Chapter 89: The Villain's Ending is Only Death
I clenched my teeth and muttered. It was half impulsive.
The blue eyes visible through the iron bars gradually widened.
My goodwill had dropped. I stared at it expressionlessly.
In contrast to the decreased goodwill, it seemed the bastard didn't immediately understand what I said.
His face, asking a question a step too late, looked somewhat bewildered.
Even though I had landed a hit, I felt no satisfaction.
"I have nothing more to say to you."
The tone of his voice, calling my full name, became even lower.
The goodwill that had been close to 30% dropped in an instant.
But I had no regrets. After all, he was just a guy I had marked as an X.
I could confidently say I had never harbored any hope for him.
Yet, I found it hard to keep my expression from twisting.
"I can handle this on my own. You don't need to clean up after me. Whether I die or end up in prison, just leave me be."
"Penelope, what do you mean… Penelope!"
Derek seemed about to explode in anger at my insolent tone, but I turned away, not wanting to hear any more.
It was a dangerous statement, but I had no intention of taking it back now.
As long as I don't die, I don't care if the damn goodwill drops even further.
I sat on the bed, turning my back to the empty iron bars with a nervous expression.
Thud, thud. After a while, the sound of footsteps gradually faded away.
He really left, abandoning his nominal younger sister in prison, without a hint of hesitation.
'…Right. You were always this kind of guy.'
When I stored the second gift from Derek in the jewelry box, I actually thought our relationship was improving a bit.
I didn't make any special effort to change my existing impression, but I also didn't do anything to deserve being called a 'thunderbolt.'
Even if it didn't develop into the romantic relationship the game required, I thought it would be fine for our relationship to improve to the level of siblings.
It would make it easier to endure until the end of the story.
But it was all just my delusion.
'I can handle it without your condescending help.'
I glared coldly at the empty iron bars, thinking to myself.
It sounded like a string I was holding had snapped.
After spending a night in prison, I finished the simple breakfast served early in the morning and was led by the knights to the conference room.
Considering I had viciously attacked seven noble men without reason, it was quite generous treatment.
The ropes binding my wrists were quite loose.
Moreover, there was no body search as I entered the conference room inside the palace.
'They must think I'm a helpless young lady who can't do anything without a crossbow.'
Their contradictory treatment was a bit amusing.
"Princess Penelope Eckart has entered."
With the announcement of the servant, the massive doors of the grand hall slowly opened.
The noisy hall quickly fell silent as I entered.
All the high-ranking nobles participating in the political affairs were seated.
As I passed by them with my back straight, I suddenly noticed something.
Plaques with the crests of each house were placed at each seat.
The crests became more elaborate as I approached the upper seats.
I had been frantically scanning them when I finally found what I was looking for near the end.
It matched the crest engraved on the sword.
Seeing the person seated behind it, my tension immediately eased.
I was confident the story was unfolding as it should.
Iaving a sigh of relief, I turned my head and noticed someone sitting at the opposite upper seat.
The Duke and his eldest son.
When our eyes met, the Duke's face twisted.
He seemed troubled by the sight of his adopted daughter, bound and dragged into the courtroom.
In contrast, Derek showed no change in expression.
It had dropped by 2% since the last time I saw him.
In total, my goodwill had decreased by 7%.
It didn't feel significant since it wasn't leading to a dead end immediately.
However, it was due to the considerable time that had passed since I arrived here.
If it had happened in the early stages of the game, it would have been a significant drop, enough to make me gasp.
I turned my head away from his black scalp coldly.
To me, it was more important to overcome this episode than to worry about the goodwill of a guy I had marked as an X.
"Everyone, please be silent."
A solemn voice came from the front, indicating the trial was about to begin.
An old man with white hair and beard stood in front of a makeshift platform, one level below the highest seat where the emperor's throne was placed.
"Since His Majesty the Emperor is away and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is indisposed, I, the Minister of Justice, will preside over this trial. If anyone objects, please raise your hand."
Since this had happened occasionally after the Crown Prince went to war, no one raised any objections.
Moreover, the Minister of Justice in the game was known to be incorruptible and a strict adherent to principles, making him a suitable person to preside over the trial.
"Princess Penelope Eckart."
"You are accused of attempting to murder seven nobles during this hunting competition. Swear to conduct yourself honestly in this trial, for the honor of the Great Inka Empire."
"I swear to conduct myself honestly in this trial."
I replied obediently. The Minister of Justice then turned his head and called someone.
"Let's start with the victims' testimonies. Viscount Garboil."
A man sitting at the far end stood and approached me.
After a brief bow to the judge, he began his testimony without hesitation.
"Yesterday, seven of us, including myself, entered deep into the golden-marked area to hunt a bear. And we were fortunate enough to encounter a real bear."
"After a fierce struggle, we were just about to catch it. Suddenly, Princess Penelope appeared, aimed her crossbow at us, and threatened us to hand over the prey!"
Sounds of disapproval erupted from various directions.
The Duke's face, which I glanced at, had become even sterner than before.
"Despite our attempts to persuade her to look for another bear, she remained stubborn."
"Then, Viscount Tulet approached to confront her, and at that moment, she fired her crossbow without hesitation!"
At that moment, Viscount Ellen, sitting opposite the Duke, slammed his desk and burst out in anger.
"How could she be so cruel and ruthless!"
The nobles around him nodded vigorously, agreeing, "Right, right!"
Encouraged by this, Viscount Garboil continued his passionate performance.
"In the confusion, Princess Penelope fired her crossbow in sequence, and we all fainted. When we woke up, we were back at the camp, and my only friend, Viscount Tulet, was… ah!"
Viscount Garboil turned his head, covering his face, as if he were about to go mad with grief over Viscount Tulet's condition.
The pieces of the puzzle to frame me as the 'Crown Prince's assassin' were falling into place.
I observed the entire situation as if watching a farce.
The best time to turn the tables would be at the climax.
Someone who had been silent stood up on my behalf.
Derek, who had risen from his seat, spoke calmly.
"Penelope's crossbow is not designed for killing."
I was taken aback and stared at him, who had unexpectedly stood up.
"The bolts are only for hunting small animals and are enchanted to cause unconsciousness and short-term memory loss before impact."
"Yet, you claim to remember the events in such detail before being hit by Penelope's crossbow. I find that curious."
Viscount Garboil rebutted, his face flushed. He seemed to have been hit right where it hurt.
Unlike him, Derek's expression didn't change as he replied.
"It's not a lie. The mage who engraved the enchantment on the crossbow is waiting outside the courtroom. We can bring him in to verify it."
"Your Highness. Even if you favor your own, isn't this too much? How do we know you haven't bribed the mage!"
"There is a contract I had him sign when I commissioned the work…"
Derek was about to counter, but Viscount Garboil cut him off, almost shouting.
"Moreover, there are witnesses who heard her say she would use a spell to make us fools! Your Honor, please allow the witnesses to testify!"
The hall buzzed with murmurs.
Nobles, who valued honor, trusted the testimony of other nobles more than that of a mage who could be bribed.
The Minister of Justice nodded.
At that, the doors of the conference room opened as if they had been waiting, and three people began to walk in.