The men who saw Meldenik's haggard appearance whispered among themselves.
"Look at her face; is she trying to gain sympathy votes?"
"Even if she looks like that, I'm sure she'll come up with some strange excuse today."
In the frigid atmosphere, Meldenik sat down at the far end of the table and spoke in a low voice. "This is Meldenik, Marquis of Kinnoa."
It was a simple self-introduction, but the nobles angrily pointed their fingers at her as if she had already been convicted. The corners of her eyes were already heavy, and her lips parted slightly as she let out a sigh. No matter how strong her reputation was, they saw her as a young woman who would tremble with fear in a hearing like this.
When the Emperor arrived, the hearing began quickly. On the right side of the Emperor were the great nobles, and on the left were the priests, scribes, and some prestigious judges. I sighed, looking at the nobles who had become sinister and overly zealous.
The judge next to the scribe quietly read my charges. The crime of attempting to harm noble children at the academy, the crime of deliberately approaching the prince and attempting murder...
"…There is even a charge of summoning evil with a mysterious power."
Before I knew it, my list of crimes had swelled like a snowball.
'At this rate, I'll be executed.' The atmosphere had become so intense that a death penalty seemed almost certain.
The priests, who I was sure were acting on the Pope's secret orders, smiled faintly, watching the situation escalate. They would reveal their true intentions soon enough.
"Your Majesty, I have something to say from the Holy Kingdom."
There it was. Just as I predicted they would corner me, the priests spoke up.
"Speak your mind," the Emperor said, raising his hand and looking at the representative from the Holy Kingdom.
A man with gray hair, dressed in a priest's uniform, looked at me with his bright red eyes. "I, Priest Vash, am here as an exorcist."
I understood exactly what he was trying to say.
"Not long ago, when Meldenik was invited to the academy, I sensed a strange power in the temple. It is quite rude to say this, but…" His bright red eyes narrowed like a snake's. "Wasn't it the power of the devil that she worked with?"
The words "devil's power" and "exorcist" had a huge impact. An ordinary person would not be able to get out of this situation. People began to chatter amongst themselves.
"I don't know what's going on."
"Has that priest been verified? He's challenging the authority of a noble..."
Only Duot, the border count who had just returned, looked around with a confused expression.
"The devil's power..."
"We must verify this immediately, Your Majesty!" The brainwashed great nobles chanted like parrots, looking at the Emperor with ardent eyes.
The weary Emperor raised his hand. "If there is solid evidence, we will verify it."
The priests smiled in triumph.
'They seem to think they can create evidence of cooperation with the devil.' The plan was certainly picturesque: the contractor of the hero who defeated the devil would fall prey to a demonic trick and be executed by a holy priest.
I blinked, trying to organize my thoughts. This time, it would be difficult to get out of this situation, even with the Emperor's help. His authority was not absolute, and when many nobles shouted, he had no choice but to listen.
The priests' lips curled into a smirk, as if everything was going according to their will.
The Emperor, who had been scanning the hearing hall, frowned. "However, I would like to hear more from the Marquis."
I swept my long hair with one hand and tilted my head. "Yes, the performance of the magical tools I have recently created is too 'devilish.' That's why I think you're suspicious." I chuckled and shook my head. "Their power has nothing to do with the devil."
The Emperor, who had been sitting still, looked down at me. "How can you prove it?"
"I have witnesses."
The Emperor looked at me with a slightly more cunning expression than before. "I request the summoning of your witnesses."
I nodded slowly, making eye contact with him, and gave a silent thanks.
About ten minutes later, my witnesses had still not appeared. This led to a debate about the witnesses I was bringing in, as they were not prepared in advance. The great nobles, fully brainwashed by the Pope, quarreled in an undignified, impatient tone.
"The witnesses still haven't come."
"Isn't she just stalling for time?"
"I think she has a motive, Your Majesty."
Their faces held the smug smiles of victors.
Just then, the priest, who had been looking around the nobles, knocked on the table. A huge holy relic was placed right in front of him. I narrowed my eyes, staring at the priest.
'Something... is strange.'
The moment I sensed the strangeness, my head started to spin, and my mouth felt dry. I tried to swallow my saliva, but it was in vain. My vision suddenly went dark, and a crazy headache began to pound in my temples. I pressed my hands against my head to try and get some relief.
At that moment, an attendant from outside opened the door and entered. The head attendant, looking flustered, announced in a loud voice, "Your Majesty, the witnesses have arrived."
"Let them in," the Emperor said.
"But..."
The door opened wider, and two people walked in.
"...They are the Marquis of Padel and Mrs. Hayne from the Magic Kingdom."
Even the Emperor looked surprised to see the couple. The Marquis of Padel and Mrs. Hayne exchanged glances with each other, as if the head attendant had already briefed them on the situation.
As they walked in, I rubbed my fingers roughly together, trying to stay conscious. Then, the interrogation of the witnesses began.
Mrs. Hayne, as soon as she was seated and had taken the oath, listened to the charges and then snorted. "Demonic power? What nonsense." The priest's face was filled with anxiety.
I lowered my eyes, my head still dizzy. The priest's expression, which had been glaring at me, quickly found its calm again, and Mrs. Hayne said cheerfully, "We provided Meldenik with the magical tools. If you mistake our magic for the power of the devil, you are mistaken—the power of our kingdom is great!" If he continued to insist on the devil at this point, he would be turning the Magic Kingdom into an enemy. The priest, who knew this all too well, bit his lip.
Still, the interrogation continued.
"Why did you provide her with magical tools?" the Emperor asked solemnly.
Mrs. Hayne replied with a smile. "We've decided to open a second stationery store with Meldenik in our Magic Kingdom! This is a form of cooperation."
The Marquis of Padel and Mrs. Hayne had been so sincere with me.
'This confetti is really cool?'
'Yes, I even made a boat out of colored paper,' I had told them.
'I thought paper was just for writing... this is a revolution! The children will love it!'
'Do you really think so?'
'Yes, why don't you open a second store in our kingdom as soon as possible? I want to show it to them right away!'
Thanks to them, I had a very busy life until the Pope interfered. I created items to be delivered to the academy and, through my conversations with the Marquis of Padel, I was secretly researching the tendencies of children in the Magic Kingdom and preparing to open a new franchise. Of course, all of this was ignored until this very moment.
"Cooperation with the Magic Kingdom is certainly impressive."
"Why didn't we know about this until now?"
Some of the nobles looked around with surprised faces. But aside from them, many people were still brainwashed.
"Hey, why aren't you all amazed? Why is the atmosphere so cold? This is a great thing!" Mrs. Hayne said, her voice filled with excitement.
"Quiet," the Emperor commanded, raising his hand to silence the chatter. He looked at Mrs. Hayne. "The magical tools created by the Marquis of Kinnoa almost harmed both the nobility and the royal family. Are you aware of this incident?"
Mrs. Hayne sighed. "…Alas, I don't know about that, either."
The priest raised his hand and suggested to the Emperor, "I would like to ask Meldenik if her actions were intentional."
The Emperor nodded with an uncomfortable expression. "Very well. Marquis Kinnoa, tell me."
The priest stared at me and muttered to himself. With each word he spoke, my headache worsened. My vision blurred, darkened, and flashed again. I bit my lip until it bled, then managed to speak in a raspy voice. "I will tell you, Your Majesty."
The priest's expression was a little puzzled, but he looked at me again and began to speak with his mouth. At the same time, Mrs. Hayne asked happily with her characteristic vivacity, "There's no way Meldenik had any intention of harming the children!"
My head spun again. The priest saw my wavering gaze and smiled faintly.
"Ms. Meldenik?" Mrs. Hayne's voice echoed in my ears, full of concern. "I think she isn't feeling well."
"No, leave her be. Besides, perhaps she feels guilty about her actions," the priest's sarcastic voice rang in my ears.
I calmly opened my eyes. At that moment, the priest sealed his lips and touched the holy relic. It seemed his brainwashing technique was complete.
And then...
"...No, it is not," my voice was clearer than ever. "I'm fine. And..." I looked directly at the priest, who was holding the holy relic. "I swear to God, I did not try to harm the children."