Please Support My Revenge - Chapter 50

“Catherine Hayard!”

A thunderous shout echoed through the courtroom. Marlon stood up from the defendant’s seat and confronted Lobelia with a furious expression.

“How dare you sell the mine without even talking to me? How dare you, just how?”

Even Aina, who was standing right next to them, had a stunned reaction.

“Dad…”

Aina tried to pull on Marlon’s coat, but it was in vain. Marlon, with a face flushed with anger, glared at Lobelia as if he could kill her with his eyes.

Aina couldn’t hide her embarrassment and bewilderment, bowing her head. Her small fist, clenched on her lap, trembled visibly.

For Aina, this day would feel like a nightmare.

“Catherine Hayard, you scum…”

“Enough.”

Marlon was about to erupt further, but Jade blocked his path in front of Lobelia.

“Now that I own the mine, talk to me about it, Viscount Evelentia.”

Jade shook the contract and the ownership papers they had signed yesterday in front of Marlon’s eyes.

Marlon, not knowing what to say, looked at it as if he couldn’t believe it and slumped back into the defendant’s seat.

At that moment, everyone in the courtroom felt it. From now on, this trial will unfold in a completely different direction.

Jade took the witness stand.

Lobelia, making way for Jade, glanced at his side profile.

Jade didn’t spare a single glance at Lobeliaa, as if he had come solely for the mining business. Lobeliaa turned her gaze back to the front, focusing on the trial once again.

“Last night, Lord Rohan approached me.”

Jade, given permission to speak, began his story.

“He asked for my help, claiming that he knows about the heinous and cruel deeds that occurred in Merdanion and requested assistance in proving it.”

Lord Rohan approached quietly and stood beside Jade.

Marlon glared at him with threatening eyes, but Lord Rohan stubbornly avoided eye contact, seemingly determined.

“As one born into a noble family with pure blood, I decided to help him for the sake of justice and truth.”

Jade continued his narrative. Everyone in the courtroom was captivated by his story.

“While investigating based on Lord Rohan’s testimony, I discovered shocking facts.”

Jade’s expression became grave.

“For the rights of the miners’ union formed to defend their rights, Viscount Evelentia attempted to buy it with money. Moreover, it is a fact that he employed thugs to harass the honorable Catherine Hayard, who stands here.”

The nobles were in uproar. Words like ‘I knew it’ and ‘as expected’ were whispered here and there.

Nobles who had doubted whether Viscount Evelentia would commit such acts when Catherine claimed an attack by thugs at Lady Evion’s party were now convinced after hearing the words from Jade.

“Lord Rohan will provide detailed testimony on this. ”

Jade handed over the baton to Lord Rohan.

Lord Rohan took a deep breath. He pulled out thick documents from his bag, handed them to the judge, and began to testify in a detached tone about how Marlon’s misdeeds had unfolded in detail.

With Lord Rohan assisting Marlon in everything and even lending his name, there was no gap in Lord Rohan’s testimony.

“Expecting a wise judgment.”

After Lord Rohan’s testimony ended, Jade spoke a word to the judge.

A conflict appeared on the judge’s face as he held the gavel, listening to Lord Rohan’s testimony.

Suddenly, Silveston raised his hand to shoulder height.

“May I speak?”

Unlike the excitement before, he appeared calm. The judge, confident that he would no longer cause a disturbance, nodded.

“Your Honor, for over twenty years, I consistently pleaded with Viscount Evelentia to improve the treatment of the miners.”

Although his momentum was calm, Silveston’s eyes remained sharp.

“As you, Your Honor, are also from Merdanion, I believe you understand what I am saying.”

The expressions of the judge and the Merdanion people in the audience changed.

All of them knew how the miners who followed James after the change of ownership in Evelentia had been driven away and the persecution they had suffered for over twenty years.

The judge made an uncomfortable expression. He knew that Marlon’s actions in firing the miners at that time were unjust.

“When Miss Catherine Hayard employed us…”

Silveston paused for a moment to control his emotions.

“Those of us who persistently clung to Merdanion finally gained hope that we could start anew.”

Suppressing overflowing emotions, Silveston’s brow furrowed.

“That hope is invaluable to us. Please…”

He continued pleading.

“If Your Honor has a family, you would understand the heart of a father who does anything to feed his family.” Silveston’s voice carried the sincerity of fighting against a giant corporation for over twenty years to take responsibility for his family.

“Make a wise… no, a righteous choice.”

The phrase ‘righteous choice’ made the judge flinch. Holding the gavel, he lowered his head.

“Don’t worry.”

At that moment, Jade spoke up.

“If your decision is righteous, the nobility of the empire will support that decision.”

The judge’s expression changed as he understood something from Jade’s metaphorical words.

Pronouncing Viscount Evelentia guilty was an incredibly challenging task for the rural judge, but with Duke Ferrado on the other side, the story was different. He had just been told that Duke Ferrado would be his supporter, so without worry, he should pronounce Viscount Evelentia guilty.

Marlon seemed to have a lot to say, but in front of Jade, he couldn’t bring himself to speak recklessly.

Silence fell within the courtroom.

Nobles watched with intrigued eyes, and Merdanion residents looked at the judge and the gavel in his hand with desperate eyes.

The judge let out a sigh. He felt Marlon’s fierce gaze, but he had already made up his mind.

Slowly, he raised the gavel.

“To Viscount Evelentia…”

The judge’s voice echoed in the quiet courtroom. Everyone looked at the judge’s mouth. Finally, he brought the gavel down.

“Guilty.”

Some Merdanion locals clenched their fists unconsciously. The judge continued speaking.

“The charges include the crime of buying miners from a legitimate union with money and the crime of recruiting thugs to harass innocent citizens. Therefore, in this Merdanion trial, a fine of 40 million menihi is imposed.”

A mixture of cheers and sighs erupted from various places.

40 million menihi. Considering the money Marlon had thrown to the miners was 20 million menihi per person, it was an incredibly small amount.

Some Merdanion natives, watching Marlon receive such a light punishment compared to the crimes he committed, slumped in powerlessness.

But for Lobelia and the miners, it was different.

“We won!”

Lobelia gripped the low fence surrounding the witness stand tightly. Her heart was pounding, and her body tensed with anticipation. They had won a fight that seemed hopeless at the beginning. Even if the outcome was just a fine, it was still a victory.

Marlon was officially declared guilty of buying union miners and hiring thugs to harass commoners. Whatever Marlon did next, this charge would stain his honor forever.

“Done, it’s over.”

The miners, too, caught up in the excitement of their victory and patted each other on the shoulders, repeating the words “it’s over.”

Marlon, with deep contemplation in his eyes, was watching Lobelia and Jade.

Suddenly, a glimmer of realization flashed in his eyes.

“No way. No, it’s an absurd thought.”

But Marlon denied the hypothesis he had come up with. It was impossible that Lobelia was involved in this. The Lobelia he knew was extremely submissive. The obedient girl would never extend her hand in such matters.

Besides, how could the Lobelia currently in the academy influence Merdanion’s mining deals?

Marlon scoffed at his own thoughts. Jade, Lobeliaa’s partner, was undoubtedly a formidable figure. But that was it.

Lobelia…

Marlon recalled the image of Lobelia kneeling before him, begging desperately. The innocent face of the girl who knew nothing when everything was taken away from her.

“I should go up to the capital and visit Lobelia once more. Seeing her might provide some answers.”

Marlon concluded and put aside his thoughts about Lobelia.

On the other hand, Aina was different.

Aina looked at Catherine, meaning Lobelia, with sharp eyes. If this were not a public place, she might have bitten her nails out of anxiety.

“It’s clear. No doubt. That woman…”

Aina muttered while looking at Marlon, who nodded approvingly at the absurd verdict.

“What made our dad like this?”

In Aina’s mind, a hypothesis that was both truthful and dangerously close to reality was formed.

Lobelia sensed Aina’s intense gaze, turned her head, and met her eyes.

When their eyes met, Aina smiled.

“Smiling?”

Lobelia looked at Aina with an unbelieving gaze. Was it a misunderstanding? The smile vanished from Aina’s face; there was none.

With a sly smile, Lobelia turned her attention back to the concluding phase of the trial.

****

That evening, Lobelia, Silveston, Joel, and the miners gathered in the office of Mine 9, buzzing with excitement and exchanging lively conversations about the trial results.

“We won! We really won!”

“When the judge doubted our testimony in the middle, my heart almost dropped to the floor.”

“But we eventually won!”

“So, are we going to work for Duke Ferrado from now on?”

Maxwell asked. Lobelia unconsciously turned to look beside her, realizing that Jade had already returned to the hotel. She turned her head back to Maxwell.

“Well, probably.”

As Lobelia nodded, the miners expressed disappointment.

“I thought we got along well with Miss Catherine…”

Especially Silveston, who knew that Lobeliaa was James’s daughter, had a particularly regretful expression.

“As you all may know, I can’t protect this mine alone. So, unfortunately, that’s the decision I had to make.”

Since Lobelia had already explained the situation to the miners enough for them to understand and accept, they nodded with a bitter expression. However, none of them could completely shake off their regret.

“As you all know, I can’t protect this mine alone. So, unfortunately, that’s the decision I had to make.”

Silveston, who knew that Lobeliaa was James’s daughter, had a particularly regretful expression.

“As you all know, I can’t protect this mine alone. So, unfortunately, that’s the decision I had to make.”

Silveston, who knew that Lobelia was James’s daughter, had a particularly regretful expression.

“But…”

Eventually, Lobelia spoke up.

“If I gain strength, if I grow to the point where I can protect this mine, I promise I will come back and reclaim it for all of you. Duke Ferrado also promised to return the mine when the time is right.”

Though still considering it premature, Lobelia couldn’t stop herself from making a commitment to the miners about her future self, someone who sought to preserve their hope.

“But…”

Eventually, Lobelia spoke up.

“If I gain strength, if I grow to the point where I can protect this mine, I promise I will come back and reclaim it for all of you. Duke Ferrado also promised to return the mine when the time is right.”

Though still considering it premature, Lobelia couldn’t stop herself from making a commitment to the miners about her future self, someone who sought to preserve their hope.

“Really?”

“Absolutely, for real.”

“We’ll wait!”

The miners’ faces brightened in an instant. They began to chatter excitedly, expressing their determination to discover plenty of rich veins by the time Lobelia returned.

Lobelia gently placed her hand on her chest. The palpitations of her heart were palpable in the palm of her hand. The presence of around thirty miners gathered in the office, who had been working for her just moments ago and were now ready to continue working for her, filled Lobelia’s heart with joy.

Is this what business feels like? Or is it just this moment that’s special?

That night, Lobelia guarded the office with the miners, laughing and chatting until dawn, thoroughly enjoying the camaraderie.