The Villainous Noble Son Wants to Capture His Stepsister! - Chapter 39

“The Royal Court Hearing shall now commence.”

With the king’s declaration, the Royal Court Hearing officially began. Seated beside the king were five men, ranging from middle-aged to elderly. They were likely high-ranking officials, probably at the ministerial level.

The venue resembled a courtroom from a legal drama—except significantly larger.

I stood at the testimony stand directly in front of the king and his council.

To my right, a group of officials sat in their designated seats. On the left were Gonbe and his associates—plaintiffs who had filed the objection. My parents were absent, but it seemed that a few other noble families had gotten involved.

Behind me was a spectator area filled with various individuals—some related to the case, others who had no clear connection. The people who accompanied me to the capital were also seated there.

That aside, is there no such thing as a lawyer here? The moment I arrived, I was forced to stand here without any form of legal representation.

“This hearing has been called upon the petition of the Duke of Wertheim’s household and several noble families to contest the succession rights of Kraut von Wertheim, the duke’s heir. Is this correct?”

“Yes, that is correct!”

Gonbe responded to the king’s confirmation with a loud voice. His excitement was almost tangible.

“Then, we shall proceed with the reading of the complaint. Chancellor.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

So, that elderly man is the chancellor. Holding a bundle of documents that appeared to be the complaint, he stood up and began reading.

“I shall now read the complaint… This petition seeks to challenge the inheritance rights of Kraut von Wertheim, the eldest son of the Duke of Wertheim. The individual in question has…”

Hmm? The chancellor suddenly paused. Was the text difficult to read? Even the king and his council were looking at him with puzzled expressions.

“What is the matter, Chancellor? Continue reading.”

“Ah… Yes, Your Majesty. I shall proceed.”

After regaining his composure, the chancellor continued reading the document.

“The individual in question, in an act of utter disregard, prioritized administrative affairs over attending the Second Princess’s birthday banquet. This act constitutes an affront to the royal family and is punishable by immediate execution.”

“……”
“……”
“Hmph.”

A smug-looking pig of a man smirked triumphantly while everyone else fell into stunned silence.

Wait… This isn’t a joke? He’s actually serious? The chancellor isn’t playing some elaborate prank?

It seemed he wasn’t. With a grave expression, he continued reading.

“Furthermore, he has made no effort to present Lady Primelia, his adopted sister, before His Highness the Prince. This hinders the advancement of the Duke’s household and makes him unfit to inherit the title.”

Ah, I see. So, if Gonbe were to take over the duke’s house, he’d be offering my dear Primelia to the prince as a bride.

…I see.

You’ve got some nerve saying that right in front of me, you bastard.

“Hii!?”

Oops, seems my face turned into that of an ogre again. Gonbe was now trembling like a frightened jelly, looking more like a quivering, filthy dumpling.

“For these reasons, we demand that Kraut von Wertheim’s inheritance rights be reviewed!”

The complaint continued with more absurd accusations, none of which could even be considered valid objections.

Wow, I want to go home. My motivation, which was nonexistent to begin with, had now reached microscopic levels.

“Ah… So, Kraut von Wertheim, do you have any objections to this complaint?”

Hey, Your Majesty, your lips are twitching. You’re desperately trying to hold back laughter, aren’t you?

“If you ask whether I have objections—no, I do not. The content of the complaint is, for the most part, accurate.”

“What about the matter of my daughter’s birthday banquet?”

“For that, I sincerely apologize. I was occupied with administrative duties and could not leave my domain. If it is Your Majesty’s will, I shall offer my head here and now. That is, if you truly believe that attending Princess Lilia’s birthday banquet should take precedence over governing my territory.”

“Pfft…”

The king let out a restrained chuckle.

Perhaps I was being too dramatic. But honestly, I think this much was warranted.

“That would be unreasonable. The monarchy exists because of its subjects, and the kingdom exists because of its people. There is no event so important that it justifies neglecting one’s domain.”

“Y-Your Majesty!?”

Gonbe cried out in alarm. Wait, did you seriously think that argument would work?

Amazing. Truly, as expected of someone who looks just like Kraut.

“As for my younger sister, political marriages are not the only way to develop a domain. In fact, alliances formed through marriage often lead to distortion and imbalance. Those in power should not be shackled by personal interests.”

“Hmm… That is a valid point.”

“……”

Gonbe was now utterly speechless.

Honestly, the fact that he genuinely believed in what he was saying was terrifying.

After that, the hearing continued with further questioning. Each time, I answered with a mixture of exasperation and diligence.

Meanwhile, the officials looked increasingly flustered as they hurriedly scribbled down notes.

…Ah, so those guys were scribes, huh?

“Then, We Shall Proceed with the Vote”

At the king’s words, I finally felt a sense of relief. Damn, that was unnecessarily long. I wish someone could understand the sheer pain of having to seriously respond to such an utterly ridiculous complaint.

This should be the end of the road for Gonbe. Wasting the king’s time on such nonsense must have left a terrible impression.

Or so I thought—until I glanced at him.

—Wait… Is he smirking?

“Now, those in favor of revoking Kraut von Wertheim’s inheritance rights, raise your hands.”

The king made his final call for confirmation. And then—

“What?”
“What the hell!?”

Both the king and I raised our voices in shock.

Three hands were raised.

That meant half of the council.

I turned in disbelief to see who had raised their hands. The king did the same.

“You all… I assume there is a legitimate reason behind those raised hands?”

The king’s sharp gaze bore into them, but they answered without a hint of remorse.

“Your Majesty, regardless of the complaint’s details, Kraut von Wertheim’s actions have thrown the Duke of Wertheim’s household into turmoil. Is such a successor truly fit for the title?”

“Indeed. Furthermore, considering the recent Great Purge, should he inherit the duchy, he may become a tyrant.”

“The house had been running smoothly until now. Disrupting that order is unwise. A more intelligent successor would be preferable.”

…So that’s how it is. These bastards had been bought off by Gonbe.

From the moment this hearing was convened, they had already ensured that the vote would be split evenly at best.

I had completely miscalculated. I had let my guard down because Gonbe’s idiocy was too blatant. That was my mistake.

However, even so, the vote was now tied at three to three. They were still one step short of forcing their way through.

Were they planning something else?

Just as I wondered, one of those who had raised their hands spoke up.

“Your Majesty, the vote stands at a tie. In accordance with noble tradition, I propose that this matter be settled through a duel.”

“…!”

So that’s their move—!

Though practically obsolete, the kingdom still upheld the duel system.

When disputes between nobles reached a deadlock, the matter could be decided through combat.

And there was one more, unavoidable rule in this system…

“We gladly accept. We shall appoint Orelian as our duel representative.”

With an insidious grin, Gonbe gestured toward the gaunt-looking man beside him.

A duel representative—an individual chosen to fight in place of a noble.

Many aristocrats, especially those of higher ranks, had never even held a sword. Like the former me—Kraut von Wertheim.

The duel representative system had been established precisely for nobles like them.

So if I could just appoint Enzi as my representative…

But I couldn’t.

Because only the head of a noble family could designate a duel representative.

Which meant that one of Gonbe’s allies was an active head of a noble house and had just exercised that right.

…They got me.

I scanned the room.

The king’s face was filled with frustration.
Heliotrope and Laps looked stricken with grief.
Enzi’s expression was burning with rage.
And then—

“Haa…”

I exhaled slowly, gazing up at the grand ceiling above me.

It seemed this was the crossroads of my fate.

I looked around one last time.

Finally, I turned to the faces of my most beloved family in this world—and made my decision.

“I accept. I shall fight in the duel.”

And so…

This is my mid-boss battle.