Reborn as a Mind-Reading Empress
Chapter 91: The Trial Begins [Bonus - ]

Chapter 91: The Trial Begins [Bonus Chapter]

On Arabella’s part, she was already used to it due to her experience in her past life with Dimo teleporting her where she wanted to go. She was just dizzy the first time Alwin teleported her but was fine the next time.

Moreover, Ferdinand had instructed Alwin to protect her with magic so she wouldn’t be affected by the teleportation.

{Alwin, use a protective spell so my wife and the children won’t get dizzy.} Ferdinand instructed telepathically through the summoning ring but Arabella heard it too.

’Oh, I can also hear it if they speak telepathically. Or is it because I am also wearing a summoning ring?’ Arabella had another discovery. If she could also hear their conversation, they truly wouldn’t be able to keep secrets from her at all.

Ferdinand wrapped an arm around her shoulder and once everyone was ready, Alwin teleported them to Prudencia Palace.

They arrived at Prudencia Palace where Theodore and Ferdinand’s knights were waiting.

"Brother Theo!!" Claire and Matthew beamed upon seeing their oldest brother. They ran to him and he caught them both and carried them.

Theodore closely resembled Odette. It was clear they both had the same mother.

Theodore seems to be a favorite of Claire and Matthew and Arabella learned from their thoughts it was because Theodore doted on them a lot.

After all, he was the father figure of the siblings after their father and oldest siblings perished in the war.

Theodore was just twenty-two but he looked older than his age due to the pressure and stress he went through as the Duke who didn’t have any real power since Gulliver was the one in control.

Theodore was nineteen when he suddenly became the first heir of Prudencia due to their defeat in the war three years ago.

Once the necessary introductions and greetings were over, Arabella waved goodbye to Claire and Matthew as she was escorted to her seat beside Ferdinand’s inside the hall where the trial would commence.

Odette and her siblings would appear only once they were called so they stayed in a waiting room beside the hall.

And soon, the trial began.

There were representatives from each of the major noble houses in Prudencia to represent their territory and household.

The non-aristocratic faction also had representatives from the most powerful families among the commoners.

Count Rowell was also there along with Marie and some residents who would give their statements about the false tribute and the abuses that came with collecting it.

Marquess Gulliver was sly and shameless though.

He acted all gentlemanly and elegant. He spoke nicely as he appealed that he had no part in the slavery nor the tribute being collected.

Gulliver acted like it was the first time he heard about it although he was caught whipping a slave in his room.

He also shirked the blame for the hefty taxes on Theodore.

His loyal knights attested to his words since they didn’t know about Gulliver’s underground deals.

Gulliver also said that the lady in her room was not a slave but a maid in the palace who climbed into his bed trying to seduce him so he was punishing her for daring to seduce someone already engaged to Odette.

Arabella grimaced in disgust at all the lies Gulliver spouted.

[They would get nothing from the mercenaries. I have already made a deal with them in advance. They would make sure I am not implicated since I already explained about this before.] Gulliver confidently thought.

Arabella learned from his thoughts that Gulliver told the mercenaries in advance that in case they get caught, all of them would rot in jail or be executed. Their family would have no one to rely on.

But if Gulliver remains in his position, he would be able to support the mercenaries’ families. He promised to give a specified amount of gold to the mercenaries’ families if they die for his sake.

Gulliver was so thorough that he even signed a contract with each of the group leaders of the mercenaries.

He truly would give money to the mercenaries’ families as he promised just to make sure he was not convicted.

Thus, as Gulliver expected, not one of the mercenary group leaders admitted he was related to the crime. They confessed that they did gather false tribute and sold slaves since they were caught in the act of doing so.

But they denied any connection with Marquess Gulliver.

Arabella’s head ached from all of Gulliver’s nasty thoughts along with the nobles’ furious thoughts flowing into her mind.

There were many people in the hall having so many negative thoughts and anger so it was hard to focus. There were even those with murderous intent towards the Marquess.

Arabella was getting irritated but when she glanced at Ferdinand, he was clearly getting bored.

He didn’t even look like he was in the least bit interested in listening to the Marquess or being in the trial.

She frowned but soon learned why as she focused on Ferdinand’s thoughts.

[Ugh. I just want to get this done and over with so, I can have a good meal with my wife. How much longer is he going to spout such nonsense? He wouldn’t be able to escape no matter what he tried anyway. We have all the evidence we need. And even if we don’t I can just execute him for pissing me off.]

To Ferdinand, Gulliver was prey already caught in his trap so he was no longer interested in him.

Still, his last thought was among the things she didn’t like about him. He has to go through the process. If he just executed Marquess Gulliver without enough proof, the nobles would fear they could be the next.

It was something that shouldn’t happen or else his reputation would go even worse.

The people of Prudencia wouldn’t be satisfied either if they didn’t know the truth of what was happening.

They could end up thinking Ferdinand was just silencing Gulliver because he was the real culprit. The blame and hatred of the people would end up going to Ferdinand even if he was just trying to help Prudencia.

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A/N:

I will use { } to indicate telepathic communication.