The Heroines Are After My Fortune

44 – I Object! – 1

The events that had unfolded at the Roen estate shook the entire nation.

[Marquis Raphael Este, Dead at 45.]

[Marquis Dies at the Hands of a Baron Family, With Whom He Was Seeking a Marriage Pact. What Exactly Happened?]

[Emergency Trial to be Held Next Month, Huge Crowds Expected]

The fact that the Marquis, a power among the Empire’s top ten, led his elite knight order and died in a mere ‘Baron’s’ estate… it was something unimaginable. Most were of the opinion that some cowardly trick must have been at play.

‘Well, truth be told, it wasn’t exactly honorable…’

They’d faced the Marquis like a boss monster raid, and against the knights, they’d used gargoyles and even David, who was from a different family. It felt a bit shameful to puff out his chest and declare, ‘We won!’

‘But, they’re dead already, what can you do about it.’

The dead tell no tales.

How would they know if the Marquis had been defeated with honor or with a cowardly trick?

The public trial was about to commence. If they won, they could pass this incident by safely, but if they lost, he would be branded as the Marquis’s killer and face the executioner’s blade.

It was hard to simply assume we’d win, times being what they were. In an age where clear evidence was scarce, the result would clearly hinge on who could package their position more plausibly.

‘Probably won’t be easy.’

I’d secured a move to play when backed into a corner, but until then, I figured we had a high chance of getting pounded by the noble faction.

As expected, the trial unfolded pretty much as I’d foreseen. The stubborn old coot, Duke Peterson, stepped forward as the vanguard for the nobles.

“That wicked woman and that nouveau riche cur conspired to assassinate Marquis Este! Judge!”

Key figures from the noble faction, posing as representatives for the Este family. With the head of the house, Rafael, dead, his heir, Baran, should’ve taken charge, but he was currently on a business trip to the North, and communication had been cut off.

With the situation urgent, those close to the Marquis had stepped up. But rather than genuinely thinking about the Este family, their motives were likely quite political.

‘For our noble faction’s sake, the Este family cannot fall apart like this.’

‘The reputation and infrastructure they’ve built are not so easily crumbled. If we put his son, Baran, in place as a puppet, things will be back on track within a decade.’

What they needed to prevent was René Este’s victory, which would allow her to swallow the family whole. Doing so would mean the noble faction losing a major card to play against the emperor’s faction.

‘There are eyes watching. Need to get a hold of justification.’

Both sides were thinking that.

The eyes of countless people from various walks of life were fixed on this trial, it was a battle to seize justification.

“Their relationship is beyond suspicion… ! Judge, what do you think the common thread is between the play ‘Salome’ and the movie ‘Eternal Moonlight’?”

“Hmm, what would that be?”

“The protagonist of both works was René Este, and the entire investment for both was made by Aiden Roen, that man there…! He must have thought this way. If he married the Marquis’s daughter, he’d be able to ride on the family’s prestige. And if he cast her, a high-ranking noble, as an actress, he could make a lot of money using her fame!”

A buzz went through the gallery.

For the crowd, who weren’t privy to the exact situation, it was an ‘Is that so…?’ kind of reaction.

“But Marquis Rafael wouldn’t have allowed any more than that. He was a bit old-fashioned when it came to those things. Aiden Roen must have thought this, given his firm stance: it would be easier to kill him and put René Este in the position of head of the family, and then get everything for himself!”

“…………….”

Truly, a breathtaking load of drivel.

But I was aware that butting in on his rant right now would make me look like I had something to hide, so I clamped my mouth shut and focused on listening.

‘Wait it out, a chance will open up.’

“The fact that Baron Esté, the most likely successor to the house, has gone silent… that’s highly likely because that wicked Aiden Roen already got his hands on him. People! The Esté family, who has served this empire for centuries, can’t be allowed to fall into the hands of those devils–!”

“Devils, is it? That’s a rather amusing story.”

That moment is now.

Cutting off Duke Peterson mid-sentence, I crossed my legs with a deliberately relaxed expression. The Duke’s face flushed crimson at being interrupted by a greenhorn so many ranks below him.

“You insolent whelp, how dare you interrupt–!”

“I vehemently assert that Raphael Esté is a demon contractor.”

“A, a demon…!?”

“What did you just say…!?”

In an instant, the audience was thrown into chaos.

It was, after all, an unimaginable claim.

*Thud!*

“What kind of outrageous nonsense is that! Can you take responsibility for those words you just uttered…? Aiden Roen!”

Duke Peterson slammed his fist on the table, furious.

I just shrugged as if to say ‘there’s something to it’ and rose from my seat.

“As the heir to the empire’s greatest Roen Trading Company, an entity that values trust above all else, I wouldn’t speak of things I couldn’t be responsible for.”

Though in reality, it was closer to ‘I don’t lie when there’s a risk of being caught out.’

Regardless, the time had come to mix a bit of truth with lies to swing the mood in our favor.

“My father, Yulneiman Roen, before he passed, bequeathed me your warehouse. Along with the receipts detailing when and by what routes he acquired the goods within.”

“Hmph, so?”

“Among them was a scroll, radiating an inexplicable, peculiar energy. Neither my father nor I could discern its nature, so it was left untouched in the warehouse. However, one day, I received startling news. Someone was secretly, desperately searching for this very object.”

“Is that the Este Marquis you speak of?”

“Yes, Raphael Este, the Marquis. Such a high-ranking noble seeking an unidentified scroll. My merchant’s instincts flared; it felt like something far from ordinary.

Thus, I attempted appraisal by specialized means. Alchemists, spiritists, even magical engineers all failed. Finally, I entrusted it to a cleric, and the result was… terrifying.”

“Surely not…”

“Yes, we received confirmation that the scroll is a contract with a demon.”

A murmur rippled instantly through the crowd.

Duke Peterson’s face briefly betrayed a look of dismay, but he shifted gears, attempting to muddy the waters.

“Hah! Ridiculous! So you admit it! Wouldn’t the fact that *your* family kept such an item make them first suspect of having ties with demons?!”

I knew he would say that.

I called softly to someone.

“Saintess.”

Dimona, who was called as a witness at my request.

Normally, someone of her stature would never be pulled into a trial, but this was a sensitive affair involving the Empire’s interests, and she had come here of her own volition to ensure a fair judgement.

‘…She’s actually on my side.’

She was bound to subtly steer the narrative in my favour.

Openly siding with me would risk a clash between the Church and the nobles, so this degree of support was enough. Though Dimona’s ‘other personality’ seemed somewhat uneasy, throwing a warning my way.

‘I wasn’t here today, alright?’

After the battle, Dimona, who’d spewed such cool words, had collapsed on the floor, utterly spent. Carrying her on my back during that time was rather nice… well, I’ll keep my mouth shut.

“A word, please.”

“A devil’s contract, at first glance, is similar in appearance to a common ancient manuscript. Because of this, there are often unfortunate cases of ordinary people, those with a collecting hobby, getting caught up in them. Now, if you would all look this way?”

Everyone’s gaze was drawn to the Saintess’s gentle explanation.

What she held was the ‘original devil’s contract,’ the one the Marquis had sought.

“This is the ‘devil’s contract’ mentioned in this case. It manifests when the ‘evil’ within a person is discovered, or when ‘magi’ is detected.”

*Fffrr——!*

The scroll shuddered as the Saintess brought an object tainted with magi nearby. She quickly removed it and used holy power to suppress the contract.

“First, on behalf of the Papal See, I can confirm that what was in the Roen family’s vault was indeed the genuine devil’s contract. And that the Roen father and son never attempted to use the contract, and most likely, didn’t know its true nature. These are the three points.”

“Then, truly…”

“Marquis Este contracted with a devil…?”

The seats began to buzz once again at the Saintess’s assurance.

Duke Peterson slammed his desk again.

“Ahem, Marquis Este is a cultured noble! We cannot rule out the possibility he was seeking it for his collection…! Where is the proof that he knew it was a devil’s contract when he sought it?”

“There is none.”

“See, with no proof, such fabricated fantasies…!”

“However, there is a person who can demonstrate why he desired a devil’s contract.”

“A witness…?”

“Please, come forward.”

At my gesture, a figure entered the courtroom.

A few people recognized his face, and they recoiled in shock.

“The, the Shadow King…!”

The guards, scattering in utter chaos, drew their blades.

Yet, Caesar remained utterly still.

“…”

Caesar, an A-class criminal of the Empire.

The very owner of the infamous reputation—that meeting him meant only death remained in your future—had appeared at the trial.