Chapter 73

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 73

Chapter Title: The Recording's Revelation

-----------------------------------------------------------------

‘What the hell is that?’

This doubt was shared by most of the people present.

The Emperor voiced the question on everyone's mind.

“What exactly is that thing, and why bring it out now?”

Hilia smiled softly as she replied.

“It’s evidence that will prove my innocence.”

“That crystal ornament?”

At first glance, it was just an ordinary crystal decoration—nothing special about it.

Everyone doubted how something like that could possibly serve as evidence.

And then, the moment Hilia pressed the round brass component attached to the ornament, it vanished cleanly.

Click.

With a faint sound, a strange light began to emanate from the ornament.

“Wh-what is it?”

“A magic tool?”

“She just activated an unidentified magic tool right in front of His Majesty?”

This was no trivial matter.

The knights rushed forward en masse to shield the Emperor.

But it soon became clear their reaction was excessive.

Because the magic tool showed no threatening response whatsoever.

Instead, something peculiar began to unfold.

Not just light, but sound started flowing from the crystal pillar-shaped magic tool.

People quickly caught on.

“Wait—this is Her Highness the Crown Princess’s voice, isn’t it?”

“Mrs. Philerne’s voice too. A conversation between them?”

“But they’re not talking right now, so how…?”

Everyone shot her puzzled looks, but Hilia simply kept her lips sealed with a smile.

In the meantime, the conversation continued pouring from the magic tool.

The content of the exchange was unmistakably clear.

It directly contradicted Mrs. Philerne’s testimony from moments ago on Evangeline’s behalf.

“Wait—if that’s true, then Mrs. Philerne didn’t steal Ruth Marquis’s Daughter’s dress design and give it to Her Highness the Crown Princess.”

“Exactly. It’s the opposite. She clearly introduced the atelier and recommended the design!”

“My god, then that earlier testimony was a blatant lie?”

“Shameless...”

“The dresses do share the same design. So doesn’t that mean the order was reversed?”

“Right! It means they deliberately made a similar dress for Her Highness the Crown Princess to match Ruth Marquis’s Daughter’s design!”

Sharp glares stabbed at Evangeline and Mrs. Philerne from every direction.

“Why go to such lengths...?”

“Why do you think? To push the narrative like they’re doing now.”

“Exactly. To claim Her Highness the Crown Princess copied Ruth Marquis’s Daughter’s dress.”

“They dug a trap and tried to flip the blame onto her instead?”

Evangeline’s so-called evidence had boiled down to nothing more than Mrs. Philerne’s word.

Now, irrefutable proof had emerged—one that led any listener to the same conclusion.

Which was more credible hardly needed stating.

And it came with a bonus effect.

“Besides, Mrs. Philerne’s tone... it’s too much, isn’t it?”

“Totally. So rude to Her Highness the Crown Princess. Acting like she’s somebody special.”

“As if she’s doing her a grand favor...”

“And then she has the gall to give false testimony? The nerve.”

By the time Hilia’s voice began emanating from the magic tool, Mrs. Philerne’s face had drained to a sickly blue.

She mounted a belated defense.

“It’s... it’s fabricated! This is a magic tool, isn’t it? It has to be a faked conversation conjured by magic!”

Evangeline, momentarily stunned, snapped back to reality.

“R-right. Your Majesty. We can’t just take this at face value...”

At that moment, Hilia cut her off.

“This is the latest magic tool I recently acquired by chance. It records conversations and plays them back. No manipulation features.”

Viscountess Philerne, Edith Philerne, bellowed.

“How are we supposed to believe that?!”

She was desperate.

It was far too late to turn back.

Failing to land even a scratch on Hilia here meant her own ruin.

Viscountess Philerne, on the verge of lashing out, flinched as her eyes met Hilia’s violet gaze—calmly looking down at her.

A chill ran through her, as if her entire body had frozen solid.

Just from that eye contact alone.

She felt like a mouse cornered before a predator.

An unbelievable shift.

Hilia seemed like an entirely different person.

No way, no way! That foolish, obedient girl—how did she turn into this... like a completely changed person...!

Of course, no one had actually swapped places with her.

So then... had Hilia’s attitude and speech from the very start all been an act?

A performance to manipulate her?

If so, how meticulously had she prepared? How long had she known about me?

Fear prickled down her spine.

While Mrs. Philerne stood frozen...

Hilia debunked the fabrication claim on the spot.

She fiddled with the magic tool’s controls, then addressed the Emperor.

“Please say anything at all, Father.”

She took care to say “Father” with extra warmth and affection.

It was necessary to emphasize her closeness with the Emperor a bit more than reality—to the onlookers.

Hilia appeared utterly at ease, but inwardly, she was on edge.

I have to nail this to wrap up the banquet perfectly.

No room for complacency until the very end.

All eyes were glued to the Emperor, the magic tool, Evangeline, and Mrs. Philerne.

Which meant no one noticed the one man sidelined from the spotlight, his face etched with dissatisfaction.

Of course, in this moment, nobody had.

Everyone’s attention was riveted on Hilia’s demonstration.

It was a riveting spectacle, after all.

“Never seen a magic tool like that. It stores sound? Could it store songs and play them back?”

“Not now. Proving the tool works is what matters. Hush.”

“Right. Once sound recording’s confirmed, it’s game over.”

Whispers rippled through the crowd.

The Emperor examined the device with fascination before speaking up.

“Does this truly capture conversations? Remarkable. What say you, Durin?”

The court mage had approached the Emperor’s side.

He was one-eyed, his lost sight replaced by a gem prosthetic that gave him a strikingly unique look.

The gem eye began to gleam.

“Hoo. This mana circuit activation method—it’s a truly novel concept...”

After thoroughly analyzing the unfamiliar magic tool, the court mage turned to Hilia with eyes alight.

“Your Highness, however did you come by this?”

“I happened to sponsor a highly creative and skilled magic engineer.”

“My word! I’d never have dreamed up something like this. To think such a talent is at Your Highness’s side... Hmm, and this part...”

Unprompted, he lavished praise on Hilia—then went further.

“Might you introduce me to that genius? I’d love to speak with them directly.”

The surrounding awe intensified.

Hilia had unearthed a talent capable of inventing something even the court mage marveled at.

The sight of the court mage earnestly pleading with her for an introduction was quite the image.

“A direct discussion could yield incredible breakthroughs! Please...”

“One moment. Let’s settle this first.”

Fearing the conversation might never end, Hilia activated the recorder.

She stopped the recording and hit play immediately.

The Emperor and court mage’s exchange began to play back.

It was the exact same dialogue everyone with ears had just heard.

There was a slight difference in audio quality, but not enough to obscure whose voices they were.

The tool faithfully reproduced the sounds from its vicinity without a doubt.

The court mage’s analysis droned on—details no one had paid attention to or remembered.

Hilia stopped the device once the proof was ironclad.

She spun around with a grin toward the spectators.

“Everyone’s confirmed it now, right? Contrary to Ruth Marquis’s Daughter’s claims, I neither stole nor copied her dress design.”

It was a smile of utter confidence—the grin of undeniable victory.