A look of surprise spread across Kachian’s face.

“Gwan village... I do know of that place. If I recall correctly, I visited there briefly for recuperation when I was young. Ah, then perhaps...”

A carefully calculated expression of pondering. Tilting his head and covering his mouth slightly, Kachian asked in a hesitant voice after a short pause.

“The name of the Cavalry member who took down the attackers in that village... was it ‘Marin’?”

The moment the name Marin was mentioned, Kachian’s gaze briefly flicked toward Kishiar’s face. Yuder recalled the day when he, Kishiar, and Kachian had secretly crossed paths in the palace.

‘Come to think of it, I believe there was a member who was especially eager to meet the Crown Prince.’

‘The name... was it Marin?’

Kishiar had deliberately brought up Marin’s name back then to provoke Kachian. Upon hearing the shocking news that a surviving family member of the friend he had killed had become a Cavalry member, Kachian had been so shaken he fled immediately.

Just as Kishiar had predicted, that provocation had clearly made Kachian even more erratic and irrational in his behavior. The fact that he had moved so recklessly just to erase the village proved it.

Of course, Kachian’s plot had failed miserably. But that cunning bastard seemed to have no intention of pretending ignorance—instead, he looked ready to make the first move.

That name you gave me. I’ll make good use of it.

Kachian’s glittering, scheming eyes seemed to say exactly that.

“Your Majesty. Please answer me. Am I correct? What was the name of the Cavalry member stationed in that village?”

Emperor Keillusa, who had been listening to Kachian’s dramatic outcry with an unreadable expression, slowly opened his mouth to reply.

“The name of the Cavalry member who prevented the incident without casualties was, indeed, Marin.”

“And I suppose they’re also the one who reported me.”

Kachian added sharply, eyes alight with pleasure.

“How truly astonishing. I remembered that name for an entirely different reason. Not long ago, I heard that someone by that name had joined the Cavalry and was actively slandering me. From what I gathered, they were going around talking as if they had known me intimately for a long time... though I didn’t even know who that commoner was until recently.”

“......”

“At the time, as the Crown Prince of the Empire, I graciously let the matter go. But thinking back on it now... it’s truly strange.”

Kachian’s voice subtly rose.

“How could someone who knew me before I became the Crown Prince just happen to become a Cavalry member? And how could that very person happen to be in that village at that exact time, and know the specific legal procedures that most commoners wouldn’t even be aware of to formally report me?”

Though his voice had matured post-puberty, the high-pitched tone gave him an oddly boyish air, and it now carried a sharp edge of anger.

“Am I the only one who finds this sequence of events suspicious? This is clearly the trace of an organized smear campaign! How can we be certain someone within the Cavalry wasn’t targeting me and orchestrating malicious actions? And despite all this, Your Majesty, you still interrogate me?”

It was a masterfully executed pivot. He reversed the entire situation—casting Kishiar and Marin as conspirators, spinning a conspiracy theory on the spot with stunning skill. ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) Yuder thought even Duke Diarca might’ve clapped if he were watching.

In fact, a few seated in the gallery began to stir—some from the noble faction, others from the moderates. But before that ripple of unrest could grow, a heavy voice pressed down over the entire Room of Truth.

“Is that all you have to say?”

It was Emperor Keillusa.

Kachian’s eyes wavered for a moment.

He had successfully flipped the narrative, yet the emperor’s unfazed tone left him visibly unsettled.

“Answer the question.”

“...Yes. That’s all I can surmise, given my lack of involvement.”

“Crown Prince. The reason I opened the Room of Truth today was to give you a chance to speak freely and clear up misunderstandings before a formal trial. This is the last time you will be able to speak so freely. Even so, are you truly done speaking?”

“Why... would you say that? And what do you mean, a formal trial?”

Kachian’s face twisted in confusion at the unfamiliar words.

“I’ve never heard anything about that.”

“Because the decision to proceed has not yet been finalized. The High Justices are currently deliberating whether or not to refer the case.”

“What...! This is outrageous. Why should I face this ordeal over a servant’s crime that I did not order!”

“A crime you did not order... is that truly the case? Let us verify that now.”

The Emperor raised his hand. The doors opened, and several attendants entered in a line, each holding a tray with great care. On each tray were various items.

The first person spoke loudly.

“What I hold is the original commission received by the mercenaries who disguised themselves as bandits and attacked the civilian village.”

Normally, such a commission would be destroyed immediately after receipt. But for some reason, this one had remained intact. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

“Though the full payment was supposed to be made upfront, due to Osem Nully’s financial situation, part of the payment was deferred. Thus, the original document remained and was seized by our knights.”

Crown Prince Kachian had shifted all financial burden to others when giving the order. Public funds couldn’t be used under scrutiny, and without support from House Diarca, this was inevitable.

However, the servant he ordered to act was a scion of a fallen noble house, and thus had limited funds on hand. He swallowed his pride and negotiated to pay the remainder after the job, but didn’t inform the Crown Prince of this.

As a result, the commission written in the Crown Prince’s own handwriting was never destroyed.

‘It’s laughable... but clearly not coincidence.’

Yuder scanned Emperor Keillusa’s face. With his abilities, he could’ve easily known all of this and orchestrated the timing.

Then the second person stepped forward.

“Upon inspection, we found that the type of paper and the color of ink used in this letter perfectly matched those used in the Palace of Radiance.”

He held up two sheets: one was an official letter previously sent by the Crown Prince, the other was the commission. Beside them sat an ink bottle unique to the palace and the main court.

While it’s possible to change one’s handwriting with effort, how many people would go to the trouble of sourcing cheap paper and charcoal ink for a letter meant to be burned? Especially someone like Kachian, who had to move quickly.

Though such supplies are common outside, they’re hard to come by inside the palace. Kachian had tried to act quickly using what was at hand—and this was the result.

Murmurs began to rise. Then the third person stepped forward.

“During the investigation into Osem Nully’s charges, we recorded responses from the villagers and the informant regarding their connection to the Crown Prince. Strangely, the majority of residents gave the same response after viewing the Crown Prince’s portrait...”

“Enough.”

Kachian suddenly leapt to his feet. His face was paler than before.

“Enough! All of this is fabricated evidence!”

“The Crown Prince’s time to speak has ended. Sit down.”

“You expect me to sit quietly while I’m being framed with forged evidence and testimony?! This is outright violence against me!”

“...Your Majesty. Shouldn’t the Crown Prince be granted a bit more leniency?”

A voice of reluctant support came from behind Kachian’s sweating back. One of the noble officials seated near Kironne had spoken, his face drawn in a grimace.