The Queen Mother stepped into the room.
Her gaze moved between Aurora and me.
Neither of us spoke.
The room felt suffocatingly silent.
Slowly, the Queen Mother raised her hand.
My heart immediately sank.
I already knew what was coming.
Another slap.
Another punishment.
Another accusation.
I slowly turned my face to the side and closed my eyes.
Waiting.
Bracing myself for the impact.
Beside me, Aurora stood calmly.
A small smile rested on her lips.
She clearly thought the same thing I did.
That the Queen Mother’s anger was directed at me.
But then—
SLAP!
The sound echoed throughout the room.
My eyes flew open.
For a moment, I thought I had imagined it.
Aurora stood frozen.
One hand pressed against her cheek.
Her eyes wide with disbelief.
I stared at her.
She stared at the Queen Mother.
Neither of us could understand what had just happened.
The Queen Mother’s hand trembled slightly.
Not from weakness.
From anger.
Pure anger.
“Aurora.”
Her voice was cold.
Colder than I had ever heard it before.
“How could you do something like this?”
Aurora’s eyes widened.
The Queen Mother took a step forward.
“How dare you steal from me?”
The moment those words left her mouth, my heart skipped a beat.
I froze.
Then a realization hit me.
She heard everything.
Aurora panicked immediately.
“N-No, Mother!”
She shook her head frantically.
“It isn’t what you think!”
“I can explain!”
The Queen Mother’s expression darkened even further.
Before Aurora could say anything else
SLAP!
The second slap was even louder than the first.
Aurora stumbled backward.
For the first time since I had met her…
She looked afraid.
Genuinely afraid.
The Queen Mother’s eyes burned with disappointment.
“I listened to your confession with my own ears.”
Her voice shook with fury.
“You framed your sister.”
“You stole an ancient scroll.”
“And you dared to manipulate this family for your own amusement.”
Aurora opened her mouth to speak.
But no words came out.
For once…
The great Aurora had nothing to say.
The Queen Mother’s grip on Aurora’s arm tightened.
Her expression remained cold.
“You have committed a serious crime.”
Aurora lowered her head.
For the first time, she looked completely powerless.
The Queen Mother continued.
“You stole something important from me.”
Her voice echoed throughout the room.
“Something important to this kingdom.”
She took another step forward.
“And worst of all…”
Her eyes narrowed.
“You allowed your own sister to take the blame for it.”
The room fell silent.
For a brief moment, the Queen Mother’s gaze shifted toward me.
I froze.
Part of me hoped she would finally say it.
That she was sorry.
Sorry for accusing me.
Sorry for refusing to listen.
Sorry for the slap.
But she said nothing.
Not a single word.
The silence hurt more than I expected.
Slowly, she looked away.
Then she grabbed Aurora by the arm and began dragging her toward the door.
“Mother!”
Aurora struggled.
“Please, listen to me!”
The Queen Mother ignored her.
“Mother!”
Aurora tried to pull away.
But it was useless.
No matter how much she resisted, the Queen Mother’s grip never loosened.
I stood there for a moment, watching.
Then curiosity got the better of me.
I quickly followed behind them.
The three of us left the room.
Aurora continued begging the entire way.
The Queen Mother remained silent.
Her face was unreadable.
As we stepped outside the palace, I immediately noticed something was wrong.
Servants had gathered nearby.
Guards were standing at attention.
And people were beginning to whisper among themselves.
Word had already started spreading.
Something told me this wasn’t going to remain a private family matter.
Not anymore.
The Queen Mother dragged Aurora out of the palace and toward the Trial Hall.
Despite Aurora’s attempts to resist, she was no match for the Queen Mother’s strength.
Within minutes, word had spread throughout the kingdom.
People began gathering.
Nobles.
Merchants.
Servants.
Knights.
Even ordinary citizens.
Everyone wanted to know what was happening.
I followed behind quietly, staying near the edge of the crowd.
When we finally entered the Trial Hall, the Queen Mother ordered the guards to bring Aurora to the center of the room.
The guards immediately obeyed.
Aurora stood alone beneath the gaze of hundreds of people.
For the first time since I had met her, she looked nervous.
I remained in a corner, silently watching everything unfold.
Whispers filled the hall.
“What’s going on?”
“Why has Princess Aurora been brought here?”
“Did she commit a crime?”
“I’ve never seen the Queen Mother this angry before.”
The murmuring continued to spread throughout the hall.
At the front of the room sat the judges, lawmakers, and high-ranking nobles of the kingdom.
The Queen Mother took her seat beside them.
The moment she sat down, the atmosphere became even heavier.
Then the Head Judge rose from his seat.
His voice echoed throughout the hall.
“Princess Aurora Ravencroft.”
The crowd immediately fell silent.
“You have been brought before the Queen Mother, the judges, the lawmakers, the nobles, and the people of this kingdom under charges of theft.”
The entire hall erupted.
Gasps echoed from every direction.
Some people stared in disbelief.
Others began whispering among themselves.
A few simply watched in silence.
Then one of the noblewomen stood from her seat.
She bowed respectfully before speaking.
“Your Majesty, esteemed judges, and honored lawmakers.”
She glanced toward Aurora.
“If I may ask…
what exactly did Princess Aurora steal?”
Before the Head Judge could answer, the Queen Mother slowly stood from her seat.
The moment she rose, the entire hall fell silent.
Even the whispers disappeared.
The Queen Mother’s voice rang throughout the room.
“She stole a very important scroll from my chambers.”
The crowd immediately reacted.
The Queen Mother continued.
“This was not an ordinary scroll.”
Her expression hardened.
“It contains valuable records and secrets regarding our kingdom.”
The hall became even quieter.
Then she spoke the words that truly shocked everyone.
“And after stealing it…”
She pointed directly at Aurora.
“She placed the blame on her elder sister.”
My heart skipped a beat.
The Queen Mother’s voice echoed through the hall.
“Princess Seraphina Ravencroft.”
The entire crowd exploded into chaos.
“What?!”
“She framed Princess Seraphina?”
“That’s impossible!”
“I knew something was strange!”
“No wonder there were rumors!”
The whispers, arguments, and shocked voices spread throughout the hall like wildfire.
And standing in the center of it all…
Aurora remained completely silent.
The Head Judge slowly rose from his seat.
The hall immediately fell silent.
His gaze settled on Aurora.
“Princess Aurora Ravencroft.”
His voice echoed throughout the Trial Hall.
“You have heard the accusations brought against you.”
He folded his hands behind his back.
“Do you have anything to say in your defense?”
For the first time since I had entered my own novel…
Aurora was speechless.
She opened her mouth.
Then closed it again.
No words came out.
The crowd erupted into whispers once more.
Some looked shocked.
Others looked disappointed.
Many simply stared.
After all, their beloved princess was standing trial for a crime she had actually committed.
The Head Judge waited patiently.
But Aurora remained silent.
Finally, he spoke again.
“Princess Aurora Ravencroft.”
His voice was firm.
“Since you refuse to defend yourself, this court will take your silence as an admission of guilt.”
Aurora slowly lifted her head.
Even from where I stood, I could see the sweat running down her face.
For the first time…
She looked afraid.
The Head Judge returned to his seat.
The judges and lawmakers began discussing among themselves.
The entire hall waited anxiously.
Minutes passed.
I watched Aurora standing alone in the center of the room.
No one came to help her.
No one came to defend her.
Then I looked around.
The same people who once admired her were now staring at her with disgust.
Some shook their heads.
Others refused to even look at her.
Eventually, the Head Judge stood once more.
The hall fell silent.
“The court has reached its decision.”
My heart began pounding.
Aurora looked up.
The Head Judge unfolded the document in his hand.
“Princess Aurora Ravencroft is hereby sentenced to five years of imprisonment within the kingdom’s dungeon.”
Gasps echoed throughout the hall.
The judge continued.
“Furthermore, due to the events that have transpired today, the Second Crown Trial shall be suspended until further notice.”
I stared in disbelief.
The Second Trial…
Cancelled?
What would happen now?
Before I could think further, the Head Judge raised his hand.
“Guards.”
“Take the prisoner away.”
The guards immediately stepped forward.
The moment their hands touched Aurora, she snapped.
“No!”
Her voice echoed throughout the hall.
She struggled violently.
“LET GO OF ME!”
The guards tightened their grip.
Aurora’s composure completely shattered.
“GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!”
Tears streamed down her face.
She looked around desperately.
“Veyrion!”
She screamed for her beast.
“Veyrion, save me!”
But beasts were not permitted inside the Trial Hall.
No answer came.
Panic overtook her.
“NO!”
She kicked and fought against the guards.
“MUMMY!”
Her voice cracked.
“MUMMY, PLEASE!”
The Queen Mother remained seated.
Her expression unreadable.
Aurora’s cries became more desperate.
“NO, PLEASE DON’T DO THIS TO ME!”
“MUMMY!”
“MUMMY, PLEASE!”
The guards dragged her toward the exit.
Her screams echoed throughout the Trial Hall.
And for the first time…
Princess Aurora Ravencroft looked exactly like what she truly was.
A criminal being led to her punishment.
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