Read Novel Full Chapter 578: The Trial 3
Chapter 578: The Trial 3
The elderly judicial official adjusted the document in his hands and looked out across the Great Hall.
The silence was absolute.
Thousands of eyes were fixed upon him.
He glanced briefly toward the Empress.
She gave a single nod.
The elder straightened his posture.
Then he began.
His voice was clear and powerful, carrying effortlessly throughout the enormous chamber.
“By the authority vested in the Imperial Court of Lechia and under the laws governing treason, conspiracy, and crimes against the state, Prince Khan of Lechia stands accused of the following offenses.”
A wave of tension swept through the hall.
The elder looked toward the trial box.
Khan stood motionless.
His face pale.
His eyes fixed on the floor.
The elder continued.
“First charge.”
His voice echoed.
“Conspiracy with enemies of the Empire.”
The crowd erupted immediately.
“TRAITOR!”
“SHAME!”
“DEATH TO HIM!”
Boos thundered throughout the hall.
The guards tightened their grip on their weapons as the citizens rose from their seats in outrage.
The elder waited patiently until the noise settled.
Then he continued.
“Evidence gathered by the Imperial Intelligence Division confirms repeated communication between the accused and agents of the usurpers.”
The crowd exploded once more.
Several citizens pointed furiously toward Khan.
A woman near the front burst into tears.
Her husband had died fighting the usurpers.
To know that the prince had secretly aided them felt like a knife through the heart.
The elder raised his voice.
“Second charge.”
The hall quieted.
“Aiding hostile forces during a time of war.”
The reaction was even worse.
People shouted curses.
Some demanded immediate execution.
Others screamed for the trial to end and the sentence to be carried out immediately.
The anger was becoming increasingly difficult to contain.
The elder continued regardless.
“Through direct and indirect actions, the accused provided assistance which contributed to enemy operations against allied nations and Imperial interests.”
The crowd roared.
Even some nobles looked visibly disgusted.
Military officers exchanged dark looks.
Many of them had lost soldiers because of those enemy operations.
To discover that their own prince had helped the enemy was unforgivable.
The elder proceeded.
“Third charge.”
The hall slowly quieted.
“Providing classified information to hostile organizations.”
The roar that followed shook the very walls.
King Alden Highmoor narrowed his eyes.
The Emperor of Rus remained expressionless.
The King of Blackmare’s jaw tightened slightly.
Even the visiting monarchs understood the seriousness of such a crime.
The elder continued.
“The accused knowingly shared sensitive information regarding military deployments, political movements, and strategic decisions.”
The crowd nearly lost control.
A veteran soldier rose to his feet.
“My brothers died because of leaks!”
His voice cracked with rage.
“And this bastard was responsible!”
Others joined him.
The fury spreading through the chamber became almost tangible.
The elder waited once more.
Then he resumed.
“Fourth charge.”
His voice became even heavier.
“Actions resulting in the deaths of Imperial citizens and soldiers.”
For a moment, there was silence.
Then came an explosion of pure outrage.
The loudest yet.
People shouted.
People cried.
Some openly wept.
The charge struck differently from the others.
This wasn’t merely betrayal.
This involved blood.
Real lives.
Real deaths.
The elder’s voice remained steady.
“The investigation has determined that intelligence and assistance provided by the accused directly contributed to operations resulting in substantial loss of life.”
Several citizens had to be restrained by guards as they attempted to surge forward.
The trial box’s protective formations glowed brighter.
The atmosphere had become dangerous.
Khan remained silent.
He didn’t attempt to defend himself.
He didn’t deny anything.
He simply stood there.
Enduring the hatred of the people.
The elder continued reading.
“Fifth charge.”
“Treason against the Empire of Lechia.”
The words landed like thunder.
The crowd erupted again.
Everyone knew what that charge meant.
It was the highest crime in the empire.
The one offense that stood above all others.
The crime from which there was almost never any return.
The elder raised the document slightly.
“The accused knowingly and willingly acted against the interests of the Empire, its people, its military, and its sovereign.”
The Great Hall became a storm of fury.
“TRAITOR!”
“EXECUTE HIM!”
“HE DESERVES DEATH!”
“FOR LECHIA!”
The chants spread rapidly.
Thousands joined in.
The entire chamber seemed to shake beneath the collective outrage of the people.
Even many nobles remained silent.
Few looked sympathetic.
Most appeared resigned.
The evidence gathered over the past three days had been overwhelming.
The elder finally reached the end of the document.
He lowered it slowly.
Then he spoke the final words.
“These are the charges brought before this court against Prince Khan of Lechia.”
The hall remained chaotic for several moments.
Then gradually the noise began to fade.
One by one, people returned to their seats.
The shouting diminished.
The anger remained.
But now it simmered beneath the surface.
The elder stepped back.
His duty was complete.
The charges had been read.
The crimes had been presented.
Every person in the Great Hall now understood exactly why the heir of Lechia stood in chains.
The elder turned toward the throne and bowed.
Then all eyes shifted toward the Empress.
The ruler of Lechia sat silently upon her throne.
Her expression revealed nothing.
Yet everyone knew what made this moment so painful.
Those charges had not been read against a stranger.
They had been read against her son.
And now, for the first time since the trial began, the entire hall waited to hear what would come next.
The Great Hall then went silent after the charges had been read.
The weight of the accusations hung heavily in the air.
Conspiracy.
Aiding the enemy.
Providing classified information.
Causing the deaths of countless citizens and soldiers.
Treason.
Any one of those charges alone could have destroyed a noble house.
Together, they formed a mountain from which there was no escape.
The elderly judicial official stepped back.
Another elder, one who served as the presiding authority of the court, rose from his seat and approached the center of the chamber.
His expression was stern.
His voice carried throughout the hall.
“Prince Khan of Lechia.”
The accused slowly lifted his head.
For the first time since entering the trial box, he looked directly at the proceedings.
The elder continued.
“You have heard the charges brought against you.”
The hall became utterly silent.
“In accordance with the laws of Lechia, you are hereby given the opportunity to respond.”
He paused.
Then asked the question everyone had been waiting for.
“How do you plead?”
The elder’s voice echoed throughout the chamber.
“Guilty or not guilty?”
The silence that followed felt endless.
Many expected him to claim manipulation.
Some thought he would blame the usurpers.
Others believed he would beg for mercy.
The anticipation was suffocating.
Then Khan laughed.
The sound was low at first.
Almost quiet.
But as it continued, it grew louder.
And louder.
And louder.
The laughter echoed throughout the Great Hall.
The crowd immediately became unsettled.
The nobles frowned.
The rulers exchanged glances.
Even Lucas narrowed his eyes.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
The laughter finally stopped.
Khan slowly raised his head.
A twisted smile had appeared on his face.
It was the first genuine expression he had shown all day.
And it horrified everyone who saw it.
The shame that had appeared earlier was gone.
The regret was gone.
Only hatred remained.
Pure hatred.
The elder frowned.
“Answer the question.”
Khan looked around the hall.
At the nobles.
At the citizens.
At the soldiers.
At the rulers.
His smile widened.
“Guilty.”
The entire hall froze.
Nobody had expected such a direct admission.
Even the judicial elders seemed momentarily surprised.
Khan continued.
“Guilty of all of it.”
A wave of murmurs spread through the chamber.
The crowd stared in disbelief.
No defense.
No excuses.
No attempt to save himself.
He had simply confessed.
The elder maintained his composure.
“You admit to every charge presented before this court?”
Khan laughed again.
“Every single one.”
The murmurs grew louder.
Then his expression darkened.
His eyes suddenly filled with venom.
The kind of hatred that seemed to have consumed his entire soul.
And then he spoke.
“You fools.”
The hall fell silent.
His voice dripped with contempt.
“You sit there acting righteous.”
His gaze swept across the crowd.
“You cheer.”
“You celebrate.”
“You think you’ve won.”
The citizens immediately began shouting again.
But Khan ignored them.
“You are all blind.”
His voice rose.
“Every one of you.”
The judicial elder banged his staff against the floor.
“Control yourself.”
Khan simply laughed.
“You deserve what’s coming.”
The statement immediately caused an uproar.
The crowd erupted.
“What did he say?!”
“Kill him!”
“Execute him now!”
Khan’s smile only widened.
“You deserve to die.”
The words echoed through the chamber.
Cold.
Cruel.
Deliberate.
The crowd exploded into chaos.
Thousands were now shouting.
Several people attempted to rush forward before soldiers restrained them.
The formations surrounding the trial box flared brightly.
The judicial elder was forced to shout for order.
Yet Khan continued speaking.
“You think Lechia will survive?”
His eyes gleamed with madness.
“You think your armies can save you?”
He began laughing again.
A disturbing laugh.
“The usurpers will burn this world.”
The rulers seated near the throne became noticeably more attentive.
Khan looked completely unhinged now.
His loyalty to the usurpers ran far deeper than anyone had imagined.
“They are stronger than you know.”
His gaze swept across the hall.
“Every kingdom.”
“Every empire.”
“Every ruler.”
His smile became savage.
“All of you will fall.”
The crowd’s fury reached new heights.
Yet Khan wasn’t finished.
Then his eyes moved toward the throne.
Toward the Empress.
The room suddenly grew quieter.
Everyone followed his gaze.
Mother and son looked at one another.
The Empress remained completely still.
Her expression never changed.
Khan’s face twisted with hatred.
A hatred so intense that many could scarcely believe they were looking at the same prince they had once known.
Then, in an act that shocked the entire kingdom—
He spat.
The spit flew across the floor in the direction of the throne.
It never reached the Empress.
A guard’s barrier intercepted it instantly.
But that didn’t matter.
The insult itself was enough.
Gasps filled the hall.
Several nobles stood abruptly.
The commoners erupted into outrage.
The rulers themselves looked visibly shocked.
Even Lucas’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
The girls beside him looked furious.
Princess Nyx’s expression darkened.
Henrietta clenched her fists.
Selene looked utterly disgusted.
Even the Ice Belle appeared momentarily surprised.
As for the Empress—
She simply stared at him.
No anger.
No tears.
No visible reaction.
And somehow, that was far more terrifying.
Because in that moment, many realized something.
The son she loved was gone.
Whatever remained standing inside that trial box was no longer the Prince of Lechia she had raised.
The realization settled over the Great Hall like a funeral shroud.
And for the first time since the trial had begun, many people no longer saw a tragic prince standing before them.
They saw a traitor.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
The hall slowly fell silent once again.
All eyes shifted toward the throne.
Waiting.
Watching.
Wondering how the Empress would respond to the final insult from her own son.