IT WAS customary for the royal knights to escort the accused, but Tori defied the rules. The royal knights under the banner of the first prince blocked their way out of the prison when she escorted the second prince herself with the Ming Country's knights. Tori stepped forward, her body shielding the nonchalant second prince. "Move," said Tori in a chilling tone. She saw how the royal knights barricaded before her faltered.

"We are here under the command of the emperor to escort his son to the courthouse." The leader of the royal knights blatantly lied which earned him a cold dead stare from Tori.

Liar. You were taken by the first prince to kill the second prince on the way to the courthouse. If Prince Lauren made such drastic action, then he must be feeling anxious in this noble trial. "Oh, you are from the emperor's royal knights? Such a shame to miss them from our collection, right Prince Yei Lin?"

The royal knights wondered what she was talking about. The countless eyeballs that rolled to the ground in front of the two opposing parties stopped the prideful royal knights, turning them pale as the latter realized they were human's eyes. "My dear royal knights under the command of the emperor, say hello to your comrades." Tori's sweet voice hid the threat 'Move or you will become like this' was what she was trying to convey.

The leader of the royal knights paled when he realized where the missing royal knights were. The lady standing in front of them was the culprit behind the fluctuation of royal knights guarding Prince Corean!

The barricade of royal knights parted for Tori and her companions. As she passed the flustered royal knights, her toothy grin did not leave unnoticed. Tori clung to Cory's arm like a leech. Anyone who would see her would think immediately that she was the second prince's lover with the way she pressed herself to him.

Even with his lip being busted, Prince Corean gripped Tori's left hand tightly as he looked down upon her. "You are turning me on, Victoria. Be careful." Though his voice was light, his golden eyes burned with a burning passion. Tori could not help but gulped loudly as she felt the rising of heat to her cheeks. She was blushing like a teenager. For once, Tori was doing what a fifteen-year-old girl was supposed to do, aside from plotting the ruin of the empire.

A seductive grin broke out from her lips. "I look forward to your punishment, Your Highness."

The company exited the prison in the same manner as to how Tori went inside. The tactical turtle formation that surrounded the four prominent figures served as an impenetrable fortress that even dulled the shrieks of commoners. But compare to the time that Tori experience this when she was accused a year ago, the numbers fluctuated. And Tori knew why. "What have you done to the commoners, Victoria? They are behaving like dogs on a leash," observed Cory as they marched calmly towards their respective carriages.

Looking up to him, her playful red eyes met his calm golden ones. "Saving a handful of commoners is not an easy feat, you know. But this benevolent Victoria Rozenreff saved the day when Sabina screwed up big time. Who's the saintess now, huh?"

Tori earned a warm chuckle from Prince Cory that made her smile as she turned her head away from him. She did not want to let go of his hand.

Holding his hand until they went inside the carriage, not letting go as they stepped into the noble trial where a fabricated trial waited for them. The smug looks of Merilla and the noble faction members showed how confident they were that they would win this one. The moment Tori and Prince Corean stepped into the courthouse, hand in hand, they held their heads high. The two crown princes followed suit with Lily in tow. No amount of harsh whispers could falter the stone-cold face of the lady of Rozenreff Duchy, not even the site of Merilla and Sabina.

The higher society already thought that the aristocratic faction would lose. Everyone believed that the noble trial was a false hope given by the emperor to the second prince who was accused of treason. They strongly believed that the noble trial being held was a formality to put Prince Corean on a death sentence.

The chancellor welcomed the second prince and Tori with a curt nod as the two stood before the enormous double doors. "Shall I announce your arrival, Prince Corean, Lady Victoria?"

Glancing at Prince Corean who was wearing a commoner's clothes as his right hand held hers, Tori nodded at the chancellor. Handing the newly arrived parchment with the sigil of the Roznereff Duchy, Tori spoke, "Go ahead, Lord Helisos."

Opening the door of the final setting that Tori anticipated, the chancellor announced to the buzzing courtroom their much-awaited arrival. "Welcoming Prince Corean Shuia Eckrett, Empire's star! And his companions: Crown Prince Yei Lin of Ming Country, Crown Prince Allistair Monakre of the Kingdom of Monakre, Duchess Victoria Rozenreff of the Rozenreff Duchy, and her attendant!"

Harsh gasps echoed inside the courtroom upon hearing the new member of high society, Duchess of Rozenreff Dukedom, the second most powerful woman in the empire next to Queen Aurina Eckrett. Tori walked like she owned the grounds she stepped unto, not minding the contorted face of Sabina as the latter openly glared at Tori. What a loser.

Look at me sister. I want to thank you, honestly. If not for your stupidity, I won't be the reigning duchess of the Rozenreff Duchy whom you coveted so much.

Tori looked up to where her eyes met the cold stare of the emperor. Beside him, on his right side, was the anxious Queen Aurina, her weight loss became prominent in her outdoor dress. On his left side, Prince Lauren sat in a relaxed manner, staring down at his brother as if Prince Corean was like a bug beneath him. His eyes traveled to hers which she returned with a haughty look. Her gaze conveyed three words for the first prince 'You will fall'.

KING ELPHAIM proceeded with the oath-taking between Lady Merilla Larat, a newly pledged member of the noble faction, and Prince Corean, the leader of the aristocratic faction.

"I, Prince Corean Shuia Eckrett, first of my name and the second star of the empire, pledge my imperial name to only say the truth in the name of the Goddess Gaia and the Empire's Blessed Sun, King Elphaim Eckrett."

"I, Merilla Larat, first of my name and the daughter of the House RLarat, pledge my noble name to only say the truth in the name of the Goddess Gaia and the Empire's Blessed Sun, King Elphaim Eckrett."

After uttering their oaths, the two returned to their seats. Lady Merilla, the one who accused, sat at the opposing side of Prince Corean, the accused. The king gave the podium to Lady Merilla to present the witnesses and pieces of evidence against the alleged crime of the second prince. "To present the evidence against the accused, I call Lady Merilla Larat to the podium," said the king.

Lady Merilla trotted proudly to the podium, a half-smirk on her face as if she was declaring that she already won. "The night that La- Duchess Victoria Rozenreff set to sail secretly to the savage northern region, as the leader of the Information Guild which was created for the sole purpose of protecting the king, I intercepted the letter of the duchess towards our great emperor, King Elphaim. This letter held nothing but threats that she would use the barbaric northern tribes to attack the capital!" Merilla's voice held conviction and deep concern that would sway anyone who would listen to her wails. In her right hand, she showed the alleged letter that was the letter that Tori sent according to the wretched traitor.

It is such a shame that you are using your talents in the wrong team, Merilla dear.

Tori was calmly listening to Merilla. Under the table, Prince Cory's hand covered her small one as they held hands, silently supporting and consoling each other.

Prince Corean was nonchalantly staring at the person he once considered a friend. The whispers whipped around the courtroom, most of the murmurs were from the noble faction members. Their wicked glares were directed to the silent members of the aristocratic faction.

Tori saw the ghost of a smile from King Elphaim's face. You bastard, just like Cory said you worked with Merilla. This noble trial is a trap!

The traitor triumphantly grinned as she saw the reactions within the courtroom. Just like her plan, the tides of favor were on her side. Lady Merilla continued after silencing the courtroom with a raise of her hand. "The internal conflict within the northern region and the unification of the north is the step which aims to usurp the throne. Letters between the three chieftains of the tribes in the north sent letters to the capital months before the said war, it was for their benefactor. Here are the letters with the duchess's name on it as she plotted everything."

"All along, I thought it was the duchess so I sent the gathered shreds of evidence to the first prince whom I never thought would help me, a lady from the opposing faction. But Prince Lauren helped me reached my concerns to the king and an arrest was immediately issued to capture the duchess. With the help of Duke Rowan Castaña, the duchess was proven to be framed by the real culprit. Who would have thought that the person I pledged my loyalty to was also the same person behind all these schemes? How could you betray our trust, Prince Corean?" her voice cracked as she turned to where the second prince was calmly sitting.

But Tori could feel the hardened grip of Prince Corean in her right hand. He was beyond furious, but he chose to hold it in. For Tori, it was both fascinating and irritating how Lady Merilla flipped everything.

Tori stood up as she raised her left hand. Every eye turned to her which she aimed for. "Your Majesty, can I defend the accused now?" Tori asked the king who only looked at her nonchalantly. She saw how hope shone in Queen Aurina's eyes before King Elphaim waved his right hand dismissively.

His haughty reply was something a father like Duke Luwen Rozenreff would say. "Is there a need to hear your side when everything is already proven? Lady Merilla Larat's presence itself is a piece of strong evidence against my foolish kin. So mind your place Duchess Victoria Rozenreff." His cold sapphire eyes reminded her of Prince Lauren's eyes as he killed the original Victoria. Unforgivable!

Lady Merilla Larat together with Lady Sabina Rozenreff grinned happily when the king indirectly passed his judgment already.

I am right, all this time. But was it wrong for me to cling to that one strand of hope that you, as a father to Prince Corean, would grant him a chance to clear his name? Yes, it is indeed foolish of me.

"You never meant to let us speak, huh." Gone was the curtsy in Tori's voice as she addressed the king. Her kind smile was long gone and her soft voice grew an edge. The audience of the noble trial witnessed how Tori flipped her attitude into one hundred eighty degrees, earning echoes of gasps from those around her aside from those who knew her. "It is such a shame. I thought I could stop unnecessary bloodshed. I hate the smell of blood you see, right darling?" Tori glanced at the smiling Prince Corean.