Chapter 17
“But on what basis was I suspected in the first place? The evidence clearly proves I did nothing.”
The mouths that had been so eager to run just moments ago suddenly snapped shut.
As I met their eyes one by one, they quickly turned their heads away.
Still, staying silent wouldn’t help them—so they stammered out some form of excuse.
“W-We just acted on the testimony…”
“Well, such misconduct shouldn’t occur in the Imperial Palace…”
“Above all, Her Highness the Princess testified, so…”
So that was the gist of it.
“I see. Then, Your Highness, am I truly the one who left such wounds on your foot?”
The marks on Princess Marienne’s foot were deliberate.
For injuries that deep, one would have to stomp with malicious intent, applying full body weight.
“W-Well… I don’t quite recall clearly…”
Marienne tried to escape by claiming a vague memory.
A de facto admission of guilt.
This stirred another round of murmuring among the nobles.
“Wait—what? So they accused an innocent person with unclear testimony?”
Esha seized the momentum and raised her voice.
I could’ve let her wrap up the situation, but I had a weapon of my own. So I stepped forward, feigning a bitter smile of sympathy.
“Now, now—let’s not be too harsh on the princess.”
The tone of someone trying to be considerate. Not exactly my style, but perfect for the dramatic effect.
“She must’ve been under a lot of stress, coming all the way from a foreign land. I imagine her mind and body have become quite fragile.”
And now it was time to present the evidence.
“Shirin!”
I called the spirit that formed the core of my confidence.
Whoosh—
A gust of wind took the shape of a bird and appeared between Marienne and me, like a judge taking its place.
With wings spread wide and feathers puffed out, head held high—Shirin was clearly delighted with the scene.
—Yes! Allow me to introduce myself: the fizzy spark of justice when your throat is dry, the cathartic climax, the fairy of endings, the guardian of truth and solver of tales! I am Shirin—
“Just get to the point.”
Clearly enjoying the chaos, Shirin’s introduction went on and on.
What’s the point of that spiel? No one here even knows what soda is.
—My contractor is so cold-hearted.
Shirin pouted for just a moment.
Then its body swelled, turning nearly translucent, and it opened its beak wide to expel something—
Was it wind?
No—it was sound.
[“Lady Leweis… I’ve heard quite a few rumors, even in my own kingdom. They say she has quite an eccentric personality.”]
[“I’ve been lucky thanks to His Highness, but I wonder if she found a dance partner for this banquet.”]
Blatant words, in a very familiar voice.
“What is this…?”
“Isn’t that the princess’s voice?”
Yes—it was Marienne’s voice gossiping about me.
Shirin was fair.
Once, it brought up gossip about me—
[“The Empire’s nobles seem very busy. They welcomed me warmly at first, but eventually started to keep their distance and leave…”]
[“I’d heard that there were so many unique people here in the Empire that it might be difficult to get close to them.”]
—and now it presented gossip about the other nobles.
No one dared to speak as the weight of the situation settled in.
What could they say?
Their own words, laid bare before the person they talked about.
“……”
In the silence, Shirin flapped its wings, basking in the attention it adored.
After studying everyone’s reactions for a while—
—Justice prevails! What goes around comes around!
Just like a true fairy of endings, Shirin disappeared dramatically.
“What… what was that…”
“Princess?”
“What were those comments just now…?”
That was the turning point.
The people who had stood frozen began to stir again and turned toward Marienne.
No one paid any attention to where Shirin had gone.
Naturally.
The issue wasn’t Shirin.
It was Marienne—at the center of this whole mess.
“I-I was just talking about the cultural differences between the Empire and the kingdom! I didn’t mean anything else…”
But it was too late. Her words only made the atmosphere colder.
I clicked my tongue softly.
Oh dear… Marienne’s in real trouble now.
No one was going to believe her anymore.
Marienne stood awkwardly for a long time.
But now that her lie had been exposed, what could she say?
She kept repeating vague statements like “I don’t remember” or “I wasn’t completely sure when I said it.”
Eventually, she gave up and chose to retreat.
“M-my leg hurts…”
Well, she had been injured.
Those who had sided with Marienne were left looking foolish. Their leader had run off, and they’d be expected to share the blame—but none of them wanted that.
They argued endlessly over who started it, and when no conclusion was reached, they too slipped away in defeat.
The hall quieted.
The only people still cheerful were the bystanders who had stayed out of it all along.
Their favorite motto? “Keep your head down and you’ll be fine.”
“I thought Lady Leweis looked taller than usual today.”
“Come to think of it, it’s funny. With how close she and His Highness are, why would she bother with the princess?”
They began singing my praises—and pulled Esha into the narrative too.
Drama and spectacle made for better gossip.
“The princess was way out of line. She accepted Lady Marceline’s gift, then badmouthed her behind her back?”
“If it was just a mistake from ignorance, she should be ashamed.”
Esha, overwhelmed, tried to sneak away.
But there was no way I’d let her off so easily.
“Actually, I’ve been keeping an eye on Lady Marceline for a while now.”
I linked arms with her, redirecting attention her way.
“Wh-what?”
“Her merchant house may be small, but the quality of her goods is excellent.”
“O-oh…”
Esha blushed.
She’s always confident when taking a stand, but gets flustered by direct praise—one of her most endearing traits.
“Just look at today. She came to this banquet to establish trade with the kingdom, didn’t she? That’s why she spoke with Princess Marienne. With that kind of effort, it’s no wonder her goods are top-tier.”
Esha had started her business because the Marceline territory, being remote, suffered from chronic supply shortages.
They had enough food, thanks to fertile land and hardworking farmers, but lacked daily necessities.
Every harvest season, crop prices would plummet.
They tried switching merchant partners and even bringing in multiple vendors to encourage competition—but nothing changed.
Greedy merchants would just pretend to listen, then buy food dirt cheap and resell it elsewhere for a profit, colluding among themselves.
It was infuriating.
Eventually, Esha—daughter of the local lord—stepped in herself.
Thanks to her, Marceline wasn’t thriving exactly, but things had improved.
There were still limits, since the region’s primary goods were agricultural—but still.
Isn’t it only right to support a hardworking friend?
Besides, I had another reason.
I can’t take all the credit this time.
Sure, Marienne’s mistakes were clear, so everyone was eager to tear her down.
But in time, people would begin to say other things.
After all, my reputation’s just as bad as hers.
Gossips might claim, “Well, she kind of had it coming.”
But what if I bring Esha into it?
By highlighting her keen insight and linking her to this incident, the Marceline merchant house would get publicity.
And even those who hated me but wanted to trash Marienne could latch onto Esha’s angle instead.
A win-win.
As expected—
People began approaching Esha.
