The Duchess’s eyes never left mine as she watched me from her high throne. Her gaze was steady, calculating, searching for something I couldn’t quite identify.

Knowing Cass... there is something very wrong about her demeanor.

The fact that Dorian was here suggested that I was being put under trial for a crime.

The only crimes that came to mind were colluding with an enemy spy Tugnier, and helping them defeat the law-enforcing body SBV. Another one was killing officers in the line of duty and mounting their heads in public.

The second one could possibly be the reason I was here.

But my instincts were screaming that there was more to this than just being put on trial for vigilantism. Something deeper. Something personal.

Cass isn’t needed to be here if its just that. Dorian will be more than enough to hold this kind of court.

"Do you know why you stand before Her Grace today?" Dorian’s voice cut through my thoughts.

I am not standing though... I know more than to say that out loud.

I finally tore my eyes away from Cass and looked at him. His face was red with indignation, his hands clasped behind his back in that self-important way officials always stood.

"Is it because of my social service?" I asked, keeping my tone light, almost casual. "Cleaning up the trash that’s been rotting in Larkshade?"

The silence that followed was deafening.

Dorian’s face went from red to purple. A vein bulged prominently on his temple.

"Social service?!" he roared, stepping forward. "You call murdering law enforcement officers and displaying their severed heads like trophies social service ?!"

His voice echoed off the golden walls, bouncing around the empty hall.

"You’re a criminal! A murderer! A vigilante who took the law into his own hands!" He was shouting now, spittle flying from his mouth. "Those men had families! They were servants of the duchy, doing their duty, and you slaughtered them like animals!"

I kept my expression neutral, though inside I was rolling my eyes.

Those men were corrupt pieces of shit who extorted citizens and turned a blind eye to abuse.

"Furthermore," Dorian continued, his finger jabbing in my direction, "you conspired with known fugitives! You harbored enemies of the state! You’ve committed treason against the very duchy that gave you shelter!"

Wait... they know that too? I am once again reminded of the frightening efficiencey of Sinclair’s covert unit. Damn, Selka...

He turned to Cass, his voice dropping to a more measured but still heated tone. "Your Grace, this boy is dangerous. He shows no remorse. No respect. He stands before you without even the decency to bow!"

I am fucking bowing!! you blind pig-fucking bastard.

Dorian gestured dramatically at me. "I suggest he be sentenced to no less than twenty years in the duchy’s dungeons. Hard labor. No visitors. Let him rot and reflect on his crimes against civilized society!"

He crossed his arms, looking satisfied with himself, like he’d just delivered the closing argument of the century.

I waited for Cass to respond, but she remained silent, her chin still resting on her fist, her emerald eyes still locked on me.

The tension in the room was suffocating.

"Do you have anything to say in defense?" Cass finally spoke, her voice calm but carrying an edge.

I looked at her. I could sense Dorian’s annoyed shift beside her throne, his fist clenching. He hadn’t expected her to give me a chance to defend myself when the crimes were this openly deliberate.

Actually, I was surprised myself.

Let’s push this luck further.

"Nothing, Your Grace," I said, a small challenging smile forming on my face. "I expected a medal of honor for us vigilantes for cleaning the scum off Your Grace’s land... but I was met with accusations instead. I’m too stunned to even defend myself."

I think I should try gambling. I’ll either hit big or hit the road.

Kael shifted beside me, her body tensing, ready to act on orders.

Ilya adjusted her glasses calmly, so this whole thing was still within her expectations.

Cass’s brow twitched as she continued to look at me, searching for something I couldn’t quite point out.

"Do you think this court is a joke?" Cass asked, her tone now containing hints of anger.

Dorian clearly smirked, thinking he’d won.

I sighed and started to stand up.

"Wha—" Kael caught my pants again, tugging them harder, trying to force me back down.

Dorian’s smirk vanished, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

Cass’s eyes now contained visible anger.

"If it’s not a joke, why can’t I spot a single SBV officer in this court right now?" I asked calmly.

"The audacity of this village breed—" Dorian started, his voice rising.

"I listened to what you had to say, Dorian. Be a good boy and stand there looking important," I cut him off.

The hall went silent. Even the chandelier crystals seemed to stop tinkling.

"If you knew this much, and you yourself valued this court, you wouldn’t be holding a trial with just one party present," I said my part to Cass.

Now, of course, Dorian wouldn’t be happy about that.

After all... his full name was Dorian Saytan .

The Saytans had always worked for the Sinclairs as their loyal assistants for generations. But this generation of Saytans had been letting loose because the previous patriarch of Sinclair, Cass’s father, had died early due to unknown causes, while all other previous patriarchs had lived for centuries. That early death made the Saytans more independent than they’d ever promised to be.

The newfound independence and the power they held as the closest affiliated family to the Sinclairs had raised desires within this generation of Saytans. And Cass had made the big mistake of assuming Dorian was one of the few loyal Saytans left.

"Are you saying Her Grace is wrong to believe in the organization that is helping the duchy deal with lowlife criminals like you?" Dorian barked, his face red again.

I paid him no mind. Dude was playing dirty now.

I continued watching the Duchess.

Kael looked between me and the Duchess, her grip on my pants loosening slightly. This might have been the first time she’d seen such casual retaliation toward the Duchess without much drama or theatrics.

Ilya now looked uncomfortable as well, shifting her weight from one foot to another.

Cass blinked once, slowly, lazily.

"Sir Dorian, proceed with your judgment," she announced calmly.

An evil grin spread across his face like oil on water.

Kael shifted behind me, grabbing my arms and pulling them behind my back in an iron grip.

I sighed.

"Cassandra," I said calmly, using her name without any title.

Kael stiffened behind me, her grip tightening painfully. She kicked my leg hard, and I fell to my knees in the next instant.

"You audacious foo—" she started.

"You let a rapist and a murderer represent your authority for weeks after he committed such crimes toward Serena," I cut her off, my voice steady and clear, echoing through the hall.

The words hung in the air.

"General, take him away!" Dorian barked, his voice cracking slightly.

Kael looked at Cass for confirmation, waiting for the nod.

"I’m disappointed," I said, looking Cass directly in the eye.

Her lips parted slightly, then closed again. Her eyes trembled just a little despite her efforts to act nonchalant.

"Take him away," she said calmly, though her voice was quieter than before.

Kael pulled me with her. My body moved like a ragdoll from the force as she dragged me backward.

I looked one last time at Blood Raven in Ilya’s hand.

Then my head snapped to the other side from Kael’s pull, and the great hall disappeared from view.