Chapter 264
“Isn’t that Duke Krygen?”
“Where?”
Whispers and curious eyes turned toward a well-dressed Eren heading to the spectator seats.
Nobles who came to watch were seated in the front rows. Eren took the seat closest to the plaintiff and stared at Macy.
‘I told him not to come to the trial…’
Has that man ever listened to Macy easily? Lately, it seemed like he grudgingly permitted her wishes.
Their last meeting ended with biting insults—things were at their worst now.
‘I thought he knew how much I hated him. Was I wrong?’
Macy was bothered by Eren’s gaze but forced herself to look ahead.
“The second trial of plaintiff Macy Horton versus defendant Yannick Horton will now begin.”
The trial finally started.
“Plaintiff and defendant, please come forward and reproduce this painting.”
As announced, an old Yannick Horton painting available on the market was placed on the stage. Macy stood up and walked to the easel.
Yannick, however, remained motionless in his seat.
“What’s going on? Why is Yannick Horton just sitting there?”
“Did he hurt his leg? Yannick! You can’t avoid this with that!”
The crowd jeered. Yannick looked worse than during the previous trial—dazed and without his usual sly smile.
The audience acted as if the fake Yannick was already doomed and the winner was decided, but Macy felt an inexplicable fear from Yannick’s unusual behavior.
What was he plotting?
“Defendant Yannick Horton, why are you not coming forward?”
“Honorable judge, before I copy the painting, I have something to confess.”
“Yes, please proceed.”
Yannick stood up.
“It is true that Macy Horton painted my paintings on my behalf.”
Macy couldn’t believe her ears—Yannick was admitting his guilt.
“What did you just say? Did he really say Macy Horton painted his paintings?”
“Seems like it. Has he given up already?”
“Why would he give up now? It just started. There must be more.”
The audience was clearly surprised by Yannick’s sudden confession. All eyes focused on him.
“Macy Horton is indeed my proxy painter. I abused my sister and embezzled the money earned from selling her paintings.”
“Are you admitting guilt?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm, then this trial is—”
“Wait, there’s something else you need to know.”
Yannick pulled out something from under the desk—a sketchbook sized about A4.
He smiled at Macy, who looked shocked, and flipped through it.
“These are drawings Macy Horton made at the cabin in Hallain Mountain.”
Macy’s eyes trembled as she looked at the sketches.
“What’s that?”
“Oh my, how scandalous! It’s a man’s nude!”
Indeed, the sketches depicted a male nude—strong trapezius muscles connecting neck and shoulders, well-balanced deltoids and biceps, serratus anterior beneath the pectorals, and sharply defined abs like shards of glass…
Macy’s lips shook. The number of nude croquis increased, and the detail became even more meticulous.
“Oh wow, she drew a lot! Guess she only has lewd thoughts in her head!”
“But aren’t these way too realistic?”
The sketches even showed small scars and a mole on the inner thigh, making some people uneasy and suspicious.
“Didn’t she draw these by looking at someone…?”
Such behavior was absolutely forbidden for female painters in Obelit.
“Macy Horton drew from observing a male nude, violating strict imperial law and expressing filthy desires that disturb the art world. This deserves punishment.”
Women were forbidden to see male nudity in public and were not allowed to paint it either.
Because of this, many female artists couldn’t even enroll in art academies with mandatory nude croquis classes.
Female painters without academy training had fewer opportunities.
In conservative Obelit society, laws suppressed women’s entry into the art world.
Secretly, artists’ circles sometimes invited nude models so female painters could practice croquis, but it remained prohibited.
“Therefore, I request the charges be changed to ‘Violation of Female Morality.’”
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