How to Tame My Beastly Husband — Chapter 222. Unexpected Savior (3)

Everyone was listening to Claire with bated breath.

“The man wounded the Duke, and then tried to kill Annette. Raphael Carnesis ran him through with his sword and then confronted the rest of the men who had tried to kill his family. And he left those two alive for interrogation, he said. Those were the events that I witnessed.”

Her confidence gave credibility to her testimony.

“I swear on my honor that all I have said is true,” she added. “I hope the Sun of Deltium will choose justly. In the name of my family, Lucid, I implore you earnestly.”

With her testimony complete, she knelt before the King. Normally the nobility of the Chapelle Empire would not kneel in acknowledgment of foreign royalty; they only bowed as courtesy. It was an extraordinary gesture.

“……”

Selgratis said nothing. It was hard to tell what he was thinking, but there was a flicker of discomfort in his face.

“I have listened carefully,” he said, after long thought. “But your husband is Arjen Bavaria.”

“That’s true.”

“And you are human. Subject to bias. You may witness an altercation and interpret it in a way that favors your prejudices. For example, if you saw someone you favored in a dispute, you would immediately assume they were the victim.”

In other words, her testimony could be discounted because of her connection to the Bavaria family. The King only wanted to be rid of this troublesome Imperial woman.

“We will consider your testimony in the future,” he said, dismissing her. “Now please step aside, so I can continue my questioning.”

Claire was insulted. Especially since she had sworn in her family’s name. But she kept her temper.

It’s just as Arjen said.

Arjen was a dangerous man. Even from the distant Empire, he clearly understood the situation here. She would not have liked Arjen for an enemy.

Fortunately, Selgratis could not know who he was dealing with. Arjen was known to be a genius, but he had lived and studied in the Empire since he was a teenager, and became an official as soon as he graduated.

All of this was in her favor.

“I see. So my testimony can be disregarded because of my ties to Bavaria?” Claire persisted, as if she hadn’t heard him.

The King frowned at her. Claire was a difficult opponent. He could not simply intimidate her or threaten her incautiously, because she was not a citizen of his country. Claire smiled at the hostility in his gaze.

“Would you accept a witness that is not tied to Bavaria?”

“…What do you mean?”

Claire shrugged and glanced back at the bush from which she had emerged.

“You can come out, Marquis Keers,” she said unexpectedly.

“Father!”

He had been crouching for so long, he straightened with difficulty, and walked toward his daughter with numbed legs.