F-Rank Puppeteer!! But I'll be Queen, and I'm not a narcissist!!!!!-Chapter 224: Painful Betrayal

The girl called Crimson spent about ten minutes citing laws, and she’s really doing everything as formally as possible so I won’t have any chance.

"Now, before deciding the full sentence for the criminal, we invite four people close to her for a character judgment to evaluate her conduct... the first may enter..." She says this as I hear the sound of the door opening, and escorted by a shadow is Clarissa.

"Clarissa Nacht, you are one of the criminal’s closest attendants. What do you have to say? Remember that lying and omission are serious crimes of treason and can lead to your execution." I look at Clarissa, who lowers her head.

"S-She is a good master, d-doesn’t demand much from me, and usually I just work near her, s-so I don’t have that much contact, b-besides, now I serve the Esther mansion."

"S-So my contact with Evelyn-sama has decreased, and also I-I’ve served her for a short time, practically less than a year." Clarissa gives cowardly, evasive answers.

Not helping nor making things worse, everything too vague. I sigh—at least she didn’t say anything bad. I look at Crimson, who seems uninterested.

"Anything to add?"

"N-No..."

"Given the circumstances presented, I believe you are free... bring in the next one." She speaks as they bring someone who surprises me—Syl’Vyr. But this makes me feel a little better; if she speaks well of me, maybe it could reduce my punishment.

"You who are Evelyn’s direct servant, you have been called here to assess your master’s character. Tell us, how does she treat you?" When Crimson asks this, Syl’Vyr tenses up. I look at her, confused.

"W-Well... she is a... how should I say it... she is a great master..." Syl’Vyr’s vague answer confuses me even more and makes Crimson smile slyly, as if she’s found something.

"Oh, really? Then what do you think of her personality and actions? As a criminal, it must be shocking to know she cowardly killed her own father." She speaks as if I really did it.

’...S-Syl’Vyr doesn’t believe that nonsense, right?’ I look at Syl’Vyr, who avoids my gaze. She couldn’t know whether I did it or not because she was outside the Esther news, since Esther and I kept the secret about that dangerous stone. But even if Syl’Vyr doesn’t know, she should be on my side!!

"Evelyn... is a complicated master in that sense... I-I... think that in that regard maybe she isn’t such a good master... my companion Faye shares the same opinion, and we’ve discussed a few times how Evelyn can be... complicated."

"So, do you think Evelyn committed the crime? Considering her apparently complicated personality," Crimson asks maliciously.

"I... just say she’s somewhat cold... and too evasive... and maybe not who I expected her to be..." Syl’Vyr’s answers make me cry uncontrollably—it’s an unparalleled betrayal, even if she didn’t outright say yes.

It doesn’t matter if her answers are vague; they’re vague in a bad way, as if saying I’m a difficult person who could indeed kill her own father, which worsens the problem. I look at her, who doesn’t even have the courage to look me in the eye.

"You traitor..." I murmur furiously. I knew "Evelyn" had done something—she sabotaged my connection with the puppets. I was rebuilding the line that connects us, but it seems that was enough to destroy any loyalty.

"...Sorry, Evelyn..." Syl’Vyr apologizes, but all I feel is disgust for this traitor. I trusted her, I created her, and I treated her the best I could, and still she betrays me when I need her most.

’Esther was right...’ Esther always warned me about my puppets. I made them too alive, too problematic, and treated them too naturally.

’[You and Faye, get out, get out of here and never come back... if I see you again, I’ll destroy you...]’ I send this message to Syl’Vyr, the words filled with hatred and pain over this betrayal.

All she had to do was say I was a good master and leave, but she chose to betray me just because she’s not getting as much attention as before. How can I keep someone like that near me?

"I believe that’s enough. You may leave... the next witness would be the servant Eve, but she hasn’t arrived yet, and we are busy people, so let’s move to the last one. Hero Grace, what do you have to say?" Grace steps out from where she was and approaches.

"..." I look at her, unable to hide the tears of pain from being betrayed.

"I... think Evelyn was a strange person with a dangerous mindset. I’d like to believe I was wrong, but seeing that she killed her own father... I’m deeply disappointed."

"Her character seemed more pleasant and calm, but I always had some suspicions about her. Still, I don’t know her well enough to judge her." Grace says what she thinks is right, and it makes sense—we barely know each other.

"Excellent... you may leave now, Hero Grace. That is sufficient. As everyone here can see, even people somewhat close to Evelyn don’t see her as someone with a trustworthy character."

’...’ Crimson smiles, rubbing in my face how I was betrayed by those I trusted. If Syl’Vyr had spoken well of me, Grace’s words would have carried little weight. But with Syl’Vyr being so close to me, she painted the worst picture.

And she knows—Syl’Vyr knew. She came here without any surprise, so someone had already told her what was happening. It wasn’t a slip of choice; she had time to think and chose to betray me, even knowing everything.

"Since we are all busy people here, I want to finish this shortly. Regarding the Demon King’s position and its duties, they will be shared among his children." Crimson waves the papers in her hands as she speaks.

"With each of the children receiving a portion of the Demon King’s duties, and the remainder will be handled by people the Demon King had already selected for emergencies."

"The Demon King’s death will not affect the competition’s proceedings, and the war against the angels will remain unchanged, as will the treaty with humans, which has already been concluded."

"In the end, when the competition for the throne concludes, one of the six will be chosen as the new Demon King, taking the place of the now deceased Demon King. Evelyn, as a criminal who confessed to her crime, has maintained her right to compete for the throne, so she is still eligible to compete."

"Evelyn’s punishment, considering everything that happened, will be imprisonment and torture in the dungeons for three months. However, considering her marriage to Esther Ashcroft, no additional punishment will occur."

"Since it would unfairly affect a strong candidate for the throne, which goes against the rules, Evelyn will not suffer asset forfeiture, as she possesses nothing that does not belong to Esther."

"The death of the Demon King and today’s decisions will be added to the Royal Record, where any current or future citizen, noble or commoner, may look and see what happened and how the judgment proceeded, to a certain extent."

"And as final punishment, Evelyn Ashcroft will be added to the records as the cowardly traitor who assassinated the Demon King, and she will forever carry this dishonor, even in future generations..." As much as it might not seem like a big deal.

Being added negatively to the royal records is horrible. It’s a stigma that will affect any generation of my descendants in the future—my children suffering for it, my children’s children, and so on, until they decide it no longer matters.

Besides, whenever anyone on the street sees me, the judgmental and disgusted looks will be something I have to deal with. Even Esther won’t be able to protect me from public disdain and hatred.

"I declare this judgment concluded. Everyone is free to go, except the shadows and three of the nobles, who will stay here to properly organize everything that happened and prepare the Demon King’s funeral."

"Take the prisoner away!" Crimson orders the shadows, who grab me by the arms and start dragging me. I don’t even resist—there’s no point in resisting. All I do is look at Grace, who looks at me with disappointment.

And at Syl’Vyr, who won’t meet my eyes. That damned coward knows what she did—knows she betrayed me.

"I never want to see you again in my life! You damned traitor!" I scream at Syl’Vyr, whose tail and ears are drooping.

"I HOPE YOU DIE!!" I scream at her as they pull me harder, my tail hitting the floor aggressively from the stress. Even though I could sacrifice Syl’Vyr and Faye and give their abilities to Eve, I don’t do it.

Because deep down, they were people I trusted. I truly believed we would stay together forever. How could they betray me like this? Life is truly so unfair. If it weren’t for "Evelyn" breaking our connection, I could have stopped her.

"Hic..." I can no longer hold back my tears. Worse than being framed was being betrayed by Syl’Vyr, someone I created and shared many moments with.

I never thought a puppet could betray me, even though Esther had told me before that no puppet that thinks for itself is trustworthy. I still believed they were my companions.

And it seems even Faye, who is always with Syl’Vyr, chose to betray me. Fate really hates me with all its might.