Admittedly, my heart raced the moment our gazes locked, for I had yearned to see him for a considerable time. After exchanging pleasantries with the Emperor, Princess, and Prince, he approached me with measured steps and settled down beside me.

Underneath the table, our hands intertwined.

‘Uh… Even in such an important situation, is it really necessary to secretly express affection as soon as we meet like this…’

He was a really good husband.

“Work? What are you talking about?”

Duke Orlando asked sarcastically.

“There are rumors about not sharing a room with your wife. Didn’t you feel the same way with Duke Icard from the beginning? So, did you erase the evidence?”

“First of all.”

Only then did Father, who had been silent for a while, open his mouth.

“Duke Orlando seems to have said everything he has to say, so let’s move on to the next procedure.”

“Do that.”

The Emperor also frowned and spoke slowly.

“Bring the witness into the witness room.”

Promptly upon the Emperor’s instructions, the attendant rose from his seat and departed from the conference room. Moments later, he reentered, accompanied by the witnesses from the adjacent room.

“Huh?”

Duke Orlando’s eyebrows furrowed as he saw the witnesses lined up.

Evan spoke slowly.

“Ah, these are the witnesses I brought. In fact, I also have some things I want to publicize here while everyone is here.”

I was delighted to see that the board I had placed was running well. Evan must have done everything well as I told him to.

The witnesses presented by the attendant consisted of Paul, the servant from the Baron’s residence, the rainbow-haired magician who had specialized in truth-enhancing potions at the Magic Tower, and Marcel.

Thanks to Evan’s diligent efforts in keeping Seymour confined within the Duke’s mansion, Marcel had managed to evade any unwarranted suspicions. He had been residing peacefully in the temple when summoned for this occasion. As for the esteemed nobles gathered here, none of them had encountered Marcel before, ensuring his anonymity remained intact.

“Ma, Marcel? Why are you here…”

The High Priest also muttered in surprise as if he had not expected him to come.

“So, who among them is Laria’s doctor? They said there’s a medical journal.”

When Elanie asked, Duke Orlando hurriedly stood up and approached the attendant.

“No, there was no red-haired woman in the witness room? Did she go to the bathroom?”

“There, there, there wasn’t.”

Undoubtedly, Serena had likely made her swift exit the moment Duke Orlando entered the conference room.

The imperial palace maintained strict control over individuals entering its premises, but there was less scrutiny over those departing. Given the frequent movement of ordinary people for various reasons, Serena could easily feign being an errand runner for a noble if questioned on her way out.

Observing Duke Orlando’s perplexed countenance, I mustered the strength to set aside my woeful expression and began to speak.

“By any chance…”

Duke Orlando’s glimmering eyes turned to me.

I blinked and opened my mouth again.

“…Did Serena ask for money?”

“Money?”

“Yes… In fact, we were in the same position. I had no idea Serena was a fraud until I injured my ankle.”

Another sense of silence hung over the meeting room.

“Because she couldn’t fix my ankle, I had no choice but to shut myself up after the banquet. At that time, I knew that she was a fraud and kicked her out right away… but it looks like she went there to do something big for the last time.”

“No, why did you say that now…!”

I added quickly as Duke Orlando screamed as if he was going to eat me.

“I tried to say it, but you kept interrupting me…”

Blinking innocently, I sighed and muttered quietly.

“…I’m sorry.”

It was Elanie who immediately interjected.

“No, what are you sorry about?”

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

“Is there anyone here who hasn’t seen how Lady Icard was trying to intervene, but Duke Orlando ignored it and kept talking?”

Of course, no one saw it.

“Well, first of all, according to Duke Orlando’s argument, the Lady must be very sick right now… we can call the imperial doctor later and do as he said, have at least a checkup.”

“Yes, I think I am healthy for now.”

I immediately responded to Elanie’s words.

“Anyway, I’ll check it out right away. I was actually on my way to Podilin for mother’s anniversary, but I was so embarrassed because it would be like my anniversary.”

At my words, the Emperor cleared his throat and refreshed the atmosphere.

“Well, I’ll think about it later…”

It was clear that the Emperor was mentally on Duke Orlando’s side. However, when the ambitious Duke Orlando found out that the witness was a fraudster, it seemed that he was already weighing his losses.

“Then, why did you bring those witnesses, Young Duke Icard?”

“Ah, there were things I was personally researching though I thought it would be nice to discuss them while everyone is gathered, so I brought them.”

Duke Orlando looked at the rainbow-colored wizard and rolled his eyes anxiously. It was obvious what he was thinking.

He intended to cut off Medor’s tail, as no one knew his true identity.

“It would be good if my wife explained this.”

Evan naturally handed over the right to speak to me, and I began to speak cautiously with the Emperor’s permission. It was better not to mention here that father was directly affected by the drug because it was the same as reminding the ‘jerk’ remark once more.

Therefore, I had to go back, even if it was a bit complicated.

“My husband and I went to the Magic Tower to develop photos, and we watched the truth drug for fun. I saw someone buying this drug.”

“Buying?”

Elanie frowned and asked.

“Since it affects people, it seems that black magic is involved though it leaked out of the Magic Tower?”

“Yes… it was just too uncomfortable to let go. Who is it, the one that the princess and I once encountered in Avonitar… the assassin with his ankle cut off.”

“What?”

“So, I asked Evan to find out if it was really possible to buy it, and the result was…”

When I glanced at Evan with my tongue twisted, he uttered calmly.

“It was available for a hefty price, and I tried it on my servant Paul, and it even worked well.”

Paul, who quickly adapted to the situation as befits a member of the dark information guild, was already nodding his head madly at Evan as if looking at his master.

He spoke up politely as soon as Evan glanced at him.

“It was the first time I had such an experience. As my head went blank, the words flowed out against my will.”

After all, by mixing a few lies with the majority of truth, almost everything has become the truth. Besides, since it was true that Paul took the truth drug because of Evan, his acting was very natural.

Everyone in the seat gulped.

In the case of black magic that directly affected people, it was a rule to keep it strictly under the control of the imperial family.

The rainbow-colored wizard mumbled.

“Well… that is…it’s actually random. It’s not a very effective drug… It’s really not that noteworthy…”

“Even if it’s random, it still has an effect.”

Elanie cut off the wizard’s words with a serious expression face. I drove a wedge into the atmosphere that had instantly hardened.

“If black magic were really involved, it would be too big… I asked the priest I used to receive blessings from. It was time for him to come to the Duke’s residence to see me on a regular basis…”

‘Ah.”

The High Priest intervened with a serious face.

“So that’s why Marcel is here. But Lady, although we study black magic in theology, we cannot judge it.”

To that, Evan calmly replied.

“He said so. Still, he came just in case.”

Then, father spoke slowly.

“Good. On the way back, you can stop by the temple with Evan so the controversy over my son’s baptism will be settled.”

Duke Orlando hit the table, dumbfounded.

“No, does that make sense? You can receive baptism from any priest, so you received it from a priest named Marcel?! I heard that priest went out of the temple quite often because of the Lady!”

Actually, that was the correct answer.

I had already given instructions to baptize Evan when I called Marcel by letter. Of course, I gave him a check with instructions.

Eventually, Marcel parted his lips quietly.

“No, that is not true.”

His innocent face was tinged with a sly smile.

“I didn’t, anyway, baptize the Young Duke.”

“No, why is the priest saying that…”

“I studied abroad for a long time in Carovantes.”

At Marcel’s words, the High Priest nodded his head.

“He is a great talent in the temple. His divine power is great. I hope you understand that he is still not very good at the imperial language.”

“I didn’t, anyway.”

Marcel repeated it once more, slowly shaking his head with his silver hair down and a fair face. The next moment, he put his hands together reverently and took a prayer posture.

“I speak only the truth, in the name of God.”

Everyone stared blankly at the holy and beautiful figure.

“I didn’t, risking my innate divine power.”

The High Priest even betted on his innate divine power in the name of God. Of course, Marcel had no innate divine power.

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