Chapter 27 

Standing front in center with her back to the onlookers, Livia feels a brief moment of vulnerability before she squashes it down under a sharp heel.  

She had no time for that. She was of the same mind of Councilor Gibit who instantly set about questioning her as the throng of common folk and aristocrats alike listen attentively.  

“Miss Livia Katrina Valentine, you had been accused by Crown Prince Rodale and Second Prince Orin for the attempted murder of one Miss Amelia Margaret Reeve via poison at your debutante last year on the twelfth month of the twelfth day. Is this correct?” Councilor Gibit asks in a booming but crackly voice.  

“Yes, that is correct,” Livia says.  

“After being found guilty by Crown Prince Rodale, you had been taken away immediately and sent to sit in a cell as the crown prince considered what your sentenced was to be,” Councilor Gibit went on, but Livia interrupts him with narrowed eyes.  

“Sir, I believe you are forgetting two important details,” She says.  

Councilor Gibit glares at her from atop his crinkled scroll, “Miss Livia, I would advise you from interrupting. We are on a schedu- ” 

“Yes, yes, I heard you the first time,” Livia says, waving off his words. She ignores the murmurs as she continues, “But sir, you mustn't forget how Crown Prince Rodale had been ready to sentence me to death, how he seemed to be capable of doing the deed right then and there if not for my sister’s interference. It’s an important fact that must not be overlooked.”  

Her tone was barely civil. 

It wasn’t a small detail. It wasn’t something that should be glossed over. Livia had been so close to death that she would never forget it. Rodale had every intention of killing her. She had saw it in the darkness that swarmed in his eyes, it had been a bout of emotion so extreme that no one could mistake it.  

But the councilor seemed to have deleted that particular detail from his mind. He stares at her as if she was talking nonsense as if she was spouting words out of nothing.  

On his throne, the king remains particularly impassive, his eyes unblinking and hard to read.  

Livia shouldn’t be making such a fuss over it.  

Or so they no doubt thought.  

But then again, they hadn’t been the one so close to having their head hacked off so what did they know? All they cared about was dressing up the issue as nicely as possible so they didn’t come out looking so hideous.  

Councilor Gibit splutters as she shoves his small spectacles up his curved nose, “Miss Livia, such baseless-” 

“Baseless?” Livia cuts in, her voice going sharp.  

Councilor Gibit glares, “Not once has anyone else confirmed that Crown Prince Rodale did such a thing. We have multiple witnesses who said that you were taken almost immediately after his highness had found you guilty.” 

Beady eyes narrow, “Were you not paying attention to the proceedings?”  

Of course, I wasn’t! It was unbearably dull and monotone. There is only so much I want to hear of aristocrats and nobles cow toeing to save their own asses, Livia thinks.  

Still, she had kept one ear open.  

“Clearly I was or I would not have noticed that you seemed to be intentionally ignoring the fact that the crown prince had been close to beading me himself! The only reason he stopped was because he did not want to ‘sully’ himself with my blood,” She says coldly.  

“W-What nonsense are you spouting!?” Gibit practically shouts, bunching the scroll in his wrinkly hands.  

In the background, the crowd was all leaning forward in tandem, eyes wide and eager as discussion broke out in low voices amongst them as all look to the exchange with great interest.  

Finally, it was starting to get good, seemed to be the shared thought.  

How easily they forgot the real reason they came here as they focus on seeing a good show for the sole sake of entertainment, but that was the whims of a herd mentality, easily changed and swayed depending on which way the air blew that day.  

“Nonsense?” Livia scoffs.   

“I had only arrived and spoken my piece three days ago. I even had my statement officially written down by the King’s secretary. Are you telling me that Secretary Garon was wrong? Did he mistakenly forget to write something I had said on that piece of scroll you are currently reading now?” She asks mockingly.  

“Miss Livia,” Councilor Gibit says in warning, frantically looking at his king as to his next actions.  

“Tell me, oh wise councilor,” Livia says, bracing the podium with her arms and leaning forward over it, “Am I wrong? Did I mistakenly retell the events of that night long ago? Were my words untrue? Had they not already been confirmed by the king himself after I had been placed under a spell of truth?” 

Councilor Gibit shakes in rage but says nothing.  

Livia scoffs again and centers her gaze on the silent king, her stare piercing. King Grail was unfazed, which only angers her further.  

It was intentional. She has come to realizes that much.  

The king had wished to remove the detail of Rodale sentencing her to death. He hadn’t wanted that bit to fade from the memory of his people.  

But why?  

Livia opens her mouth to push the issue further, but King Grail speaks up.  

“You are not mistaken. It seems to be a small oversight on the fault of Councilor Gibit,” The King says with a subtle nod of his head, “Since this detail doesn’t change much, I will overlook it for now. We will resume the trial.” 

The noise level peaks a bit, but one cold, unamused gaze from the king and it goes right back down.  

He seems to be in a dark mood.  

Livia didn’t care.  

She wasn’t pleased and felt a small sense of dread bubble in her stomach.  

...small detail. Doesn’t change much.  

Livia had been marked for death, no, on the verge of death, and it had been brushed to the side like one would swat away an annoying fly. She could argue the matter further, push, and needle until they acknowledge the truth, but her mind was occupied by another, more persistent thought. 

Something wasn’t right.  

Her eyes cut to the aristocrats standing to the side with a comfortable view, and she meets the eyes of her mother.  

Lynette offers her daughter a sweet smile of encouragement, nodding gently.  

Strange. Lynette would have never stood for me being so vocal in public. She always had despised it when I proved to have an opinion of my own, so why was she so quiet now? Maybe she was of similar thought to me? Was that why she seems so content to watch from the sidelines with such a pleased look on her face?  

Livia could see it being true but the feeling in the pit of her stomach only grew further until it was heavy as a stone.  

She still got the feeling she was missing something important though.  

But what could it be? 

Other than them wanting to paint a pretty picture, to shrink the events that twisted her life into something unbearable, into something she barely came away from.  

Livia had easily predicted such an outcome after spying on Rodale and Orin. The second prince had been too confident that they wouldn’t be questioned.  

It had been a misunderstanding; they will no doubt say.  

A simple mistake.  

Anyone could have made it.  

Prince Rodale was only trying to do the right thing.   

Livia had seen such a scenario coming miles away but had thought based on King Grail’s initial reaction to her side of the story that things would still turn out differently. The king hadn’t seemed to take the matter lightly. And based on what Sen told her after they had left the private room, it was obvious he had scolded Orin and Rodale. The extra guards he assigned to his sons had only pushed the idea further that King Grail would look on the matter not as a selfish king but a righteous one who put the needs of his kingdom before anything else.  

It was the same image the game had painted of King Grail though he was only a background character who made few appearances. He hadn’t initially approved of Amelia, taking into account her low status and how uneducated she was in the matters of Wisteria Kingdom. But her charm eventually willed away any red tape, and soon he turned into the doting grandfather type.  

Had Livia’s previous view of King Grail cloud her judgment? Was that why she had been so easily swayed to see him in a much kinder light? Or was it her own memories of being Livia? As a child, King Grail looked like everything anyone would want to strive to be. A distant image of some vague hero ideal.  

Was it that easy to become so foolish? To be blindsided?  

King Grail was just an old man at the end of the day.  

A king who would wish to avoid any hint of conflict within his kingdom, especially the type that had his people question his ability to rule and raise a proper heir.  

Of course, he would want to get rid of the spotlight on his children's dastardly deeds, to sweep it all under the rug as soon as he could before anything sticks and later mature into poison.  

Justice was for children who didn’t know the ways of the world.  

For foolish things that thought that good and evil was a thick line instead of a blur.  

Livia had been truly incautious.  

Naïve.  

For a moment, she had actually thought that there was such a thing as a fair and wise king.  

Because now, Livia can see it.  

She can feel it in the air.  

The sense that everything was going according to a plan. 

...Just not hers. 

In the eyes of the impassive king, in the way, Orin held himself with relaxed shoulders and a comfortable posture. In the way that Rodale easily meets her stare, not a hint of remorse or shame in them, cold and blank as a doll.  

Her sharp nails dig into the unforgiving wood of the podium, her cool expression wavering. 

Regardless of her steadily growing apprehension, the trial carries on. Councilor Gibit was only too eager to pick things up as if he hadn’t been on the verge of a tantrum.  

He clears his throat, and the sound is wet and echoes around the room, causing some people to look at him in disgust.  

“Resuming were we left off,” The old councilor says, “After spending three days in a cell, Crown Prince Rodale had come to the decision to exile you-” 

“Wait, stop,” Livia says, cutting in again. She could feel a headache coming on. Just how many things did they intend to omit? 

Before the councilor could throw another fit, she barrels on, “Are we skipping over Mimi the maid? As you would recall, she had been the only person who witnesses me ‘standing’ over a glass, and therefore, was the sole reason Crown Prince Rodale had found me guilty.” 

“Yes, yes, we are all aware, Miss Livia,” The old fool croaks out, “Miss Mimi's testimony was abysmal and therefore not even worth mentioning.” 

“Not even wort-” Livia couldn’t even finish the sentence.  

“Are you kidding me?” She asks in disbelief, thinking that somehow, this was all just some fucked up joke. They couldn’t actually be serious, right? Surely, they weren’t so eager to push things along that they would be willing to delete every bit that made her debutante and absolute nightmare, right? 

Was she being stupid again? Was it her? Was she the one not in her right mind!?  

It seems she wasn’t the only one who thought so.  

“I wonder if that old man has finally gone senile. He probably thinks we are all hard of hearing and suddenly impaired with blindness,” A loud voice says over the low murmurs of the room.  

Livia turns her head to see Kolton leaning over to ‘whisper’ his words to a random person nearby, looking for all the world like a specter in the crowd of commoners around him. She wonders when he had managed to integrate himself into the crowd. She hadn’t even noticed that he left his seat from behind her.  

The person besides Kolton, a woman in her mid-twenties, nods along with a gossipy look before she does a double-take and stumbles back with wide eyes.  

“P-prince Kolton? I-I-I mean your highness!?” She squeals, obviously shocked and dazzled.  

Kolton turns a blinding smile her way, and she sways on her feet, looking like she will faint any second.  

“Hello, dear,” Kolton says warmly, “Mind if I stand here? I find the stiffs on the other side unbearably dull. All pomp and stone faces, you know?”  

“Y-yes! O-of course, your highness!”  

“Thanks, luv.” He says, activating another blinding smile.  

The woman and men around him all but sway closer to his openness. Compared to the king and the two princes who separate themselves and stand an inch above the rest, he seems more approachable, friendly, just a normal guy watching the show as they all are.  

Even better, he seems to be of the same mind as the rest of them.  

Livia eyes him a second longer, impressed despite herself before she turns back around.  

He saw an opportunity and didn’t hesitate to use it to his advantage. He was quick on his feet and had a somewhat sharp mind. Even more, he seems to have no problem going against something in the open, even if it was in direct opposition to his father, the king.  

Rodale and Orin would never do such a thing.  

As if to prove this statement further, Orin steps forward with a mild smile, his eyes looking down at his brother with an indulgent expression.  

“Prince Kolton, is there something you would like to contribute to the trial?” He asks, trying to gain control of the crowds' attention.  

“Yes,” Livia adds, and all eyes fall to her with little effort, “Is there something his highness would like to speak out loud in the open?”  

Kolton blinks, “Oh? Little old me?” 

Livia turns to fully face him and nods, “I would like to hear your opinion on the matter, your highness.” 

He clearly wanted the attention and Livia thought she would grace him with it since his distraction had given her precious seconds to get herself under control. Her expression was back to being immaculate and faintly bored.  

“Well, since Lady Livia asks so graciously,” Prince Kolton says, ignoring Orin completely. He steps forward with easy strides and soon he was standing between Councilor Gibit and Livia. 

Councilor Gibit couldn’t just sit back and say nothing.  

“This is uncalled for and a waste of the king's valuable time! Prince Kolton has nothing to do with the official trial and therefore should not be called forth!” He says angrily, looking to King Grail then Kolton, and back again.  

Kolton just sways on the balls of his feet, his hands in his pockets as he tilts his head, his eyes rolling up to meet his fathers as he says, “I’m sure dear old dad doesn’t mind. Commoners court is the one place where opinions and thoughts should be more open, don’t you think?”  

Councilor Gibit turns red in the face, a vein straining on his wrinkled head. 

“How dare you speak to his royal highness in such an informal way! You should be ashamed of yourself! You are a prince of the Wisteria Kingdom and act as such! You are an embarras-” His fierce rant is cut off.  

“Enough, councilor Gibit. Let the boy speak,” King Grail says, graciously allowing his youngest son to speak his piece.  

Prince Kolton's lazy posture doesn’t waver, and he even inclines his head, but his eyes darken just slightly, the corner of his lips twitching downward.  

“Thank you, father,” Kolton says, bowing shallowly before he turns his back to the king and his older brothers, facing the crowd and Livia.  

Their eyes meet briefly, but Livia isn’t given a clue where he plans to take things.  

“Since I have been asked so kindly to give my opinion, I will bluntly state what we are all thinking,” Kolton says as he makes eye contact with the common folk and gives a small wink that brings a small bit of laughter to the room.  

“This old fool,” He points rudely to councilor Gibit, “Thinks we are all idiots who have the attention span of a grey fly.” 

“I beg your pardon,” Councilor Gibits says.  

“Hush. It’s rude to interrupt,” Kolton snarks.  

"Now what was I saying?" Kolton snaps his fingers, "Oh, right I remember. Back to the trial, or lack thereof. You lot seem to be in a rush to move things along. What's the hurry? Is there some other important matter that you all must be getting to? Is that why we are skipping over all the fine details?" He aims his question in the vague direction of King Grail and the councilor. 

“We only hoped to not delay the inevitable," Orin says plainly.  

Kolton blinks in surprise while Livia's eyebrow ticks up.  

They both had not expected for Orin to speak so bluntly.  

Even so, it was just in poor taste to rush such a trial of great importance. Regardless of the fact that Livia's trial is taking place in commoners court, the subject matter of the trial was no light thing and the fact that it was proceeding in such a rushed manner was insulting not only to Livia personally but to all who attended to see just how it would all play out. 

"So, that's your excuse?" Kolton asks after a pause. 

"Excuse?" Orin parrots. He smiles. It’s soft. Polite.  

He’s looking down on them. 

He did not think they would be so vocal. 

 So...resistant.  

Livia can see it in all their eyes. Their steadily growing impatience. They wonder why she wouldn’t just shut up and let the proceedings commence as they wished. They wonder why she was making things so difficult.  

“Yes, excuse,” Livia says, feeling like an echo. She crosses her arms under her small chest, letting them rest over the curve of her belly, pulling many eyes towards it.  

“I think it is quite insulting to all involved that this is how you decided to go about my trial,” She continues with hard eyes, “Do you take this matter so lightly? Was my almost death, mistaken imprisonment, botched exile, and kidnapping all just some novel tale to you all!? I did not come here to be insulted and pushed along like a problem you wish to bury!” Her voice rises in volume but remains even and controlled.  

“Of course not, Miss Livia,” Orin says instantly, looking shocked and apologetic, “We would never wish such a thing.”  

“My brother is right. We are taking this matter very seriously,” Rodale says, his voice robotic.  

“Yeah, so serious that you wish to be done with it in a timely manner, right?” Kolton mocks.  

“How dare you even assume that the King would treat any trial like a trivial thing?” Councilor Gibit snarls.  

Livia ignores them all. Her cold gaze centered on the silent King who meets it without blinking.  

Her growing sense of dread is forgotten momentarily as she refuses to sit idly by and let the world move around her without voicing her opinion. Livia wasn’t the protagonist that kept their thoughts to themselves even as they were being bullied into doing something they did not wish to. She wasn’t the hero or heroine that let others move her about as they pleased to align with their own wishes. She wasn’t going to put a lid on her displeasure just to avoid a confrontation or to keep things ‘easy’ and ‘simple’.  

Fuck that.  

This was her life.  

She wasn’t some impassive thing that couldn’t move without being pressured into a direction. She wasn’t some indecisive protagonist that choose no one because they didn’t want to hurt anyone, and therefore ended up hurting all of them. She wasn’t a push-over. She wasn’t some mute girl. 

She had her own opinions and thoughts and she would curse herself before she would let anyone take her voice again.  

When everything had been ripped away from her when she had been violated, humiliated, and treated as a pretty puppet to be loved and doted on, her voice was all she had and she would be a fool not to use it.  

For once, the onlookers keep their mouths shut, but Livia can see how some nod in agreement, while others, mainly the nobles and aristocrats, either look completely indifferent to the whole proceeding, mildly thoughtful or disapproving of her being so frank and therefore rude and very improper.  

Before she can get interrupted again, she pushes on.  

“I had thought that if anyone in the world would be fair and just, it would be you, King Grail. As a former citizen of Wisteria, I remembered how you were a beacon of hope, of a better nation. How you took on the challenge to set an example for your people, to strive for equal treatment of all.”  

Her gaze does not waver from King Grail as she speaks to him directly. Livia does not notice it herself, but her eyes, normally vibrant in color, deepens and darkens as a strange look takes over her face. Suddenly her youth disappears, and something old and ancient settles over her and slithers its way into her words.  

“Your highness, it’s been a long time since you have that inspiring speech all those years ago,” Livia says acutely with a soft and almost admonishing voice, “Even now, I always wondered what brought it on. You had been so impassioned, so firm in your resolve, I remember it even now. It was that king that I had brought my problems to. It was that king that I believed would bring forth justice regardless of who was on the opposite side of it. Now, standing here, I have to wonder. Are you still that king, your highness? Or has your resolve crumbled over time, like it tends to do?”  

The volume rose around her, many were not pleased with her words of their king, but some couldn’t help but look up at their esteemed ruler with eyes filled with newfound criticism. As the commoners whispered loudly amongst themselves, as the nobles looked down their noses at her while avoiding her haunting eyes, a cold, chilling voice coils up from the depths of her being.  

So weak... 

Always so easily swayed. 

Why try to implore yourselves to them? 

It’s a waste of time.  

And time isn’t something we have freely now... 

Livia agrees with it. Couldn’t argue against it. Why would she? It would be like arguing with a mirror. 

Before, King Grail held her stare with perfect ease, but now, he wouldn’t have been able to look away even if he wanted to. There was a bizarre sense of their roles being reversed. He suddenly felt like a small child, fragile and unwise, while the young girl before him felt old and wise beyond anything he could ever know. All the experience he accumulated in his years on the planet vanish instantly under that intense gaze, and he felt he was looking up at his deceased father as he once had, so long ago. 

Even the mouthy Councilor Gibit remains silent.  

Livia sighs.  

Was she talking to herself now?  

“Your highness?” She calls. 

King Grail snaps out of his silence and closes his mouth. He hadn’t even noticed it had fallen open slightly.  

“Yes, I hear you loud in clear, Miss Livia,” He says, clearing his throat as he drags his hand over the armrest of his throne. It’s only then that he notices how damp they become, and shiver curls down his spine.  

“Wonderful,” Livia says dryly, “Are we of the same mind then?” 

“S-same mind!?”  

Ah, it seems Councilor Gibit found his tongue again.  

“Y-You fend! We are here to help you and you dare-” 

Livia was getting quite tired of that word. Her eyes cut to the old bumbling fool, her forehead crinkling just slightly.  

“Yes, it seems that I do dare. If not I, then who else will fight for my honor?” She hisses, her irritation blooming on her face for the first time since she arrived.  

Her head turns to the king, “I would like nothing more than to put this whole day behind us, but it seems my simple request of an honest and fair trial was just too much of a burden for you all to handle. Tell me, your highness, if you were in my position, would you be pleased right now? Would you feel that the horror that I had faced would be absolved by this debacle?” She snaps, completely done with being polite and impassive.  

When King Grail remains silent for too long, his face no longer passive but his lips still pressed in a thin line, Livia just shakes her head and glances to the crowd behind her, before she lets her head fall to stare down-trodden at the podium. 

“It seems the faith I placed into the King of Wisteria had been a mistake,” She murmurs under her breath, but loud enough for those close to her to hear.  

She feels a hand on her shoulder and glances over to see Kolton giving her a look of sympathy.  

He truly was a good actor.  

“I’m sorry, Lady Livia. I know you came here expecting something more, but it seems this is all this kingdom in its current state can offer. Please, let’s continue with what little remains of the trial,” He tells her.  

“As I had said earlier, Miss Livia. I hear you loud and clear,” King Grail suddenly says with a booming voice as he stands to his feet, looking wise and sagely. His frosty gaze softens when he looks down at Livia, and like his sons, her eyes are practically dripping in false sympathy.  

No.  

Livia stares a little longer.  

It wasn’t entirely false.  

But that made little difference in the long run and she did not sway away from her new stance. She met the King Grails' eyes with ease and stood tall before him with a straight back and raised chin. Livia would not falter any longer. She had planned to be rather obedient and demure to twist every ounce of sympathy she could, to make it easier on herself as she was still technically exiled, and therefore an outsider, but that plan crumbled into dust the moment she stepped forward to the podium.  

It didn’t help that King Grail turned out to be an unreliable tool, so it would have failed either way.  

Still, Livia wasn’t exactly happy that her masked crumbled so easily around her. She should be a pro at the blank-eyed doll stare by now, but being pregnant shattered any carefully crafted mask. It was difficult to hold her tongue, to not broadcast her emotions on her face. The control she had over herself had been wrenched away by the impending birth of her unborn child. It didn’t help that she was also still well on her way to being an adult.  

Teenage and pregnancy hormones did not mix well at all.  

But compared to all the things she really wanted to say, she thought she did well in holding herself back. It was best not to completely shatter the image of a victim seeking justice on the first step, after all. Of course, she would be rather upset at seeing her trial being handled in such a way. Her anger was righteous and even expected. And Livia has always been known for being outspoken and having a sharp tongue.  

Everything was still aligned.  

So, for once, she keeps her mouth shut as King Grail grabs the reigns of the trial with a perfect look of contrition. As if he hadn’t been content to let things go on as they had originally been heading and only moved now because Livia hadn’t given him much of a choice.  

“We have insulted you and all who have come to bear witness by rushing the proceedings, and for that, I deeply apologies,” He says gravely as he bows his head shallowly to her in remorse.  

“From this point onward, I shall personally see to the proceedings and make sure that it continues on in a manner that is befitting of its importance,” The kings continue to say.  

The onlookers seem rather shocked that their king would readily admit to a mistake, that he would do nothing to defend himself against the rather rude belittling Livia just spouted. Even more shocking, it seems, was the fact that he wishes to lower himself to fix the said mistake personally.  

Their heads quickly turned towards one another in surprise, as if the image before them was unreal.  

But they didn’t seem upset. On the contrary, they seem rather pleased and approving. A king who could openly admit that he was wrong was not a king of greed and selfish desires! Their king wasn’t like any other. King Grail was the ruler of Wisteria that they all still believed in, and was redeeming himself right before their eyes. His silence and indifference in the past were all but forgiven on the spot. 

He had successfully separated himself from the problem, now seeming like a sagely ruler who simply wishes to fix it.  

“Your highness!” Councilor Gibit intones, looking rather put-upon, “You mustn't lower yourself to such a thing! Please, I will do better in your stead. Allow me to continue-” 

“No,” King Grail says stonily.  

Councilor Gibit flinches and clutches his scrolls to his chest like a shield.  

“B-but...” 

King Grail steps down elegantly from his pedestal and raises a hand in the direction of Councilor Gibit, palm up, “The proceedings scroll, Councilor Gibit,” He states.  

“But your highness! You mustn’t!” Councilor Gibit insists, clutching the papers tighter in his wrinkled hands, crinkling them at the edges.  

“I will not ask again.”  

The warning was clear, and the scrolls were handed over without another protest.  

“Thank you,” King Grail says, “You can join the others on the side,” He continues, effortlessly dismissing the councilor. The old fool shuffles away with a few backward glances and one final glare to Livia, who offers him a single finger in parting.  

She smiles when he only looks at it in angry confusion.  

Right. That particular gesture wasn’t known here. It wasn’t offensive or rude.  

For a split second, she feels a deep sense of loneliness, like she been shot off into the dark, and alien abyss of space, but it passes before it can swallow her whole.  

“We shall continue where Councilor Gibit left off,” King Grails says before his eyes cut to Kolton, “Prince Kolton, please return to your seat. We will no longer be taking outside opinions on this matter.”  

Kolton doesn’t move. Unwilling, no doubt, to bend to his father's will so easily. But to the onlookers, he probably seems like a noble protector or shield. He turns to Livia, his hand still on her shoulder for support, and raises a questioning eyebrow.   

“Will you be alright?” He asks as if he contributed beyond just a few snarky comments.  

Livia plays along though.  

Her hands cover his own and she nods bravely, “Yes, I will. Thank you,” She tells him.  

He smiles and she quickly drops her hand from his. Livia puts up with the small pats he gives her shoulder and doesn’t watch as he returns to his seat. Under the long strands over her hair, she rolls her eyes and grimaces in annoyance.  

What a prick.  

Even more insulting was the implied thought that she even needed his help in the first place. All he did was stand by her, but somehow it was enough for her words to actually be taken seriously. For them to be heard instead of dismissed.  

It was infuriating.  

But that was the world she was now in.  

One where women and girls weren’t heard without a man backing them. Where it was a common practice to rescue the fragile and beautiful female who might even be even in strength with a powerful man or even stronger but somehow still finds themselves in a situation where they need to be rescued. 

It was ingrained into the era the world was in.  

A silent rule.  

She knew her modern world wasn’t perfect and still had similar elements, but at least they pretended to be fair and equal, but that was no longer the case here.  

In fact, this was the one place you could play the hero or the damsel in distress, to revel in it.  

It was one thing to see it on screen and daydream about it and another thing entirely to actually live it. Livia wasn’t sure she could ever adjust to it, to see it as her new normal. Not when she knew of a life of less restriction and more freedom. She would never be content to just sit back and give the controls of her life to anyone but herself.  

This trial was proof enough of that.  

Hormones or not, she doubts she would have remained quiet for long either way.  

It an odd thing to learn about herself.  

Livia had never been so outspoken in her first life. She never had a reason to be.  

But she had the feeling that if she didn’t stand her ground, that if she kept silent, it wouldn’t end well for her. She had to be seen, to be heard, or else they would easily gain control over the narrative, twist it in a way that suits them while dismissing everything she been through, making light of it.  

She wouldn’t let them.  

“Moving back to the topic of Mimi Con,” King Grails says, barely glancing down at the scrolls as he centers an even stare on her, “It seems you have a lot to say about it, Miss Livia. I will hear you out.” 

Well, what a gracious son of a bitch you are, Livia thinks savagely in her head as she looks up calmly and nods.  

“Thank you, your highness,” The words were becoming increasingly difficult to say. But Livia had to be all polite, elegant, and respectful. Her strict upbringing in this life demands it of her.  

“But first, I would like to ask for a request,” She says while tilting her chin down and her eyes lowered. 

King Grail waves his hand regally, “It is the least I can do. There is no need to lower your head, Miss Livia. What would you ask of me?”  

Livia only lifts up her eyes, “It is not a small request, but I still must ask even if I come off as insolent.”  

The King rolls his wrist in a silent motion for her to continue.  

“I ask to call forth both Prince Rodale and Prince Orin to the stand,” She says, straightening up and looking the said princes in the eyes without an ounce of respect. From the corner of her eyes, Livia sees her mother step forward slightly with a troubled expression at the same time those standing around the Duchess balk or open their mouth in protest.  

“You dare-!” Councilor Gibits words are swallowed up by the storm of voices around him.  

Livia ignores the rowdy nobles and aristocrats spitting out protest to their king while berating her on the side.  

Of course, she crossed a line.  

This was only supposed to be her trial. The focus was only supposed to be on her. Plus, she was in no position to demand the princes, who were currently of much higher rank, for their testimonial in commoner's court. They were too high born to be even questioned. All of this didn’t stop Livia from cashing in on King Grail’s obvious attempt to better himself in the eyes of his people.  

In fact, as the nobles and aristocrats were for once rowdy in their protest, the common folk were silent, watchful.  

Behind closed doors, ruffled feathers of the high born could be soothed, but the populace wouldn’t be so easily swayed, not if King Grail went back on his word, his supposed image as the fixer, so instantly.  

Certainly, it was very important to keep the people who all but funded your country happy and in good moods, but if you continuously widen the gap between those with status and those without, if you make yourself too unreachable, distant, and unknown to your people, a small problem will soon bloom into a bigger one. The type that leads to discontent, rebellion, and in the worst-case scenario, civil war.  

There is only so much the king could let the nobles, aristocrats, and even the princes and princess get away with before the people have had enough. It’s been nearly a year since they all had remained silent on the matter of Livia’s exile, and that year was enough to create a small chasm.  

It would be best to fix it the moment you are given an opportunity too.  

Livia knows this.  

As does King Grail, if his complex but thoughtful expression was anything to go by.  

A wide hand goes up, and silence reigns in the room once more.  

“I will allow it,” King Grail intones. He leaves no room for argument, his blue eyes unmoving stones.  

Livia rewards him with a proper bow, “Thank you, your highness. You are too gracious.”  

King Grail acknowledge her with a nod before turning to face his sons. His head doesn’t crane back even as they stand above him, unmoving from their place even when their king had stepped down.  

“Prince Rodale, Prince Orin, I call you forth,” He states.  

Rodale shares a look with Orin even as they both obey their father. Livia is able to easily read it, brief as it was.  

Poor thing.  

He seemed rather alarmed.  

This wasn’t a part of the plan; Rodale seems to have silently broadcast to his brother.  

Orin does not return his brother's stare. He looks straight ahead, his head held high. He did not seem to mirror his brother's alarm. 

Must have another trick under his sleeve, Livia guesses as she steps away from the podium and stands beside King Grail when he beckons her over.  

It was no matter. His argument, what little could be made of it, will be a weak one.  

Livia had little doubt that she managed to turn the tide to her favor. Whatever ploy that had been in the works would amount to nothing. She had gained the upper hand.  

“Now Miss Livia, please continue,” King Grail says, gesturing for her to step a bit ahead of him, which she does as she stands now face to face with the crowd with the nobles barracking the throne behind her. With this new view, Livia can see just how the common populace reacts to her words. It is to them she wishes to garner sympathy, so she rehashes the events of her debutante. Hopefully, for the last time. She was becoming sick of the topic, despite its grave importance and being the center of it.  

Livia lets out a small sigh before she addresses her audience, returning to the issue of the dreadful little maid. She lets Rodale and Orin stew as she ignores them even though she was the one who called them to the podium.  

“As some of you might know, Mimi Con had been the only witness,” She begins easily, “No others had stepped forward when Prince Rodale called them forth. No one had claimed to have seen me in the act of the attempted murder of Amelia except Miss Con. In fact, many testimonies stated the exact opposite and pointed out I had little interaction with Amelia and any other objects that might link me to her poisoning,” Livia says to the room as a whole.  

In the sudden quiet of the Red Hall, her voice was strong and undeniable. All focus was on her. 

“Despite all of this, Prince Rodale had taken Mimi Con at her word,” She continues on with a tone of cold intent, “He did not question her further and he did not ask Orin to cast a truth spell to validate what she had said. Her word was all it took to have me almost sentenced to death. The simple sight of me standing by a table that glasses happen to be on was apparently enough evidence for me to be exiled. I have ripped away from my home country, from everything I ever knew simply because a maid had thought I looked suspicious, and the prince of that country took her at face value without sparing a second to investigating the matter further.”  

Livia suddenly turns around, her dress blooming around her ankles as her eyes lock on Rodale and Orin like a hawk would small prey.  

“What I would like to know is why I had been condemned so readily. Prince Rodale, and even Prince Orin, you both had easily come to the conclusion that I had been the guilty party. You both had seemed firm in the belief that I was the one and only person who ever do such a thing. What had made you both come to such a conclusion?” She asks. 

Prince Rodale's flat stare breaks. His lip curls.  

“We knew you had a motive-” He starts to say, voice frosty.  

“Because I had bullied Amelia in the past?” Livia says, plucking the thought right out of his head.  

“How easy the words roll off your tongue. As if you hadn’t tormented that poor girl until she had been to the point of tears,” Orin says, shaking his head sadly.  

“She had not been to the point. I recall how she had cried quite easily, practically on cue,” Livia says thoughtlessly, her tone becoming vicious. It was an automatic response. She was used to biting first and asking questions later.  

She almost regrets saying it. Mostly because the detail of her bullying Amelia had faded into the background by this point but she wasn’t going to shy away from it. She couldn’t change the past and she hadn’t fallen so low as to cover up her actions just because it painted her in an unflattering light.  

“You acknowledge what you had done, even mock it, and you still have the audacity to ask why we had ever thought that you would want to harm Miss Amelia?” Rodale says stiffly, his anger barely in check, “You had been the only person who had a strong motivation to have done something so daring!”  

“And what exactly was my supposed reasoning?” Livia asks back, her tone a lazy drawl.  

“You were jealous,” It’s Orin who states it. Like it was an undeniable fact.  

As clear as the sky being blue and water being wet.  

Livia couldn’t help it.  

She lets out an un-ladylike snort.  

“Oh, my...are you actually being serious?” She asks, tilting her head and crossing her arms under her chest. An amused smile crawls over her lips.  

Orin frowns. Just slightly.  

“Are you denying it?” He asks.  

“Well, I am certainly not agreeing to it,” Livia says.  

“Then why did you target Miss Amelia specifically? Out of all the students that had attended Aster Academy, it was her you had chosen to torment.” 

“That is correct,” Livia says unhelpfully.  

“So, you are admitting that you were jealous of Miss Amelia,” Orin says, his frown disappearing.  

“No, not at all,” Livia says, still not helpfully.  

“Then why her?” Rodale asks, “Are you telling me you did it just because it was fun? Because you had nothing better to do? Did you and your little cronies enjoy making her life a living hell?”  

“What about you, Prince Rodale?” Livia asks, sidestepping his questions as her gaze sharpens, “Why did you decide to approach Miss Amelia out of all the students in Aster Academy?” 

When Rodale only glares, she says, “I will answer your questions if you answer mine. It seems only fair.”  

“Indeed, it is, but why are you so interested? Your words seem like a jealous lover. Could Prince Rodale not have friends outside of his past obligations to you,” Orin asks, jumping in.  

Livia turns to him, “Of course he could.” 

“Then there is nothing to-” 

“But if only Miss Amelia had just been a friend to him,” Livia says right over Orin.  

“Prince Rodale, Prince Orin, you both seem to think that the reason I had targeted Amelia was because I was jealous of the close relationship that was developing between you all and you had come to the opinion that my jealousy was the reason that I would wish to end Amelia’s life,” Livia says.  

“That is correct,” Orin says, his voice confident.  

“No, it is not,” She says firmly, “I had not been jealous. I had been troubled that my fiancé, the crown prince, had become disturbingly close with another female and had been all but parading it around for all to see. It was insulting, degrading. I had been made to be quite the fool. But you sit here and speak as if the relationship between a baron’s daughter and the engaged crown prince had not been extremely inappropriate. Are you telling me I should have kept silent while my fiancé fawned over another girl? I had refused to. Though, looking back, I will admit I had been a menace and a bully to Amelia. I should not have let my anger out on her, but it was not like I could criticize the crown prince so boldly either.” 

“So, instead of jealousy, it had been anger and hurt pride that pushed you to torment Miss Amelia?” Orin summarizes, sounding unimpressed.  

“Indeed,” Livia says.  

“So, there is still motive present,” Rodale says.  

“I will not deny that,” She shrugs elegantly, “However, my temper had cooled significantly by the time my debutante came around. I hadn’t even glanced Amelia’s way for weeks leading up to it. My anger had no longer been clouding my judgment. I realize that I had been childish and could no longer afford to act that way.” 

“Is this true? Prince Orin, Prince Rodale, can you confirm this?” King Grail asks suddenly, startling the three of them. For a moment, they had all forgotten where they were.  

“Yes,” Rodale says, reluctantly.  

“...yes,” Orin says, after a beat.  

“And your relationship with Miss Amelia Margret Reeve, had it crossed the line of appropriate and respectful?” The king continues to question them, his tone was deceptively light, almost uncaring.  

“Father, Miss Livia is exasperating,” Orin says, “Of course it was just friendship.” 

At the same time, Rodale replies with a simple but damning, “Yes.”  

King Grail’s thick, grey eyebrows tick up before they slam down in a dark, thunderous expression.  

“So, it seems Miss Livia’s actions had not been entirely without logic, however, I will never approve of bullying no matter the reasoning behind it. It’s a cowardly act that has no place in my kingdom,” Blue eyes cut to Livia. She drops her eyes and stares at her feet, appearing to be cowed and ashamed.  

“I apologize, your highness. I have no excuses to make for myself in that regard. I can only promise never to do it again and be better,” She says softly with a trembling chin.  

King Grail nods once, curtly, “It will do for now.”  

“But my king! Miss Livia had spent months tormenting Miss Amelia!” Orin bursts out, “She had let her anger cloud her judgment and had done horrible deeds to her fellow student! She verbally and physically abused Miss Amelia almost constantly and-” 

“And she had been convicted of murder by two foolish princes’, almost put to death, exiled for a year, and kidnapped during that time by fiends,” King Grail snaps back in a low growl.  

Orin's mouth closes shut.  

“Or did you somehow think the meager logic behind your past reasoning was enough to excuse your rash and impulsive actions? The fact that you, a prince of this kingdom, have the gall to argue back to your king, to attempt to defend yourself against the undefendable! Just how witless have you become?” King Grail strides forward to tower over Orin, and Livia does not miss how the once confident prince's head is bowed, how he does not dare to meet his father’s eyes.  

From her vantage point, Livia can see those oceanic depths wide and almost glassy with barely retrained emotions. Orin bites his lip and his fists tremble by his sides. His perfectly crafted mask had fallen in the face of his father’s obvious displeasure and showcased the spoiled bratty boy he truly was.  

“And you,” King Grail turns his burning gaze on Rodale, “You are the Crown Prince of Wisteria. To have conducted yourself in such a tasteless and improper way is an affront I cannot take lightly, but you pushed the matter further by coming to the blind defense of a girl who you should have never been with in the first place. Your obligation had been to Miss Livia Katrina Valentine, but somehow it was her you almost killed in cold blood, it was her you had exiled, and for what reason? Because a maid had seen her stand before a table!?” King Grail suddenly turns away with a heavy snap of his robes. His face was dreary but still twisted in vexation. 

“I cannot even look at you, I am so ashamed,” He says, shaking his head.  

Rodale all but wilts as splotchy color seeps up his neck and redden his ears. His blond head had progressively sunk down as King Grail had scolded him with obvious disapproval. No doubt he was living his worst nightmare come true. All Rodale had ever wanted was the approval and love of his father, but it seems he's lost it all right in this moment. And before the populace, he was someday meant to rule. His world was probably crumbling all around him. Too Rodale, this was rock bottom.  

Orin was of a similar state, but it was less devastating. He was still holding himself together, barely. He never valued his father’s approval as Rodale did. However, he did put a lot of merits and how he outwardly appeared and being cowed and unable to hold his father’s gaze for even a second was no doubt a heavy blow to his pride. Even worst, he attempted to come to the defense of Miss Amelia and failed rather spectacularly. All his sly work was unwinding right before his eyes.  

They both seem rather defeated and brought to their lowest point.  

Too bad Livia did not see it that way. She watched the show with eyes alight with almost mad glee, but for her, she had simply enjoyed a lovely appetizer. Livia was still starving. She wasn’t satisfied in the least.  

After all, this was only the trial I should have gotten in the first place. The matter of my kidnapping, the human trafficking, and the shitty plotting of these two fools still have yet to be solved. But soon, everything will be dragged out of the dark, and they will know what true despair is, she thinks ruthlessly.  

It was unfortunate that the king refused to lump the two proceedings together, but at least this way she could savor it all slowly. This whole trial could be summed up to the simple motion of pushing both Rodale and Orin off an impossible tall cliff.  

Now they get to suffer the terror of falling with the stark inevitability of death quickly approaching them.  

With his back to his sons, King Grail lets out a heavy sigh, his tense shoulders dipping just slightly. It was a rare moment of public weakness. His age sinking into his face.  

Livia waits. 

King Grail straightens his back, and turns to her, “Miss Livia, is there anything else you wish to ask of my sons?”  

“Yes, in fact, there is one more thing,” She says easily.  

King Grail moves out the way so she has a clear view of the beaten forms of Rodale and Orin. She steps forward, her body feeling light as she clasps her hands behind her back.  

“Prince Rodale, after you had taken Mimi Con's statement as evidence, you had bid the partygoers to step up and defend me instead of taking on the task yourself. Not a single person had. In fact, they did the exact opposite. It was horrible, and all I could do was sit there in stunned horror. Even so, you carried on. What I wish to confirm is that these events align with your own memory. Do they?” Livia asks, a stress-free smile playing on her lips.  

She wanted him to admit it. For him to publicly announce and own up to every horrible little act.  

Rodale would not walk away until his reputation was dragged through the mud and broken into tiny little pieces. Even better, he will be the one to do the deed himself.  

Of course, Livia was completely ignoring that she did in fact, poison Amelia. That she was guilty as they come, but it wasn’t her fault that Orin and Rodale had not investigated the incident properly. They were the ones who condemned her on the spot without bothering to see if she had been the culprit or not.  

Livia saw no reason to come clean. There will be not an ounce of evidence left by now. Too much time has passed.  

Plus, it wasn’t her fault that no one bothered to ask the question if she should still be seen as a potential suspect. 

In her mind, she callously shrugs it off.  

“...they do,” Rodale's voice brings her out of her trail of thoughts.  

Her smile grows, especially when she sees Orin trying to subtly but frantically catch his brother’s eye.  

Rodale was always so straight lace and stiff. He also could not lie for shit when he was under pressure and put on the spot, especially while King Grail was continuously leveling a heavy stare on him.  

“Hmm, seems my memory is not faulty after all,” Livia could not help but comment, her eyes finding Councilor Gibit in the crowd before flickering away.  

“Continuing on, after some conversation between Orin and Amelia, you had come to a decision. Before I could even blink, I was suddenly un-engaged, had all my titles stripped, and sentenced to death. I tried to plead with you, but it seems you did not hear me. Tell me, Prince Rodale. Is this also true?” Livia asks.  

“Brother,” Orin calls out, trying to gain Rodale’s attention, but a sharp look from King Grail and he is back to staring at his expensive shoes.  

“...yes, it is,” The words were a mumble, Rodale head was craned to the side, his eyes no moving from a spot on the ground.  

“I’m sorry? I could not hear you,” Livia says, shuffling forward and pointing her ear in Rodale’s direction.  

“Speak up, boy. The audience in the back should be able to hear you,” King Grail says darkly.  

“Yes, it is,” Rodale says clearly, not glancing up.  

“I had not been instantly dragged away the moment you had found me guilty, correct?” Livia presses.  

“No.”  

“But I was taken away,” She confirms, “I admit, I did not go easily. I had once again tried to plead with you and had asked for more proof. But you had ignored me,” Livia glances over at Amelia, her smile not wavering, “Though I had said some unpleasant and completely false things to Amelia on the way out, I had been grasping at straws by that point. I was desperate.” 

“Just as I was being lead out, my little sister broke through the crowd and fell to your feet. She had pleaded for my life, for you to spare me. It was three days after being thrown in a jail cell that I would finally know of my fate, and you had not even the will to tell me of it yourself. No, it was a fellow jail-mate who revealed that I was to be exiled. Do admit to this, Prince Rodale?” 

“...” 

“Miss Livia asked you a question, Crown Prince,” King Grail prods none too gently.  

“Yes,” It seems the words hurt to say.  

Good.  

“And the sole reason you had condemned me to such a fate was because you had decided to put the full weight of your noble status of Crown Prince of Wisteria behind the words of one maid, correct?” 

“...I...I had thought I had more than good reason too. You had a solid motive,” Rodale says, defending himself through gritted teeth. 

“The motive was weak then and it is weaker now,” King Grail cuts in without mercy, all but kicking his son in the back of knees himself.  

Rodale’s white, pearly teeth dig into the flesh of his lip and his eyes shoot up to glare at Livia as if she was the one who spouted off at him.  

“Answer the question, Crown Prince. You are still on the podium,” The king says.  

“Yes. I had put my trust and status behind Mimi Con. I had thought Miss Livia was the guilty suspect and did not bother to think further than that,” Rodale bits out.  

Livia could practically hear his reputation splatter in a pit of tar. She nods, her expression becoming weary and exhausted though inside, she was laughing hysterically and doing a victory dance.  

“Thank you, Prince Rodale. I know that could not have been easy to admit,” Livia says in false sympathy, adding salt to bleeding wounds.  

Her eyes land on the quiet Orin.  

“Prince Orin,” She starts, “Might I ask what you did during all of this? I mean, I am aware of what happened, but I would like your account,” She says.  

Will you attempt again to bend the truth? Even this far into your grave? Livia wonders. She hopes he would. It would be that much fun to tear him right back down.  

“Your telling of the events were as I remembered them,” Orin says, looking up, “I had stood by my brother’s side as he dealt out the justice that he had thought to be right. I did nothing to dissuade him against it. In fact, I had been foolish enough to encourage it.”  

Of course, you did. You hated me. You wanted me gone. You and Rodale, Livia sneers in her head.  

She says out loud, “You do not wish to contribute anything else?”  

“No. I will heed my father’s words,” Orin says.  

“Alright, then I have no further questions to ask Prince Rodale and Prince Orin,” She says.  

King Grail nods, “Alright, then I will take over from here,” His eyes cut to his sons, “You two can return to your place.”  

Rodale and Orin walk away without a word. In the beginning, they had look immaculate and imposing standing beside the throne of their father, but now they seem rather inept and downtrodden. This was made worse by the now empty throne that rests between them.  

“Miss Livia, if you would return to the podium? I believe it is due time to conclude the trial,” King Grail intones.  

Livia does as she is asked. She still had one final nail she was eager to hammer into the coffins of Prince Rodale and Prince Orin after all.  

“On the twelfth month, on the twelfth day of last year, Miss Livia Katrina Valentine was accused of the attempted murder of Miss Amelia Margret Reeve by one Rodale Franklin Silvan and supported by one Orin Victor Silvan on the grounds of a single maid, Miss Mimi Con, witnessing her standing by a table for a short period of time,” King Grail announces with a booming voice for all to hear as lifts up the scroll to read from it easier.  

“Miss Livia had been instantly placed on trial by the crown prince while the second prince looked on, after which case she had been declared guilty and sentenced that same night by the two princes. Crown Prince Rodale had annulled his own engagement to Miss Livia, stripped her of her titles, and declared death to be her ultimate punishment, but one Miss Liliana Elizabeth Valentine had intervened and pleaded for Miss Livia’s life, giving temporary pause to the initial sentence. Miss Livia still went on to be apprehended and taken to a jail cell where she remained oblivious of her true sentence until the very end.”  

King Grail lowers the scroll before tossing it aside entirely, “This,” he points to it on the floor, “Is a mistake that should have never happened.”  

Well, that’s a bit dramatic but go off, I guess, Livia thinks, distantly amused. By this point, it was just the formalities they needed to finish up and she was rapidly becoming bored again. It was hard to keep interest when she was no longer needling the two bastards, plus, the ending of this trial had been decided the moment she was granted it.  

“Crown Prince Rodale and Second Prince Orin had acted impulsively and their actions will forever bring shame to the Royal House of Silvan,” He says savagely.  

“Under the grounds of a single witness whose testimony should have never been considered seriously, Miss Livia had been severely condemned and suffered in a way no other should in the year she had been expelled forcefully from her home country by the two people who should have done everything in their power to investigate the attempted poisoning of Miss Amelia more thoroughly. Despite having every reason to never step foot in the Kingdom of Wisteria again, Miss Livia had returned with the hope that true justice would prevail and it shall,” King Grail says gravely.  

His eyes fall to Livia, his face was resolute.  

“I hereby overrule Crown Prince Rodale Franklin Silvan sentence on one Livia Katrina Valentine under the guise that the single testimony that painted her as the guilty party for the attempted murder of Amelia Margret Reeve was flawed and therefore invalid,” King Grail pauses for a breath and continues to boom on, “All charges against Miss Livia shall be dropped and her subsequent exiled has been lifted. She can return to reside in the Wisteria Kingdom immediately. Along with that, all her titles and inheritance shall be restored from this point onward.”  

The audience mostly made up of common folk, which has faded into complete background noise for Livia, who suddenly erupts in loud boisterous cheers, startling her slightly.  

She blinks and glances behind her to see a lot of beaming and pleased faces directed her way.  

It takes hew a few seconds to realize that they were happy for her. Stupid, really, that had been the whole point, but she hadn’t actually thought it would work. Crowd mentality was hard to sway.  

Still, she offers a tearful smile to the crowd and waves absently, feeling like a pageant queen as King Grail's voice drones on. At some point, he moved to stand in front of his throne as the noise dials down, and the crowd tunes into what he is saying. Livia ignores him, her gaze scanning the many faces as she becomes distracted. 

“...On behalf of the house of Silvan, I deeply apologies for the grave and rash mistakes of my sons...” 

Was Sen here? He did say he might be late, Livia thinks, squinting at a random person with a hood.  

“...There is no easy way around the truth and because of that I have decided to publicly punish both Crown Prince Rodale and Second Prince Orin and hold them accountable...” 

If Livia was a cat, her ears would have flickered back at that in pleasant surprise.

So, he intends to keep up the act until the very end.

She glances up at the king and his sons, to see both Rodale and Orin looking properly chastened for once. But then she sees a flash a blue from the corner of her eyes and turns away.  

“...Community service...Restricted access...stepping down from Aster Academy council...limited royal duties...” 

Her eyes meet yellow, and she relaxes slightly when she sees the other two figures by Sen.  

“...As princes of Wisteria, my sons have a duty to this kingdom and they betrayed that when they....” 

Livia had thought they wouldn’t have been able to make it to see the end of the trial. She had thought they wouldn’t arrive until much later. Now they will have plenty of time to get settled in and familiarize themselves.  

“...they are young and have yet to reach adulthood...”  

She turns back around and pretends to listen, her gaze distant.  

“...I implore you all to forgive them for their mistake and give them a chance to redeem themselves...” 

Livia wishes she had a wristwatch if only to impatiently look at it.  

“...one last chance...after this...” 

Her stomach grumbles and she curses herself for skipping breakfast. She was so hungry and it was almost noon.  

“I only ask that Miss Livia can find it in her heart to one day forgive Prince Orin and Prince Rodale and forgive a foolish father for wanting to see his children better themselves...” 

Ha. 

Nope.  

Fuck u.  

Livia looks longingly at the seat she vacated over an hour ago. Her feet were killing her.  

“Miss Livia, do you think you can ever find it in your heart to forgive these foolish boys? They had only another person's best interest at heart and weren’t doing it out of malicious intent...” 

Could she be dismissed already!?  

She couldn’t move until the King grants her permission too. It would be rude. Not that she cared, but she was still trying to maintain some semblance of decorum.  

“Miss Livia,” King Grail implores, looking like an old and haggard dog.  

I never had a pet in my first life.  

“...someday...” Livia answers vaguely, truly meaning when hell rises again and the two suns swallow this planet whole.  

King Grail inclines his head somberly, “That is all I can ask. The fact that you even have the capacity to even consider forgiving my sons means...” 

Livia tunes him out again, her eyes lazily scanning the crowd as she tries to subtly stretch her legs. Her eyes catch a glimpse of bubblegum pink and she turns in that direction to meet Amelia's eyes head-on.  

“...potential...truly a gift......past mistakes.... just boys, really...still learning...” 

Amelia flinches into the arm wrapped around her delicate shoulder, her big doe eyes tearful and red as she glances away from Livia’s unyielding stare, her gaze drops, and then she looks back up again, looking torn.  

“...use someone like you...it would be an honor...” 

Livia raises an eyebrow as she pets absently at her stomach. She does it subconsciously now. A habit that she has gained as her pregnancy progress. Her stomach felt and looked so alien at times she couldn’t help but reach out and touch it to confirm that it was real, that this was all real. As if to prove so, her baby boy turns under her hands and wedges a foot into her bladder, causing her to cringe.  

Well, so much for the stare-off.  

“...It’s the only way to take proper responsibility, and therefore I am restoring the engagement between Crown Prince Rodale and Lady Livia Valentine,” King Grail suddenly announces.  

Amelia and Livia's heads snap in his direction, both wearing mirror expressions of horror but for different reasons.  

“What!?” Livia squawks.  

Almost as if she was summoned, Lynette appears by her daughters' side with a snake-like smile, taking her elbow in her usual claw-like grip.  

“Your highness, you are too gracious,” The duchess says in a simper before curtsying lowly.  

King Grail inclines his head regally, his expression slightly pinched, “It is the least I can do, Duchess Valentine. My son will be held accountable in every way possible. I see no one better to be the future Crown Princess then Lady Livia.”  

That was all he managed to say before chaos erupted.  

The older nobles and aristocrats rushed forward with flapping mouths and furious expressions. Crown Prince Rodale and Amelia share a stunned, devastating look. Orin seems pleasantly surprised, his bland facade back in place. The common folk burst into loud conversation, their voices blending into one another but their excitement was undeniable.  

And Livia... 

Livia was holding back the strong urge to burn everything to the ground and just walk away.  

Her creepy, inner-voice had been right.  

Why the hell was she even bothering? Why was she wasting her valuable time? These people, all of them, they weren’t worth it. She could be anywhere in the world, and she had decided to be here.  

Revenge? 

All her gleeful gloating sours and her vengeful seeking rage nearly cool down entirely at just the thought and she sinks into numbness.  

“Your highness! You must re-think this!” Random noble A says.  

“Your highness, please, anyone but her. She will run our country into the ground!” Councilor Gibit begs. 

“Father...are you sure?” Orin could barely hold back his glee.  

“After everything she had done?” Random noble B. 

“She is rowdy, she does not know when to be heard and when to listen!” Random aristocrat C.  

“She is obviously...tainted. Surely we could make amends to the Duke house of Valentine some other way?” Random noble E.  

“We will be looked down on, your highness!”  

“We can arrange another marriage for her. Someone other than our crown prince!” 

“Crown Prince Rodale, talk some sense into our king!”  

“Surely you do not agree with this, right Prince Kolton?” 

“It’s certainly not a solution I would ever think dear old dad would resort to,” Kolton says, blinking slowly.  

“She might already be wed!” 

“Yes!” 

“Indeed!” 

“There is no way to really know. We must look into this properly before we make any hasty decisions!”  

“She is not,” Orin says keenly. 

“But-” 

“Then that means she is carrying a bastard!”  

“Fuck you, Duke Vallet!” Livia shrieks as her head snap up, her anger suddenly ignited. She ignores her mother, who had jumped at her daughter's abrupt movements, and shoves past the bodies of nobles and aristocrats with sharp elbows.  

She stops right in front of King Grail and jabs a black painted finger at his chest, “Listen, there is no way on this godforsaken planet that I would ever let myself be re-engaged much less married to your sorry excuse of a son,” Livia hisses lowly, all elegance and flashing eyes.  

King Grail blanches, as does everyone else around her.  

“Lady Livia, what on-” 

“It’s been a long day!” Lynette says frantically as she snatches up Livia’s arm and drags her daughter behind her with surprising force, “Your highness, I believe now would be a good time to dismiss the proceedings. It is quite finished now, correct? It’s been such a tiring morning, please, let my daughter retreat to get some proper rest in her rooms,” The Duchess says with a forced smile.  

Livia wrenches her arm away, “No. We should continue as we are. I’m sure everyone here would love to hear me reje-” 

Sharp nails dig into a soft cheek as Lynette physically covers her daughters' mouth, “Yes dear, I know you wish to leave soon, but there is no need to be so rude about it,” a forced laugh goes along with this statement.  

“Mmmnf!” 

Lynette winces when sharp teeth dig into her hand, but she doesn’t let go, her plucked eyebrows go up, “Your highness if you would?”  

King Grail drags blinks once, his face slack in his astonishment.  

“Father? I think we should do as Duchess Valentine says,” Orin prods, his expression colored with sadistic relish.  

Livia kicks out with her pointy heel and the expression is wiped off.  

“Livia! Control yourself!” Her mother whispers harshly in her ear, “You are making a fool of yourself and me!” 

King Grail snaps out of his stupor and looks up over the heads of nobles and aristocrats surrounding him to see the common folk leaning eagerly over the railings to get a look at what is happening but unable to see because of the mass of bodies blocking the view.  

“Ehem,” King Grail gather his bearings, “I hereby declare this court session over. Please begin proceedings towards the doors in a timely manner,” He nods towards the guards to start escorting people out.  

“Livia, sweetie, stop biting mummy! You are not five!” Duchess Valentine cries out, jerking her hand away from her daughter's face to inspect the bite marks.  

Livia wipes off her mouth, “Now back to what I was saying-” 

“Liliana and your father are waiting for us to return! They just got in this morning!” Lynette says.  

Livia pauses, her eyes going round, “Lily is back?”  

“Yes, yes! Come, we must hurry if we want to get home before dark!” Lynette pleads.  

Livia glances back at grail, rodale and orin.  

“Come on dear, don’t you want to see your little sister again? Liliana has been so anxious to see you since she heard of your return! We can discuss this matter at another time. Surely you don’t want to keep Liliana waiting,” Lynette coaxes.  

“...Fine,” Livia says, giving in.  

The Duchess all but deflates, “Wonderful, come, let us be off.” She says, trying to tug Livia along once she snatched up her hand again.  

Livia doesn’t budge, her eyes swerve in the direction of grail, pinning him.  

“Arrange a meeting for tomorrow morning. We will discuss this matter then,” She states.  

“You dare!” Councilor Gibit sputters.  

When grail remains silent, Livia's eyes darken, a shadow descending.  

“Fine,” grail says and then swallows.  

Livia smiles then. 

She ignores how everyone who lays eyes on it seems to shudder in tandem, and simply says, 

“Good.”