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“Your jaw will drop.”
Archduke Richard, whom I had not seen for days, responded briefly and then sat down heavily in the chair in front of me.
I stared at his appearance opposite me in amazement.
His hair, previously disheveled, was neatly trimmed and combed back, and his freshly washed face shone with an elegant radiance.
His smooth forehead and thick eyebrows, which were hidden among his long locks, highlighted his strong and beautiful features.
“Ah...E-so...”
The sudden visual shock left me stunned.
I've seen all kinds of scenes in court, so I'm usually not at a loss for words easily, but his appearance after taking a shower made me forget what I wanted to say.
“In the past few days, the treatment of the female guards has become strangely friendly.”
“This is a good thing.”
The unfortunate prince born as an illegitimate son, a war hero whose love was stolen by his half-brother.
A new love that overcomes class differences.
Even the ordeal of being in prison.
Love stories about a bad man who falls in love with a common woman and lives a deprived life were no less popular than romance novels.
Thanks to this, the Archduke's popularity among the women of the empire has recently increased.
As I stared blankly at the Archduke, he suddenly turned his head to avoid my gaze, as if his heart had not yet softened.
"You don't have to look at me like that.
Victor came and said that looking neat and clean would make a good impression in the courtroom, so I did that.
Don't think I dressed up for you or anything."
“Of course!
Yes, yes!
The trial, that’s exactly what I wanted to say.”
I quickly nodded with a goofy face.
Then the Archduke looked at me and spoke.
“I repeat, I never liked Vivian.”
Unlike last time when he was strict and cold, this time he seemed to be considerate of my feelings.
It seemed as if our previous disagreement was weighing heavily on him.
Although he is the villain, he is surprisingly soft-hearted.
I also realized that a cold war with him was not helpful, so I smiled with a broad, practical smile.
“I believe Your Excellency’s words that you have never loved the Crown Princess.
And I apologize for that day.
I was reckless.”
The Archduke seemed a little surprised by my unexpected apology.
Anyway, the apology was sincere.
When listening to a client's story, you can often tell whether he is lying or telling the truth.
The Archduke's eyes and voice were sincere.
However, the novel clearly stated that the Archduke was in love with Vivienne.
At that moment, I felt strange.
Suddenly, a surprising assumption occurred to me.
The novel is told from the heroine's perspective.
The perspective of Archduke Richard, who is merely evil, appears nowhere in the novel.
In other words, the story of Archduke Richard loving the heroine was told only from Vivien's perspective.
In this case, what if Vivian was wrong?
Now, the citizens of the Empire firmly believe in my love and the Archduke's love based solely on the content of the articles narrated from my perspective.
“And also...”
The Archduke had a serious expression on his face, as if he had finally made up his mind.
Is it possible that he would suggest terminating the contract?
I just have to prevent it.
I became nervous and my palms became sweaty.
“I don't love you either.”
“……?”
What is this?
The air suddenly deflated.
Why do you have to say something so obvious so seriously?
I rolled my eyes, and before I knew it, Archduke Richard presented the 'Lady Arya' article in front of me.
His gaze was serious, as if he was searching for something.
“You are a good liar.”
“Well, that...it's not all a lie...”
Except for the fact that the Archduke was falsely accused of murder, everything else was a lie, but I coughed in embarrassment.
It was inevitable to upset public opinion.
In fact, there is a fine line between a lawyer and a liar.
This is the law license.
“As expected...it wasn't a lie.”
He muttered something mysterious, then his red eyes darkened slightly before turning directly to me.
“I will cooperate with you.
Only in this way can I get out of this hellish prison and protect my people.”
“……”
I was sitting across from him, my gaze meeting his and intertwining.
A firm voice left his lips.
"But you must abide by the terms of our contract.
We have a contractual relationship, and that's it.
Don't expect anything else."
“…I will.”
I felt a little disappointed and lowered my eyebrows.
He was a really cruel man.
To state strictly that no matter how good the result was, there were no special incentives beyond the agreed-upon reward.
He was very stingy compared to his large size.
The Archduke turned his head to avoid my reproachful gaze.
The crimson rays of the setting sun filtered through the small, narrow window and tinted his ears with a tinge of red.
***
Finally, the day of the trial came.
Perhaps due to previous media manipulation, the courtroom was crowded with people.
Not only the journalists who came to cover it, but also the citizens who wondered about the fate of Archduke Richard.
Half of the attendees were women who had come to enjoy watching the face of the hero of the love story that caused a stir in the empire, Archduke Richard.
“Will the Archduke really be sentenced to death?”
“Maybe.
He killed the father of the Crown Princess whom His Highness loves!”
“True, despite the opposition of Their Majesties the Emperor and the Empress, they were married in the end!”
“There is a rumor that His Majesty the Emperor collapsed in anger.”
Yes.
With the Emperor suddenly collapsing and losing consciousness, the most powerful person in the Empire is now the original protagonist and Crown Prince, Lawrence.
It is an ending worthy of a novel's hero.
Of course, the departure of Archduke Richard, who is accused of killing the heroine's father, after being sentenced to death, would be an ending worthy of the villain in the novel.
‘But since I am the Archduke’s defense lawyer, that will not happen.’
While I was clenching my fists and steeling my resolve, Archduke Richard, bound with rope, entered the hall.
The noisy hall was silent one moment, then the next it exploded with cheers.
“Oh my God, he's so handsome!”
“Someone like this is a murderer?
I can’t believe it.
It seems like he can live with discipline without law.”
Because he entered the hall looking more elegant and tidy than ever before, and he was very attractive.
In light of this uproar, I spoke to him.
“You look amazing today.
I think you'll steal the hearts of all the women here, don't you?”
I smiled at him with satisfaction.
In a public trial like this, there is no harm in gaining public sympathy for the defendant.
But unexpectedly, he wiped his face with his hand and asked with a complicated expression.
“You too...think like that?”
"certainly?"
“Haaa… I think so.
I didn’t think about that.”
“……?”
Considering his scattered and incomprehensible words, even as an archduke, he must be very nervous about the trial.
“Are you nervous?”
"Not really.
Are you nervous?"
He answered briefly, standing straight a step away from me, as if he had drawn an invisible line on the ground.
He was a soldier, so I wondered if his physique had become more slender.
“Well, I'm not that nervous either.”
I smiled back and shrugged.
Instead of stress, I felt comfortable, as if I was at home.
This place is very familiar to me.
This courtroom is not much different from the courtroom I stood in in my previous life.
The only difference is that there are separate luxurious audience seats high up.
How much time has passed?
The Archduke, who had been standing staring ahead for some time, seemed to notice the heavy bag beside me, and spoke quietly again.
“What is that bag next to you?”
“She is on trial today.”
As I answered confidently, a sarcastic laugh burst out from the other side.
The expressions on the faces of those who came out of the police station were relaxed.
They seemed relieved.
They seemed to think that the Archduke's death sentence in today's trial was a foregone conclusion.
“Everyone stand up!”
Finally, with a loud cry, Crown Prince Lawrence and Crown Princess Vivian entered the luxurious audience seats at the highest place in the courtroom.
'Finally, here I see the faces of the main characters.'
I raised my eyes and looked at them.
Unlike Archduke Richard, who had a powerful appearance, Lawrence was softly handsome with bright blond hair.
As for Vivian, she was a pure woman with silver hair that shone like moonlight.
They were a truly beautiful couple, worthy of the lead roles in a romance novel.
While I was immersed in looking at them, my eyes suddenly met the eyes of the Crown Prince.
“……!”
For some reason, the Crown Prince's red eyes suddenly brightened.
He looked at my face with narrowed eyes.
Ah, it seemed like an attempt to suppress the other party's lawyer.
Instead of avoiding him, I stared into his eyes more.
I can't lose in the battle of looks.
Taq-.
The heated glances in the air were interrupted by Archduke Richard's hand suddenly grabbing me.
In an instant, I found myself almost hidden behind his broad shoulders, and I looked at him with astonished eyes.
“Archduke, is something wrong?”
“You...”
At that moment, the Archduke's crimson eyes trembled.