As Penelope entered the courtroom, all eyes eventually shifted to the man standing behind her. His strikingly beautiful appearance and the way he followed her, almost protectively, captured everyone’s attention.
"Good heavens... Isn’t that the Tower Master?"
"So the rumors were true."
"The Tower Master really is involved with the Lady of Halo..."
The whispers among the noblewomen grew louder.
A scandal involving a young widow managing her territory and the enigmatic Tower Master? There was no hotter gossip in the capital.
However, their curiosity was short-lived as the defendants, Daniel and Fiora, entered the room in shackles. The courtroom erupted in noise once again.
"So, these are the people who tried to kill me," Penelope thought, watching them intently from behind her veil.
If Ahwin hadn’t quickly cast a detoxification spell, she would have died in excruciating pain.
Daniel seemed to sense her gaze and froze momentarily before glaring at her with bloodshot eyes, his hatred unmistakable.
Fiora, on the other hand, looked utterly worn out, staring at the floor with a defeated expression.
A guard barked at them, "Quit stalling and step forward!"
Daniel didn’t budge, forcing the guards to drag him to the defendant’s stand and seat him there.
"Such shameless scum..." someone in the audience muttered angrily.
Finally, the presiding judge entered the courtroom.
"The court is now in session!" the judge declared, signaling the start of the trial.
The prosecutor stood and began recounting the events.
"A week ago, the Lady of Halo collapsed after consuming poisoned wine at the Count of Hinas’ estate. The assassin was apprehended on-site. Under interrogation, both the assassin and the leader of the assassin’s guild confessed that Daniel Halo and Fiora Halo had orchestrated the poisoning. Based on this evidence, I, the prosecutor, request the death penalty for both defendants."
"...!"
Daniel and Fiora froze at the prosecutor’s words, their faces pale.
The judge turned to them and asked, "Do the defendants acknowledge the prosecutor’s statement?"
Daniel immediately raised his voice in protest.
"Your Honor, I am innocent! Someone must have framed me by bribing the assassin to testify against me!"
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"Ha!"
A wave of derisive sighs and muttered accusations swept through the audience. Most were nobles disgusted by Daniel’s audacity.
Daniel then pointed an accusatory finger at Penelope and shouted, "Of course! It’s you, Penelope! You scheming wench! You must have orchestrated all of this to frame me and Fiora! You vile, wicked woman!"
Fiora looked at Daniel with wide, shocked eyes. It was clear that he had concocted this claim without informing her.
The prosecutor’s voice was filled with barely contained anger as he retorted, "How dare you lie so shamelessly when the evidence is undeniable? Fifteen days ago, witnesses saw both of you heading to the assassin’s guild! Furthermore, the guild’s ledger contains detailed records of the payments you made. Are you claiming that all of this—witness testimonies and documented evidence—is fabricated?"
Daniel’s confident facade wavered under the prosecutor’s sharp interrogation. His eyes flickered with uncertainty, but he quickly raised his voice again in defiance.
"How can you be so certain that Penelope didn’t orchestrate this herself? She shamelessly seized the title of Lady of Halo, which rightfully belonged to our family, and cast us out! It’s obvious she concocted all of this to get rid of us for good!"
"...!"
The courtroom buzzed with murmurs as the spectators reacted to Daniel’s brazen accusations. While most were incredulous at his audacity, a few nobles seemed swayed by his bold claims, thinking, "When you put it that way, it does seem plausible."
At that moment, Penelope suddenly swayed as if she were about to collapse.
Ahwin quickly caught her, his expression filled with concern.
"Are you alright? Are you feeling unwell?"
"I... I just felt a bit dizzy," Penelope said softly. She sighed and continued, "Ever since that day, I’ve been like this on and off."
Taking out a handkerchief, she dabbed at the sweat on her forehead and discreetly wiped away a tear.
Ahwin looked at her, half startled, half exasperated. "Are you crying?"
"It’s just... it’s so unfair and ridiculous," Penelope replied in a trembling voice. "I didn’t work this hard to rebuild a failing estate just to hear accusations like this..."
Her voice broke, and she began to sob, her shoulders shaking. In truth, she was trembling with anger but decided to channel it into tears.
I was too naïve. I should have shown up pale and weak from a week of eating nothing but porridge. She berated herself internally for underestimating Daniel.
But her tearful act had the desired effect.
The courtroom erupted with shouts of condemnation aimed at Daniel.
"Who in their right mind would poison themselves with a deadly toxin just to frame someone else?"
"Exactly! Plenty of us witnessed the Lady of Halo vomiting blood and collapsing that night!"
"To think he tried to poison his sister-in-law and now denies it so shamelessly! Your Honor, a man like that should be stoned to death!"
As the outrage grew, the judge banged his gavel sharply.
"Order in the courtroom!"
The nobles fell silent, though their anger toward Daniel was palpable. Most of them empathized with Penelope’s situation, thinking, "Who’s to say I won’t be in her place one day? This must serve as a harsh example to deter anyone from even attempting such a thing."
The judge then turned to Fiora.
"Fiora Halo, I understand you confessed your guilt to the prosecutor. Do you agree with Daniel Halo’s claims?"
Fiora stiffened, her face pale, and tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke.
"Your Honor, I didn’t mean for any of this to happen... My brother... He threatened to harm my son if I didn’t go along with him. Please, have mercy! I have a young child..."
Daniel’s eyes widened in shock as he stared at Fiora. It was clear she had decided to sever ties with him.
He stammered, "Wh-what? When did I—what nonsense are you spouting?!"
Fiora looked at him with defiance, her voice firm despite her trembling.
"Why would I lie about this now, brother? I begged you not to go through with it, but you threatened me! Just admit your guilt and stop dragging this on!"
"You dare..." Daniel’s lips quivered in fury, and his expression twisted with malice.
"You were the one who threatened me! You knew I was drowning in debt and told the creditors where to find me!"
"When did I ever—what kind of absurd lie is that?!" Fiora yelled, her voice rising.
"And you? You claim I threatened you? Ridiculous! You walked in there of your own free will, and now you’re making up stories to save yourself! Have you gone mad? Or maybe you’re the one who drank the poison, not Penelope!"
Daniel sneered, his voice dripping with mockery.
"I told you I didn’t want to do this! I warned you we’d be ruined if we got caught! But you dragged me into it anyway!" Fiora shouted, her voice sharp and accusing.
"You dare call me 'you'?! How disrespectful to your elder brother!" Daniel bellowed, trembling with rage.
The siblings’ argument quickly devolved into a shouting match, dragging up grievances from decades past.
"You’ve always been like this! No respect for me, always talking back!"
"And what have you ever done for me, huh? You stole my dowry and gambled it away! Wasn’t that enough for you?!"
Their voices echoed in the courtroom, now filled with their childish bickering.
To Penelope, their argument sounded like nothing more than barking dogs. She clicked her tongue in disgust.
"What a disgraceful family," she muttered under her breath.
Ahwin, standing beside her, murmured coldly, "Utterly pathetic."
Penelope couldn’t help but nod in agreement.
The judge, looking thoroughly fed up, banged his gavel again.
"Defendants, control yourselves! I will now deliver the verdict!"