The morning light streaming through the castle windows lit the stone walls of the council chamber white.
The candles hanging from the high ceiling had not been lit yet. The morning sun alone was enough to illuminate the hall. Three chairs were lined up on the platform at the front, with a civil official's desk placed before them. Royal guards stood at attention on either side of the platform, and two more were stationed at the entrance.
This was the chamber where the Royal Council deliberates.
The highest decision-making body of the kingdom, where the King, the Queen, and the Chancellor presided over matters of the state.
Estella entered the hall with her lady-in-waiting. She was dressed in near-formal attire. The brooch bearing the crest of House Granzheim glistened softly in the morning sun.
Duke Viktor von Granzheim was already seated to the right of the hall. He nodded slightly when their eyes met. Her father had his usual composed expression on his face which revealed no emotions. Yet Estella knew his single nod carried the meaning, 'there is nothing to fear'.
Alvin stood to the left in his formal Crown Prince attire. Mille stood half a step behind him. She wore a pale-coloured dress and her arms were crossed. She was looking down with a calm expression. It was like the calm before the storm.
Estella took her designated seat and steadied her breath.
She would not cry today.
She had cried in the garden since that was the best course of action at the time, but the chamber where the Royal Council deliberated was not a place swayed by tears. It was a place where the King, the Queen, and the Chancellor, the highest authorities of this kingdom, examined facts.
Facts will decide the outcome here.
She glanced at the civil official's desk. Leonhardt sat beside the civil official slightly to the rear as an administrative aide. His expression was perfectly composed and he maintained an equal distance from both Estella and Alvin.
Three figures ascended the platform.
The King sat in the center; he was a middle aged man with a gentle yet unwavering gaze. The Queen sat to his right; she was a beautiful woman with impeccable posture, and the Chancellor sat to his left; he was a thin, elderly man with grey hair.
The King spoke once everyone was seated, "We shall now begin deliberating on the Crown Prince Alvin's request to annul his engagement based on the objection filed by House Granzheim."
His voice was quiet, yet it carried to every corner of the hall.
Alvin rose and bowed toward the platform.
"Father. The reason for annulling this engagement is clear. Estella von Granzheim has bullied and threatened Millefeuille Auerbach. Such conduct is unbecoming of a Crown Princess," he tried to maintain the dignity in his voice, but Estella can hear a hint of anxiety.
"Millefeuille Auerbach will now testify as a witness."
The Chancellor checked the civil official's notes and nodded.
"Very well. Miss Auerbach. Your testimony, please."
Mille stepped forward. She walked with her small body hunched over and stood before the podium. Her tears were already brimming when she looked up.
Fear-crying.
Estella recognised it immediately. She didn't use the pitiful cry nor the anger cry. This was the type of cry that maximised the portrayal of "a victim who had suffered something terrifying." Her eyes were wide open, her breathing was shallow and rapid and she struggled to string her words together as her voice trembled.
"I...Lady Estella spoke coldly to me, many times. She told me to stay away from His Highness when no one was around. She warned me that something would happen to me should I disobey..."
A single tear rolled down her cheek. Mille tried to wipe it with her finger, but a second tear rolled down the opposite cheek before she could.
"I was so frightened. But I couldn't tell anyone...I was all alone until I spoke to His Highness..."
The King's expression was unreadable, the Queen's brow furrowed ever so slightly and the Chancellor remained expressionless, his eyes fixed on the civil official's notes.
Mille's tears were certainly stirring the emotions of those in the room. Estella noticed one of the royal guards unconsciously turning his gaze toward Mille. The power of tears to provoke a protective instinct was effective even in the Royal Council's chambers.
Alvin stepped forward as though to shield Mille.
"I will also give testimony. Millefeuille was terrified. She was always cowering in Estella's presence and could only feel safe by my side. This is something I witnessed firsthand."
The weight of the Crown Prince's words carried more influence compared to the words of a common noble.
His words could work against Estella.
The Chancellor looked up.
"Miss Auerbach. Your testimony requires more information. You mentioned that she did this many times. Tell us the date and location of the latest incident."
Estella kept her back straight and waited quietly for that moment.
Mille paused for a second, truly just a second, but Estella could see her mind racing to come up with something.
"...I believe it was after the garden party two months ago. At the far end of the garden as we were leaving..."
Estella stood up.
"May I have permission to speak?"
The King turned his gaze toward her. Duke Viktor gave a small nod, invoking his right of objection. The King replied curtly, "Granted."
Estella bowed deeply toward the platform and drew a document from within her garment.
"This is an attendance record transcribed by the civil official about the garden party two months ago."
She handed the document to the civil official, who then reviewed the contents and presented it to the Chancellor.
"According to this log, I attended the garden party from when it opened until it closed. My arrival and departure times are recorded. After the party ended, I returned home directly in the Granzheim family carriage. If required, the carriage arrangement documents can also be submitted by our household."
The Chancellor read the document and passed it to the King. The King reviewed it.
"During the garden party, I had no time to speak with anyone at the far end of the grounds."
Silence fell.
The Chancellor turned his gaze to Mille.
"Miss Auerbach. Your earlier testimony stated 'after the garden party,' but this is inconsistent with Miss Granzheim's attendance record. Do you have an explanation?"
Mille's lips moved slightly.
"... I might have remembered wrong. I was so frightened that the dates became hazy..."
"You remembered wrong, you say?" The Chancellor's voice was flat. But within that flatness, one could see the scales weighing the credibility of the entire testimony.
Once holes were poked in a testimony, its whole credibility goes down the drain. That was the flip side of the kingdom's system of relying on testimonial evidence. Just as tears can sway a judge's impression, contradictions in a testimony eroded them.
The Queen spoke for the first time, "Perhaps we need to examine this more closely."
The King nodded.
"This matter shall be investigated further before a decision can be made. The annulment of the engagement will be placed on hold."
On hold.
Neither annulled nor maintained. Alvin's proposal had been rejected.
Alvin's expression stiffened. He looked like he was about to say something but he couldn't object to the King's ruling. He bowed to the platform and returned to his seat. Mille followed after him unsteadily.
Estella bowed deeply to the platform and returned to her seat.
For the first time, the composure had vanished from Mille's face. The traces of tears lingering at the corners of her eyes had lost their lustre as a weapon.
I don't need to do anything from here on out.
Estella decided. If she pressed the issue then it would look like the ducal house was using its power to corner a baron's adopted daughter. That was something she wanted to avoid.
The outcome of this session had already been decided, so she withdrew.
The attendees rushed to the waiting room after the hearing was adjourned.
Estella met Leonhardt's gaze for a moment before she left the hall. He was expressionless but he dipped his chin ever so slowly just before he looked away.
That was enough.
She heard a muffled voice from the far end of the hall leading to the waiting room.
It was Mille's voice.
"...Why? How did she have a record like that?"
Her voice was low and trembling, but she wasn't crying. It was her real voice.
Estella's lady-in-waiting slowed her pace and strained her ears to listen to what was being said. The door to the waiting room must have not been completely closed.
Estella lightly touched her lady-in-waiting's arm and urged her forward. Not because she judged it improper to listen. She simply didn't need to hear it.
Her lady-in-waiting had heard Mille's real voice.
Those words had been spoken not in a fully private space, but in an environment where ladies-in-waiting were present.
In this castle, words that reached a lady-in-waiting's ears would reach the ears of the major nobles within a day or two.
Estella walked down the castle corridor carrying a quiet sense of accomplishment while knowing it wasn't over yet.