Chapter 204

Chapter 204

The Heroine of the 1st Playthrough Remembers My Training.

Episode 205: Couple Scammers (2)

“…The Princess has intervened.”

“Yes, as you said, the Princess stepped forward and requested that Jevit not apologize, stating that unfair demands should not be accepted.”

Hearing Marjan’s additional explanation gave me a severe headache.

I closed my eyes and held my forehead.

“Of course, the Longist family must have been furious…”

Unbelievable as it may seem, the Princess had no political base. The details were a spoiler and a secret, but it became certain after the protagonist had deflowered her. Primarily, Liana herself had no interest in power.

The Emperor bedridden was now.

The Crown Prince, practically the next Emperor, ensured that Liana received no power.

Knowing Liana’s madness, the Crown Prince blocked noble approaches to avoid provoking her, but…

Regardless of the inside story, the world sees Liana as crippled by the Crown Prince’s checks.

For Liana to pick a fight with a prominent noble…?

The Longist family misunderstood this incident as a stepping stone for the Princess to interfere in domestic affairs and return to politics.

‘…The nobles don’t know the Princess’s plan, so it can’t be helped.’

Who could have imagined?

That the Princess was planning to start a civil war, splitting the empire in half, by becoming the representative of commoners and lower nobles.

Restoring her political life through domestic interference seemed much more realistic.

Either way, given the Longist family’s thinking, they would never back down.

By checking Liana, they proved their loyalty to the future Emperor, and if they were pushed back by a powerless Princess, their political standing would be jeopardized.

“…Haa.”

A sigh escaped me involuntarily.

I knew it, but this world had completely deviated from the scenario I knew.

‘…But, the change in the starting point isn’t bad.’

Whatever the Princess intended to use this incident for, a noble’s face being scratched was trivial compared to a commoner child dying in a carriage accident.

The size of the ignited spark was completely different.

Of course, I knew that the size of the spark was not important to Liana.

I almost fell for her beautiful appearance several times, but Liana was a disaster wearing human skin.

Since the Princess decided to use this incident, it will inevitably be blown out of proportion.

What I have to do here is one thing.

‘Minimize the size of the flame as much as possible.’

I clenched my fist and asked Marjan.

“What did the Princess request?”

“She wants a trial to accurately determine who is at fault. The Longist family accepted this condition.”

“Ha, of course, they would accept.”

I couldn’t help but scoff.

The Longist family’s shallow thinking was transparent.

As I said, the Longist family was one of the most prestigious families, excluding the great families.

The moment the trial begins, Jevit’s defeat was practically certain.

After all, the judge was also human.

No matter how firm their beliefs and will, it wouldn’t be easy to withstand the pressure from the Longist family.

No, in fact, there was no need to apply pressure.

Pressuring the judge was what families with ambiguous positions did.

For a family like Longist, the judge would naturally comply to avoid being disliked.

Yet, the reason the Princess requested a trial was simple.

Whether she won or lost, the Princess had nothing to lose.

If she won the trial, she gained the support of commoners and lower nobles as the Princess who won against unjust oppression through the trial.

Even if she lost, she could claim that even the trial, which should be fair, made an unjust ruling under the pressure of nobles.

Either way, the Princess gained the support of the commoners.

Then, Marjan said something I couldn’t ignore.

“…Also, the Princess has nominated Lucia as the judge.”

“Shit…”

I was so angry that I cursed involuntarily, but I understand why Lucia was nominated.

The Uruella family was a great family that wouldn’t succumb to the Longist family’s pressure, and Lucia’s nickname was ‘The Fairest Scale.’

There was no more suitable judge.

However, there was one undeniable fact.

‘…Longist is located in the western part of the empire.’

The ruling family of the West was naturally the Uruella family.

In other words, the Longist family was a vassal family of the Uruella family.

No matter how fair the judgment was, if the trial result favored the Longist family, the Princess would definitely attack this point.

“Lucia, has your opinion still not changed?”

“…No, I still think Jevit should apologize and end this.”

“Even if Jevit didn’t use underhanded tactics?”

“Yes, this isn’t an incident that should be blown out of proportion. …However, if you wish, Master, I can alter the trial’s outcome…”

Lucia’s obedience to me was enough to bend her principles, but that wasn’t what I wanted to ask.

“No, there’s no need. You decide the verdict according to your own judgment.”

I shook my head slightly.

I mustn’t be mistaken.

My job wasn’t to win the trial but to prevent a civil war in the empire.

If Lucia, following my orders, were to deliver a verdict unfavorable to the Longist family, they would undoubtedly harbor resentment.

‘…The Princess won’t miss that opportunity.’

Liana would manipulate the Longist family to rebel against the Uruella family.

It was laughable.

The Princess’s foresight in choosing Lucia as the judge was nothing short of astonishing.

It might seem like an overestimation, but the danger I had experienced from the Princess so far suggests this was an understatement.

“…Understood. Then, I will proceed with demanding an apology, Master.”

Lucia answered cautiously, and I nodded.

Many people confused fairness with equality.

But, to be clear, fairness and equality were different.

If giving the same amount of food to the rich and the poor was equality, then giving more food to the poor was fairness.

Lucia was ‘The Fairest Scale,’ not ‘The Most Equal Scale.’

She made judgments appropriate to the other party’s position and situation.

Lucia, and I, agreed that this incident wasn’t something that should be escalated.

It was a trivial matter that could be resolved with a single apology from Jevit.

The best solution was for Jevit to apologize now, but…

“…Persuasion won’t work on Jevit…”

“Yes, it’s best to assume he’s already become the Princess’s pawn.”

The Princess’s rhetoric was close to a devil’s whisper.

In fact, she might not even need rhetoric to sway Jevit.

Her beauty was enough to captivate any man except me.

“….”

Then, Lucia looked at me with a peculiar expression.

“Is something wrong?”

“No… it’s nothing, Master.”

Lucia answered with an ambiguous smile, unlike her usual self.

As I slightly frowned at her expression, Marjan spoke up.

“…The expected trial date is the day after the Invitational Festival ends.”

My eyes widened.

The schedule was set faster than I expected.

I had anticipated the trial wouldn’t be held during the Invitational Festival due to the high attention, but…

To hold the trial the very next day after the festival ends…

‘…Are they also in a hurry?’

Well, now that I thought about it, the faster the scenario progressed, the faster we were disrupting their prepared plans.

It seemed the twisted scenario wasn’t entirely negative for me.

‘The situation is bad, but not the worst.’

This trial was, after all, an unexpected event.

Even if the Princess intervened, it was not a pre-planned event like the carriage accident, so there would be loopholes.

‘…Lucia being chosen as the judge is, in a way, a good thing.’

Lucia and I maintained discord to identify those leading the empire’s division during the carriage accident.

This trial, though slightly accelerated, didn’t change our roles.

Having organized my thoughts, I said.

“…I will also attend the trial as an observer.”

I was, after all, a member of Calliope.

I could easily obtain observer status.

“Ah… then I won’t be able to come to your room anymore.”

Lucia, seemingly considering the future, looked regretful.

I gave a bitter smile and nodded.

As has been the case, our relationship must remain hidden from the moment the trial began.

If our conflict was revealed to be a facade, we would be attacked by both nobles and commoners.

After a moment, Lucia, as if having sorted her thoughts, took a short breath and said.

“….Then, I will relay any messages through Marjan, Master.”

“Huh? Me… you mean me?”

Marjan looked visibly flustered.