Cherreads

Chapter 279 - Chapter 276: The Trial (Jaepan)

"Who dares to treat u sin such a humiliating manner?" "Wasn't your brother also a part of this family? That is why I have called of you men separately, to find out why this betrothal was called off?" "It was her family who broke them up so that she could marry the righthand man of The Third Prince as soon as her cousin, The Third Princess Consort was divorced and deposed." "And there were no issues prior to that? No arguments? No disagreements? Did they treat each other with respect?" "Of course they did, and they were hardly left alone at all." "So there was no intimacy between both parties? Because my office has collected evidence to suggest that your brother was quite animalistic when he lost his temper and fought with her secretly after the betrothal was broken off, is that not related to your family matters?" "So what are you saying? That it was his fault that he was killed for lacking proper conduct? Your words are indeed forceful." "This all happened in your home among your clan, with your name on the line, nobody else's. And because this matter relates to The Third Prince, nobody can hide if they want to, that is why I called each and every male member into the same room, because if you do not hand over the murderer, you yourselves will implicate your whole clan."

"And just what makes you think that the murderer is amongst us, Inspector General? Do not tell us that you wish us to bear this crime because you cannot find the murderer?" "And who says that I cannot find them? It is just that this person seems powerful enough to get this close to the victim and stab them in the back, and no women in this family has the strength to pull a sword right through the victim and back again." "But I thought it was a simple matter of poison?" "Well it turns out that you were wrong." "My younger brother was somewhat of a hermit, he didn't socialise with many people at all, let alone other men outside of the family. He rather stayed at home and focused on his hobbies since he never made an official position inside or outside the palace." "The one who resents his must compete with him for his interests, there is a possibility that someone is covering for him, because he was the head of the family. So who would benefit from that?" "Certainly not me since I am adopted."

"This person could also hold a grudge against the new bride and frame her for this murder, since his concubines and nllegamte children couldn't inherit anything if he died like this. Where is your other brother?" "He has been away for some time with his own family outside of this village." "Is that so?"

**********************

"…back then, I never agreed with my father to raise your status as a lowly maid to a concubine. It is a small matter to come from a humble background, but you were already quite petty, vain and selfish; never caring about anyone's interest but you ow, which even surpassed your own children. You have even made quite the commotion in public and have even dragged The Third Prince's reputation in this matter, nobody else in this clan is willing to speak up for you or your sons at all due to your antics." "So what are we saying? Are we going to let my son die tragically like this? And let that vicious woman escape from her crime!" "We are still unaware of the truth yet, do not shame this clan anymore by jumping to conclusions! We must not act carelessly, that includes not laying a single hand on her at all, or we shall loose a witness for trial and the rest of the world will think that we as a family have something to hide. But you didn't consider that, did you? You do not know how to think beyond yourself, and that is why you are unfit to become a legal wife or the head of a household at all. This may not end our clan if it reaches The Prince's ears, but it will end everyone's official and political careers, including your own sons. Is it worth sacrificing all of us and our honour for your illegitimate worthless sons?"

"And what exactly do official careers have to do with me at all? Are you all forgetting how you denied my son a political career in the palace? Because you wound't recommend him at all? And when I wanted my son to become the head of the head of the household at first, you denied him until you had no real reason to produce? You were all so damned proud that you kept looking down on us and now what? You have't changed at all, have you?"

"Do you see what I mean when I call you petty and vain? Your status didn't change at all when you birthed your now dead son, it was only after you gave birth to your second son, and that is why you have always valued him more than anyone else. You have been reluctant to bring up his origin, which made him sensitive, suspicious, and untrusting of women in general, which is why things soured with his potential bride even before they married at all." "My son is filial, is it a crime to show some favouritism? I car about both of my sons and that is why I am actively seeking justice for him!" "Justice? Is that what you call this? He is already dead so you can stop putting on an act now, you just waned to punish the girl for breaking off his betrothal as his only option to rise in the palace as a second option because your beloved second born son couldn't stand you and has cut all ties off with you. But this clan comes first and we shall not be implemented for your useless offspring, do you understand me? Because all of your lives are worth nothing without my father's name and blood that runs through their veins." "I am still your other's widow no matter what!" "After today, that position has officially come to and end, we have already produced a divorce agreement and petition on your behalf." "You wouldn't date to do that to me"!" "But we already have! And now onto you bride."

"Ask me what you want to know and I will comply." "I thought that you were a smart woman, but I am clearly wrong. So tell us what happened, how did it all come to this?" "Forgive me madame, but I…there was another reason I broke off my relations with that man…" "Was he abusing you?" "He threatened me that he would spread rumours about me as soon as he heard about my second potential match, and ruin my family reputation, just as things were getting really bad for my cousin in the palace. We were lucky enough to get away by the skin of our teeth already and I couldn't rock the boat anymore of my family." "So why did your maid send him food, even after all of this time?" "I can assure you that no matter what my maid says, I never gave her nay orders to send over any for to my ex-betrothed." "So who could then?" "I do….have one suspect in mind, but she is far too powerful and I have no evidence against her." "Which woman could possibly be that powerful? Unless….she is from the palace?" "Yes." "The speak about this no more, not until we reach a verdict about this case." "Forgive me, but I do not feel so well…" "what is happening right now? Why did she just faint! Someone! Please call for a physician! Someone! Anyone! Please help us!"

"Yeon? What on earth is happening?" "I have n idea but I have a bad feeling about this, let us just stay and watch…what is going on over there? Why are the men so anxious? Who are they looking for? Quickly check to see if anyone from that room is mixing that you recognise?" "You are not onto something as usual Yeon, there is indeed someone missing, let me go and find…"

"…what are you saying? She is pregnant? But she didn't…she wasn't left alone with…" "Madame, I can assure you that this girl has fainted due to her pregnancy…." Just hearing that word was bringing up all sorts of memories for me that I could not forget, but it was the last thing I needed on my mind right now. I almost broke down right there and then before I asked The Mistress Nam to carry on whilst I retreated back to my quarters, only to catch a glimpse of a man that I recognised from this home running away rather anxiously. In my emotional state, I should have just gone home, but I also could not pass up on the opportunity to grab tis chance to get me the hell out of this place and to reunite with my brother.

"Excuse me? Mr? Excuse me? I just want to talk to you…" I tried to reach out and grab this man, only for him to grab me by the arms and drag me to the opposite side of their home with his other hand around my mouth.

"Who the fuck are you, girl! Why are you in my home and why are you in my business?" "I was invited to your home to bear witness on behalf of the ex-fiancee of this household." "So why are you after me now?" "It is because the men were called in to talk to The General Inspector, but they noticed that a man was missing and they have gone in search of him." "So what are you doing here?" "I caught you on my out to return back to my quarts, what a stroke of luck." "And why are they looking for me?" "Because they have already determined that the man who died was stabbed to death with such force that none of the women here possess." "So? What does that have to do with me?" "Because you are the one who killed that man with the intentions to frame his ex-fiancee, and you most likely disguised yourself as a servant to escape when the body was found. Maybe you have some evidence that you wish to destroy, and that is why you took the bold chance to run when everyone else in confined to your home? Who are you and why did you do this? Why did you kill her?" "Shut up! Do not speak about things that you have no knowledge of!" "You are not related to anyone by blood in that family, so what could this have gotten you? What benefits could you have received from this?" "I do not know anything about what you ate talking about!" "So nay hired you from the palace to commit this scandal? Not even Concubine Choi? Or The Mistress Han?"

More Chapters