16. A Decision To Make (1)

"Sister?" Rune wondered as he stared at the Duke and Silas.

"Wait, what?" I asked.

"Wait, Young Miss and Young Master, you don't know?" Viscount asked looking at us.

"Know what?"

"Archmage Fairisles is your maternal uncle."

"Fairisles?"

"Silas Fairisles of East Marquessate." Duke Arthur clarified and I looked at Silas.

"Care to let go now?" Silas asked and Duke let go of his collar before he turned to me.

"Reina, he didn't do anything to you, right? Did he hurt you?"

"What do you take me as, Duke?"

"A child abductor."

"I didn't abduct her."

"You took her without my permission."

"I simply offered her my assistance as unlike you she seems to have the potential of not letting your Duchy get ruined."

"You're the one to say who refused to take your inheritance and went to the Mage's Tower."

"I built my own strength."

"I built my own strength too."

Silas scoffed, "Says the one who didn't even have the courage of facing my father."

The two adults started bickering and Viscount tried to get them to stop but failed as they didn't even seem to be paying attention to their surroundings.

I and Rune exchanged a glance before I sighed and activated my Dragon's Presence on full scale making the two go quiet before looking at me.

"Excuse my ignorance, I had no idea that you were our uncle." I said and Silas relaxed a little.

"Reina..." Duke made a sad puppy face making me sigh.

"Let's have lunch together, Father." His face brightened up a little.

"Yes."

I requested Silas and Darren to join in and the Duke and even Rune glared at them.

"Maybe next time," Silas said and pulled out a brooch with glinting white crystal from his robe and placed it in my hand.

"You can use this to contact me when you need me."

I looked at the brooch and was impressed as there were communication devices in this world. He told me that I just needed to put a little bit of my mana into the brooch and it would alert him immediately.

"I'll see you soon." He said before he walked over to Darren and the two teleported away.

I stared at the brooch and couldn't help the smile. If they could make such things with magic stones then I could expect some good gains from this deal.

The next day, I walked up to the library where I had a guest waiting.

I entered and the man inside stood up along with Rune and Duke Arthur who were also present.

The man bowed to me, "Greetings to the Princess of Aurelius, I'm Baron Carl Wester, His Grace's attorney."

I curtsied, "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Baron. I'm Reina Aurelius."

After the greetings, we sat in the chairs with the tea, refreshments and the material of the case in front of us.

"First and foremost," I started, "Why didn't you ask for the ore to be examined?"

The Baron looked confused, "Pardon?"

"If it was to be proved that Count Stanson had committed a fraud then the one thing we had as an evidence was the ore he'd given us as a sample to sell the mine." I said as I placed my right leg over my left staring at him with cold eyes.

"Don't you think checking that ore should've been your first move?"

The Baron looked at a loss for words and then looked at Duke Arthur.

"I-It didn't occur to me, My Lady."

"I've checked the pleas that you made to the court from my father's side and to say how greatly disappointed I am..."

His face started going pale as I glared at him.

He hadn't been doing anything but spouting nonsense as how the Duke was a kind man and how he should be seen as a victim while presenting no actual physical evidence against Count Stanson.

"If you're unable to bring us victory then I suggest you get off this case." I declared sternly making him flinch.

"I-I've been handling the case for over two months, My Lady. And excuse my rudeness but, you're still a child so you won't know about the adult's affairs." He retorted and I tilted my head slightly.

"Adult's affairs... Like these?" I asked as I placed the papers that I had received from Viscount just the previous night.

"What is this?" Baron Wester picked up the papers and suddenly his eyes went wide.

It was a good thing that I asked Viscount to perform a deep background check on this guy while giving him the other instructions.

"Th-This... How do you have this?" He gasped and I picked up my teacup.

"You think it's easy to hide your affairs?" I asked and then smirked as I shook my head.

"I don't know about a good deed but a bad deed surely leaves a trace. Just like yours." I pointed at the papers making his hands tremble.

"Reina, what are you saying?" Rune asked.

"Baron has a huge debt from his gambling habit and only until recently he was able to pay back his interest. How did he receive so much money at once?" I asked and then looked at Duke Arthur.

"Not from you, Father." I said and he looked at Baron Wester.

"You were purposely delaying, right? So, what was the deal between Count Stanson and you?" I asked.

"There was no deal." Baron Western said and I sighed placing the teacup down and picked up the letter opener from the table.

"What was the deal between you and Count Stanson, Baron Wester?" I asked again.

"I told you there was no-" I shot the letter opener at him only missing a few inches from his head.

The letter opener shuddered as it stayed lodged into the back of the chair and Baron sat frozen in his seat. Even Duke and Rune who saw it were shocked.

I was at the top of my batch when it came to my sniping and aiming skills, even though there weren't any guns in this world yet, darts and similar objects were a fair deal.

"I don't have time to waste, one more lie and I won't miss." I warned as I picked up a knife that was on the next table making the Baron gulp.

"Y-You think you can scare me like this? I-I'll tell everyone just how much of a brute the Duke's daughter is!" Baron squeaked and I tilted my head aiming at him again making him flinch.

"What are you going to say after you lose your life, Baron? Once you're dead there's no such thing as honour or justice or payback. It's only death." I said ominously making the Baron swallow.

"Are you going to answer quietly or do I have to think of where to dump your body?"

Rune and Duke Arthur stared at me with the expressions that felt as if they were looking at a stranger.

These techniques were still harmless and wouldn't even scratch the surface of the ones that I had used for interrogation in my past life. This bastard was lucky he met me here.

"Y-You will-"

Swoosh.

Stab.

The knife lodged on the other side of Baron's head by a few inches but this time I made sure that I nicked his ear. He was stunned for a moment before he touched his ear and saw the blood. He panicked as he started shouting and I leaned ahead.

"Don't test my patience here. You've fooled my father enough so, you better answer the questions."

Baron stared at me with wide, terrified eyes before he flinched as I leaned ahead to pick up my teacup again.

"Start speaking." I ordered and he licked his lips.

"C-Count Stanson gave me money to make sure that..." His eyes drifted over to the Duke.

"That... the case would be delayed as long as it could and the Duke wouldn't have any means of paying his debt back."

"And why would he do that?" I asked.

"Be-Because when the Duke would be too much in debt then Count Stanson would buy off Duke's title and his mansion and everything."

Rune and Duke Arthur were shocked but I wasn't, I had calculated this possibility since this world was based on hierarchy.

The higher your status the more respect you would have in society and by comparison between a Count and Duke it was obvious who would be given priority.

"I-I had no choice, I was having my own debts so, I... agreed." He hung his head.

"How dare you!" Duke shouted as he gripped the Baron's shirt.

"I trusted you to aid me and you betrayed me like this!"

"Father, calm down." Rune held Duke's hand before looking at me.

"What do we do now, Reina?" He asked me and I sighed before looking at the attorney.

"I-I'm sorry, My Lady and Your Grace..."

I pulled out a pouch and tossed it at the attorney making him give me a quizzical look before he opened the pouch and his eyes went as wide as saucers.

"M-My Lady!"

"If you're working for him then you must also know of his secrets, right?" I asked and he pursed his lips.

"Y-Yes, My Lady." I smirked.

"The next hearing should be the last and Count should lose and if you failed to do so then..." I let the unspoken threat hang in the air and the Baron gulped.

"You understand what I mean?"

The Baron stood up and bowed to me with a pale face stuttering his answer.

"Ye-Yes, My Lady."