Chapter 60 The Final Act of the Villainess
The grand doors of the High Court groaned open as the final trial commenced.
At the highest pinnacle sat the Chief Magistrate, flanked by rigid judges who answered only to the ancient constitution.
The gallery was packed to the brim with anxious nobles, while the presence of High Priest Daniel and a massive delegation of the clergy cast a heavy, suffocating shadow over one side of the room.
Amaria sat in the secure iron box, her face a mask of pristine, fragile innocence.
"The High Court will now hear the direct biological testing requested by the Schuan Duchy," the Chief Magistrate announced, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "Lady Esmeralda, present your method."
Esmeralda stepped forward, her dark dress trailing gracefully behind her. With a calm gesture, she had Marcus place two glass containers on the central presentation table. Inside each was a live, large capital cockroach. Beside them lay a sealed sample of the rare Curias plant.
"Your Honors," Esmeralda said, her voice smooth and chillingly precise. "We request to extract a sample of Lady Amaria's blood to perform the cockroach mutation test. The unique biological properties of Lilac's Disease cause an immediate necrotic reaction in lesser organisms when exposed to it."
High Priest Daniel immediately stood up, his white and gold robes rustling with righteous indignation.
"Absurd! This is a farce! Even if Amaria's blood reacts poorly, it could simply be a standard Curias infection that she inadvertently contracted while tending to the sick!
The Blessed Child travels the empire blessing them with her presence; she could easily have the bacteria in her bloodstream.
It does not prove she carries a permanent, malicious plague! "
"The Curias infection can be easily purified by divine light," Esmeralda countered sharply, turning her head toward the side doors. "Saintess Selena can verify the distinct biological differences."
The judges murmured, but the Chief Magistrate frowned, looking down at Selena, who stood under guard.
"The Court must note its skepticism. Saintess Selena has openly aligned herself with the Schuan Duchy throughout this dispute.
Her testimony lacks the absolute neutrality required by the High Court. "
A collective breath hitched in the courtroom. The logic was tilting back toward the Church.
"Then I shall offer the Court absolute, undeniable neutrality," Selena spoke up, her voice clear and echoing through the vaulted ceiling. She stepped forward, her eyes burning with an unshakeable resolve. "I request to take the Oath of Truth or Death."
The entire courtroom erupted into a collective, horrified gasp. Nobles leaned over the gallery railings, their faces pale.
The Oath of Truth or Death was an ancient, inhumane ritual bound by primordial magic; a curse that would literally stop a person's heart and end their life the exact second a single lie passed their lips and actions.
It was so brutal, so terrifying, that for over a century, criminals would rather choose lifetime imprisonment than dare touch it.
"Selena, no..." Esmeralda whispered, her brows furrowing in genuine worry for her friend.
Selena turned to Esmeralda, offering a serene, reassuring smile. "Do not worry, my lady. The truth has nothing to fear from death."
High Priest Daniel stared at Selena, his expression twisting into deep, venomous disappointment. "I am deeply disappointed in you, Saintess. To use such a barbaric, forbidden ritual in a sacred hall... God has truly chosen the wrong Saint."
Selena completely ignored him, keeping her eyes fixed on the judges.
The High Court panel quickly conferred, their strict legal minds unable to reject a test of such absolute certainty. "The request is granted," the Chief Magistrate decreed. "Prepare the ritual."
Under the watchful eyes of the judicial executioners, the ancient arrays were activated.
A heavy, dark mana wrapped around Selena's throat for a brief moment before settling deep into her chest. From this moment onward, until the trial was over, she could speak nothing but the absolute, unvarnished truth.
"The Oath is active," Selena declared, her voice carrying a heavy, supernatural resonance.
"Let it be known to this court: a standard Curias infection attacks only the physical tissue and can be entirely dissolved by divine purification magic.
Lilac's Disease, however, is a corruption that embeds itself directly into the biology and the soul.
No amount of holy power can cure it. Now, let the test begin. "
The court physicians moved forward. Under the tight grip of the executioners, a small needle drew a sample of Amaria's blood, sealing it in a glass vial.
The physician carefully poured a few drops of Amaria's blood into the first container holding a cockroach. In the second container, they placed a crushed roots of the Curias plant.
The courtroom held its breath.
As quick as the lesser organisms consumed what was in their respective containers, a horrifying transformation took place. Both cockroaches violently shivered, and deep, matted violet splotches erupted across their shells.
Selena stepped forward, raising her hands. A bright, golden light of divine purification spread from her palms, enveloping the second container. Within seconds, the purple spots on the cockroach exposed to the Curias plant faded away, its shell returning to a normal sheen.
Then, Selena turned her glowing hands toward the first container-the one holding Amaria's blood. She performed the exact same healing ritual. The holy light flared, washing over the insect over and over again.
But the purple spots did not fade. The insect convulsed and died, its shell completely marred by the immutable, necrotic violet plague.
The magic had failed. The blood was a permanent toxin.
A wave of utter shock rippled through the room. Murmurs escalated into panicked whispers as nobles stared at the iron box. How could the legendary Blessed Child's blood be so thoroughly tainted and foul?
High Priest Daniel staggered backward, his face turning entirely pale. "H-How could this happen... There must be a mistake-"
A sharp, ringing laugh cut through the chaos.
Everyone froze, their gazes snapping toward the podium.
It was Amaria. She was leaning against the iron bars, her head tilted back as a mocking, arrogant laugh poured from her lips. The utter composure and cold amusement on her face sent a shiver down the spines of everyone present.
"I mean, this is hilarious," Amaria giggled, wiping a fake tear from her eye as she looked at the stunned judges. "So what if my blood can make an insect develop a disease? It's not like I actually killed somebody, right!?"
She continued to laugh, a twisted, echoing sound that filled the silent courtroom. "Judge, surely I am not to be sentenced just because of what's in my blood? I haven't even killed anyone! You can't lock up a saint for a biological anomaly!"
The Chief Magistrate hesitated, his fingers trembling over his legal ledger. The rigidity of the law locked his hands; technically, without a proven corpse directly tied to her hands in this very hour, the charge of murder was legally difficult to solidify.
"Not yet," Esmeralda's voice sliced through the courtroom like ice.
She stepped toward the center of the floor, turning her sharp, piercing gaze away from Amaria and directly toward the packed galleries of the nobility.
"You haven't even killed anyone yet," Esmeralda repeated, her voice rising with absolute authority. "But are we going to wait until she finally has a victim before sentencing her? Are we going to wait until she takes an innocent life?!"
She spun around, her emerald eyes locking directly onto the Chief Magistrate. "Judge... will you wait until it is your own family that she harms?"
The weight of her words crashed into the courtroom. The realization of a walking, un-purifiable plague living among them shattered the public's remaining delusions.
A single voice in the crowd shouted, "Sentence her!"
Within seconds, another joined. Then another. Soon, the entire noble gallery and the guards at the doors began chanting in a deafening, rhythmic roar:
"Sentence her! Sentence her! Sentence her!"
The Chief Magistrate's resolve completely changed. The sheer threat to the empire's survival overrode all legal semantics. He struck his gavel down with a thunderous crack that silenced the room.
"Amaria Meadows, by the authority of the High Court of Justice, you are hereby stripped of your noble status and sentenced to a lifetime of imprisonment in the deepest subterranean cells of the empire, never to see the light of day again!"
Amaria's arrogant smile instantly vanished. Her face soured into a dark, ugly mask of pure rage as the cheering erupted throughout the courtroom. Nobles clapped, and a sense of profound relief washed over the hall.
Esmeralda, however, only furrowed her brows, her eyes staring intensely at the iron box. The victory felt hollow, a lingering instinct whispering that a cornered beast was at its most dangerous.
A steady, warm hand landed firmly on her shoulder. She looked up to see Rael standing beside her, his expression soft but grounded. "It's finally over," he whispered.
"Yeah..." Esmeralda answered in a soft, exhausted tone.
"Your Highness, it's urgent," a royal guard suddenly approached Rael from behind, whispering quickly into his ear.
Rael's expression sharpened. He turned to Esmeralda, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I'll be right back. Stay right here."
As Rael stepped away to speak with the guard, the judicial executioners stepped into Amaria's box to transfer her into heavy transport shackles.
Amaria thrashed, screaming insults, but as the iron locks were being untangled and switched, the guard handling her key stumbled under her frantic movements.
A single heavy shackle unlocked and fell to the floor with a loud clang.
Seeing her final opening, Amaria's eyes went completely wild. With a feral shriek, she bolted out of the box, slamming her own wrist against the sharp iron edge of the cage to purposely slice her skin open. Blood began to drip heavily from her hand.
She lunged directly toward Esmeralda, her bloody hand outstretched, aiming straight for Esmeralda's mouth. If I am going down, I will drag you to hell with me!
"Die-!" Amaria screamed.
Shocked by the sheer speed of the assault, Esmeralda instinctively raised her left hand to shield herself, closing her eyes tightly as she braced for the impact.
An utter, suffocating silence immediately followed.
No impact came. The chaotic shouting of the courtroom vanished into a deathly stillness.
Slowly, Esmeralda opened her eyes.
Amaria was frozen in thin air, suspended a mere inch away from her face. The dark crimson drops of blood dripping from her sliced wrist were entirely suspended in the atmosphere, completely unable to reach the floor or Esmeralda's lips.
Suddenly, the hidden symbol on Esmeralda's left hand flared with an unearthly, blinding radiance. The dormant crest of the Goddess Serafim opened completely, and a magnificent, absolute ray of holy light engulfed the entire courtroom, forcing everyone to shield their eyes.
A grand, ancient voice-vast, omnipotent, and echoing from the heavens themselves-boomed through the sacred halls, bypassing human ears to speak directly to their souls:
"Amaria Meadows. You have disrespected the gift I presented to you.
The blessing I grant is meant only for my beloved children.
For your hubris, after your physical death, you will spend an eternity in the circle of souls within the underworld.
The blessing I have granted you will now spread to all my children, and no ounce of grace shall remain with you. Repent. Forever."
The intense, blinding light vanished as quickly as it had arrived.
The temporal freeze shattered. Amaria crashed heavily to the marble floor, gasping for air as a visible, radiant golden energy was violently sucked out of her body, flowing directly into the air above.
"No, no, no! No!!! NO!!! NO!! NO!!!" Amaria yelled out, her voice screeching into a raw, desperate panic.
She scrambled to her feet, but as she looked at her reflection in the polished marble, her face was completely stripped of its divine charm. Her skin looked dull, her features entirely ordinary, devoid of any allure or unnatural beauty. She was nothing more than an ordinary, unlovable person.
The massive ball of stolen blessing that had been drawn from her body hovered at the center of the high ceiling for a single, breathless second.
Then, with a beautiful, silent resonance, it burst outward, a golden wave of pure, divine grace cascading across the courtroom, through the walls, and spreading rapidly across the entire empire.
And in that exact moment, everyone felt it. The heavy, warm, and comforting touch of the Goddess' true blessing washed over every citizen, healing minor ailments and filling their hearts with profound peace.
Outside the high iron gates, the massive crowd of commoners erupted into ecstatic cheers and tears of joy, shouting to the heavens that the Goddess truly loved her children. The entire country began to rejoice.
Everyone, except Amaria.
She stood frozen in the center of the courtroom, uncharming, unlovable, and utterly stripped of her lies. The judicial guards stepped forward, firmly clamping the iron gauntlets around her wrists and dragging her down into the dark, subterranean depths of the prison.
Esmeralda lowered her bare hand, watching the empty space where her rival had stood. Rael rushed back to her side, his arms wrapping around her waist to pull her close, but as she looked out the high windows at the sun breaking through the clouds, a serene, victorious smile finally graced her lips.
The villainess had rewritten the story, and the empire was finally safe.