rang in the distance. The memory of the rough black gloves that had suddenly covered her mouth came back to her. In that moment, Olivia took Johan’s hand. He and Anne got into the carriage, and the door closed.
In the silence, the carriage carrying the three of them began to move toward the capital, just as the other private carriage arrived, its bell still ringing.
Anne’s Confidence
“It’s time to get ready, Princess.”
Anne Blyn calmly watched the autumn garden as the wind swept through it. Her demeanor was more than relaxed—it was detached.
‘Angela Burkin won’t be on the witness stand, Anne.’
‘Are you sure?’
This morning, Kayla had taken something from her pocket and handed it to Anne Blyn. As she slowly lifted a white handkerchief, a familiar object came into view: a palace entry pass with Angela Burkin’s name engraved on it. The red-black stains were messy, but there was no trouble identifying the owner.
‘I won’t forget today, Kayla. After the trial is over, let’s go rest in Krantz.’
Anne Blyn smiled brightly, meeting Kayla’s eyes. Last night’s task for the “night guest” Kayla had sent to Winstone Manor had been very satisfying. The outrageous fee the mercenary-turned-hitman had demanded was not a waste.
Anne Blyn’s lips curved upward as she clutched the entry pass. She finally felt like the thorn in her side had been removed. The jets of water shooting from the grand fountain seemed unusually refreshing as they soared toward the sky today.
Well, Olivia. What will you do now?
The result of losing her hidden card was clear: She would lose the case.
After that, Anne would accuse the lowly bastard of false charges. The penalty for falsely accusing a royal is death. When the other woman dared to touch a princess of Britte, she should have considered that.
Anne slowly rose from the long sofa. She slipped on her plush slippers and entered the dressing room with a languid step. The tip of her straight thumb brushed past the dresses hanging neatly on the rack.
Which one would make me look like a tragic heroine?
She held a crystal glass to her lips and chose a dress with her eyes. This was her first outing in a long time since the Crown Prince had ordered her to seclude herself. Anne Blyn’s fingertips stopped on a drab black dress that was more suited for a funeral.
“Prepare this dress for me, Cecil.”
Pitiable and miserable. Anne Blyn herself was already an excellent factor to maximize the outcome of today’s trial. Having consumed only alcohol and forgone meals, Anne Blyn had lost a lot of weight and looked gaunt. Her skin and hair had lost their beautiful luster and looked dry and brittle. To anyone looking, the princess who had suffered so much looked like a victim rather than an assailant.
A moment later, a single carriage quietly departed from the rear entrance of the West Palace.
The Final Card
“You said she would be safe.” Despair was etched in Olivia’s voice.
Johan, who had been watching the scenery outside the carriage window, turned to face Olivia. Her reproachful eyes were a little red.
“Couldn’t you stop them?”
“In this condition.” Johan slightly raised his right arm, which was in a sling.
Olivia was speechless. She had meant, couldn’t he have increased security or been more careful to keep their hiding spot from being discovered? Who told him to confront them himself in that condition? She let out a long sigh.
What was the point of pointless accusations? She only had herself to blame for trusting this man so much. Olivia turned her head to look out the window. In the long, uncomfortable silence, only the regular sound of horse hooves and the rolling of the wheels could be heard.
The carriage was now crossing the Lytton Bridge over the upper reaches of the Bitchen River. When the Britte Supreme Court building began to appear behind the clock tower in the distance, Olivia broke the silence again.
“We have to postpone the trial.”
Johan’s dark eyebrows rose slightly.
“It’s obvious we’ll lose without Miss Angela Burkin’s testimony. It would be better to change the indictment to the case of Miss Evangeline Seymour instead. That way we can buy some time, gather evidence to prove Miss Burkin’s death, and put her on trial again. …What do you think?”
Johan, who had been listening silently, handed her a letter he took from his inside pocket instead of answering.
“What is this?”
“Read it yourself.”
Olivia took the letter and carefully opened the envelope. Her movement stopped as she unfolded the neatly folded letter.
“This is…”
A storm raged in Olivia’s eyes as she slowly read the familiar handwriting.
A Fateful Arrival
“It’s Olivia Blanchet!” someone shouted toward Olivia as she got out of the carriage.
That shout was the signal, and reporters and onlookers immediately swarmed the carriage, surrounding it. Camera flashes exploded from all sides as if an attack were pouring down.
“We heard Miss Angela Burkin confessed, why did you sue the Princess, Madam?”
“Just one word, Miss Blanchet!”
The police officers and security personnel Johan had stationed beforehand were pushed back and fell over by the torrent of reporters. It was a frenzied pursuit. Taking advantage of the disorganized formation, a reporter ran in like a hawk.
“Are you confident about today’s trial? If the Princess’s innocence is revealed, are you confident you can handle the backlash? Miss Blan-”
Failing to adjust his distance, the reporter was about to bump into Olivia when Johan grabbed him by the collar and stopped him.
“That’s enough.” Johan growled lowly, his eyes narrowed.
At the deep rumble, the reporters cautiously backed away, looking at the Duke. Olivia gently grabbed the end of Johan’s sleeve. His gaze, which had been glaring at the reporters, fell to Olivia’s face.
“Let’s go,” Olivia whispered quietly. “And don’t glare at the reporters.” At the last words, Johan’s eyes narrowed.
In the meantime, the police officers and security personnel had regrouped, clearing a path. The long staircase leading to the Supreme Court finally came into Olivia’s view. Olivia took a deep breath, gently lifted the hem of her skirt, and placed her foot on the first step.
Another flash of light streaked across the city, which was overcast as if a downpour was about to begin. Amidst the light and the sound, a low curse was uttered.
The Beginning
Faint streaks of rain leaked into the court chamber, which had an impossibly high ceiling. The dim red lights in the gloomy space made the solemn atmosphere even more depressing.
“How shameless. If it’s revealed that the Princess is innocent, that woman should be quartered.”
“Just because she won the Dumblin Championship, she seems to think she’s a queen, doesn’t she? It’s ridiculous.”
All sorts of scornful remarks flowed from the viewing gallery. In the commotion, the legal team, led by the royal family’s personal lawyer and a former prosecutor general, put on their white wigs and entered the courtroom. The gallery murmured.
Olivia watched the legal team assembling in the defendant’s seat with a calm gaze. It was a truly all-star legal team. Olivia let out a quiet sigh and opened her pocket watch.
“He’ll arrive on time. Don’t worry, Miss Blanchet,” Prosecutor Cassan Cloud said, reassuring Olivia after a brief conversation with Johan and returning to his seat.
She nodded briefly and then closed the lid of the pocket watch engraved with a vine pattern. At that moment, the cry announcing the judge’s entrance echoed through the courtroom.
“All rise.”
The courtroom fell silent in an instant. Three judges in white wigs and robes entered in succession and took their seats, followed by the audience. Then everyone’s eyes naturally turned to the entrance where today’s protagonist, the defendant, would appear.
The chief judge, in a robe lined with expensive sable fur, gestured to one of the staff, who carefully opened the door he was guarding.
“The world’s coming to an end. It truly is.” The old women made the sign of the cross and squeezed their eyes shut in the face of the grim reality.
But most of the spectators held their breath, their eyes wide open. They craned their necks to see the rare sight of a nation’s princess entering the defendant’s seat, staring intently at the space beyond the open door.
A faint sound of frail footsteps was heard first from down the hallway. The pace was very slow, as if she were having a hard time moving. The Princess’s followers had already started shedding hot tears. When the long shadow cast down the hallway crossed the threshold, people began to wail.
“P-Princess…”
Finally, Princess Anne Blyn revealed herself.
“Oh my God…”
Simultaneously, sighs of pity erupted from all over.
