The Male Lead's Sickly Aide Is My Type - Chapter 32
Translator and Editor: Nana and Nabi
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Chapter 32
The day had dawned.
It was the day when Viscountess Lanton’s fate would be decided. As Carinne entered the courtroom, she saw the King seated on the throne, lost in thought.
“We shall commence the trial now.”
He declared.
A lengthy explanation followed. If Viscountess Lanton were found guilty, the next trial would be a witch trial to determine whether she had been possessed by a witch or if she had been a witch all along. It was not particularly important information, so Carinne half-listened and let it slip from her mind.
After the King finished his explanation, Marquis Ariella stepped forward to give his testimony.
“It was last week in the morning. I was passing by the vault, and I sensed something strange. Normally, I set the vault combination to zero, but that day, there was a number one in it. So, out of curiosity, I decided to open the vault…”
The Marquis, true to his reputation as a gossiper, went on and on, sharing unnecessary details.
“…There was no statue of the saint, but there was a horned demon statue. I was so startled that I nearly fainted. I pondered over it all day. It couldn’t be that the saint statue had transformed into a demon on its own.”
“Someone must have cast a spell on the statue.”
He went on.
“And then I thought of something. Someone else who knew the vault combination.”
Marquis Ariella accused Viscountess Lanton as the person who knew the vault combination.
“She sought revenge after our separation. Isn’t there an old saying that if the statue of the saint is stolen, there must be a witch nearby?”
Marquis Ariella further accused Viscountess Lanton of being a witch, citing her solitary lifestyle and her infrequent outings as supporting evidence. It was an absurd claim, but some people in the crowd nodded in agreement, frustrating Carinne.
“I see. Next!”
After Marquis Ariella’s testimony concluded, it was Viscountess Lanton’s turn to present her statement.
“To be clear, I never had any close relationship with Marquis Ariella. I had no knowledge of the whereabouts of the saint statue and black magic that can transform a saint statue into a demon. I swear on my honor that I am not a witch!”
Unlike Marquis Ariella, who rambled on with unnecessary words, Viscountess Lanton’s testimony was compelling and concise. When the King asked if either side had anything else to say, both Marquis Ariella and Viscountess Lanton shook their heads.
The King sighed.
“Hm, is there nothing else? This testimony alone is insufficient evidence.”
It seemed that just hearing from the two of them wouldn’t be enough. Just then, a familiar face entered the courtroom, and Carinne raised her hand.
“Wait, we have a witness here.”
As she pointed to the door, all eyes turned in that direction.
“Hello, I’ve come to provide a testimony that will help the trial.”
It was Rose.
She gracefully walked across the courtroom and stood on the witness stand.
“I know who used black magic on the saint statue. It was none other than…”
Thud.
The sound of jaws dropping could be heard throughout the room.
“Marquis Ariella!”
“Huh?”
“What did she just say?”
As people started murmuring, the face of Marquis Ariella, who had been smugly confident, turned pale.
“The Marquis is a witch…?”
“What’s going on all of a sudden?”
As the courtroom grew noisy, the King slammed his gavel.
With a loud bang, the audience fell silent.
“And who might you be?”
“I’m a server at the tavern where the Marquis frequents. We see each other often.”
Rose replied nonchalantly.
“While I haven’t directly witnessed the Marquis practicing black magic, last night, he told me something. He said that if Viscountess Lanton is innocent, he plans to use his own skill in black magic to punish her.”
The Marquis’ face turned red as he stood up abruptly.
“Me, when did I—!”
“I was too scared to say anything, so I just…”
“It’s a lie! It’s all a lie!”
When the Marquis’ face contorted with fear, the King slammed his gavel once again.
“Silence! Is there any other evidence? Words alone won’t suffice. We need concrete evidence.”
“Wait, there is another witness!”
“Who might that be?”
The King asked. After slouching like a bok choy in a hot pot, he began to take interest when the Marquis started being accused, making him suddenly straighten his back.
“It’s me.”
At that moment, the Marquise, who had been sitting next to the Marquis somewhat inconspicuously, raised her hand.
“You’re the witness?”
“I swear to speak only the truth in front of the holy soul of the saint.”
The Marquise pushed the Marquis aside and stepped forward to the witness stand. Her gentle yet powerful voice resonated throughout the courtroom.
“As the mistress of Ariella’s household, I planned to bury my husband’s wrongdoing in the grave, but upon witnessing this incident, I can no longer stay silent.”
Her husband’s wrongdoing?
Everyone held their breath and waited for the Marquise to continue speaking.
“My husband is both a black mage and a worshipper of demons.”
“That’s absurd…!”
While two guards who were standing by the Marquis prevented him from rushing out, the Marquise continued without giving a glance to the agitated Marquis.
“Yesterday, I clearly saw him performing a worship ritual.”
“This is all lies! They’re lies!”
“When my husband recited the incantation, a shimmering figure of a demon appeared on his back. I didn’t witness its disappearance, so I’m sure it’s still there.”
“When did I…? Look, look at me!”
“Well, it would be faster to see it with our own eyes rather than saying it a hundred times, right?”
Carinne approached the Marquis’ side and helped him remove his outer coat. After handing the coat to her, the Marquis confidently raised his shirt.
“Look, where is it?!”
A wave of shock swept through the audience.
“Oh, my!”
“I’ve never seen such a grotesque image anywhere.”
“Clearly the residue of black magic. It’s undeniable.”
It was an unexpected reaction from what was anticipated. The bewildered Marquis was handed a mirror by Carinne.
“What is this…?!”
The Marquis looked into the mirror with astonishment.
On his back was a depiction of a huge inverted pentagram. In the center of the pentagram, a horned goat grinned, baring its teeth. Intricate geometric patterns surrounded the goat’s head, creating a strange sense of otherworldliness with their similarity yet lack of discernible patterns.
It was a chillingly eerie image that evoked discomfort and unease in those who beheld it. The King, upon seeing the image on the Marquis’ back, tightly closed his eyes.
“Stop, lower your clothes. I don’t wish to see anymore.”
Carinne also shared the same opinion. She couldn’t help it, but she felt disgusted.
“You’ve seen it all.”
She persisted.
“Practicing black magic and worshipping the devil, it’s a felony.”
If things continued like this, he would undoubtedly be branded as a black mage. As people murmured among themselves, Marquis Ariella suddenly regained his composure.
“This is preposterous! Please reconsider. If I were a black mage, would I have willingly reported the substitution of the statue of the saint with a demon statue?”
Although the Marquis vehemently defended himself, it was futile. Given the circumstances, the trial was in Carinne’s hands.
“You had an affair with Viscountess Lanton, didn’t you? Then, not only Viscountess Lanton, didn’t you also harbor negative feelings towards her?”
“I did send him letters a few times. But he kept sending them back and burned them.”
Viscountess Lanton muttered quietly.
“You held a grudge against Viscountess Lanton and tried to frame her as a witch. Unfortunately for you, you were caught in the investigation.”
Carinne shrugged her shoulders.
“If you feel unjust, then explain why those marks are carved on your back.”
“That, that is…”
The Marquis grabbed his head, but he couldn’t find a suitable answer. Carinne licked her lips and gestured towards the marks.
“Now that we have seen definite evidence, I believe there can be no disagreement. Marquis Ariella will be recognized as a black mage, and Viscountess Lanton will be cleared of charges.”
As the King struck his gavel, the trial came to an end.
The witch would face the stake, and the black mage would be banished. Marquis Ariella would spend the rest of his life on a remote island. Marta, who had been observing the trial from behind, approached Marquis Ariella and put handcuffs on him. The sound of the cuffs clicking was distinct.
The Marquis did not resist, but his face expressed disbelief as he muttered incomprehensibly.
“Why is this on my back?”
The Marquis was led away in a half-dazed state.
“I only drank last night… that’s all I did.”
He should have been more careful in his actions.
‘Don’t even think of falsely accusing someone!’
Carinne thought, suppressing a chuckle.
In the courtyard of the palace, people poured out after the trial. Archen searched for Carinne and caught a glimpse of Marquise Arielle hurrying somewhere.
She hurriedly turned and dropped her bag. The bag remained open, and something long and shiny rolled out from the open entrance of the bag. It stopped right in front of him, who quietly picked up the statue of the saint.
“This is…”
“Please give it back.”
The Marquise had an unusually calm expression. Archen alternated his gaze between the statue of the saint and the Marquise, realizing the whole story.
He furrowed his brow.
“Were you the one who stole the statue of the saint?”
“That man got what he deserved.”
The Marquise spoke calmly. Even though she was caught with the statue of the saint, she remained composed.
“Check my arm.”
Archen had no reason to comply with her request. However, the Marquise’s calm voice exerted an irresistible force. When he reached out and rolled up her sleeve, there were reddish bruises on her fair skin as if someone had randomly painted on a canvas.
“There hasn’t been a day when I haven’t been mistreated. Verbal abuse, physical violence… There have been countless days when I thought it would be better to die. All I want is to reclaim my life. And for that, I needed the money from selling the statue of the saint.”
“You switched the statue of the saint with the demon statue to avoid arousing your husband’s suspicion.”
“That’s right. It was unexpected that Viscountess Lanton would be accused of being a witch, but at least it didn’t go as far as a witch trial.”
“Even so, you falsely accused your husband.”
Archen grabbed the Marquise. No, he tried to.
“Wait a moment.”
Archen didn’t realize it, but Marta had been listening to their conversation. She stepped in between the two of them.
“Let her go.”
“Excuse me?”
“I will release her on behalf of the Knight Commander’s authority.”
“Why? This is not something the Commander can decide on her own.”
Archen looked at Marta with eyes that he couldn’t comprehend.
“Some things in this world are unavoidable.”
It sounded like nonsense to Archen, so he frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“I heard the last time you visited me was because of a bet, and you were just caught up in it. The same goes this time. You had no obligation to participate in the investigation, yet you still helped the Princess and exerted efforts to solve the case. So, answer my question first.”
Marta caught a glimpse of a tie pin stuck in Archen’s tie. The silver tie pin sparkled.
“Why are you going to such lengths for the Princess?”
After the trial, Carinne stood in front of the main gate of the palace for a long time. Archen emerged only after everyone from the trial had left the palace.
“What happened? Why did it take so long?”
“Nothing,” he said, his face troubled for some reason. Although she hoped for an explanation, she didn’t probe.
‘Will Marta be okay?’ Carinne knew that Marta’s past wasn’t much different from Marquise Ariella.
Considering that Marquise Ariella didn’t have any children, Marta’s situation might have been even worse. Marta must have seen her past self reflected in her.
‘Everyone has memories they want to forget, don’t they?’ Carinne thought the same of herself.
Throughout the journey back home, Carinne was lost in thoughts of the past. When she arrived at the mansion, she discovered that the dress she had chosen with Iris had arrived in her room.
Iris was surprisingly hasty in her temperament. However, Carinne could only receive an invitation to Iris’ party the next day.
“Lady, if you’re going to the party, you need to prepare various things. Aren’t you concerned?”
“It’s okay. I don’t need to.”
Marie was worried, but Carinne ignored it and left the invitation card untouched in a corner.
After all, the party was soon to be canceled. But to her surprise, the cancellation notice didn’t arrive even on the day of the party. With a sense of unease, Carinne arrived at the party venue and was taken aback. The place was overflowing with people.
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Zepelim
Imaginei que algo daria errado nessa festa😅
Obrigada pela tradução ❤
Mangagirl4
Can’t wait to see how the party goes!