Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 212

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 212
Rebuttal
“The charges against Prince Marib Berosion are as follows: treason and attempted murder of His Majesty the Emperor, conspiracy against the throne, theft and loss of the imperial seal, assault against imperial nobility, violation of magical seal stone management regulations, destruction of property….”
The judge’s recitation of Marib’s charges seemed endless.
Under normal circumstances, his status as a prince would have earned him leniency, but these charges were applied without such consideration. Since he was destined to fall into ruin anyway, the judiciary’s will was for him to carry all his accumulated sins with him.
The judge turned the page midway through, but the charges continued to ring clearly through the courtroom.
“In total, there are thirty-two counts of charges.”
I clicked my pocket watch. Though we’d started early in the morning, if Marib refused to cooperate, this could easily stretch into the night. Jin seemed flustered by the unexpectedly long list of charges, his gaze fixed on the back of Marib’s head.
“Do you acknowledge these charges, Marib Berosion?”
“Some I acknowledge, others I do not.”
“…Then let us proceed one by one.”
This will take a while. Sighs erupted from various corners at Marib’s confident denial. The judges exchanged brief glances, clearly uncomfortable. Since it was already public knowledge that Marib had behaved shamefully during the interrogation, everyone had to maintain a tense vigilance.
“First, the charge of treason. On the fifth night of this month, you colluded with the Imperial Defense Ministry to unlawfully invade His Majesty’s quarters, injuring guards in the process and inflicting harm upon His Majesty himself. Do you acknowledge this?”
….
“Guardsmen Captain Riama was with you as well. With her leading, you neutralized Beols, and shortly after stealing the imperial seal, you entered the conference chamber in the morning. Is this correct?”
“What if I say it’s not?”
“I will dismiss it. Even without your admission of guilt, we have sufficient testimony and evidence to prove the charges.”
“Ha. Then what’s the point of asking?”
“It is the sacred procedure of the empire.”
“Sacred procedure? How amusing. You’re simply trying to legitimize those twin princes sitting over there. Only when both Gail and I die through trial will they be able to stand properly, won’t they?”
Jin, suddenly singled out, flinched. The gaze of the nobles on the second floor shifted from Marib to Jin and Arcen. Arcen maintained an impassive expression, looking straight ahead.
“Show some decorum!”
“What do you want? Do you wish to know every detail of that day? What’s written in those documents—most of it is true, though you can’t see it from here. I clashed with Gail, and I attempted to kill Deilaina, who had been in collusion with him.”
At his unvarnished statement, murmurs amplified throughout the courtroom. Deilaina frowned and covered her face with her fan. Her jaw clenched visibly, and she appeared deeply displeased.
“But I showed mercy and decided to kill only one of the twins. Then Deilaina seized the moment and pushed one of them.”
“That’s not true!”
“Lady Deilaina, please compose yourself!”
At Deilaina’s outburst, the judge struck his gavel harshly. Though it had been discussed at the grand council, hearing it directly was quite different from hearing it secondhand. The nobles whispered among themselves, questioning Deilaina’s fitness as a guardian.
“So I struck. Jin. That wound came not from me, but from your mother, so do not blame your elder brother for it.”
At Marib’s words, Jin bit his lip hard. In this sacred courtroom, rather than showing any sign of remorse, he was spouting such nonsense—it was truly pathetic.
Perhaps reading the boy’s heart, Marib rose from his seat with a bitter smile.
“If you wish to condemn me, then do so. But first, let me ask you: if either Gail or I had emerged victorious that day, what would you have done? Would you have continued to follow the aging Emperor and denounced me?”
Of course not. Had Marib or Gail secured certain victory, they would have rushed to prostrate themselves on the ground, proclaiming a new era had dawned.
“How can those whose center shifts with the times presume to judge me? It’s hardly fitting, so I hope you’ll abandon this mere show of condemnation.”
“No.”
It was I who directly refuted Marib’s words. I raised my hand to the judge to request the floor, then stood.
“Condemnation must, by its nature, be a spectacle. Only then will some fool in the future refrain from following in Prince Marib’s footsteps. By taking that path, this is the end that awaits—it is a powerful warning that Bariel delivers.”
So the judges should not be swayed by his nonsense and should proceed as planned.
Marib was testing the waters now, rapidly calculating what attitude would serve him best during the trial.
The worst outcome would be stripping of his imperial name and execution by hanging; the next worst would be merely the guillotine; and if fortune smiled upon him, perhaps the trial could be postponed.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Prince Marib Verosion, I now inquire into the charges of violating regulations regarding mana-sealing stone management. Is it true that you knowingly used an unregistered amber-colored gemstone named ‘Idgal’ that absorbs mana for the purposes of rebellion?”
Prince Marib merely nodded curtly instead of answering.
“Where did the funds to purchase this come from?”
“Well, who knows.”
Prince Marib wiggled his crossed arms and delayed his response for a moment. Then, glancing up toward the second floor, he smiled as if amused.
“There, Marquis Zalton’s brother-in-law handed over quite a valuable jewel while overseeing central repairs last year. I sold that to fund it, perhaps?”
“Pardon? Me? Prince Marib, I am Zalton.”
“Right. Ah! No, that’s one thing, but I also made a tidy profit by officially approving the medicine produced by Bisgard. You know, the one with analgesic properties.”
How absurd. I couldn’t help but let out a scoff and tilted my head in disbelief. The parties Prince Marib had mentioned jumped to their feet in shock and protested.
“This is slander! Absolutely nothing of the sort occurred!”
“Compose yourself, Marquis Zalton.”
“This concerns my honor, so please clarify the matter. Prince Marib. What exactly are you trying to accomplish? Yes?”
Angry refutations echoed from the second floor, but Prince Marib merely shrugged indifferently. When he demanded silence from the Judge, the Judge had no choice but to remove Zalton from the courtroom.
“Marquis Zalton, you are hereby removed from this courtroom for one hour.”
Bang! Bang!
“No, wait! Wait!”
As the agitated man was dragged away by guards, the other nobles remained silent with tense expressions. They had grasped what scheme Prince Marib was attempting.
As the second most powerful person in Bariel after the Emperor, he could recite the private scandals of nobles with his eyes closed.
“Shall we continue?”
Prince Marib gestured elegantly, instructing the Judge to proceed. By this point, several of the judges themselves had questionable pasts. They exchanged glances nervously, wondering if they might be next.
“I understand that a final opportunity for argument is granted after sentencing. More than anything, that will prove my innocence. I look forward to it.”
The judges and imperial nobility would pass judgment on Prince Marib, then grant him the right to speak. It was a form of coercion.
“Let’s see. Many have changed due to the incident, but I still recognize quite a few faces.”
“Prince Marib Verosion, speak only matters related to this trial!”
“You asked about the source of funds, and I answered with utmost sincerity. Why do you persist? Or do you have a different answer in mind? You stand me here as a prince, yet you yourselves are desecrating this sacred court.”
His words flowed eloquently. The Judge softened his tone and continued.
“How did you come to conspire with the Imperial Defense Ministry and Riama?”
“Colomo from the Administrative Ministry, are you here?”
“…Gasp.”
“There you are. It’s been a while, how delightful. The three of us gathering in one place was thanks to you, Colomo. Colomo was on quite intimate terms with the Minister of the Imperial Defense Ministry. And Riama was also Colomo’s former lover—though he did have a wife at the time—”
“That’s not true! It’s not!”
“Well, every time I speak, you deny everything. I’m beginning to doubt whether my testimony has any legal weight at all.”
Romandro bit his lip and turned to look at me. Not only that—all the high officials of the imperial palace were glancing at me, silently hoping for my intervention. No matter how fearless a person with nothing to lose might be, wasn’t this going too far? Their expressions made it clear they desperately wanted someone to silence this mad prince.
The mages whispered among themselves, each adding their own comments.
“I-Ian. This situation is becoming rather awkward.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to take action? The imperial palace is already unstable, and if it’s shaken by such nonsense, that too would harm Bariel.”
“Count Ian. Everyone is looking at us.”
“This is maddening. How can he continue like this to the very end? As a prince, has he abandoned all dignity and honor?”
I clicked my tongue watching Prince Marib run wild. Several nobles on the second floor were hastily vacating their seats, fearing they might be mentioned next. Such cunning was truly unparalleled. I had no choice but to raise my hand again.
“Oh, Count Ian!”
“If I may be so bold, please review the report compiled by the Magic Division. Throughout the interrogation, Prince Marib testified to facts that clearly contradicted the truth, and I believe this was a deliberate attempt to obstruct the trial.”
*Rustle.*
At my words, the sound of papers turning echoed throughout the courtroom. They contained baseless claims—that I had orchestrated everything, that I’d met with me in Bratz territory previously, and other equally dubious assertions. Attached alongside these were objective materials systematically refuting each point.
“I humbly request that you take these into consideration in your judgment.”
It was a tacit agreement. Since Marib was now doing everything imaginable to survive, there was an unspoken consensus that no one should regard his testimony as truth.
In other words, whether Marib’s testimony was true or false was not immediately important. The signal was that everyone should endure this humiliation together for the sake of swift and accurate trial proceedings.
“Hmm. Yes, I see.”
“In such cases, it would be wise to alter the format of questioning.”
“Understood. It is a reasonable proposal, and I shall accept it. Prince Marib, henceforth you shall answer only with ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ All other statements are hereby dismissed.”
*Bang! Tap tap!*
Marib was disappointed, but showed no sign of yielding. After all, everyone already knew the truth. The anxiety from exposure would continue to haunt him.
“Next is the matter of special destruction. The inventory of Imperial Palace property destroyed due to the rebellion is as follows: First, the front chamber and the right wing of the main building, second floor,….”
It was best to be thorough yet expedient. The judge made this determination and spoke rapidly. Whenever Marib attempted to say anything other than ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ the judge swiftly brought down the gavel to cut him off. Likely, this judge too held some leverage over Marib.
*Tap tap!*
“These concluded the thirty-two charges against Marib Verosion. In accordance with the laws of the Imperial Palace and the directives of His Majesty the Emperor, I propose the stripping of the imperial surname from the prince and his execution by hanging. Let all present indicate their assent.”
Stripping of the Verosion name and hanging. Marib closed his eyes tightly and exhaled a sigh. He had struggled to the bitter end, but there was nothing to be done.
“Let all present indicate their assent.”
At the chief judge’s words, Marib opened his eyes and turned around. Strangely, no one raised their hand first to vote in favor. They were avoiding being the first to appear conspicuous, fearing Marib might resort to a final desperate act.
“Haha. What are you all doing? Come now, show your support.”
Marib, as if he had caught them perfectly, draped one arm over the armrest of his chair and shouted. Deilaina, her face hidden behind her fan, glanced sideways at Arcen.
“…Arcen?”
“There is no need for me to go first. Why step in filth and invite trouble? Let us wait a moment.”
Even Arcen did not know in such meticulous detail what his followers had been doing behind the scenes. Everyone implicitly understood the revelations were true. Even if ignored in this courtroom, someday they would return as a blade.
*Whoosh.*
A moment of truly heavy and strange silence ensued.
“I am Prince 5, Jin Berosion.”
Jin raised his small hand to indicate his assent. It was a subtle signal from Ian, who sat to his left, that it was acceptable. When no one else stepped forward, being the first to do so had value in many ways.
“I concur with the tribunal’s verdict.”
Especially for one who harbored ambitions for the throne.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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