Chapter 195-196– Can You Really Change?
[POV Change]
"Dayke is not guilty."
The throne room erupted in commotion. There had been witnesses, and the queen's earlier words had made Dayke's conviction seem almost certain to the elves gathered there.
Hearing the Supreme Court Justice say the exact opposite left all of them stunned.
Not everyone in the room shared the same surprise. Agnes and Lize, who trusted Dayke, both looked relieved. Iril, who had been more anxious than anyone, let out a deep sigh.
One of the most important reactions, however, came from the queen.
"Did I mishear? Not guilty? Not guilty?" She furrowed her brows, clearly unwilling to accept the situation.
"Yes. That's the conclusion I reached."
"So you're saying this man didn't admit to the crime and persisted until the end? He is more stubborn than I thought… Or maybe your heart has softened after being away from the Supreme Court for so long."
"…"
"I'll give you one more chance. It might take a few days, but make him speak honestly."
Despite the queen's order, the Supreme Court Justice remained firm.
"No matter how much time I spend, my judgment will not change. The truth remains the same."
"What… Are you saying I was deceived by my maid's lies and framed an innocent man?"
"That's not it. But his testimony that he helped the maid in the warehouse was very detailed, and the motive for the crime was unclear. Above all, he maintained his innocence throughout the entire night of interrogation. So my judgment is—"
"That's ridiculous!"
The queen rose from her throne, cutting her off. Her face was full of displeasure.
"When the maid came to me and appealed, anyone could see she was sincere! She had no reason to lie in the first place. Or are you saying I'm lying?"
'Oh my…'
Iril, still innocent in politics, was feeling conflicted as she watched her mother shout. She couldn't tell if the queen was truly sympathizing with the maid's pain or if she was upset because her own plans had been disrupted.
Unaware of her daughter's thoughts, the queen continued to raise her voice at the stern-faced Supreme Court Justice.
"Kiella, answer me! Are you telling me I'm lying?"
The weight of her words pressed down on the entire throne room.
Dayke simply kept his head bowed, feigning the weakness of someone still recovering from internal injuries caused by torture.
After a tense silence, Kiella's subdued voice finally broke through.
"Did the other Knight sisters see the moment when the maid appealed to you?"
"…I beg your pardon?"
"I'm asking if any of the other knight sisters who saw her also felt her sincerity."
"Oh, no. Coincidentally, I was the only one. You can't possibly doubt me, can you?"
"Please let me meet that maid."
"Yes?"
"I will meet and speak with the maid who claimed Dayke fucked her. She may have lied for her own reasons, or perhaps she was simply confused due to mental instability."
"That…"
Unlike the queen, whose momentum faltered, Kiella's words flowed without pause.
"It is not my intention to doubt the queen. I only want to resolve this case as the Supreme Court Justice, upholding law and justice. If you allow me to meet the maid, I will uncover the truth."
"Uh… well… What should I do? I already sent the girl back to her village. She seemed to need peace of mind."
"Then, if you tell me the location—"
"No! She is still recovering from yesterday's events, and I won't make you reopen those wounds. Rest first, and we can talk when she returns."
The queen hurried her words, as if eager to regain control of the situation.
"I suppose we'll have to put this case on hold until then. In the meantime, detain the man in the basement."
"Oh my! Kiella said Dake is innocent! Detaining him is unreasonable!"
Hearing her daughter Iril's sudden outburst, the queen glanced around.
The mood in the room had shifted. No one seemed suspicious of Dayke anymore—instead, their doubt was turning toward the maid who had accused him.
If the queen pushed the matter further, she risked having suspicion turn back on her.
"Hmm… very well. There will be no detention. But since the matter is not completely resolved, everyone should keep a close watch on him. We'll revisit this when the maid returns. You may all go."
At her words, the elves began to disperse.
The once-crowded throne room grew steadily emptier, but an uncomfortable feeling still lingered in the air.
…
…
[Princess POV]
That same night.
Even though it was late, I couldn't sleep. My mother's furious reaction to Dayke being declared innocent and the way she quickly ended the matter after Kiella asked to meet the maid felt deeply suspicious.
'Could it be… that Mama truly wants Dayke killed?'
I didn't even want to imagine that my beloved mother might be capable of something so cruel. But no matter how much I tried to push the thought away, the circumstances kept pulling my mind toward an ominous conclusion.
The frustration in my chest only grew. Eventually, I got out of bed and left my room.
'I'll have to ask Mama directly.'
I walked steadily through the quiet castle until I reached the entrance to the hallway leading to the queen's bedroom.
The guard stationed there looked startled by my unexpected visit and quickly approached.
"Princess?! Princess, what are you doing at this hour?"
"I have something to discuss with my mother. Is that alright?"
"Ah… Yes. Please go ahead."
My steps past the guards and toward my mother's room felt heavy. I wanted to know the truth, yet I was afraid to face it. Still, I couldn't stop. I had to confront her.
I finally arrived at the door and was about to knock softly, worried she might already be asleep—
"Agh!! I'm so annoyed!"
Her sharp, irritated voice made me freeze.
I stopped moving and pressed my ear against the door.
Inside, my mother, unaware that I was there, picked up a hand mirror from her table. She looked ready to slam it against the floor but restrained herself. She was breathing heavily in rage.
"Why does something like this have to happen?!"
She knew no one was listening and no one would comfort her, yet she still needed to vent her anger before it boiled over.
"What's wrong with Kiella? She used to handle everything on her own without me having to say a word. Why has she become so useless?"
By now, the situation was enough to justify suspecting some sort of connection between Kiella and Dayke. However, the reason Nermedia could not bring herself to think that way was because of the immense trust she had in Kiella.
Kiella had calmed down somewhat in recent years, but Nermedia remembered well how violent she used to be—violent enough to be called a mad dog. Such a person, she believed, would never side with a human out of selfish motives.
"If I had known this would happen, I would have told Kiella everything from the start. I did it all to drive that human away."
The queen spoke aloud without realizing her own voice was carrying through the door. And even if she had noticed, her words had already reached the ears of her daughter, who stood outside holding her breath.
'Really… oh my…!'
I wished desperately that this moment was only a dream, but waking up never came. Covering my mouth in shock, I staggered away on trembling legs.
…
…
[MC POV]
"Hmm…"
I let out a small snort while lying on my bed,. I was staring up at the ceiling.
Thanks to Kiella, today's immediate crisis had been averted. Now, the focus was on finding proof that the queen had ordered her maid to falsely accuse me. But the search had already run into trouble.
While I was locked away under the pretext of torture, Kiella had tried to track down the maid without success. According to what the other maids said, it seemed the queen had truly sent her away to rest.
Kiella had tried to find out where she was recuperating, but everyone claimed it was under the queen's orders and refused to say anything. In the end, she learned nothing.
'No way… Did she kill the maid to destroy the evidence? No… that can't be.'
The queen was always kinder than anyone else toward fellow elves.
I wasn't sure if that maid had truly been acting against me, but even so, she had just followed orders. I couldn't imagine the queen harming her.
'Then what should I do now?'
I couldn't just wait indefinitely for a maid whose return was uncertain. There was also the risk that the queen might take further action before then. If the maid came back, my position could turn disadvantageous.
As I was still wondering how to strike at the queen, someone knocked on my door.
"Kiella? Come in."
"…Dayke."
"Princess?"
It was the first time she had ever come to my room in person, and I immediately jumped up from the bed.
"What's going on?"
"Well… Are you feeling okay?"
"Yes. Actually, I only pretended to be tortured when I spoke with Kiella. See? I'm fine."
I rolled my shoulder lightly to ease the princess's worries.
"Thank god…"
She was usually so full of energy, yet now she seemed completely drained. It didn't feel like she was just worried about me—coming to see me at this hour with her shoulders slumped was far from normal.
"Why are you like this? What's really going on?"
"Dayke… Do you still have the same desire to get revenge on Momma?"
"…"
"I guess that was a silly question. After what happened yesterday and today, it's obvious."
Only then did I understand why she had come. She must have come because my resentment toward the queen had grown even stronger from recent events. She was probably here to stop me before I acted.
"…Yes. I'm sorry, Princess, but you're right."
Now I wondered—how would she respond?
Would she, like before, try to comfort me with her body? Or maybe she'd plead for me to forgive her mother?
If it was the latter, I was ready to make her sad if I had to. But what she said next caught me completely off guard.
"Dayke… Can you really change my momma?"
"…What?"
"Please. Take your revenge on Momma without harming her."