Chapter 102
* * *
The meeting resumed in less than two hours, prompted by the discovery of the blueprint the Duke of Futurum had mentioned during the search of my bedroom.
The Duke of Futurum wore a triumphant expression. It wasn’t just him—Meliana, Morris Futurum, and other nobles shared similar looks. Only a handful appeared genuinely surprised, as if they hadn’t expected the blueprint to surface.
At that moment, it struck me how most high-ranking nobles sided with Morris Futurum.
“As a result of the search of the First Princess’s palace, a blueprint has been found. It is presumed to have originated from the House of Futurum, but the princess must be given an opportunity to defend herself.”
“Pardon me, Your Highness.”
Killis raised his hand.
“Duke Yelpen?”
“Yes. If permitted, I would like to demonstrate why this blueprint cannot serve as evidence.”
“Duke Yelpen, no matter how much you are the first princess’s fiancé, you mustn’t defend the indefensible. The stolen blueprint has been found!”
“Duke Futurum. I have not granted you permission to speak.”
“……I apologize, Your Highness. It was a slip of the tongue. Please forgive my indiscretion.”
“I will let it pass this time. Now, Duke Yelpen, I’m curious—how do you plan to prove this?”
“As everyone knows, mages produce their own mana, each possessing a unique signature. Her Highness, Princess Nepheli, being a mages by birth, also has her own distinct mana signature.”
“That is true. But what does that have to do with anything?”
“I propose using a verification method to extract mana traces from the object in question. If Her Highness had indeed stolen the design, her mana would undoubtedly be present on it.”
“That method is plausible, but isn’t it true that extracting mana traces consumes a significant amount of mana? Few are capable of performing it.”
“I am capable of it.”
“That may be so, but it will leave you incapacitated for some time. Are you certain you’re willing to endure that?”
“I am prepared to bear it. Given the circumstances, I implore you to grant permission for the procedure.”
Killis bowed his head deeply toward Evgenia.
‘So this is the method he had in mind when he asked me to trust him…….’
From Evgenia’s reaction and explanation, it was clear this verification process was no small feat.
Moreover, the verification method Killis proposed was something he could use because he trusted me. Since I hadn’t stolen the blueprint, there was no way my mana would be detected on it. Thus, he must have volunteered for this to prove my innocence.
Knowing that Killis trusted me enough to go to such lengths eased my heart a little, but the mention of him being unable to move properly for some time worried me. Still, given the circumstances, there was no way to stop him.
“Your devotion to the First Princess is admirable. There’s no issue with this method, so I will allow it.”
“Your Majesty…! How could you—!”
“What’s the problem? There shouldn’t be any reason to object.”
“Of course, there’s no rule against it, but…… is there really a need for further verification?”
“It’s only proper. After all, this concerns the possibility of a royal being falsely accused.”
The Duke of Futurum was at a loss for words, his lips merely moving soundlessly.
“Duke Yelpen, proceed with the verification.”
“As you command.”
Killis received the blueprint from a maid. Chanting something under his breath, he drew a radiant white magic circle in midair. The sight was breathtakingly beautiful.
Soon, the white mana enveloped the entire blueprint, and small, grain-like fragments began to peel away piece by piece.
However, instead of being drawn to any specific place, the fragments scattered into the air and vanished.
“As you can see, no mana has been detected on this blueprint.”
“This proves that the First Princess did not steal the blueprint. Does anyone object?”
“I do.”
The one who answered was Meliana. Alternating her gaze between Killis and Evgenia, she spoke.
“Mana naturally disperses over time. I believe it’s been quite a while since the blueprint was stolen.”
“The lower the purity, the faster it dissipates. However, Her Highness Nepheli produces mana of the highest purity. If she had touched the blueprint, her mana would have remained for at least a month.”
“The duke is correct. If the First Princess had handled it, it would have taken at least that long for her mana to fade.”
“But couldn’t my sister have foreseen this situation and ensured only her maids touched the blueprint? Given that it was found in her bedroom, it’s hard to dismiss it entirely.”
“That’s a possibility, but conversely, it’s just as plausible that someone placed it there with malicious intent.”
“That’s……!”
“Since the verification revealed no mana, this blueprint will not be accepted as evidence.”
Evgenia firmly ordered the blueprint to be dismissed. Her decisive conclusion left no room for objections.
“So, the Duke of Futurum is left with only one piece of evidence—the sacks of goods the princess allegedly stockpiled.”
Discussion
0 CommentsReactions
No comments yet.