Published: August 15, 2025
Several months later, the verdict of the trial was delivered.
Ella was detained in the most secure part of the Dilz Kingdom and sentenced to twenty years of imprisonment.
If she had merely "followed the orders of her noble employer," the punishment would not have been so severe. However, the employer who accompanied her as a witness defended himself by saying, “Ella did things beyond what I ordered for my sake,” which led to Ella’s actions being deemed her own personal recklessness. Ella, who had hoped for a defense that would reduce her sentence, must have been stunned by this outcome. The newspapers reported that she had shouted and caused a scene in court, consequently worsening her sentence.
Marquis Dario was also not completely acquitted. After all, the incident originated because he coveted the Duke Granado title. To ensure he would never harbor such ambitions again, he was stripped of his marquisate and exiled abroad for ten years—and he also lost his status as the husband of the former Duke Granado’s daughter.
According to Wolfgang, who attended the trial, Dario seemed satisfied with this outcome.
Ella kept blaming others, while Dario wallowed in his own tragedy. How long their grand performance would continue was anyone’s guess—ten years, twenty years—perhaps they would sober up through a life of hardship, or perhaps not.
What would happen if the two ever stepped down from the stage… I don’t know.
“—So, it’s settled that I have no charges to answer for, right?”
With everything resolved,
Sophia Granado Afonso, my step-sister, who had summoned me to the Duke’s mansion, said this. I nodded and handed her a few documents.
“Of course. You did nothing wrong.”
“Still, as long as Dario insists he acted ‘for his wife,’ I was prepared to be summoned for questioning. I suppose Cyrus must have worked hard behind the scenes?”
I found it hard to respond and simply watched silently as her slender fingers prepared some tea.
While arranging some sweets on a white plate, Sophia said,
“...That said, having divorced Dario, I can’t remain with the Afonso family. Soon, I will return to Dilz.”
“Your son will remain in Sphain, right? Then, as his mother, couldn’t you have stayed at the marquis’ mansion...?”
“I’ve been a bit concerned about managing this Duke’s mansion, actually. Since Alfred passed away, there’s been no head of the household. Cyrus is busy with his business and tends to stay at Granado Castle.”
“...I see. If you live here, honestly, I’d be grateful.”
“It’s still your family home, after all. Bring your wife and children by sometime for a visit.”
She said that as she sipped the tea she had brewed herself.
It was hard to read her true feelings from her expression. I gave a wry smile.
“You seem calmer than I expected. I heard you and Dario were deeply in love...”
“That’s exactly why. If a couple is bound by love rather than political or economic benefits, when the passion fades, the marriage can easily break apart. I was fully prepared for that.”
Sophia said this calmly.
“We spent twenty wonderful years together. That was enough.”
“...I don’t understand.”
“If you had lost your wife and children in this incident, would you regret having met her?”
“...No.”
“That’s what I mean.”
I had nothing to say.
I had always been uncomfortable around this step-sister of mine. She was unfriendly, and terrifying when angry. She was difficult to read—neither clearly kind nor strict—a lot like her mother.
“Take care of your family, Cyrus. Because someday, you will inevitably lose them.”
I drank the tea she made and smiled wryly.
“Live a long life, sister. And if possible, make it an amusing one.”
“That’s right. Now that I am officially single… I’ll ask Ryuu-Ryuu to introduce me to a handsome man with dark skin.”
Sophia said this and immediately burst out laughing, almost spitting out her tea. She found her own joke hilarious.
I quietly watched as Sophia laughed heartily, tears streaming down her face.