A Stepmother's Marchen

Chapter 50

Of course Theobalt didn’t owe me anything. He was the victim of an assault caused by misunderstanding.

I was going to have to kneel down and thank him for the fact that he was still so kind after the terrible incident.

Empress Elisabeth’s reaction was far more intense and shocking than expected.

The fact that an aristocrat touched the imperial family could have been summarily executed for his involvement in the crime of attempting to assassinate the imperial family and treason. Considering the position of our family, the disposition was to cut off his right arm.

That was the content of the trial tomorrow. The Empress was expressing her will to cut off my stepson’s right hand, who somehow touched her stepson.

I got a hunch that her personal hostility towards me was also mixed to some extent.

If Johannes were alive, things wouldn’t have gone this far.

“First of all, the Parliament will try to make a statement of opposition, but I don’t think we can be sure of what will happen because the majority vote will decide.”

Duke Nurembert’s serious voice seemed to be ringing in my ears. It was only natural to know who would be on the Empress’s side on this occasion.

Jeremy was already an outstanding talent and legitimate successor recognized by everyone. If he took this opportunity to destroy his future, the Neuwanstein family would quickly become prey to all sorts of people, including his uncles and aunt.

Especially, it was a great opportunity for those who wanted a chance to steal my home, let alone resent me, take over. Now I think it would have been better if I hadn’t followed my husband’s will and given it over to little Jeremy.

If Jeremy had been a lord, not an heir, he would have been able to apply for a duel of honor in accordance with the Family Ownership Ordinance Act.

That being said, it was also not a solution for me to lay down my sovereignty either.

It would have taken a long time to go through the process as the will of my ex-husband existed. The Emperor, Empress, all members of parliament, the families of the parliament, and the Vatican would have approved it as if they had waited in the past, but there was no way they would have done so under the current circumstances.

I never intended to let things flow the way they wished if there was anything I could do, it was just…

“Thank you for coming here despite the unpleasant situation. I don’t know how to express my gratitude, but if I can’t stop the trial, I’d like to ask you two a favor. It’s only the two of you who can do it.”

Perhaps because they felt an unusual energy in my voice, the middle-aged duke who was sad, and the young prince, who was looking at my face, stared at me side by side with nervous eyes.

“Madam…”?

“I’d like to summon a witness before the trial. We need your strength to call the witness.”

——–

“Brother, are you sure he’s gonna lose his hands? So he can’t be a knight?”

“Don’t say stupid things. There’s no way that will happen.”

“But my eldest brother beat the crown prince.”

“What are you worried about? It’s okay, Shuri will do something about it.”

While Jeremy was locked up in the Wittenberg Tower until the day of trial, Elias and the twins whispered uneasily among themselves and behaved as never before. Even when we were eating, they couldn’t be quiet.

Elias was trying to reassure his younger siblings, but he was also anxious. Instead of asking me how that happened, he was fidgeting around, staring at me.

Workers and knights were also walking around in a tense manner, it was literally the silence before the storm.

“Madam, you got a visitor.”

After Duke Nurembert and Crown Prince Theobalt left, Robert came to me while I was changing into my outdoor clothes.

It was already evening when the sun went down early. I wondered who would visit at this time as I half dazely followed my butler.

He went out to the front yard.

The whole garden was dyed pure white thanks to the snow that fell overnight. The courtyard, where the children would normally have been busy making snowmen and having a snowball fight, was bitterly quiet.

If things were different, I would have seen the sight of the black-haired boy in the middle of the snowfield fighting with the children.

How long was he standing there?

His ears were red.

“Nora?”

When the boy, who was sitting on a rock beside the camellia tree, saw me, he waved his hand. The sight of him with twinkling blue eyes seemed delightful despite the circumstances.