Chapter 157: Chapter 157

“Did your talk with the emperor go well?” said Lard, who was waiting for her outside the meeting room, approaching her.

In fact, she met with the emperor alone because she had to strike a secret deal with him.

“His Majesty accepted everything,” she said, with a hearty laugh.

“The trial has just begun. Let’s go together.”

He reached out to her. She put her hand on his quickly and headed to the courtroom.

It was a closed-door trial. The judge was reading the crimes of Earl Hazellet, and the Hazlet couple was listening, with their faces turning white. After the judge was done, the earl made poor excuses for a moment, but soon admitted all the crimes. However, Countess Hazlet, who stood by him, was desperately denying all the charges as if she felt she couldn’t see the fall of the family. There was no chance that her denial could be accepted by the judge.

At that moment Countess Hazellet discovered Wendy, who was watching them from far away.

The countess had nothing to fear like the waning moon. Even if she got more sentences under the guilt-by-association law, she wouldn’t care as there was no big difference from now.

“That girl! I’m accusing her of crimes! ” She shouted, pointing to Wendy. The judge’s gaze turned to Wendy as she pointed.

“That girl is Olivia Hazlet, the eldest daughter of the Hazlet family. She left home a few years ago, abandoned her noble status and bought the commoner’s status! If the imperial law is fair, shouldn’t you duly punish that girl, too! ”

As she shouted, Earl Hazlet told her to be quiet, but she was not persuaded.

The judge turned to Wendy and asked in a solemn voice, “Is her claim true? If it is, you will not avoid a heavy punishment.”.

Wendy opened her mouth without showing any embarrassment, looking straight at the countess.

“It is true.” When she pleaded guilty, the countess smiled scornfully.

“If I have to be punished for that, I am ready.”

As soon as Wendy said that, the door of the closed courtroom opened and the emperor appeared. Some present in the courtroom stood up all at once to show due manners.

Emperor Isaac asked them to sit down with a smile and said, “Okay, let the trial continue.

This is a trial for the Hazlet couple, but not that woman. Her trial can be held later. ”

The emperor spoke as if he heard every conversation inside.

The judge replied that he would do as the emperor wished.

The countess was fuming as Wendy was not dragged out of the courtroom despite her accusation. There was nobody to comfort her in the courtroom. Soon the judge ruled on the crimes of the Hazlet family. According to the ruling, their properties were confiscated, their names erased from the noble list, and they were ordered to stay forever in a corner of the Hazlet family’s estate. Although the name of the Hazlet family forever disappeared from the Benyahan empire, their lives were saved unlike other nobles who joined the rebellion.

It was also one of the conditions that the emperor and Wendy agreed on.

After the trial was done, the couple were dragged out with their hands tied by red strings.

The countess didn’t stop staring at Wendy until the end. It seemed that she shifted her resentment of their miserable status to her. On the other hand, the earl avoided Wendy’s eyes and bowed.

Wendy sighed unconsciously, looking at his miserable figure.

Lard held her hands tightly. She felt relieved by his cozy touch.

“Wendy, give the parchment to the judge,” the emperor hastily said as if he wanted to solve everything quickly. In response, she took out the parchment she received from the emperor.

“This… ”

The judge was surprised when he received the parchment and checked its contents. He looked at her face again.

“Let me certify that I have given her the parchment with the seal of the emperor.”

Although the parchment had the emperor’s seal, the emperor once again proved to the judge that it was genuine.

The judge nodded silently and asked Wendy, “Would you like to use your right to acquittal for this?”

“Yes, I will.”

“Okay, you guys go out, please.” The Emperor gestured to the tow.

It was time that the emperor had a long talk with the judge.

Out of the courthouse Wendy and Lard walked away with a much lighter heart.

Wendy obtained the right to acquittal in return for the emperor getting all the credit for the Montapi on Buttuwatt River. This was a secret deal between the two.

“Won’t you have any regret? That was a chance for you to get the right to the succession of the Hazelt family. ”

She shook her head at his suggestion. After hearing from her about her status change, the emperor was generous enough to assure her that she could get the succession right of the Hazlet family if she wanted. After overcoming the crisis, the emperor was endlessly generous to her, so much so that he did not yet give up his lingering affection for her miraculous power. However, she was not happy with the emperor’s generosity. She never wanted the succession right of the Hazlet family.

She said, “You know how I feel about it, right?”

Lard responded, seeing eye to eye with her, “It would have been really sad if you had abandoned the name Wendy Waltz.”

“How can I abandon that name?”

At that moment she saw the Hazlet couple at a distance. Before they were dragged out of the palace, the knights were transferring the two to other knights waiting nearby.

Watching them, she approached the countess as if she was determined. Lard initially tried to dissuade her, but she showed a mischievous smile as if she was okay.

“Madame!”

Watching her up close, the countess frowned instinctively.

“I’ve something to tell both of you. As I won’t see you for the rest of my life, I think I should say this. ”

“How dare you raise your head in front of me!”

The countess was furious, but Wendy ignored her and continued, “Now, you can’t do anything to me. Even if you get angry, I won’t be agitated or nervous. Just like I abandoned the name of Hazlet, you are no longer in my heart. ”

“Oh, that’s good to hear! You’ll get punished for the crime of giving up your name! What a pity I can’t see you punished!”

“What can you do? Even if you continued to stay in the capital, you will never see me punished.”

With a smile, she approached the countess and whispered gently, “Because I was given the immunity right. No matter how much you talk about my punishment, nobody will believe it.”

The countess opened her eyes wide as if she couldn’t understand, but Wendy ignored her.

“Take care!” Wendy said briefly to the earl, or to the man who once had the last name Hazlet.

This was her last greeting to him.

She turned away from them and walked towards Lard. He reached out to her again.

She held his hands.

“Can I drop by your shop tonight? I want to have a cup of tea with you. It’s been a long time, ” he said, holding her hand tightly and stroking it playfully.

Looking at him joyfully, she replied with an affectionate voice, “You already know my answer.”

He had a hearty laugh at that.

Her answer would be consistent forever to this imperial knight.

“Well, I wish I could make a sign and hang it in front of the door of your shop. I have never seen you replying so readily. Do you know how many times I hesitated at the door?”

“Are you serious?”

“Of course.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Looking at him as if she couldn’t believe it, she decided to think seriously about his idea.

In fact, the day when a sign would be put up on the shop would come one day.

A sign reading as follows: