“You’re going to dislocate your jaw.”
After several days, Grand Duke Richard finally met me again and muttered this curtly before slumping into the chair in front of me. I stared blankly at him as he sat across from me.
His once shaggy hair was neatly trimmed and combed back, and his freshly washed face had an elegant glow. The smooth forehead and thick eyebrows that had been hidden beneath his long hair now made his strong yet beautiful face stand out even more.
“Uh… I mean…”
The sudden visual shock left me stammering. I’d seen all sorts of sights in court, so I was usually not easily struck speechless. But seeing him cleaned up like this, he was so stunning I literally forgot what to say.
“These past few days, the female jailers have been strangely kind.”
“Th-that’s… that’s good news.”
A tragic imperial prince born out of wedlock, robbed of love by his half-brother, a war hero turned dark. A new romance that overcame the difference in status. Then adversity returned as he was thrown into prison. The story of a bad man falling head over heels for a commoner woman was almost as popular as any romance novel. Thanks to that, the Grand Duke’s popularity among the women of the Empire had soared recently.
As I sat there staring blankly at him, he turned his head away abruptly, clearly still a bit miffed.
“Don’t read into it. Victor came and said I needed to be tidy and presentable to make a good impression in court. That’s all. Don’t think I got cleaned up for you or anything.”
“O-of course not! Yes, yes! Court, that’s exactly what I wanted to talk about.”
I nodded quickly with an idiotic face. Then, stealing a quick glance at me, the Grand Duke finally spoke.
“Just so we’re clear, I’ve never once loved Vivian.”
Unlike the firm, cold tone from last time, there was something tentative about him now, like he was checking how I’d react. He must’ve felt uneasy about the argument we’d had before. Maybe this evil villain was actually a bit soft-hearted.
I too had already realized there was nothing to gain by staying on bad terms with him, so I flashed a bright, businesslike smile.
“I believe you, Your Grace, when you say you never loved the Crown Princess. And… about that day—I apologize. I was out of line.”
My apology seemed to catch him off guard; his expression showed slight surprise. Either way, it was sincere.
When you listen to clients long enough, you start to get a sense of whether they’re lying or telling the truth. The look in the Grand Duke’s eyes, the sound of his voice—they were genuine.
But there was something that had always bothered me. The novel clearly wrote that the Grand Duke loved Vivian. Then suddenly, a strange thought struck me. That novel was entirely from the heroine’s perspective. It never once showed the point of view of Grand Duke Richard, the supposed master villain.
In other words, the idea that Grand Duke Richard loved the heroine was based solely on Vivian’s perspective. What if Vivian had been mistaken? After all, right now, the people of the Empire also firmly believed in the love between me and the Grand Duke just from reading articles I’d written from my perspective.
“And…”
At last, the Grand Duke seemed to make up his mind, wearing a solemn expression. Was he about to break the contract? I couldn’t let that happen. My palms grew sweaty with tension.
“I don’t love you either.”
“…?”
What? My anticipation fizzled instantly. Did he really need to say something that obvious with such gravitas? As I just rolled my eyes, Grand Duke Richard suddenly held out a copy of ‘Lady Aria’ right in front of me. His gaze was dead serious, as if trying to dig something out of me.
“You’re quite the liar, aren’t you.”
“Ahem, well… not everything in there was a lie…”
Other than the part about him being falsely accused of murder, everything else was a lie, but I still coughed awkwardly out of embarrassment. It had been necessary to sway public opinion.
Honestly, the difference between a lawyer and a liar was just a piece of paper—a law license.
“So… it really wasn’t all a lie.”
Muttering something I couldn’t quite catch, his red eyes darkened for a moment before fixing squarely on me.
“I’ll cooperate with you. I have to get out of this god-forsaken prison so I can protect my men.”
“……”
Our eyes met across the table and locked. From his well-shaped lips came a resolute voice.
“But our contract terms must be honored. We’re just bound by a contract—nothing more. Don’t expect anything else.”
“…Alright.”
I drooped my eyebrows, a little deflated.
As expected, he was cold-hearted. No matter how well things turned out, he was making it crystal clear there’d be no special incentives beyond the agreed contingency fee. For such a big man, he was surprisingly stingy.
Grand Duke Richard avoided my resentful gaze and turned his head. The red glow of the sunset streaming through the narrow window colored the rim of his ear.
* * *
Finally, the day of the trial.
Thanks to all the media maneuvering we’d done, the courtroom was packed. Not only reporters but citizens curious about Grand Duke Richard’s fate had crowded in. Nearly half were women who’d come to see the face of the man at the center of the Empire’s sensational love story.
“Do you really think the Grand Duke will be sentenced to death?”
“He might. Didn’t he kill the father of the Crown Princess, whom the Crown Prince adores?”
“Well, the Emperor and Empress were so opposed to their marriage, but they went through with it anyway!”
“There’s even a rumor His Majesty collapsed from heartbreak.”
That’s right. With the Emperor suddenly collapsing and lying unconscious, the most powerful person in the Aria Empire now was none other than the novel’s male lead and Crown Prince, Lawrence. It was a fittingly dramatic conclusion for the story.
Of course, for Grand Duke Richard—accused of murdering the female lead’s father—to be sentenced to death and exit the stage was also a fitting end for a master villain.
‘But as long as I’m the one defending him, not a chance.’
I clenched my fist, burning with determination. Just then, Grand Duke Richard entered the courtroom bound in ropes. The courtroom, previously abuzz with murmurs, fell silent for a moment—then erupted into excited chatter.
“Oh my god, he’s so handsome!”
“Him, a murderer? No way. He looks like someone who couldn’t hurt a fly.”
Because he appeared in court more tidy and composed than ever, his looks were overwhelmingly captivating. Against the backdrop of all the murmuring, I spoke to him.
“You look incredible today. I think you’ve just stolen the hearts of every woman here.”
I smiled at him in satisfaction. It could only help if the defendant earned the goodwill of the spectators in an open trial like this. But unexpectedly, he rubbed his face dry and asked in a troubled tone.
“You… think so as well?”
“Of course I do?”
“Ha… right. Didn’t even consider that.”
“…?”
The way he was rambling incoherently, even I couldn’t make sense of it. Maybe even a Grand Duke got nervous before a trial.
“Are you nervous?”
I tilted my head slightly as I asked him.
“Not really. You?”
He answered briefly, then stood perfectly straight a step away from me, like there was some invisible line on the floor. Maybe it was a habit from being a soldier—his whole body carried that rigid posture.
“Well, I’m not, either.”
I flashed him a bright smile and shrugged. Far from tense, I actually felt like I was back home. This courtroom was a very familiar sight to me. It didn’t look much different from the courts I’d stood in during my past life. The only difference was the ornate viewing gallery set high above.
How long had it been? After staring straight ahead for some time, the Grand Duke finally spoke again, seemingly bothered by the heavy sack next to me.
“What’s in that sack beside you?”
“Things I’ll be using in today’s trial.”
I answered confidently, and a laugh came from across the way. The men from the Police Bureau wore relaxed faces, as if they thought today’s trial was obviously going to end with the Grand Duke sentenced to death.
“All rise!”
At last, with a booming shout, Crown Prince Lawrence and Crown Princess Vivian entered the highest, specially prepared gallery of the courtroom.
‘Finally, I get to see the main characters’ faces.’
I lifted my eyes to look up at them. Unlike Grand Duke Richard, who had a strong, striking look, Lawrence was a gentle, dazzling blond beauty. Vivian, on the other hand, was a pure, ethereal woman with moonlight-like silver hair. They were just as beautiful a pair as a romance novel’s leads ought to be.
While I was busily admiring their faces, my eyes suddenly met those of the Crown Prince.
“……!”
For some reason, his crimson eyes flared sharply in an instant. He narrowed his gaze and seemed to scan my face. Ah, an early intimidation tactic against the opposing lawyer, huh? I didn’t back down. Instead, I widened my eyes to meet his stare head-on. I couldn’t afford to lose even this staring contest.
Swish—
The heated clash of gazes broke when Grand Duke Richard pulled me behind him. Half my body ended up hidden behind his broad shoulder, and I looked up at him in startled confusion.
“Your Grace, is something wrong?”
“You…”
In that moment, the Grand Duke’s red eyes trembled.
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