One-Shot Transmigration: Sorry I'm Here To Ruin Your Happy Ever After-Chapter 126: The trial(6)

Meical’s hands tightened behind him until his knuckles whitened.

Min-jae only smiled, not feeling the slightest bit nervous.

He’d been waiting for this moment.

The herald’s voice dropped.

"With all parties now present.." he said, "we may proceed."

He struck his staff on the marble.

The sound echoed through every rib in the hall.

"The court calls forth the guilty."

The hall exhaled as one.

Even though he stood right there, glowing under a thousand watchful eyes, the ceremony demanded it:

"Kaizar Amagi. Step forward."

Min-jae took one step.

One clean, unwavering step into the heart of the court.

And the proceedings began.

Min‑jae’s boots clicked on the polished marble as he approached the center of the hall, every step measured, deliberate. A thousand eyes followed him, some filled with curiosity, others with thinly veiled contempt.

Meical’s hands clenched behind him until the knuckles whitened, but he did not dare move.

All his attention was on Min‑jae, on the man who had survived, who had returned to face a court that wanted his head.

The herald’s voice rang again, commanding attention. "Kaizar Amagi stands accused of the deaths of his sister, Lady Georgiana Amagi, five months past, and the more recent deaths of Lord Veynar Amagi and Master Dorian Amagi. How does the accused plead?" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

The hall seemed to hold its breath.

Noblewomen fanned themselves nervously, court officials whispered behind hands, and the governors shifted in their chairs, each weighing the importance of this moment.

Min‑jae lifted his chin, his voice calm, clear, and unwavering. "Innocent of all charges."

A ripple ran through the room. Some gasped; others scoffed. A few muttered curses under their breath, certain that such audacity would only hasten his downfall.

Seraphine’s eyes narrowed, her lips pressed into a tight line. She had come to see him fail, to see the man she had sought to manipulate crushed under the weight of allegations.

Radomir, seated near the dais, watched quietly, a faint curl of a smile on his lips. He had long desired Kaizar, longed for his submission... yet now, here he was, standing defiant, unbroken, and radiating a strength the king had not anticipated.

The chief magistrate cleared his throat, holding up a parchment. "The court shall now hear the testimony of those with knowledge of the events in question. Let it be known that all witnesses will be heard in accordance with the law of Aldoria."

Seraphine rose with deliberate grace, her eyes sweeping over the assembly. Every noble, every court official, every governor seemed to shrink beneath her gaze. She approached the dais, the hem of her gown whispering against the marble floor, and inclined her head with a mock courtesy to the magistrate.

"My lords, ladies," she began, her voice smooth and cold, "we are gathered to address grievous crimes. Crimes that have shaken the Amagi household and imperiled the very order of this land."

She paused, letting her words hang in the air like smoke. Min‑jae’s gaze met hers, steady and unyielding, and she faltered for the smallest fraction of a heartbeat before regaining her composure.

"Kaizar Amagi," she said, her voice rising, "stands accused of the deliberate murder of his sister, Lady Georgiana Amagi, five months past, and the more recent deaths of Lord Veynar Amagi and Master Dorian Amagi."

The hall stirred, whispers rushing through the crowd like wind through dry leaves. Meical’s jaw tightened. Every word was a reminder of the month he had spent tormented by uncertainty.

Seraphine held up a folded bundle of parchments. "Here, my lords, is the evidence: letters, witness statements, and records that demonstrate the accused’s presence at the times and locations corresponding to the deaths in question. This evidence points, inexorably, to Kaizar Amagi as the perpetrator."

She let her eyes sweep over the court, her expression triumphant. "I ask you, lords and ladies, to see reason. To recognize the truth that stares you in the face. The accused must answer for these heinous acts."

One of the magistrates, brow furrowed, stepped forward. "Lady Seraphine, the court will examine this evidence carefully. Let all witnesses be heard. And let it be noted: the accused may respond once all testimony and evidence have been presented."

Seraphine bowed slightly, hiding her smirk. "Of course. I await justice, as do the families of the deceased."

The court hall seemed to hold its breath. Every eye turned toward Min‑jae, whose presence alone defied her every expectation.

Calm, poised, every thread of accusation brushing off him like wind against stone, he simply inclined his head in acknowledgment.

Seraphine’s eyes flicked toward the magistrate. "My lords, I call my first witness."

A tall, nervous-looking man in the livery of the Amagi household stepped forward. His hands shook slightly as he held a folded scroll. "I... I saw Lord Kaizar near Lord Veynar’s study the night of his death," he said, voice quivering. "He... he argued loudly with my lord before the screams..."

Gasps rippled through the hall. Meical’s hands tightened behind him. Min‑jae’s expression didn’t change, but his gaze sharpened, cutting like a blade toward the witness.

"Continue," Seraphine prompted smoothly. "Do you swear this testimony is true?"

"I swear it!" the man stammered, beads of sweat forming on his brow.

Seraphine nodded, arching an eyebrow. "And did you see him leave the scene?"

"Yes," the man replied. "Alone. He left after..." His voice faltered, but the meaning was clear.

Another witness, a servant girl, was called. Her eyes darted nervously around the room. "I... I saw Lord Kaizar near Master Dorian’s chambers the morning he was found dead. He... he carried a bag, he said it was for documents, but it... it looked heavy, and there was blood on the handle..."

Whispers spread through the hall.

The tension was suffocating. Every noble leaned forward in their chairs, waiting for the next revelation.

Seraphine’s smile widened, almost triumphant. She held up a bundle of letters.

"Furthermore, these correspondences indicate premeditation. Notes intercepted from Kaizar’s study reveal a clear pattern: anger toward his family, frustration with their decisions, and plans that coincide with the timing of these deaths."

The magistrate raised a hand. "The court will record these letters as evidence. Witnesses, be seated."

Seraphine glanced at the gathered court, voice dripping with false compassion. "The facts are plain. The accused was present, observed, and documented. He had motive, opportunity, and means. What more proof is required?"