No One Is More Ruthless Than Anyone Else

Confess? Confess to what?

The assembled officials exchanged glances. Weren’t they supposed to be interrogating Ethan Chen for insulting Ninth Royal Uncle? The evidence and witnesses were clear; what else was there to confess? Had Ethan Chen been beaten senseless and was now trying to drag others down with him?

Everyone looked at Marquis Sutton with deep sympathy. With a son like this, no wonder disaster had struck.

On any other day, they might have helped out a little, but with Ninth Royal Uncle, the Grand Preceptor, the Grand Protector, and the Minister of Justice all present, there was nothing they could do.

The Chief Justice of the High Court was about to assert his authority, but Ethan Chen didn’t need prompting. He rattled off a confession, but it had nothing to do with insulting Ninth Royal Uncle—instead, he spilled everything about Shunning Marquis Manor’s plot to frame Simon Sun.

The Sixth Young Lady of Shunning Marquis Manor had an illicit affair and was diagnosed as pregnant by Simon Sun. She and her lover tried to frame Simon Sun, intending to silence him, but were stopped by the household.

The family didn’t want the scandal of the Sixth Young Lady’s affair exposed, so they went along with the story that Simon Sun had raped her, driving her to suicide. Ethan Chen sobbed, repeatedly apologizing to Simon Sun.

Finally, after much anguish, he declared that although the charge of raping a noblewoman was grave, at least it would spare a life. Shunning Marquis Manor had no other choice but to take this desperate measure. He begged the officials and Miss Feng to forgive them, saying the whole household had been tormented day and night by guilt. They were willing to bear all the blame and kowtow to Simon Sun in apology.

If she hadn’t known the truth, Serena might have believed Ethan Chen’s story. It matched her original deduction and would clear Simon Sun’s name. But now, she only felt deeper contempt for Shunning Marquis Manor.

A bunch of fools who won’t cry until they see the coffin—facing death, still refusing to admit the truth. Did they think sacrificing a pawn would save the king? Dream on! Serena watched coldly, unmoved by anything Ethan Chen said.

After Ethan Chen finished his confession, the court scribe drafted the official statement and presented it to the three High Court judges. After confirming there were no errors, the judges passed it to Ninth Royal Uncle’s group. Ninth Royal Uncle didn’t even glance at it, letting the other officials review instead.

Ethan Chen’s confession was flawless on the surface—not a single loophole, clear and organized, all weaknesses washed away, and the admission of guilt was straightforward.

This was obviously Shunning Marquis Manor’s final strategy. With no other options, they simply confessed. That way, not only could they save face for the marquisate, but Serena might also drop the matter.

A young lady having an affair was far better than the uncle and cousin raping the Sixth Young Lady. But if Shunning Marquis Manor thought they could get away with it, Serena and Ninth Royal Uncle would never agree.

The Grand Preceptor, Grand Protector, and Minister of Justice finished reading and handed the confession back to the Chief Justice, finding nothing amiss. The Chief Justice breathed a sigh of relief and was about to deliver the verdict when Serena stepped forward, unhurried: "My lords, I have evidence here that proves everything Young Master Chen said is false. The Sixth Young Lady of Shunning Marquis Manor never had an affair."

With that, she produced the evidence Nolan had collected and had the bailiff deliver it.

At first, the Chief Justice thought Serena had lost her mind—Shunning Marquis Manor had already confessed, Simon Sun was proven innocent, what was she causing a scene for? But as soon as he saw Serena’s evidence, his face changed dramatically.

"Take a look yourselves," the Chief Justice said, motioning for the Left and Right Deputy Justices to come forward. Their expressions turned just as ugly, and the Right Deputy couldn’t hold back, cursing, "Animals!"

The Grand Preceptor, Grand Protector, and Minister of Justice were also intrigued by Serena’s evidence. The Minister of Justice was unfazed—he’d seen every kind of case in his department. Raping a niece or sister was bad, but there were even cases of men raping their own daughters or daughters-in-law.

Cases like these usually only came to light after the woman died or when outsiders discovered the truth. Almost never did a victim come forward to accuse anyone.

It always comes back to the same thing: women are too weak, and chastity is everything. When faced with this kind of ordeal, they either kill themselves or endure in silence—there’s no other path.

After reviewing the evidence, the officials considered the case seriously. None had expected Shunning Marquis Manor’s affairs to be so tangled and filthy. The Left and Right Deputy Justices called for harsh punishment for the uncle and cousin who raped the Sixth Young Lady. The Chief Justice, ever steady, calmly said, "A single diary from the Sixth Young Lady can’t prove the case. These items may be personal effects of Victor Sutton and Eric Sutton, but they’re nothing special. Isn’t this evidence a bit weak?"

"The Chief Justice is right. We must be careful—this concerns the reputation of Shunning Marquis Manor. If we make a mistake, the marquisate’s honor will be ruined." If they mishandled the case, they’d get nothing but trouble; Shunning Marquis Manor would never let it go.

The three High Court judges hesitated, looking to Ninth Royal Uncle and the others. If any of those four gave the word, they could open the case without worry—even if nothing came of it, it wouldn’t be their responsibility.

Ninth Royal Uncle knew the Chief Justice was being crafty. This time, he didn’t dodge, saying, "If the evidence isn’t enough, then go find more. Since we have the Sixth Young Lady’s diary, summon the suspects to court."

In other words, the Chief Justice was free to investigate as he liked—if anything went wrong, Ninth Royal Uncle would take the blame.

With Ninth Royal Uncle’s backing, the Chief Justice had nothing to fear. He immediately ordered the arrest of Victor Sutton and Eric Sutton—the two men accused of raping the Sixth Young Lady.

When Serena produced the evidence, Marquis Sutton and Ethan Chen both fainted on the spot. They knew Shunning Marquis Manor’s last shred of dignity was gone. Serena’s strike was merciless—she left them no way out.

Victor Sutton and Eric Sutton were quickly brought into court. Their once-arrogant attitudes vanished when they saw their collapsed brother and Ninth Royal Uncle’s group—they were instantly terrified.

"M-my lords, your humble servants greet you." Without waiting for the bailiff’s command, both men dropped to their knees with a thud.

With his preconceived notions, the Chief Justice had no sympathy for the two men. He threw the evidence in front of them and barked, "Do you admit your guilt?"

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The two scrambled to examine the evidence; the more they looked, the paler they became. No matter how much of a wastrel they were, they understood the gravity of the situation. If it stayed hidden, it was just another dead woman—if exposed, it would be a family scandal. No way would they confess.

"We’re innocent, my lords! We’re innocent!" Victor Sutton, nearly forty, was addicted to women and acted frivolous, but he wasn’t stupid.

"Innocent? If you claim innocence, are those items on the ground yours?" It was normal for suspects to protest their innocence—after all, not everyone was as cowardly as Ethan Chen. Of course, if he hadn’t been caught red-handed by Ninth Royal Uncle, he wouldn’t have confessed so easily.

"My lord, those things are indeed mine, but I often visit brothels. At Spring Flower Pavilion, I’ve kept a courtesan for years. It’s no surprise my personal items got out—men aren’t like women, our belongings aren’t so private." Victor Sutton argued, and Eric Sutton quickly agreed, insisting he’d lost plenty of personal things himself.

"And what about the diary entries and the marks on your bodies? Are those fake too?" The Chief Justice wasn’t bothered by suspects refusing to confess—he’d already said the evidence was weak, and it was true.

Victor Sutton looked terrified, but his eyes were cunning. When the Chief Justice pressed him, he quickly replied, "My lord, everything in the diary is made up, and as for the marks, just ask my maid or any woman I’ve slept with. My lord, please investigate thoroughly—we may not be as powerful as before, but we can still buy maids and concubines. How could we possibly do something so vile?"

They refused to admit anything, even under threat of death. With no living witness, no one could touch them. Victor Sutton and Eric Sutton were resolute; Eric Sutton, desperate to clear his own name, even resorted to slandering the dead.

"My lord, my Sixth Younger Sister had an affair with a servant and was discovered by the Little Divine Doctor Simon Sun. She killed herself out of shame. She may not have been a good person, but she was still a young lady of our manor—how could we let her die with a stain on her name? We had no choice but to pin it all on Simon Sun. My lord, we confess, we confess." Eric Sutton was nothing if not clever; with just a few words, he distanced himself from raping his own cousin and insisted the Sixth Young Lady had an affair.

Both sides stuck to their stories, and the evidence Serena presented wasn’t strong enough. The Chief Justice was in a bind—using torture would be excessive, and until the Emperor decreed the loss of their titles, they were still a marquisate.

The three judges bowed their heads in discussion, but after a long while, they still couldn’t come up with a solution. The suspects weren’t ordinary people—if they forced a confession, they’d lose their posts for sure.

Serena knew that if she wanted to clear the Sixth Young Lady’s name, she had to take that final step. She stepped forward, interrupting the judges: "My lords, the evidence against Shunning Marquis Manor for framing Simon Sun is conclusive, and they’ve admitted it. Technically, I shouldn’t interfere, but as a woman, I can’t bear what the Sixth Young Lady suffered in that household. Please, give me a chance to prove her innocence."

Simon Sun’s case was already settled—Serena had cleared him of all suspicion. Technically, she had no right to intervene in Shunning Marquis Manor’s affairs, but her words were reasonable. As a fellow woman, Serena’s desire to defend the Sixth Young Lady was understandable.

"What do you propose?" The Chief Justice pondered for a moment, then agreed to Serena’s request.

No matter what, it was Serena who had unearthed the whole case against Shunning Marquis Manor—her involvement was justified.