Chapter 58 How Sweet is a Strawberry Cake, Villainess?
"Your Highness, the church had petitioned the Court of Justice to transfer Lady Amaria to their jurisdiction." Rael's aide reported.
"I figured they would make that move. Though, I don't think the Court of Justice will accept their petition. They will think of this as a dispute between the royal family and the church. Amaria's custody will most likely be transferred to the jurisdiction of the High Court before her trial."
The Court of Justice-an entirely separate group bound strictly to the ancient, unyielding constitution of the empire-will refuse to let Amaria's case become a political tug-of-war. They made the laws so that not even the royal family nor the church was above them.
Rael thought as he read the petition copy submitted by the church.
"Her trial is in three days, Your Highness. Will it be okay if the High Court takes custody of her?"
Rael could not answer. Jack's question was something only Esmeralda could answer.
"Prepare the carriage. We are to visit the Schuan estate."
The carriage rattled over the cobblestone streets of the capital, the heavy silence inside matching the oppressive atmosphere hanging over the entire empire.
Rael stared out the window, watching the groups of commoners gathered on the street corners.
They were whispering anxiously, their eyes constantly darting toward the towering spires of the Basilica and the severe, windowless fortress of the Court of Justice.
The public was on a knife's edge, caught between their deep-rooted devotion to the "Blessed Child" and their fear of the Crown's authority.
Rael furrowed his brows. He was not worried about the crowd's opinion nor the Court of Justice's decision. The only thing he's worried about right now is how Esmeralda is taking all of this. Surely, she is now on edge because of the pressure from all of this.
When the carriage finally pulled into the Schuan Ducal manor, Rael didn't wait for his footman to open the door. He stepped out quickly, his dark cape billowing behind him, and strode straight into the estate.
"Your Highness," the Duke was the first person Rael saw.
"Duke Schuan, I need to see lady Esmeralda right now." Rael said in a firm tone.
"I see." The Duke said in a calm voice, "She is in the garden. You there-" the Duke pointed out to a maid, "escort the Crown Prince to the garden."
"There is no need, your Grace." Rael declined. "I shall guide myself."
"Then.." the Duke paved the way for Rael to enter his manor.
Why is the Duke so calm?
Rael thought as he made his way down the stone path toward the estate's private glass conservatory and garden. The entire capital was practically on the verge of a holy war, yet the patriarch of the Schuan family looked like he didn't have a single care in the world. Why?
When Rael stepped into the lush, blooming sanctuary of the garden, he froze.
He had expected to find Esmeralda pacing the grass, pouring over legal codices, or perhaps looking pale and tense from the sheer, suffocating weight of the impending trial.
Instead, the young woman was sitting comfortably at a wrought-iron table beneath a canopy of white roses, blissfully stuffing her face with a massive slice of strawberry cream cake.
Her cheeks were slightly puffed, her emerald eyes bright with genuine culinary satisfaction.
A wave of profound, utterly helpless relief washed over Rael. He couldn't help the small smile that broke across his face.
She isn't breaking under the pressure, thank God.
"I see that you're doing well," Rael said as he walked forward and sat in the chair directly across from her.
"Your Highness," Esmeralda gulped her food, her eyes widening slightly in mild surprise as she quickly swallowed the bite she had just taken.
Rael chuckled. Reaching across the small table, he leaned in and gently wiped a stray smudge of white icing off the corner of her lips with his thumb. "How are you so calm? The capital is practically on fire, Esme."
"Ah," Esmeralda exclaimed, dabbing at her mouth with a silk napkin. Her expression instantly shifted into one of sharp, razor-focused clarity. "About the custody, your Highness. Let the Court of Justice handle her."
Rael tilted his head, his curiosity piqued.
"You want them to reject the Church's petition and keep her themselves?
If the High Court takes her into custody, my knights won't be able to touch her.
We won't be able to force a confession, and they will judge the trial strictly by the physical evidence-which the judges are currently dismissing as circumstantial.
Without a biological lock-and-key proof, they might acquit her in three days. "
"Exactly," Esmeralda said, leaning back in her chair.
"The High Court is obsessed with absolute, unyielding rigidity.
They pride themselves on being untouchable by royal influence or religious blackmail.
If Amaria stays in the lower sector cells, High Priest Daniel will eventually find a legal loophole or incite a religious riot to break her out.
But if she is in the High Court's jurisdiction?
The Church cannot touch her. She will be entirely isolated, locked away behind the most secure anti-magic wards in the empire. "
She set her fork down with a definitive, ringing clink against the porcelain plate.
"Actually, I have a plan," she said, a slow, delightfully mischievous grin spreading across her lips.
Before Rael could ask, Esmeralda suddenly stood up, leaning deep across the small iron table.
Her delicate hands reached out, catching the lapels of his royal coat and pulling him close-so close that the dizzying scent of sweet strawberries and fresh roses enveloped him completely.
Rael's breath hitched, a sudden, fierce blush rushing to his cheeks at her sudden action.
She leaned in, her lips nearly brushing the shell of his ear as she whispered the hidden details of her final trap.
As her words unfolded, Rael's eyes widened in profound shock. The absolute brilliance, the sheer audacity, and the ruthless legal trap she was weaving was nothing short of staggering.
"That... could actually work," he murmured, his voice breathless as she finally pulled back, a seductive, triumphant smile playing on her lips.
Rael stared at her, completely captivated by her lovely, mischievous side. "You never fail to surprise me, Esme."
"What can I say? A villainess is a villainess through and through," she replied, her eyes flashing with a wicked charm that made Rael's heart beat violently in his chest. He was falling for her all over again, deeper and more irrevocable than before.
Unable to resist any longer, Rael reached out, his long fingers gently caressing her flawless, soft cheek. "What a fine villainess my fiancée is, truly. I've been captivated all over again."
With a smooth, deliberate movement, he gently pulled her toward him, lifting her easily so that she sat comfortably on his lap. Esmeralda's eyes softened, her hands instinctively finding a home on his shoulders.
Rael leaned in, tenderly landing a soft kiss on her forehead, and then shifted down to press another lingering kiss against her cheek, making Esmeralda playfully close one eye as a quiet gasp escaped her.
When he pulled back just an inch, his gaze locked onto her dazzling emerald green eyes, his vision drifting down to her lips.
They felt like a magnet, rendering him utterly defenseless.
"Rael...?" she murmured, her voice as soft as an angel's in his ears.
He didn't answer with words. Rael leaned down and captured her lips in a soft, aching kiss.
It started sweet, a tender reassurance after worrying about her all day, but as Esmeralda's fingers tangled into the hair at the nape of his neck, the kiss deepened.
Breaths escaped in between but the warmth between them flared, growing heavy, intense, and intoxicating, erasing the cold dread of the past days until the rest of the world completely melted away.
"Ahem."
The sharp, pointed throat-clearing shattered the silence like a brick through a window.
They both scattered back to their respective seats in a flash of frantic, red-faced panic. Esmeralda instantly began smoothing down the fabric of her skirt, her face burning, while Rael adjusted his coat, coughing clear his throat as he forced his royal composure back into place.
Duke Schuan stood at the entrance of the garden walkway, his arms crossed over his chest, a heavy hint of deep irritation clouding his aristocratic face.
"I assume you both have discussed the plan?" the Duke said, his voice dripping with paternal judgment.
"O-Of course, your grace," Rael cleared his throat again, trying desperately to look like a dignified Crown Prince and not a man caught red-handed.
"Need I remind you two that the wedding is not in a year from now?" the Duke said, his brow twitching in profound irritation as his glare lingered on Rael.
"Yes, of course,your grace, " Rael managed to twitch a polite, courtly smile, though his inner thoughts were screaming.
Damn it, I can't wait that long,
Rael thought bitterly.
"Of course, father," Esmeralda said, her head bowed as she tried to hide the deep blush on her cheeks.
Thank goodness father arrived. I would not have been able to stop myself,
Esmeralda thought, her heart still hammering against her ribs.
"Then, isn't it time for your Highness to leave? It is getting dark after all," the Duke said smoothly, gesturing toward the horizon where the sun was beginning to dip below the estate walls.
"I will escort him to his carriage, father."
"No," the Duke firmly said, stepping into the path to block any further romantic excursions. "His Highness can handle himself."
"Of course, father," Rael stood up, offering a respectful bow.
"Fa..ther..?" the Duke's eyebrow twitched violently at the casual familiarity, his jaw tightening.
"Then, I will see myself out. My lady, Duke Schuan," Rael bid them with a sweeping, graceful gesture before finally turning and exiting the garden, his heart lighter and his resolve steelier than it had been in days.