NOVEL NEXT Chapter 271: Winning the First Case Easily
The woman, none other than Anna, walked gracefully and stopped right beside Nolan.
"Your Honor, may I introduce her to you?" Nolan said, glancing at Anna. "She is Anna Castellan, the wife of Rovert. And..."
His words trailed off as his eyes fell on Anna's swollen belly. "The child she is carrying belongs to Rovert Castellan, which makes it the heir of the Castellan family."
At those words, everyone gasped. Their hearts pounded rapidly.
They might have suspected it, but hearing it confirmed was something else entirely.
"Impossible!" Rick shouted angrily. His face flushed as he continued coldly, "Attorney Arthur, I don't know how much the Castellan family paid you, but don't make such a joke. This is a trial, and what you're doing is fraud! How could Rovert Castellan have a child?"
He had met Rovert several times, and never once had Rovert mentioned having a woman, much less a child.
So, he was certain this man called Arthur was lying to them all.
Louis nodded in agreement and warned sternly, "What the Red Obsidian Trading House has said is completely true, Attorney Arthur. This is a trial, and I expect you to act wisely. If not, you will face the consequences."
His voice carried a clear threat. He himself could not believe Rovert had a wife and child. Such a thing was impossible, considering what Rovert had done to hundreds of thousands of men in the eastern region.
"Duke, do you think that man Arthur is lying?" Aston asked with a frown.
He had never seen the woman named Anna before. Even when he stayed at the Castellan family mansion, he had never once come across her presence.
Naturally, he grew suspicious that "Arthur" was lying to them all—and that was no small matter.
"We'll see. I have a feeling he wouldn't do something so blatantly stupid," Alvaron replied casually, folding his arms across his chest.
With that, Aston held back from asking more questions, though his suspicion only deepened with every passing second.
Nolan, on the other hand, simply smiled, showing not the slightest hint of doubt.
"Lady Anna, did you bring the documents I asked for earlier?" he asked.
Anna nodded slowly and pulled three documents from her pocket. Nolan took them and held them up for everyone in the courtroom to see.
"I'm not speaking nonsense, Your Honor. These documents are proof—medical and non-medical examinations conducted by doctors and a mage. And just so you know, the mage I asked for help is the same one who previously bound the oaths of the soldiers and servants. So, you can rest assured," he said casually.
"That..." Louis was stunned. A dreadful premonition surged within him, making his body tremble violently.
But he had no time to think it over, as a guard had already brought the documents and placed them on his desk.
He snatched them up and began reading immediately. Just as Nolan had claimed, the evidence contained both medical and non-medical records of Anna's pregnancy.
The child she carried belonged to Rovert. That meant the law Louis had used to strip the Castellan family of their Marquis status was completely unenforceable.
As Louis fell silent, everyone realized the truth—the documents were genuine, and the child in Anna's womb was indeed Rovert's.
"Hiss! I never expected this. What a miracle!" one of the witnesses exclaimed in amazement.
It was unbelievable that Rovert could father a child, considering the countless accusations of sexual assault against men tied to his name. It was as unlikely as finding a nugget of gold in a heap of stones.
"How about it, Your Honor? Do you still think the charges brought by the Red Obsidian Trading House are enforceable?" Nolan asked in a playful tone.
"Ugh..." Louis gritted his teeth, his hand shaking as he held the document.
His reaction made the crowd sigh softly. The outcome was clear—the charges could not stand.
Damn it! How could it turn out like this? Rick cursed inwardly.
The sudden reversal was baffling. Everything had happened too quickly, as if the man called Arthur had planned it all from the start.
Who exactly is he? How could someone like that exist in the eastern region? His eyes narrowed sharply on Nolan.
He knew many attorneys across the Empire and was certain there was no one named Arthur; besides, Arthur's appearance was odd—he wore a mask, as if unwilling to reveal his true face.
"It seems stripping the Castellan family of their Marquis status is rather impossible," Erland said with a long sigh.
He had hoped the Marquis title would fall to his family. Unfortunately, his expectations had been too high, and now he was bitterly disappointed.
Rick took a deep breath to calm himself. He patted his left shoulder and said calmly, "It's okay. Just because we can't do it now doesn't mean the Castellan family can't be destroyed tomorrow or next week."
Rick's words surprised Erland. He thought for a moment, then his eyes widened as he caught Rick's meaning.
"Do you mean—" Erland's question was cut off when Rick nodded.
"Yeah. We'll prepare a plan to get rid of that woman. If that happens, won't the Castellan family eventually be finished too?"
Erland fell silent. He knew it was immoral, but for the sake of their interests, were morals truly necessary?
The answer: no.
He pushed his doubts aside and nodded with a faint grin.
"Your idea is excellent. Let's carry it out."
A cold light flashed in his eyes as he looked at Anna with murderous intent.
"Very well, I accept your evidence," Louis declared. "I hereby pronounce the Castellans innocent, and their Marquis status shall remain intact!"
He lifted his gavel and brought it down, the sharp crack resounding throughout the hall.
Aston and Alvaron both exhaled in relief, faint smiles tugging at their lips.
They had expected Louis to make things difficult, but he hadn't. Aston especially felt the weight of it, remembering all too well how he had once suffered from Louis' underhanded tricks.
Yet he also realized how careless he had been. Unlike Arthur, he hadn't prepared his evidence with such precision.
If only he had gathered similar proof back then, he might have won the land dispute against the Red Obsidian Trading House.
"Now then, we move to the second case," Louis said coldly, his eyes blazing with irritation. "Rovert Castellan has committed fraud against the Red Obsidian Trading House, with losses amounting to billions of Sharn. That money was an investment entrusted to the Castellan family. Therefore, this matter is clearly their responsibility as well. What is your defense now, Attorney Arthur?"