Chapter 289 (2/2)

After talking, he bowed his head, kneeling on one knee, as if he waited for the voting.

“Okay, let me start the voting process. If you think Marquis Mirwa is innocent, please raise your hand.”

Everybody remained silent. They checked each other’s expressions but dared not to raise their hands. Only a few raised their hands when the duke asked them if he was guilty. It seemed that they were hesitant, including those from the pro-emperor and noble factions.

“According to the imperial law, it is the emperor who has to make the decision in a situation like this. Any objection?”

“…”

“Hmm. I’d like to hear your opinion on this before making a decision. I’m not asking you to express your opinion on guilty or not guilty. So, feel free to talk,” said the emperor, tapping the table before for a moment. While everyone was trying to check each other’s expressions, Earl League said, looking at them in dissatisfaction, “I have no idea why you keep silent. This is a treason case. In other words, didn’t he say he didn’t report although he knew this was treason. This is a treason case. If something had gone wrong, the emperor might have been plunged into a very dangerous situation. I think you should duly punish him, Your Majesty.”

I saw a man sitting on the opposite side raising his hand. He was Earl Hoten and was the only suspect who was found not guilty.

“I have no objection that he was an accomplice in this incident, but he made efforts to obtain an antidote or save Lady Monique’s life. Besides, without the document he presented, you would not have been able to uncover Duke Jena’s crime clearly. So, please make allowances for this factor.”

“I agree. After all, we have come to find the duke guilty thanks to the marquis’s accusation, right? In that respect, we can’t say he looked over the treason case, though he reported it belatedly.”

It was unexpectedly a young earl affiliated with the pro-emperor faction who agreed with Earl Holten. Encouraged by his support, all the members of the noble faction asked for the emperor’s leniency. It seemed that Marquis Mirwa would be their only hope because it was certain that the Jena family would be ruined.

I was still looking at the man kneeling on the cold floor. He clearly said he didn’t like the mean tactics of the noble faction, though he agreed with their political position. Given that the number of nobles in the empire was reduced greatly, it was impossible to wipe out all the members of the noble faction. If the emperor could save the marquis, considered a moderate offender, could he play a more important role in national politics? Given my experience of dealing with him so far, I found he was reasonable enough to talk to.

At that moment, a servant came in cautiously and whispered something, handing over a piece of paper to Duke Verita. After nodding for a moment, he folded the paper and put it into his pocket.

After looking at the duke for a moment, the emperor said, “Let me give a ruling on Marquis Mirwa. According to imperial law, it is certain that his aiding and abetting treason is also a crime, so he is found guilty of treason. But let me reduce his punishment, given his efforts and contribution to unveiling the crime of Duke Jena.”

He paused for a moment, then opened his mouth again only when everyone swallowed with a tense expression, “Let me downgrade the rank of the Mirwa family by five grades to the lowest of the marquis rank. He will keep his title, but for the next ten years he will be deprived of all his rights and treated as an earl. I’ll also confisticate 20% of his estate and three quarries and return them to the imperial family.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Stand up, Marquis Mirwa.”

“Thank you for your generous decision, Your Majesty. You have given me the opportunity to regain my honor, so I’ll do my best for the service of the imperial family and the empire.”

Only then did he stand up and deeply bow down to thank him. Though some expressed displeasure with the emperor’s decision, all others agreed.

“Then I will move on to the next. If you think Duke Jena is guilty, please raise your hand.”

They raised their hands one by one.

When Duke Verita looked around and declared their unanimous conviction of the duke, the emperor smiled coldly.

My heart was pounding. Is it finally time for him to give a ruling?

“As the duke, the highest of the nobles, he should set an example for the people, but he has done all sorts of wrongdoings instead of maintaining his decent demeanor.. Not only did he dare to plant moles around me and have them spy on me, but also he also tried to harm my fiancée several times and committed countless crimes such as intimidation, kidnapping, and murder against the people. Accordingly, let me sentence Victor de Jena to beheading on charges of treason, and return his title and his wealth including his estate to the imperial family.”