I'm a Villainess but So Popular

Episode 14

Translator : Missme Editor : Aru

‘His expression at that time was… really bad.’

I muttered to myself, recalling the facial expression Eugene made on the day when the results of the performance test were announced.

The blue eyes, always filled with arrogance, shook, and anxiety was felt over the tightly broken lips.

If he had an angry face, I could have just ignored it.

But seeing the instability, it was hard to pass by.

‘’I thought I’d beat Eugene’s nose by being a top first… but….’

When I saw his face of anxiety, I felt a little sorry.

Even though I didn’t do anything wrong.

‘He won’t be abused by his parents for not being the top, is he?’

The moment I was thinking so, I could hear people whispering.

“That’s the Yerine Spade–”

“Really? She looks much younger than I thought–”

I can hear my name well even in the middle of a noisy market.

When I opened my eyes, I saw a scene in the court full of people.

My ears and head were aching from all the noise around me.

Eventually, I closed my eyes again.

‘No, I’ll focus on my work.’

I thought with my closed eyes and straightened my posture.

Isn’t today an important day?

For a moment I decided to put aside my other thoughts and concentrate on what I should do today.

In this world, citizens seemed to be able to observe trials quite freely, given that they did not stop people constantly coming in through the gates.

‘I didn’t expect so many…’

Yes. Today was the day of the trial of Count Posterade, whose charges I filed against the Financial Department and had been found to have embezzled public funds.

I understood that this trial attracted many people’s attention. Because I knew how many times my name was going up and down among people since the appointment ceremony.

Moreover, thanks to an anecdote that magically turned off the fire at Middletown Village, I got more attention.

I never thought the story would spread so widely because it happened in my own territory.

But the anecdote, which first began with a small local newspaper, gradually spread and later became the daily newspaper of the Imperial Capital.

Of course, I didn’t look for it myself, but I knew it because Ashtra and Rachel, whom I met separately later, showed me.

When I looked through the people in the court again, I saw people of various shapes.

Some were sitting with nervous faces, others were standing indifferently as if they were not interested in the trial, and others were constantly floundering with the person next to them.

And there was the Countess Postade, who was biting her nails with a white, pale face.

“……it looks good.”

I’m sure she’ll fall further into the abyss.

Indeed, the case was a showdown between the prosecutor and the defendant Countess Postade, but that’s not what people recognize.

Most of them regarded it as a battle between me and Countess Postade, who set the stage for this lawsuit, and that’s why they came to see this trial.

‘It’s already an obvious fight who’s going to win.’

Then the white-haired judge came in, and only then did people stop humming and become quiet.

“I’ll start the trial now. Everyone, please stand up.”

At the words of the judge, quite solemn, everyone stood up and looked at him.

Among such people, I smiled quietly, triumphant.

***

“Prosecutor witness, Ms Yerine Ephritte Spade.”

I stood up and answered the judge’s words.

At that time, a lot of eyes were directed at me. Nevertheless, I answered the judge directly without paying much attention.

“Yes.”

“Please come forward. Please sign the witness oath and read the oath.”

Going forward, I took an oath from the clerk and stamped it, and with my right hand raised, I read the sentence on the oath as clearly as possible.

“I, Yerine Ephritte Spade, swear by my conscience, that if I lie, I will be punished for perjury.”

As soon as the witness oath was over, the prosecutor’s inquest continued.

“After the death of the former Duke of Spade, is it true that the defendant acted on behalf of the Duke of the Spade for about 10 years?”

The questioning with the prosecutor was not very difficult. It was a question that I already knew, and the prosecutor had prepared only good questions that I could answer ‘yes’ in advance.

“After being appointed as successor, the witness checked the books of the Duke of Spade, and confirmed the use of money with unclear sources?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The prosecutor, who fixed his glasses with a serious look on his face, then asked me a more important question.

“And after 10 years of examination of the financial report submitted by the defendant to the Empire with the approval of the Financial Department, did you confirm that the defendant reported that she had used all of the public money paid in the name of the Spade duke’s administrative expenses for unclear purposes such as ‘special construction costs, etc….’?”

“Yes.”

The prosecutor and my question-and-answer session began to draw a little buzz.

“Oh, my God, the abuse was not enough, so she really embezzled public funds–”

“Is the evidence too certain?”

“Lastly, did you confirm that the Imperial Palace report showed that the money reported as the use of ‘special construction’ or ‘permanent maintenance’ was actually used in the actual books to purchase luxuries such as dresses?”

“Yes.”

“That’s it all.”

It took quite a while to organize and submit all the evidence.

This is because the accusation itself needed solid and strong evidence to be accepted.

“Then I’ll proceed with the opposite paper.”

All I had to do was get over this crisis.

Against the lawyer

There were rumours that the Postade family had barely collected money and paid for lawyers.

Nevertheless, the lawyers they appointed were neither very famous nor looked particularly good.

Still, I couldn’t rest assured that they might have hired a famous lawyer in secret after hearing that they had collected all the money they had.

“The witness said she looked at the books of the Duke of Spade. Did you look after the succession ceremony was over and you were qualified to look at the books?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Do you have any witnesses to prove him?”

The lawyer seems to intend to question the legality of the evidence I submitted rather than refute the embezzlement itself.

That’s true, it’s hard to overturn a general criminal case, but it’s not good for a lawsuit with evidence that can’t be taken out.

“My butler and three servants can prove it.”

“I see you got all those reports from the finance department in just one day. Was the procedure done legitimately?”

With straight red eyes raised, I looked at the lawyer of Countess Postade, and straightened my waist and talked.

“Of course, the financial department can prove it.”

“But I heard it was The 2nd Prince who got the report itself. Is it true that you have taken over the report you received?”

As I turned my attention to him, I met eyes with a golden pupil that was particularly noticeable in the court.

After exchanging glances with him for a very short time, I replied, looking again at the lawyer.

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you ask for the report?”

“That–”

But as I tried to answer, the lawyer quickly ignored my words and spat his words out.

“Is there any reason you shouldn’t have gone?”

“At the time, I was unable to go to the capital because of meetings with other successors.”

“So, do you mean that you asked The 2nd Prince to be able to go another day and received a report?”

The more you do this, the weaker I should not be.

On the contrary, I should be confident and thorough.

In the first place, he could not refute the crime, so he insisted on such a problem, which showed that the defendant, Postade, was anxious about herself.

“As a manager of the Duke of Spade, I thought we should deal with this disgraceful matter, which is related to the estate. That’s why I asked The 2nd Prince in the capital for a favour. But I’ve done everything I need to do to get the report, and since I’ve followed the procedure with my name, there’s no problem.”

In my words, the lawyer calmly asked the next question.

“Then you weren’t trying to solve a public problem through personal relationships? Didn’t you form a private relationship with The 2nd Prince in the first place?”

I was slowly annoyed at the sight of the lawyer asking questions with his eyes wide open.

So, he’s basically saying that I’ve got evidence from an illegal procedure by leaning on The 2nd Prince power.

At that moment, the prosecutor got up with a bang.

“Your Honor, the defendant’s lawyer is leading the defendant to testify in favour of him through questioning that violates the privacy of the witness.”

Then, in the seat of the audience, I saw the disgusting blond hair and blue eyes that I had not seen for quite a long time.

Leon, looking anxiously at the prosecutor, was mumbling something, with his head clenched.

Then I happened to meet his eyes.

In an instant, I could see his face turning red and blue.

But he could not reach me, nor could he speak abuse at me, nor hit me.

‘Let’s get him some medicine.’

After deliberately giving him a bright smile, he looked straight ahead again.

“We accept.”

As the judge said, the lawyer could no longer interrogate me under the pretext of my relationship with Cassius, and so the interrogation ended without a hitch.

When I went back to my seat, I saw Mrs Postade staring at me with a hollow eye, staring at me as if tearing me to death with wide eyes, and I eagerly hoped that the fine would be hundreds of millions of dollars.

***

Everyone was waiting for the judge’s verdict, holding their breath.

So was I, and so would Countess Postade.

People were already wondering if a reversal would happen in a battle where the outcome was set, or if everything would go as predicted.

At last, the judge instructed her to come forward, referring to the case number and Mrs Postade’s name, and then began to read the verdict.

“The accused continued to embezzle and use the public money paid for the title of territorial management and administrative affairs in the Empire for about ten years from September 2, 951 to July 960, when he began acting on behalf of the Duke of Spade.”

‘Please, I hope there’s no such thing as a favour in Korea.’

In fact, since the other lawyer dragged Cassius in, it seemed she didn’t have much hope.

In the first place, I thought it would be okay to touch the prince after hearing it, so my image was not good, and the chances of winning the case would have been reduced.

“After examining all the circumstances and evidence, the court acknowledged the defendant’s alleged embezzlement in business–”

I gulped and watched the judge’s lips, too.

Here, if Postade receives a sentence that will be difficult to touch me again, I can apply for the cancellation of their separation status under the pretext of it and completely break off the relationship.

That was the price of recompense they should have received for their misdeeds toward Yerine, and a means of protection to protect me.

“I sentence you to seven years in prison and a fine of 60 billion flo.”

With a bang and the judge’s ruling, people began to open their mouths in unison and talk to the person next to them.

“That’s what happened at the end.”

“She touched Spade. It’s obvious.”

“By the way, that successor is as great as it is rumoured. Thinking of accusing her of embezzlement at that age–”

In the meantime, Mrs Postade was raging and shouting.

“Wait! Judge, this is not it! That bitch must have done something! I never did–”

But no one listened to her.

Whether Mrs Postade swore at me or not, I felt like it was over and I lost all my strength.

Naturally, I dropped on the chair, gazed blankly at the high ceiling of the court.

‘But I’m glad it went well without any problems….’

“Not me! Take that bitch, not me!”

During the trial earlier, she was hanging out like a dead bean sprout, but now that it’s the last moment, she seems to be in a hurry.

“That bitch-ass woman–!”

“Argh!”

Surprised by the scream that was tearing my ears, I looked up and saw a triangular black object flying exactly toward my face.

“You really don’t go beyond my expectations….’

Immediately put my arms forward and invoked the magic handling air.

As soon as I activated the magic, the black object, which flew menacingly towards me, bounced lightly and tumbled toward the floor.

When I looked down, the nameplate pointing to the defendant’s seat in front of Mrs Postade was missing.

“Yerine!”

Cassius came running with a startled face.

Among those looking at me in a fit of astonishment, he ran and took my hand in a cold sweat.

“Are you all right?”

“I’m not–!”

Eventually, the uniformed men waiting behind began to subdue Mrs Postade.

Looking with cold eyes at her, tied to a magic cord and dragged behind her, I replied to Cassius.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

And added with a big smile.

“It doesn’t even matter.”

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