Please Support My Revenge - Chapter 48

“What did you say?”

“Buy the miners?”

“Read my newspaper. ‘Count Evelentia discreetly infiltrated the newly formed miners’ union a few weeks ago, sprinkling gold and coercing the miners to relinquish their rights. In response, angered miners submitted evidence of the Count’s misdeeds to the Merdanian court, leading to the issuance of a summons to Count Evelentia,'” he said.

“Oh my goodness!” Nobles gasped as they heard the news.

“Why on earth would you buy the miners?”

“The newspaper says it was to neutralize Silveston Pramer, the leader of the union.

Silveston Pramer has long been vocal about the rights of the miners against Count Evelentia.”

“Oh dear, that’s…” the nobles had ambiguous expressions.

“That’s truly…” a noble continued.

No one thought it was wrong to buy a commoner and use them to achieve what they wanted. Born into wealth, they had solved many problems with money and status. However, it was supposed to be done discreetly. While nobles were used to handing money to commoners behind the scenes, publicly acknowledging it was considered a blow to their dignity. But now, to be caught buying a commoner…

“How unfortunate…” The nobles looked at each other with complicated expressions. It was the moment when Marlon’s dignity sank to the ground.

*****

“Dad!” Aina knocked on Marlon’s office door, holding a copy of “Golden Time” in her hand. After a while, Marlon, with a pained expression, appeared behind the door.

“Dad, did you really buy the miners?” Aina asked with a trembling voice. Her hand holding the newspaper was so tense that it had turned pale.

Aina valued dignity and elegance more than life itself. Even though she would call a maid to fuss over a wrinkle in her dress at a party, she couldn’t bear the thought of her father being at the center of a dishonorable purchase.

“Please answer. Is it true? If it is, how do we now hold our heads up high? Everyone will mock us when we go to the capital!” Tears rolled down Aina’s clear eyes.

“Aina, I…”

Marlon started to comfort his daughter with a perplexed expression, but Aina wouldn’t listen to whatever he had to say. It was expected; she had only one thing in mind from the beginning.

“Please, Dad, say you didn’t do it! And tell people too! Tell them Dad didn’t do it!”

“Sigh, Aina.” Marlon sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead.

“But a summons came from the court. This is on a different level than a simple slip of the tongue at a party. We can’t just say it didn’t happen and move on.”

Aina lowered her head deeply. She glanced again at the crumpled newspaper she held in her hands.

After a while, Aina spoke in a faint voice.

“There’s a way.”

“A way? What way are you talking about?”

“I know everything.”

Aina raised her head. Marlon was momentarily distracted by the unfamiliar energy shining in his daughter’s eyes.

It was a gaze Aina had never shown before.

Marlon had always thought of her as a child, innocent and fragile, but to see such a cold look in her eyes…

Aina, with sharp eyes like shattered glass, opened her mouth.

“Just say that Viscount Rohan arranged it.”

“Viscount Rohan? What…”

Marlon was about to respond.

“Your Excellency?”

An awkward voice was heard. Viscount Rohan, holding a pile of documents, froze in the posture of knocking on the open door.

“If it’s said that Your Excellency arranged it, wouldn’t that be enough?”

Documents slipped from Viscount Rohan’s hands. Without even considering picking them up, he stared blankly at Marlon and continued.

“I have been loyal to Your Excellency. You said you wouldn’t abandon me, that I was the only one for you. How could you do this to me?”

Marlon frowned in pain. Viscount Rohan still had some usefulness. He couldn’t let him go like this; he had to find a way to appease him.

“Viscount Rohan, calm down. Surely you know I wouldn’t abandon you? You know my sincerity, don’t you?”

Marlon uttered sweet words toward Viscount Rohan. “As expected…”

“Does that mean Dad ordered this? Are you going to twist everything?”

Just as Viscount Rohan was about to pass over Marlon’s sweet talk, Aina burst into tears.

“Aina! Don’t cry.”

Marlon’s attention shifted entirely to Aina, who was soaking wet with tears.

Viscount Rohan stared blankly at Marlon, trying to comfort the crying Aina. He quickly turned and strode down the corridor.

While Marlon comforted the crying Aina, Viscount Rohan left the Evelentia Merdanian branch.

The employees guarding the main entrance looked at him with puzzled expressions, but he didn’t have the spirit to respond.

“No, I can’t let this happen. I can’t let myself be overturned and sink!”

Viscount Rohan quickened his pace. He pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his forehead, but in a fit of nerves, he threw it to the ground.

Unlike Marlon, who had a way out even if found guilty, once Viscount Rohan received a guilty verdict, it was all over. He didn’t have the power to reverse a verdict or the influence to annul it. Moreover, if Marlon intentionally abandoned him…

“I’ll rot in prison!”

The worst scenarios played out in Viscount Rohan’s mind. Instinctively, he slipped into a secluded alley. He was so distracted that he didn’t even realize that someone might be following him.

“What do I do? What should I do?”

He leaned against the wall, slid down, and covered his head with his hands.

“Your Excellency.”

At that moment, the familiar figure of Inyoung appeared in front of him.

Viscount Rohan looked up with an unbelieving expression, staring at Catherine Hayard, who had accompanied him along with the miners.

“How did you…?”

Viscount Rohan asked dazedly. Instead of explaining that she had followed the miners as instructed, Lobelia extended her hand to help Viscount Rohan up.

The time now, I thought you might have been betrayed by Marlon.”

“I… I planned to overturn the charges on behalf of Count Evelentia.”

Viscount Rohan still seemed disoriented as he spoke.

“Your Excellency, don’t you want to go to prison?”

“Of course, what are you asking?”

“I’ll help you.”

Lobelia smiled like an angel and spoke.

****

The time passed quickly.

After negotiating with Viscount Rohan, Lobelia threw herself into the hectic preparations for the trial.

And two days later, the doors of the Merdanian court opened.

“Finally, today is the day.”

“It’s fortunate that there’s a trial. We can go in and see for ourselves.”

“I wonder how it will turn out.”

Merdanion was buzzing with excitement about the trial of Count Evelentia scheduled for the afternoon.

It wasn’t just the nobles who were stirred by the news of the trial.

“If Silveston’s gang was bought out?”

“They weren’t bought out; the count tried to buy them, and they turned the tables by reporting him!”

“So, are they going to have a showdown with a noble master? That’s impressive!”

Merdanian locals, miners, and even merchants who followed the miners were all eagerly paying attention to the news of the trial. Marlon’s trial was truly everyone’s concern.

Lobelia, disguised as Catherine, left the hotel to attend the trial as a witness.

As nobles heading to the courtroom spotted Lobelia, they sent curious glances her way. But no one approached her

.

It seemed that everyone thought initiating a conversation with someone in distress, especially outside of a party, would damage their dignity.

While lacking the courage to abandon her pride, Lobelia gracefully navigated through the curious gazes of the nobles.

Behind Lobelia was Joel, who had become somewhat accustomed to escorting, and the stern-faced Silveston followed.

“Is it really okay?”

As Lobelia reached the waiting room for witnesses after arriving at the courthouse and being guided by an employee, Silveston anxiously asked.

“What do you mean?”

Lobelia, who entered the witness waiting room, dismissed the employee and sat down on a hard chair.

“I heard people talking. Even if we collectively accuse Count Evelentia, they say he’ll smoothly escape the legal net.”

Silveston spoke with a dark expression. It seemed like he had heard various things while preparing for the trial.

“Usually, that’s how it goes,” Lobelia replied in a dry tone. While it was undoubtedly disgraceful for Marlon to be known for buying miners, the likelihood of him facing punishment for that crime was very low.

Marlon was a prominent noble, even in the capital. The influence he wielded was substantial, almost like a pillar supporting the empire. Despite the development of the mining industry, Merdanian was still a rural area. In a rural court, especially with only the testimony of commoners, it would be almost impossible to convict Marlon.

“But today, it’s different. We have another collaborator,” Lobelia said with a composed smile.

“A collaborator?”

“Yes, and their testimony is not to be taken lightly.”

Silveston nodded thoughtfully just as a knock was heard. The court employee stood at the door.

“The trial will begin shortly. Please proceed to the courtroom.”

Considering that they were already being asked to stand, it seemed that today’s trial would proceed quickly.

“Well, from the judge’s perspective, there probably isn’t a more awkward case than this,” Lobelia thought. She understood the judge’s desire to conclude the trial as swiftly as possible.

“Catherine!”

“You came!”

Other miners were already in the witness stand. Unlike Silveston, who worried about whether they could win against Marlon, their faces were full of hope.

Lobelia smiled at them, showing support, and took her designated seat.

As the bustling noise filled the courtroom, spectators crowded in to witness the trial. Among them were Marlon and Viscount Rohan, as well as Aina.

“Aina came?”

It was unexpected. Aina, who valued dignity more than life itself, would surely avoid a place where disgrace was inevitable.

Aina was sitting with her head bowed low. However, she suddenly lifted her head, locking eyes with Lobelia.