"It’s amazing to have a criminal father, isn’t it, Melinda?" Clarise smiled playfully as she glanced at Melinda on her left.
Blue veins appeared on Melinda’s forehead at the taunt. She glared at Clarise and replied in a nonchalant tone, "It’s better to have a father like that than one who only dares to bully the weak. The moment he’s faced with someone stronger, he gets scared like a mouse meeting an ant."
She was clearly referring to the Singularity of Light. At the party, she had witnessed firsthand how the old man had trembled just because of a single threat from one of the subordinates of the Singularity of Chaos.
Clarise’s expression stiffened, and a flash of anger crossed her eyes. But she quickly suppressed it and let out a snort. "Humph! We’ll see how His Majesty decides this matter. I’m sure he won’t act unfairly. Otherwise, his reputation will be tarnished—and that’s not worth it."
Her gaze shifted to Ragan, who sat in the center, surrounded by the chief judges.
She was one hundred percent certain that Belfor would receive a severe punishment, and it would be a glorious sight to witness.
Melinda’s expression remained calm as ever. She knew His Majesty would not step in to help her father.
Even so, she felt no worry. Her father had already prepared an escape plan. In fact, he was supposed to escape last night with the help of one of Nolan’s subordinates.
Unconsciously, her gaze landed on Nolan, sitting among the princes and princesses. But then, a soft voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Why are you looking at my son, Melinda? Do you need something from him? If so, I’ll deliver it."
Melinda snapped out of her reverie and turned her head toward the source of the voice—Isabella.
Meeting those violet eyes, Melinda suddenly felt as if she were being stripped bare and quickly averted her gaze.
"It’s okay. There’s no need," she replied indifferently.
Isabella blinked a few times, then gave a small nod. Unnoticed by Melinda, a faint, meaningful smile curved on her lips.
"Alright, everyone," Ragan’s majestic voice echoed through the courtroom. "Thank you for coming. As you all know, today is the day of the trial to determine whether Belfor Horven, the owner of the Red Obsidian Trading House, is guilty. With that, I declare the trial open!"
The atmosphere grew tense, and everyone wore unusually serious expressions.
To ordinary citizens, this trial might only be a display of the emperor’s justice—or lack thereof.
But for the princes, ministers, and concubines, it was a stage that would decide the course of the long-stalled struggle for the throne.
If Belfor were severely punished, Zarak would inevitably lose his crucial support, leaving him no choice but to withdraw from the struggle for the throne.
That would signal the other potential heirs to act quickly and eliminate their rivals—otherwise, they themselves could be eliminated.
"In that case," Ragan continued coldly, "summon the accused, Belfor Horven!"
In an instant, all eyes turned toward the door, anticipating the arrival of the man who had once been so haughty but now stood disgraced. Seconds ticked by, yet Belfor did not appear.
Logically, this made no sense. The prison guards had already brought him to the courthouse.
"What’s happening? Where is Belfor?" Ragan frowned. The five judges beside him exchanged uneasy, confused glances.
The princes were just as bewildered, especially Zarak, who was unaware of the plan between his mother and grandfather.
Just as confusion reached its peak, a soldier burst in, gasping for breath.
"Report to Your Majesty," he said, kneeling on one knee, his voice trembling. "Belfor Horven escaped last night!"
The words sent a ripple of horror through the room; everyone’s eyes widened.
"What did you say?" Ragan rose to his feet. "How is that possible? Didn’t I order him held in Thal’ren Prison? How could he escape?"
Thal’ren Prison was considered unbreakable. No one who entered could ever leave.
Guards patrolled every corner, and hundreds of magic circles crafted by Celestial mages were embedded throughout the facility.
That was why it was known as the "Eternal Prison."
"I don’t know, Your Majesty," the guard replied timidly. "The warders only discovered this morning that Belfor Horven was missing. They’ve already conducted a thorough search of the entire prison and surrounding area. I only reported it once they were absolutely certain he had disappeared from the Empire."
Ragan’s breath caught, and his teeth creaked softly. He had never expected something like this. If word got out, he would surely be held responsible.
As he had said before, Thal’ren Prison was impossible to break into. That left only one possibility—the inner palace itself had ordered Belfor’s release.
Who would dare do such a thing? he muttered to himself.
His gaze swept over the line of princes, then the concubines, before finally settling on Melinda, who looked as shocked as everyone else.
Taking a deep breath, he commanded, his voice tight with restrained anger, "Search the Empire for Belfor Horven! I don’t care if he’s dead or alive—bring him back!"
The soldiers in the courtroom snapped to attention and replied in unison, "As ordered, Your Majesty!"
Ragan then turned to Melinda. "Melinda, come to my study."
Without waiting for a response, he strode toward the back door and exited the courtroom.
Melinda didn’t dare hesitate and hurriedly followed, slipping out through the other door.
The prime minister and the other ministers departed first, followed by the concubines, princes, and princesses. Yet, their expressions were far from calm.
They could not comprehend how Belfor had managed to escape. There were only two possibilities—the Emperor himself had allowed it, or someone else had intervened.
Of the two, the first seemed more plausible. But judging by Ragan’s demeanor, it was clear he was not responsible.
In the end, no one truly knew the answer. Each left the courtroom with uneasy minds.
"Brother, what really happened? Why did Belfor escape?" Elina asked hesitantly.
Like the others, her thoughts were torn between two possibilities—either their father had orchestrated it, or someone else had acted in the shadows.
At first, she suspected their father, but after careful consideration, she dismissed the idea.
Their father would not be foolish enough to ruin his own reputation just to help Belfor, especially with the evidence of Belfor’s crimes already laid bare in court.
Nolan let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. "I don’t know. But..."
His gaze fell on his sister. "Be vigilant. After this, the struggle for the throne will intensify. You must rely on yourself."
Elina blinked in surprise but did not dare disregard his warning.
"I understand, brother!"