Chapter 7

The judge hits the mallet intending that the trial has been closed. After a week and as soon as Gautbert was able to get out of the hospital bed, the case occurred at the Desrosier Valley. The mercenaries were jailed and torture for the week, punishment has been decided.

" They are to be jailed for ten years for the attempted kidnapping of the supposed employer, Louie Gautbert, and another thirty years of imprisonment as the cause of the death of a noble lady, Veta Le Blanchet." The noblemen and other spectators seemed to be satisfied with the punishment, however, the mourner of the dead seemed to be unsatisfied.

" How can it just be imprisonment! They have killed my niece!" Baroness Rhodes pleaded in the trial room, even Baron Blaeseus Rhodes was present and couldn't believe that the only heiress of the Count Le Blanchet was fed by the demons.

" The Le Blanchet is still one of the aristocratic families, how could it be that they were given just mere imprisonment? They should be beaten to death!" He was enraged of the fact that his only hope to gather the money from Gautbert was all gone, he even regretted that he allowed Veta to be taken away that night, if he only knew that this tragedy would happen never in his lifetime he would have drunk that state and have the liquor got hold of his judgment.

" We are to send our condolences to the bereaved family however…" The judge and the rest of the trial council spent a moment of silence. There is something else that is of the matter.

" W-what is it?" Baroness Rhodes pressed for an answer.

" Your honor, let me speak of the truth, as the one of the witnesses who last spent time with the late countess of Le Blanchet." Gautbert, who remained silent during the trial, finally spoke.

" Lord Gautbert was granted to speak."

" Dearest Baron and Baroness Rhodes, I am deeply sending my condolences to the family however…" His eyes squinted and looked at one of the mercenaries, the young one who saw the eye signal only bit his tongue, preventing himself from retaliating.

" It is actually an agreement to wed the young lady as the hostess of the Gautbert, however she seduces one of the mercenaries to turn the tables and kill me instead, she even promised one of them the title of the count as if she could trample them with fortune."

" W-what? Veta did what?" Unbelievable as it was, but the nobles like this kind or distraction and thus, the person in the topic cannot defend nor confirm it makes it more attractive as a gossip to talk about in the social circles.

Veta who was known to be one of the finest ladies before the tragedy of her family was able to do such a hideous act that doesn't fit the aristocracy.

" I know her dislike of me and the fact that it was actually a marriage of convenience, but I think the Rhodes couple doesn't even know the real face of your niece." Gautbert started the fire, just a little more and added oil to make it bigger.

" Who knows why she was left alone as the heiress of the Le Blanchet, I even heard that despite the law that only the first sons inherit the title of the household, she still took part in learning the successorship alongside her brother?"

" What, I heard of it but never thought it was real, what could a lady benefit from taking a successor lesson?"

" I even heard that in the academy, the lady seems to be ambitious among her class and is a bit full of herself."

" Now that you mention it, the carriage accident was also when the family was to take her home right?"

Gautbert smiled deep in his head, it is exactly how it should be turned.

" The lady must have hated the idea, that rather than marrying a commoner merchant she even wanted to be part of the crown princess candidates and revealed it was all her plan alone, that after she officially debuted will aim for a higher position as to regain more power."

" Be careful of your mouth using the royal family's involvement." It was the Crown Prince who was one of the audience who spoke of it. Since a nobility was involved in this case his presence as a representative is needed, making sure that the case would either be fair for the noble victim or will be punished diligently if it were to tarnish the royal family. Gautbert cannot let this opportunity pass, he is indeed a sweet talker and a tactician, he wouldn't be able to get up to where he is if it weren't for his clever thinking. This is also what caused the late count Levesque to throw him out, he didn't like this cunning side of him that he used to overthrow the weaker one just for his gain. Anyhow, it is something that Gautbert has always been proud of.

" I apologize your highness the crown prince, but this commoner only knows what I've heard, even the remaining mercenaries who survived has heard how vicious the lady, only because I am a hinder to her plans that it lead to this tragedy, these men were actually acting on behalf of the lady's order and are also a victims."

"How unsightly she even has the audacity to stain the royal family of her disgusting intentions!"

" No way Veta…" She was Cecil who was about to protest, the daughter of marquis Phlox who was also a friend of Veta, her father gestured his head not to involved with the matter, as he knows that the old friend who was either alive or death would not be able to protect and clean her name even if she were to show up in this trial because it was all well planned by the people who wanted to covet the Le Blanchet.

" I cannot believe it, after all those hardships, how can Veta do this to us!" To the nobility around, it was a cry of extreme agony and betrayal; however, as the baroness cried in the arms of her husband, a sinister smile full of malice was hidden. It was all along the plan after the incident so both the barony and the Gautbert will be able to take hold of the remainder of the family.

" Indeed it was an ill-intentioned tragedy, still unfortunate that the last of the Le Blanchet blood perished, I will need the head of the family of each household to take part in the decision of what will happen to the noble Le Blanchet."

Indeed the time they have been waiting is here, some of the nobles said it is to be given to the baron as the baroness was the younger sister of the late count, the others said that since Gautbert was married to the Countess he has the right to succession if it to be validated by the temple. Half the majority have voted for the first predicament as it is more likely to be the case of succession and the nobles despite the fact of having a commoner taking over the prestigious name of the household.

" That was half of the majority of your highness, the crown prince." Said one of the counselors.

" Who else has not yet voted?"

" That.. the Marquis of Chastain is not present the same as the Duke of that castle… We cannot proceed with the decision if both are yet to cast theirs."

`` Can we just let it proceed since they are not present?"

" No we can't since they also have to be part of the votes as they hold greater vote and authority." The Crown prince got irritated that this matter wouldn't be closed off if those noble absences were not to cast their votes, it was one of the exemptions that he hated.

" Then we have no choice but to hold of this matter until those two were to cast their votes, thus this case will be closed with lowering the imprisonment of the assailants as they were also just used by the mastermind and the matter of the family heir will be left open not until the nobles come to unify their votes." It was the ending of the trial.

The fresh fragrance of the sea breeze, the cold touch of the water and the bright morning sky, feeling lightheaded, she wanted to grasp those vivid blue colors of the sky. It was then, her eyes opened and saw the unfamiliarly high ceiling and the oddly wide room decorated with only expensively luxury fixtures. Then the window curtain parted and the bright sunlight slightly blinded her.

" Good morning lady! You are finally awake at last!"