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Chapter – 10
Carlisle’s reaction was something Grand Duke Guntram had never anticipated.
Carlisle had always been a coward — timid, weak both in body and mind.
To him, a sword was nothing more than a weapon used to threaten the helpless, and it had been so long since he had properly trained that he could hardly even remember when.
And yet, for that same Carlisle to now stand calmly and with such composure in the face of death — it was nothing short of astonishing.
Guntram had thought him merely a tiger’s cub born to a tiger father, but it seemed the boy had some spirit after all.
Once upon a time, Carlisle would’ve collapsed in fear, trembling so badly he might even have wet himself.
“I heard he changed after he woke up… could this be why?”
The Grand Duke recalled what Maranello had told him and pondered Carlisle’s transformation.
“Maybe he injured his head and lost his fear of death.”
But the moment of astonishment passed quickly — and the anger that had briefly subsided erupted again like a volcano.
“Have you anything to say for yourself?”
“Yes, I do.”
“What?”
Rage filled the Grand Duke’s voice.
“You dare say you have something to say? Are you claiming you will not admit your guilt?”
“I will not admit to crimes I did not commit.”
“Crimes you did not commit?”
“I cannot acknowledge the charge of murdering the hunter, Alberto.”
“Carlisle, you insolent wretch—!”
The Grand Duke’s furious shout thundered through the hall.
Fwoooosh!
A torrent of energy burst forth from Guntram, surging through the courtroom and filling the air with crushing pressure.
“Ugh!”
“Y–Your Grace!”
“Gahhh!”
The force was so overwhelming that nearby spectators groaned in pain; some even rolled their eyes back and fainted on the spot.
“Do you truly wish to die by your father’s hand?”
Guntram restrained himself with almost superhuman will — his sword still in its sheath — but only just barely.
“The evidence of your murderous acts is overwhelming, and witnesses stand against you! And yet you deny it?”
“I’m not denying it. I am pleading innocence.”
The people squeezed their eyes shut. When they dared open them again, they were stunned to find Carlisle’s head still attached to his shoulders.
‘He… he restrained himself?’
‘So he held back because it’s his son?’
As the crowd marveled at the Grand Duke’s restraint—
“Then produce your evidence.”
“I call a witness.”
“A witness alone cannot overturn your guilt.”
“I have physical evidence as well.”
“Evidence, you say?”
“Yes.”
“…Very well. I permit it.”
Guntram closed his eyes, clearly forcing himself to suppress his rage and proceed with proper formality.
Meanwhile, Geoffrey smirked inwardly.
‘A witness? Nonsense. Foolish brat’s digging his own grave. Heh.’
After all, there hadn’t been a single living soul — not even an ant — at the scene.
Carlisle turned to Maranello.
“Maranello.”
“Yes, young master.”
Maranello escorted Evangelin to the witness stand.
“This way, Miss Evangelin.”
“Y–Yes, sir.”
Thus Evangelin stood before the court.
“I… I greet Your Grace, the Grand Duke…”
“What is your name?”
“E–Evangelin, my lord.”
“You are the witness for Carlisle von Sigmund?”
“Y–Yes, I am.”
Her voice trembled; her body shook from nerves.
“If you commit perjury, your punishment will be severe. Do you swear to speak only the truth?”
“I swear it, my lord.”
“Good.”
Guntram nodded.
“If you speak truthfully, I will not punish you, whatever you say. You need not tremble or fear.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Then tell us what you saw and heard.”
“I… I will show you.”
“Hmm?”
The unexpected answer furrowed Guntram’s brow.
“Show us?”
“I… I shall…”
Evangelin began to hyperventilate, unable to form words, and Maranello stepped forward to explain.
“Your Grace, Evangelin is a spiritist — one who has made a contract with an Earth Spirit.”
“Is that true?”
“How could I dare lie before Your Grace?”
Guntram’s expression shifted to surprise.
Naturally so — a spiritist contracted with an Earth Spirit was exceedingly rare.
Murmur! Murmur!
“She’s a spiritist?”
“Whose daughter is she? What a blessing!”
“An Earth Spiritist! Incredible!”
Even the citizens of Decaron buzzed with astonishment.
“This young lady, Evangelin, will read the Memory of the Earth to reveal what truly happened to the young master.”
“The Earth’s memory… it holds weight as evidence,” Guntram nodded.
‘W–What in blazes…?’ Geoffrey’s face froze over like ice.
Who could’ve predicted a spiritist would appear out of nowhere?
“Miss Evangelin, please begin your testimony.”
“Yes, Sir Maranello.”
Evangelin nervously stepped to the center of the courtroom and began the ritual.
She had already read the memory once before, so neither Carlisle nor the actual scene was needed this time.
“■, ■■■ ■■■■. ■, ■■ ■ ■, ■■■ ■■■■ ■, ■■…….”
Soon, strange words — the language of spirits — flowed from her lips.
‘This isn’t good.’
Carlisle frowned.
‘She’s too nervous.’
He couldn’t understand the words themselves, but he could hear the tremor in her voice, sense the hesitation in every syllable.
The tone was completely different from the first time he’d heard it.
“■, ■■■ ■■■■…… ■■■…… ■, ■■…….”
“■, ■■■ ■■■■…….”
“■, ■■■…….”
The more she tried, the more she faltered — trembling harder each time.
It was her first time standing before so many people. The pressure blanked her mind entirely.
Murmur, murmur!
“Is she really contracted with a spirit?”
“Could it be fake?”
“How long does this take, anyway?”
As the murmurs swelled to a peak—
“I… I can’t do it…”
Evangelin collapsed to her knees.
“I–I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”
A cold silence fell over the courtroom.
“You mean you cannot testify?”
“Y–Yes, my lord. I’m sorry, young master. I… I just…”
Guntram’s voice was heavy as he spoke.
“Then I will render my verdict.”
“Your Grace! I saw it with my own eyes! Please delay your judgment!”
Maranello protested desperately.
“You dare mock the court, Maranello?”
“No, that’s not—”
“The accused, Carlisle von Sigmund, is guilty not only of the murder of the hunter Alberto, but of countless other crimes. If even his own witness cannot defend him, how could this court delay judgment?”
“Your Grace…”
“I commend your efforts to save the accused, but they end here. I will hear no more.”
Then the Grand Duke turned to Carlisle.
“I, Guntram von Sigmund, as presiding judge, sentence the accused, Carlisle von Sigmund—
—to death.”
Thud!
The declaration dropped like a stone; silence filled the hall.
No one had truly believed it would come to this.
‘That’s ten years off my life… heh.’
Only Geoffrey exhaled in relief.
“Father!”
“Your Grace!”
“Grand Duke!”
Selena, Frey, and Maranello all cried out in alarm, but Guntram did not so much as blink.
“Brother?”
“Your Grace…”
Even Medeia and Rebesque, who despised Carlisle, were struck dumb with shock.
“……However,”
Guntram continued,
“By punishing the accomplice who aided in his misdeeds, I shall commute the sentence from death to life service as a slave-soldier beyond the borders.”
Confusion rippled through the crowd.
‘Accomplice? I had one?’
Even Carlisle blinked in bewilderment.
Step, step, step.
The Grand Duke descended from the judge’s dais and stood at the center of the court.
“The accomplice… is I, Guntram von Sigmund.”
Gasps filled the chamber.
“As the father of the accused, I am guilty of failing to raise my son properly.
Had I disciplined him more sternly, trained him more harshly, perhaps he would not have fallen so far as to murder.
How, then, can I claim to be innocent?”
Then, Guntram raised his left arm straight up.
“I, Guntram von Sigmund, Grand Duke of Decaron, hereby sentence the father of the accused to physical mutilation.
Kristan!”
“Yes, Your Grace!”
“Sever my left arm.”
The Grand Duke gave the order to his aide-de-camp.
“……!”
“……!”
“……!”
Shock froze every soul in the room.
No one had ever imagined he would offer his own arm as the price for leniency.
Carlisle too was stunned.
In that moment, he could feel the depth of his father’s anguish.
As the ruler of Decaron, he was bound by duty to uphold justice — even if it meant condemning his own son.
But as a father, he could not bear to watch his child die by his own command.
His decision contained both of those truths.
And if that was the case—
‘Then I have to see this through.’
He refused to live out his days as a slave-soldier, nor as the unfilial son who drove his father to cut off his own arm.
“You.”
Carlisle strode toward Evangelin, who still sat dazed on the floor, and pulled her up.
The shackles on his wrists made his hands ache, but that didn’t matter now.
“Look at me.”
He leaned in close, locking eyes with her.
“Let’s try again.”
“B–But… but…”
“Forget everything else. Pretend no one else is here — just focus on me.”
“Pretend no one else is here?”
“Yes.”
He nodded.
“There’s no one in front of you except me.”
“Only you…”
“You still have to send your siblings to school, don’t you?
If you succeed here, I swear you’ll never know poverty again.
You won’t have to live as a struggling girl head-of-household anymore.”
“R–Really?”
“Yes.”
Carlisle smiled gently.
It was the first time he had smiled since awakening in this body.
“I’ll… I’ll do it!”
Evangelin clenched her fists.
“■■ ■■ ■■■■. ■■ ■ ■■■ ■■ ■■■ ■■ ■■■■■. ■■ ■■ ■■■■ ■■ ■■■…….”
Once more, the ancient words flowed from her lips.
The power of a handsome man’s encouragement — and a promise of financial salvation — was truly something to behold.
This time, her pronunciation was confident, her tone clear — utterly unlike before.
‘It’s working.’
Carlisle was sure the ritual had succeeded when—
Srrrrrrk, srrrrrk.
The ground itself began to stir, as though the earth had come alive.
