IATAOTHKG | CHAPTER 89

<CHAPTER 89>

Everyone’s gaze turned toward me at once.

The Crown Prince and the Princess as well.

“You said you wanted to use this statue, so I went through quite some trouble to have it brought out.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

“Very well, now tell me what you intend to do with it.”

“What truth do you wish to uncover?”

I slowly lifted my head from where it had been deeply bowed.

My eyes met those of the Crown Prince, who was sitting askew with his chin propped on his hand.

The Crown Prince’s eyebrow twitched slightly as he stared straight at me.

Did he recognize me?

Even if he did, it was already too late.

“The truth is, I died after being falsely accused.”

“I barely survived the accident and returned to uncover the truth.”

“Oh?”

The Princess reacted as if hearing this for the first time and gestured for me to continue.

“The false charge placed on me was attempted murder of my younger sister.”

“I was accused of coveting my sister’s lover and trying to harm her, and I was driven out under that stigma.”

At the familiar yet uncommon story, a few people showed faint reactions, as if thinking they had heard something like it before.

“So I personally caught the real culprit.”

“When I returned alive, that person tried to kill me using the poison they had fed my sister.”

I pulled a vial of poison from my clothing and held it out.

The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes, then abruptly shifted his posture as if he recognized the poison.

I continued without stopping.

“Everything I have said is the absolute truth.”

“However, some may still doubt it.”

“To leave no room for doubt in the truth I uncovered, I wish to prove it through this statue.”

I stepped closer to the statue and put my hand into its gaping mouth.

A cold, rigid sensation touched my skin.

In that state, I spoke boldly.

“I have never attempted to poison my younger sister, Ariana Granger.”

“Wait, Granger?”

“Granger, as in… surely not….”

Ignoring the shocked murmurs, I stared down at the statue.

Fwoooosh.

A white light burst from the statue’s eyes.

People swallowed dryly, tension thick in the air.

Soon the light subsided, but the long snout remained wide open, unmoving.

My words had been proven true.

Keeping my hand inside the statue’s mouth, I tore away the veil covering my face.

“My name is Esther Granger.”

At the same time, the color of my hair and eyes, altered by a magic potion, returned to normal.

The time limit had run out.

How about that, a dramatic reveal.

Once again, the statue opened its mouth wide, confirming that I was indeed Esther Granger.

“Gasp, my goodness! Esther Granger?”

“Isn’t she the vicious woman who tried to kill the Crown Prince’s lover, Lady Granger?”

“But the Statue of Truth just said that isn’t true!”

The hall filled with murmurs as people realized my identity.

Confused voices buzzed loudly throughout the space.

I turned my head toward the platform.

The Princess was smiling as if to say well done, while the Crown Prince’s face was visibly frozen from afar.

His lips moved slightly.

“How dare you.”

I could make that out, but I had no idea what he said after that.

Uh… I surprised him, so he is angry?

What is he even saying.

Whatever he was saying was not what mattered right now.

I looked at the Princess and made my request.

“Your Highness, may I also use the statue on the real culprit I captured?”

“Did you bring them here?”

“Yes.”

“Then—.”

Just as the Princess was about to agree readily.

“Sister, the one permitted to use the imperial treasure was only one person.”

Once again, the Crown Prince intervened.

“I do not believe permission should be granted to anyone else.”

“The sanctity of the treasure may be defiled.”

“Lionel, does the imperial treasure really seem that fragile to you?”

“I do not think so.”

“Even so, there is no reason to grant that woman’s request.”

“Why not?”

“It is interesting.”

“……”

“More than anything, the injustice of the innocent must be properly resolved.”

“That is the duty of royalty.”

The Crown Prince seemed at a loss for words again and let out a short sigh.

Why does he keep picking arguments he cannot win.

In the meantime, the Princess proceeded without hesitation.

“Bring in the real culprit.”

A servant who received the order went outside.

Soon after, Greta dragged in a bound gardener.

Having been confined underground for so long, the gardener’s complexion was terribly haggard.

Greta brought her to a stop in front of me.

“Do I just put her hand in here?”

“Yes.”

Greta grabbed the gardener’s hand and forcibly shoved it into the statue’s mouth.

The dazed gardener glanced toward the Crown Prince, then suddenly struggled violently.

“Th-this, let go…!”

“Half a year ago, you put poison into Ariana’s tea, didn’t you?”

“……!”

At my question, the gardener jerked her head up, her lips trembling.

When she stubbornly maintained her silence, Greta pressed down on her shoulder.

She let out a short groan and desperately denied it.

“No, I didn’t, I didn’t do it.”

“It was the young lady who did it, not me!”

Krrrrk.

The statue’s mouth moved.

Its jaws opened even wider.

And then—

“Aaaagh!”

The gardener’s piercing scream rang out, followed by screams from the nobles watching.

Greta quickly blocked my view, so I could not see it directly, but there was no need to wonder what had happened.

The statue was said to sever wrists when lies were spoken.

“If you lie once more, the other wrist will suffer the same fate.”

Greta delivered the warning calmly in my stead and firmly dragged the gardener’s remaining hand toward the statue’s mouth.

Seeing the bloodstains over Greta’s shoulder made my arm ache in sympathy, and I frowned as I asked again.

“……Yes, I did it.”

The gardener finally confessed in a trembling voice.

This time, the statue simply remained with its mouth open.

“Did you do it under someone’s orders?”

“……”

“Answer me.”

“……Y-yes.”

The statue’s mouth stayed wide open.

The murmuring among the people grew louder.

“Is that person present here?”

“……”

“Do not nod.”

“Answer verbally.”

“They are.”

The statue acknowledged the third truth.

By now, everyone had fallen silent, holding their breath as they focused on the gardener.

I took a deep breath and asked the final question.

“Tell us who that person is.”

Her clouded eyes turned toward me, then slowly shifted forward.

“That person is the Cr—.”

Thunk.

At that moment, something flew through the air and embedded itself in the gardener’s neck.

“Ghk!”

The gardener’s body collapsed limply to the side.

Before anyone could even react, Aizen sprang out from the crowd and pulled me behind him.

Greta shouted as she took a defensive stance.

“An attack!”

“Be on guard!”

“Protect His Highness the Crown Prince and Her Highness the Princess!”

The escort knights stationed by the walls drew their swords and surrounded the platform.

Chaos erupted in the hall in an instant.

As people screamed about leaving and shouted not to push, the Princess sprang to her feet.

“Everyone, calm yourselves!”

At her thunderous shout, all movement halted and silence fell.

A brief moment passed in that state, but fortunately no further attacks followed.

It was as if the gardener had been the sole target from the beginning.

“She is dead.”

Greta said this after checking the gardener’s pulse.

“Do not touch it with your bare hands.”

“Yes.”

After examining the dart embedded in the neck, she obediently stepped back.

The Princess, who had been listening with a frown, turned her gaze to me.

Hmm, I think she wants me to step forward.

I gently pushed past Aizen, who stood firmly in front of me, and looked up at the Princess.

“Your Highness, as you have just seen, I am truly innocent.”

“Please help restore the truth and recover my honor.”

I clasped my hands together and bowed deeply.

Part of the gardener’s corpse slipped into my line of sight, and I squeezed my eyes shut tightly.

Soon, the Princess’s voice fell clearly from above.

“Raise your head.”

“You must have suffered greatly all this time.”

“Thank you for understanding my heart.”

“Do you happen to know who ordered the crime?”

At the serious question, the air in the hall grew taut.

I could clearly feel everyone listening intently for my answer.

I glanced toward the Crown Prince.

He was glaring sharply, like a predator eyeing its next prey.

Not yet… it is not time to accuse the Crown Prince.

He had killed the gardener in front of everyone to silence her.

Remembering that fact sent chills crawling up my arms and made my knees weak.

With no physical evidence, provoking the Crown Prince further could end badly for me as well.

Maybe even for Aizen.

Aware of his presence standing right behind me, I wiped my sweaty hand on my clothes and calmly shook my head.

“……No, I do not know.”

“Ever since the accident, my memories have not been intact.”

“I see.”

“That cannot be helped.”

The Princess seemed satisfied with that answer and did not press further.

She swept her cold gaze across the assembly.

Her heavy voice rang out with authority.

“I hereby declare, in this place, that Lady Esther Granger is innocent.”

“All charges of attempted murder placed upon her are hereby withdrawn.”

It was the moment Esther’s disgrace was finally washed away.

I suppressed the urge to shout with joy and looked at the Princess.

Her words were not yet finished.

“And!”