Shin, the King and Queen, Guild Master Davis, and everyone else in the room listened intently as Laverna recounted the horrors she had endured. She spoke of the sights that haunted her, the voices that whispered in the dark, the stench of suffering, the vile taste of captivity, and the agony that seeped into her very soul.
Every moment of her enslavement was etched into her memory. The way she described her torment made skin crawl, blood boil, and stomachs churn.
Those listening clenched their fists, whispering to one another, their gazes darting between Shin and Laverna. Even the scribes and officials, trained to maintain composure, couldn't mask their revulsion.
It was clear—the Lichtensteins were monsters, and anyone aligned with them was no better. The realization settled like a heavy weight in the room.
The family Laverna had destroyed had deserved their fate.
As she continued, Shin observed the reactions around him. Disgust marred every face.
The King, Queen, and Guild Master sat in stony silence, but their hands betrayed them—the Queen squeezed her husband's hand, and the Guild Master clenched his own, his knuckles turning white. Shin, well-versed in the ways of nobility, recognized their restraint.
They remained outwardly composed, yet he could tell Sir Davis was likely a noble himself. As Laverna spoke, emotions roiled within her.
Rage, hatred, and sorrow twisted together, barely contained. Shin felt them through the tether of their crest, a storm on the verge of breaking.
He noticed her searching for his hand and grasped it firmly, grounding her before her emotions overwhelmed her. He knew the Crown was using a truth spell—this was Laverna's unfiltered soul, laid bare for all to witness.
The weight of her words pressed down on the room. Some wept openly, others turned away, unable to stomach the truth.
Laverna's body trembled under the tide of emotions. She had held nothing back.
If they were to be judged, so be it—she needed them to understand the depth of the Lichtensteins' cruelty. The King, Queen, and Guild Master remained fixated on her, absorbing every word.
Her heart pounded, the memories consuming her. Then, warmth.
A gentle touch against her fingers. Shin's hand found hers, steady, reassuring. Her instincts urged her to recoil—memories of rough hands and cruel faces flashed behind her eyes.
But Shin's scent cut through it all, his heartbeat steady, grounding her. A warmth not just in his touch but through their tether, washing over her, soothing.
It had been so long since she welcomed the presence of another. The sensation unsettled her.
Why now? Why him? The words had spilled from her lips so easily, as if something compelled her. The air felt heavy, unnatural. Was it magic?
Shin pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, gently dabbing her tears before they could ruin her makeup. His touch lingered for a moment longer, brushing against her cheek as he wiped away the remnants of sorrow.
His smile was soft, almost intimate. From an outsider's view, the gesture was chivalrous, even affectionate.
Whispers spread through the room—Laverna was fortunate to have a man like him. He handed her the handkerchief, allowing her to wipe away the rest on her own.
Their fingers remained intertwined, his presence an anchor. His expression was composed, unreadable, mirroring the King, Queen, and Guild Master.
Only he heard the soft whimpers she tried so hard to suppress.
The King and Queen exchanged a glance before the King stood, his voice firm yet heavy with sorrow. "As King, it is my sworn duty to protect my people from evil, yet I had no idea such atrocities festered within my own kingdom. I have never heard something so vile, so monstrous, in my entire life."
His voice wavered with disbelief, as if the weight of Laverna's words was too much to bear, yet he forced himself to speak.
The Queen's hand gently squeezed his, offering him some semblance of strength. Gasps rippled through the room as the King struggled to comprehend the scale of the evil that had been lurking within his kingdom for so long.
Laverna barely registered his words, her thoughts still tangled around Shin. He was unlike anyone she had met.
Compassion burned in his eyes, despite the blood staining his hands. But there was something else—shadows clung to him, whispering of pain, of loss.
Had he endured something akin to her own suffering? Had he once stood where she did now, stripped of everything he held dear?
The thought unsettled her, an ache forming in her chest at the image of a younger Shin, broken, alone.
Gasps rippled through the room, dragging Laverna's attention back to the front. The King… was bowing.
Laverna's heart skipped a beat. Her eyes widened, disbelief creeping into her thoughts. This had to be a trap.
The King, the ruler of the land, bowing to them? It felt unreal. She glanced around, her mind a whirlwind of confusion and suspicion.
"No, this can't be real," she muttered under her breath, gripping Shin's hand tighter.
The elder scribe, his voice filled with alarm, spoke out in protest, "My lord, please! You cannot bow to these commoners! Your dignity—"
But the King's head remained low, unwavering. His voice, steady but filled with an overwhelming sincerity, rose again. "For those who have suffered, for those who have perished at the hands of the Lichtensteins... I bow to you, for I failed them. I failed to protect you all."
Laverna's breath caught in her throat. The sincerity in his voice was undeniable. There was no mockery, no hidden agenda—just raw, open remorse. For a moment, everything else seemed to blur around her.
Shin's grip on her hand tightened, a silent reassurance. He, too, seemed to feel it—the weight of the King's sorrow, his genuine regret.
Shin's eyes never left hers, and in that moment, his presence steadied her, grounding her in a sea of uncertainty.
"You're not alone," Shin whispered softly, as if to affirm the King's words to her. "He means it, Laverna."
Laverna's gaze lingered on the King, her mind struggling to make sense of it all. The room had gone quiet, as if holding its breath along with her.
"Why is he bowing?" Laverna whispered, her voice barely audible.
"He sees the truth," Shin replied, his eyes filled with quiet understanding. "And he's making amends."
Just then, to Laverna's astonishment, the Queen, her posture regal yet softened by the weight of the King's actions, stepped forward. Her hands, usually so poised and composed, now trembled with emotion as she too bowed her head, mirroring her husband's gesture, silently agreeing.
As if this had been the cue, Guild Master Davis, a man of immense stature and authority, followed suit. His usual stern demeanor softened as he bowed deeply, his voice reverberating through the hall.
"I, too, have failed to see the truth. For all the lives lost, for all the families destroyed, I bow to you both. May justice find its way through the darkness."
Laverna's mind reeled. The Queen—so poised, so commanding—bowing? The Guild Master, the embodiment of strength and duty, lowering himself before them? It was unthinkable.
But there they were, all three of them—leaders, rulers, authorities—bowing to them, a gesture of respect and sorrow. And in that moment, Laverna understood.
This wasn't a trap. This wasn't some ploy to gain favor.
This was an acknowledgment of their pain, of their truth.
Silence rang loudly in the room. Then, he extended a hand. "Bring me my sword. Shin Soma and Laverna, step forward."