North x Northwest

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The testimony stand was covered with the shadows of dozens of people standing up with Lil and Annette. When Lil looked around in shock, she noted countless women standing alongside them. However, not only Lil, but also Annette was visibly touched by the scene playing out in front of her as she stared at the crowd in disbelief.

Some of the women looked at Lil, some looked at the Emperor, some eyes were directed toward the Supreme Court Justice, while others glared at Lazilière or Mireille. Everyone’s gaze was different, but they all stood without wavering.

Lil’s heart, overflowing with emotion, rose and fell rapidly. The sensation, boiling in her stomach, was so intense that she almost couldn’t handle it. Water droplets that had been accumulating in her heated eyes began to fall.

Annette asked the Supreme Court Justice.

“Women you said? Can the Supreme Court Justice not see half of its subjects standing here now?”

In unison, ‘half of its subjects’ turned their heads towards the Supreme Court Justice. The man, unable to find a place to divert his eyes to, looked into the air instead.

Annette then turned her attention to the Emperor.

The Emperor still had his forehead pressed against his hand as if to block her gaze when Annette started to step down the platform. Holding her crowned head high, she descended all the way to the bottom of the steps to face the Emperor.

“Your Majesty, I am also your subject. Please have mercy on my desire to protect the immeasurable honour that will be born, reared, and grow in this vast continent.”

One of the Emperor’s fingers, topped with a green ring, tapped his temple.

– Tap. Tap. –

Lil looked at the small back standing in front of her. The back was stiff, clearly struggling to even breathe properly as Annette knew full well that the Empress’s power was only derived from the Emperor. Nevertheless, she decided not to stand side by side with the Emperor, but to confront him face to face.

In the meantime, the Emperor’s eyes remained hidden beneath his thick hand. The only person who could tell with what expression he was looking down at the Empress was Annette herself, who was standing right below him.

Finally, the Emperor lowered his hand, looked down at half of his subjects, and smiled generously.

“I respect your wishes.”

“..!”

Lil let out the breath she was holding. And it wasn’t just Lil who had been holding her breath as similar sounds spread throughout the audience.

Annette slowly bent before straightening her knees.

“I am grateful for Your Majesty’s benevolence.”

When the Emperor reached out to her, Annette ascended the podium again and sat on her throne, holding the Emperor’s hand.

Soon, someone started clapping their hands together. The slow but steady sound gradually became more and more mixed with other claps and cheers. In seconds, the sound engulfed the hall like a wave. Praise for the Emperor’s wisdom and generosity spilt from lips everywhere. Although applause was a ceremonial procedure after the Emperor’s ruling, Lil knew that such praises weren’t solely directed at the Emperor himself.

As the disturbance didn’t seem to stop, the Supreme Court Justice had to strike the gavel amid the chatters. After knocking several times, the crowd eventually quieted down and a stern voice descended upon court.

“Regarding the lawsuit for annulment of the marriage between René Lamartine Garni Mireille and Jeanne Adelisa Malibran Mireille…”

The Supreme Court justice, who first adjusted his wig, stood up and recited the brief ruling.

“…René Mireille appealed to emotions and reason, but above all, Liloa Obernyu, his partner in the past engagement, does not want to resume the engagement, which was stained with harassment and violence. The credibility of the Duke’s claims and emotional appeals are declared undermined. As there is no valid reason to resume the engagement, there is insufficient reason to annul the marriage, therefore the application for annulment is dismissed.”

The Supreme Court Justice struck the gavel three times.

As her body still shook with heightened emotions, Annette stared at Lil. The smile that pulled at her trembling lips was deeper than ever. Lil also smiled back with her now dry eyes, when suddenly…

“This cannot be happening!”

“..?”

Without the need to check, it was clear it was Mireille. He burst into the testimony stand out of nowhere and knelt down in front of the podium.

He pleaded, lowering his head to the floor.

“No, Your Majesty!”

The Emperor touched his forehead again, closed his eyes, and turned away from the yelling duke.

“René. Please leave. Do not disgrace yourself any further.”

“Your Majesty! Please listen to me a little longer. Liloa should not be left alone!”

“My head is hurting so much because of you…”

“I was going to take on all of Liloa’s dark past and even take her as my wife.”

The Emperor and Annette questioned at the same time.

“…Dark past?”

“I was immature in the past, but I tried to live with a heart of atonement for neglecting my fiancée and causing her to run away from home…”

Mireille, who looked like he was getting emotional, staggered to his feet. He turned around and continued his speech, walking around the witness stand like a lawyer.

“…But is no one curious about what Liloa did during the five years she was away? I know. However, I wanted to protect the young lady’s honour, that is why I… I did not say a word about it. I wanted to protect her honour more than anyone else…”

His trembling voice sounded like he was truly on the verge of sobbing.

“But now that the lawsuit has been dismissed, I believe this is the only way.”

Mireille took a few steps towards the podium. The emperor, still covering his forehead, shook his head. From this expression alone, anyone could see how much trust Mireille had lost.

“Your Majesty. For the past several years, Your Majesty’s niece has been a member of a pirate group called the Southern League of Pirates…”

Mireille twisted his body and pointed at Lil. When her eyes met his, joy appeared on his unpleasant face.

“She operated as a pirate captain named ‘Lil Schweiz’!”

An embarrassing silence filled the courtroom.

After a while, people gradually began to murmur and express their doubts.

“…Lil Schweiz?…”

“…Pirate?…”

“…Does he mean the Black Whale?…”

Lil Schweiz, the Black Whale, was a notorious Southern pirate widely known to the people of Sesbron. He was, particularly among the nobles who invested in the Garni Merchant Association, almost regarded as an enemy. But even for those who didn’t have an interest in Mireille’s business, the name Lil Schweiz was notorious enough to be familiar to any nobleman interested in investing.

When the low-pitched murmurs passed by, criticism poured in from all over.

“…The daughter of Obernyu? A pirate?…”

“…Duke! Are you crazy!…”

“…This is too much!…”

– Clang! –

Amid the cries denouncing Mireille, a sudden metallic sound erupted.

Lil looked ahead and saw the crown falling down from the throne. The ornament rolled from the podium, hitting the steps one step at a time before finally coming to a stop on the floor. Following the trace of the crown’s path up, she saw the Emperor’s body falling from his throne.

Annette screamed.

“Your Majesty!”

She quickly wrapped her arms around the Emperor, whose head was completely bent.

“Your Majesty has collapsed!”

Ministers and guards in the council seats jumped onto the stage. Several people in the audience also stood up, while others covered their heads or their mouths.

Mireille took advantage of the momentary confusion among the audience.

“What are you doing?!”

He grabbed an imperial guard by the collar and shouted, pointing at Lil.

“Lock that pirate up right now!”

***

For fear that someone might steal it or he could spill it somewhere accidently, Mireille carried the necklace tightly tucked away in his inner pocket.

‘It was fortunate that Jeanne had worn this necklace. Judging from her bewildered face, that stupid woman probably did not even know what happened to her. After all, I removed the necklace and kicked her out of the study before she had the chance to look at her reflection in the mirror or window.’

He walked down the halls of the palace, relieved to feel the subtle weight beneath his robe.

There was no place in the palace to imprison criminals, but there were rooms for the temporary stay of royal family members or nobles who had committed a crime. Lil was detained in one of those rooms, a seemingly ordinary-looking boudoir. The only difference was that the windows and doors had wooden bars.

The guards standing to the left and right at the entrance to the boudoir blocked Mireille.

“I have been worried about my fiancée.”

“Your Grace is prohibited to enter.”

“It will only take a moment, so please leave your seats.”

No matter how much he lost in the earlier trial, he was still the Emperor’s closest confidant and a duke of the empire. There was no place in Sesbron where his funds hadn’t flowed in, and there was no nobleman who hadn’t borrowed money from him.

The two guards hesitated wordlessly but soon retreated.

Mireille pulled the doorknob. Beyond the wooden bars, the view of the simple room was darkened by the early evening. Lil was sitting at a table, resting her chin on her hand as if wallowing in agony. She was allowed to light a candle, but seeing there was no light in the inner room, she apparently refused to do so.

Lil lifted her head when she heard the door open, her dry voice whispered softly.

“…I am sick of the sight of you. Get out…”

Lil turned her chair away from Mireille.

Now all he could see was Lil’s ears, her low-tied hair, the nape of her neck, and her shoulders. Her back, void from any disturbance, was illuminated by slanted moonlight.

Mireille stood closer and took the necklace out of his arms. He then grabbed the string of the necklace, stretched it out, and waved the jewel in front of the bars.

“Do you know what this is?”

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