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"No… your Highness, I…" the Viscountess was speechless. 

She turned to the other nobles who were in the room, hoping someone would help her. She hoped someone would put in a good word for her. But everyone averted their gaze and looked away. 

Viscountess Juliana was on her knees, "Please, your Highness. I apologize for the mistakes. I should not have done that. Please, I beg of you, please forgive me!"

Laina shook her head. She turned to look at the Viscountess. 

"Your behavior is a disgrace to all nobility in Kinshearth. I expected more from each and every one of you," Laina declared to all of them. 

"But… your Highness, what have we done?" one of the other nobles spoke up. 

"Yeah, we had no part to play in what the Viscountess had done. You were there and you saw it with your own eyes!"

"Yes, that\'s right. We\'re innocent, your Highness."

Laina could not help but laugh at their feigned innocence. She had not told them why they were here and they were already jumping to conclusions. 

"My dear subjects, what good would there be for me to accuse you of something you have not done?" Laina lamented. 

She looked all of them in the eye, some of them did not dare to reciprocate. 

"Also, if you all are indeed innocent, you would not have anything to fear, right?" she asked. 

Laina stood up from her seat and walked over to the fireplace. She gently touched the ridge of the mantelpiece before turning back to face all of them. She could hear their palpitating heartbeats. 

All of them were afraid of what she was about to do next. The Viscountess was in tears, uncertain of what Laina had stored for her fate. Laina reveled in the power she held over them, was she really that scary?

"I called each and every one of you here with good reason. It has been brought to my attention that you\'ve threatened and bribed members of my judging panel to have your artworks chosen," Laina explained. 

The moment she finished speaking, there was silence in the room. It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Laina waited in anticipation, ready to hear what they had to say for themselves. She had to admit, she was not expecting them to be quiet. 

"So, none of you have anything to say? Can I take that as you\'re all admitting to your crimes?" Laina broke the silence. 

"Your Highness, that\'s not a crime…"

"Not a crime?" Laina repeated the nobleman\'s words, "Would you mind explaining to me what it is then?"

"It has always been this way. For centuries, it is our practice to-"

"To bribe and threaten others into doing your bidding?" Laina snapped back at them as she slammed her hand down on the mantelpiece. 

She was enraged by their disgusting behavior. She had expected more from the nobility. They were supposed to be the role models that the common folk looked up to. Yet they were corrupt and blinded by power and money. 

"Your Highness, this is the way it has been. For centuries…" another noble lady protested. 

The others agreed with her. 

"I cannot believe we\'re even having this conversation," Laina sighed as she rubbed her temples. 

She looked back at all of them and declared, "I don\'t care what it has been like for centuries. As your Queen-"

"Technically, you aren\'t our Queen yet, your Highness. You are merely the Crown Princess. You do have our support for now, but when the time comes…"

Laina narrowed her gaze at the nobleman who so boldly spoke up against her. From the crest he wore on his chest, she knew exactly who he was. Basfalt Davernport, the eldest son of the current Lord Davernport.

The Davernport Family was one of the oldest families in Kinshearth, some say they even predate the Royal Family. But Laina was not afraid of him. 

She smirked at him, "Indeed, I am not your Queen just yet. I am to be your Queen in two years. Right now, I am merely the Crown Princess, you say?"

"Yes, who knows what the future entails, your Highness," his words were laced with landmines. 

"Is that a threat, Lord Basfalt?" Margaret could no longer remain silent. She might be just a handmaid to the Crown Princess but she could not stand there and let them belittle her like this. 

"Watch yourself too, Lady Margaret. You might have the title of Lady but you\'re nothing more than the Crown Princess\'s lackey," Basalt retaliated. 

Margaret gritted her teeth in anger as she clenched her hands into fists. She wanted to knock the lights out of Lord Basfalt. It would not take long either, one punch to the face would be all she needed. 

But she reminded herself to keep calm. She must not cause any trouble for Laina. Laina, on the other hand, was livid with the way Lord Basfalt spoke to Margaret. 

"I think the one who should watch their tone is you, Lord Basfalt." Laina said in a monotonous tone, void of emotion. 

She did not want to play games with them anymore. Laina has had enough of their nonsense. 

"Whether you like it or not, I am the Crown Princess of Kinshearth. Right here, right now. I don\'t care about the future, what I am discussing right now is the present," Laina did not give them any chance to rebut or even attempt to get in a word before she finished what she wanted to say. 

"All of your entries for the contest are hereby disqualified on the grounds of cheating, bribery, and threats made to the judging panel. Each of you is also to pay a fine of 100,000 Kins1 to the Royal Treasury. Did I make myself clear?" Laina declared. 

All the nobles remained silent for a few moments, before acknowledging the Crown Princess\'s words. Even Lord Basfalt agreed without any further arguments. Laina turned her attention back to the Viscountess. 

"As for Viscountess Juliana, you will also be demoted to the title of Baroness and you owe Kol, my bodyguard whom you splashed the paint water on, an apology," Laina said to her. 

"Yes… your Highness, understood. Thank you for your leniency," Juliana responded as she bowed deeply to Laina. 

Viscountess Juliana got up and walked over to Kol. It was disgraceful for her, a member of the nobility to have to apologize to a bodyguard; a servant! 

"I… I am sorry for my actions, please accept my apology," she said through gritted teeth. 

Laina turned around, "Baroness Juliana, do you think that was an apology from the heart? I think it would show more sincerity if you got on your knees."

Unwillingly, Juliana got on her knees and repeated her words, "I am sorry for my actions, please accept my apology."

Kol did not know how to respond to the Baroness. He looked to Laina for guidance. She was his master and he lived to serve her. But Laina did not have any order to give. It was his own decision to make. 

"I accept apology," he muttered. 

He bent down and tried to help the Baroness get back up on her feet. But she hit his arm away swiftly and struggled as she got up on her own. 

Kins the currency used in Kinshearth. Very original naming, I know~ XD