Nightmare Came to The Place I Escaped - Chapter 112

“If Diana had said she planned to attack the Oates, I would’ve never helped. No matter how much money she offered, it wouldn’t be enough to take that big a risk.”

The Chief Justice picked up a pen at Count Blackbore’s words, and scribbled something down.

“I’ve heard the Count’s testimony. Then…”

“Lies. It’s all lies!”

That was when Diana shouted. She glanced at her father, then strengthened her clenched hands.

“The Count made me do this. He used me to take revenge on His Majesty.”

Diana said as she wiped away her tears with some difficulty because of her tied hands.

“He fed them poison in their food before he was done. He poisoned the mercenaries to destroy the evidence! The Count is lying. It’s ridiculous that I could seduce the Count by handing him money. My platinum was confiscated when I was captured, and the Count took it. The Count said he coveted my platinum coin, but all he had to do was take it by force.”

“What are you talking about?”

“How hard would it have been to take money away from me when I had no one to protect me?”

“You crazy girl! Why are you trying to ruin my life?”

The Count threw the wooden plaque in front of him at Diana.

Tak

“Ah!”

Diana screamed after being hit by the nameplate thrown by the Count, but Count Blackbore stood up and lunged towards Diana as if he wasn’t satisfied with just that.

Bang!

However, he was caught by the knights in an instant before reaching Diana.

Bang Bang

“Count! Stop causing fuss in this sacred court!”

The Chief Justice raised his voice in the chaotic courtroom.

“I have already heard enough of the Count’s testimony, the trial can’t continue with the Count here. So, we’re dismissing him!”

“No! Everything that girl says is a lie!!!”

Even as the Count was being dragged out, he kicked wildly in the air.

The Chief Justice sighed quietly as if his head was hurting as the trial being watched by many people wasn’t going well.

The Chief Justice glanced at the wall clock as if contemplating a recess, then opened his mouth.

“Diana Avery, are you all right to continue?”

If Diana shook her head, he would say they were taking a break. However, Diana nodded, saying it was okay.

“Then we will continue. Do you have anything else to say to Diana?”

Diana nodded, and tried to wipe off her tears once again.

“The Count told me he wanted to get revenge on His Majesty. He tried to use me for that revenge, and I had no choice but to follow the Count’s words. The Count sent me along with a mercenary so he could lay the blame on me if things went wrong.”

“How did you meet the Count?”

“I was caught trying to escape the Empire through a small port in his territory.”

“The harbor?”

“I thought I would be able to stow away on a ship that wasn’t properly inspected.”

The Chief Justice nodded at Diana’s words.

The port within Count Blackbore’s territory had been in trouble for a long time. He used it to bring things in illegally to avoid customs.

“The money I had to escape the Empire was taken away. So, my only choice was to be handed over to the Imperial knights or to be used by the Count. I had to choose between the two. I tried to run away while keeping an eye on the Count.”

“Haa….”

“The Count of Blackbore told me that he wanted revenge. He wanted to avenge the deaths of his grandchildren!”

The Chief Justice lowered his eyes at Diana’s testimony. The judges sitting next to him just kept their mouths shut, as if they had a headache as well.

“Due to the lengthy trial, we will take a break for a while.”

The courtroom once again became noisy as the Chief Justice, the judges, and the Averys left the room, leaving only the spectators.

“Then, isn’t Diana Avery innocent?”

“There’s no crime. Does that make sense?”

“No. Still, the young lady did nothing.”

“Anyway, she got involved in the Count’s scheme.”

The aristocrats sitting next to Rachel chatted amongst themselves. They lowered their voices, as if fearing that the Oates would overhear it, but their voices could still be clearly heard by the Oates family despite their caution.

“Father, was it really the former Duke of Avery and not Diana?”

“It doesn’t seem like it, but it looks like the judgment for the crimes will be against the former Duke.”

The Duke let out a deep sigh at Mike’s question.

It occurred to him that the former Duke of Avery, who had been hiding after his family’s knight’s order was disbanded, wouldn’t have committed the reckless act of drugging the Emperor’s teacup. However, there was nothing more he could do unless the Chief Justice determined it had something to do with Diana.

All of the evidence that indicated Diana had plotted everything could also be applied to the former Duke of Avery.

If he could be exonerated of drugging the Emperor’s teacup, he could avoid being hanged. However, he seemed intent on taking on all of her crimes.

Was it all to save Diana?

Duke Oates looked at the seat where Diana had been sitting. Apparently, Diana Avery knew what her father was thinking.

The Duke recalled Diana, who was looking at her father with eyes that were about to collapse at any moment.

That’s why she cried so sadly.

“Then what about the Count of Blackbore?”

“At the moment, Diana Avery’s position seems to be more convincing. As she said, if Count Blackbore had coveted Diana’s money, he could’ve simply taken it. Besides, everyone knows that the Count of Blackbore doesn’t like His Majesty.”

“The trial of Diana and Count Blackbore will be prolonged.”

Duke Oates nodded slowly.

Apparently, this trial would be quite long.

After a while, the judges and the defendants, who had been away, came in one after another.

When the Chief Justice stepped into the courtroom, the noisy room suddenly became quiet.

“I will declare the verdict now. Former Duke Avery is to be hanged. Diana Avery, sentenced to three years in prison. Also, Count Blackbore will be summoned as the accused in the attack on the Oates’ carriage.”

After the Supreme Court’s verdict, Diana Avery collapsed on her desk in tears. Diana Avery cried for quite a long time, not out of resentment or evil, but out of sadness.

***

“It’s today.”

Mike was drinking tea, when he quietly spoke up.

“You mean the public execution?”

“Yes, the square will be full of people again.”

It had already been two weeks since Avery’s trial. Today was the day the former Duke of Avery was to be hanged.

Mike blinked slowly, as if he was lost in thought for a moment.

“Rachel, what are you going to do? Are you going to go?”

“I’m not going. I’m busy preparing for the wedding. Also, I don’t want to go down and see that.”

“Well, that’s good. Actually, I didn’t want to go either.”

Mike nodded quietly, and breathed a sigh of relief.

He was also worried about being stuck in a narrow carriage for hours on that tight street. If Rachel didn’t go, he wouldn’t have to go either.

“What about you, Father? Are you planning to go?”

“I’m busy today, too.”

The Duke shook his head slightly, and folded the newspaper he was reading.

Rachel looked at the Duke for a moment and the newspaper he’d put down.

“….”

Adorned on the front page was the story of Diana Avery and the former Duke of Avery. Diana Avery was imprisoned, and today was the day the former Duke of Avery would be hanged.

The reaction to Diana Avery in the social world was divided into two parts.

One reaction was that she was deeply involved in the evil deeds of the former Duke of Avery, and the other was that she’d lied to reduce her sentence. The debate would keep the social world abuzz for quite some time.

Rachel believed that Diana Avery lied. It was Diana Avery who was infinitely harsher for her own gain, and had no qualms about killing her in the past.

However, due to the false confession of the former Duke of Avery and the repeated claims against the Count of Blackbore, Diana Avery was spared a great deal of punishment.

Perhaps it would have been a mercy if Diana Avery had been hanged.

Some of the socialites were saying that Diana’s sentence was too light, but Rachel wondered if Diana’s real punishment would be after her sentence was over.

Could she, who’d been stripped of her noble title, survive in this Empire? Would those in the Empire who’d suffered because of her and Duke Avery leave Diana Avery alone?

Even if she left the Empire, she wouldn’t be able to remove the stigma of being a criminal.

In addition, most of the Duke’s property had been confiscated. However, since the Avery family had so much wealth, it would be more than enough for Diana Avery to live on by herself.

“Rachel, what are you thinking about?”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

Only then did Rachel realize that the Duke of Oates had risen from his seat, and hurried to say farewell to him. The Duke stroked Rachel’s head lightly, and moved towards his office.

“Rachel, are you alright? Are you having a hard time preparing for the wedding? You don’t look like you’ve been feeling well lately.”

“No, I can prepare for the wedding on my own. It’s not that hard for me.”

Rachel shook her head as Mike looked at her anxiously.

“By the way, Brother. I’ll never see Diana Avery again, will I?”

“That’s right. You won’t see Diana Avery unless you go see her.”

Rachel nodded quietly. To never see Diana Avery again, it was what Rachel had hoped for.

She could no longer be threatened by Diana Avery and she wouldn’t have to see her.

If there was one more thing Rachel wanted.

“Rachel, shall we stop by the flower market today? I want to see some spring flowers.”

“Yes, I’d like that.”

She hoped that the painful memories would fade over time.

“Oh, I heard that your favorite bakery has a new menu. Let’s buy some cake on our way back. How does that sound?”

May the hatred she felt towards Diana Avery, the painful memories of her, no longer occupy her life.

“I want to buy a lot of things to bring back.”

“Okay, let’s do it.”

She wanted to fill that void with happy memories, so that Diana Avery would be forgotten by her as time passed.

***