Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 868

◈ 868. Duke Ladderun’s Despair

Rembrary’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“Jeremy?”

The person who appeared was indeed Jeremy, Duke Ladderun’s only son.

“Wasn’t he reported missing…?”

“There were even rumors he was dead. I can’t believe he’s alive.”

“He disappeared several years before the Duke was arrested.”

The onlookers, who had been focused on Rembrary, began to whisper amongst themselves at the sight of Jeremy.

Duke Ladderun trembled, his eyes fixed on Jeremy.

Jeremy walked in calmly, glanced at the Duke, approached the judge, and handed over an envelope he’d taken from his pocket.

“I received a summons to appear as a witness.”

An investigator hurried to receive the envelope, checked its contents, and addressed the judge.

“It’s legitimate, Your Honor. It was sent to the Duke’s residence. I didn’t think we’d actually reach him… but we did.”

The investigator spoke quietly, but the courtroom was so silent that his voice carried faintly to the second floor.

The judge, who seemed to know Jeremy personally, nodded with a troubled expression.

“I see. As the only son and heir of Duke Ladderun, I acknowledge Jeremy Ladderun’s presence.”

Several people in the witness waiting area glanced at Rembrary, likely aware that Rembrary and Jeremy had been close friends in their childhood.

And the judge must have known this fact as well.

“Where should I go?” Jeremy asked calmly. Instead of directing him to the witness waiting area, the judge pointed to the witness stand with his gavel.

“Since you’re here, I’ll ask you questions first. Please stand over there.”

An investigator quickly approached Jeremy and said, “You can stand over there.”

As Jeremy stood facing Duke Ladderun, the trial, which had been paused, resumed.

The judge began with basic and easy questions, and the tension in the courtroom eased slightly at Jeremy’s sudden appearance.

Conversely, Rembrary’s forehead furrowed even more.

‘Is that really… Jeremy?’

* * *

As the questioning dragged on, the onlookers grew restless. Just as people’s concentration began to wane, the judge declared a brief recess.

The investigators led Duke Ladderun away, and the judge wiped his brow and exited through a side door.

People rushed to the restroom, while others went out to get water or stretch their legs.

Those in the witness waiting area glanced at Rembrary, wanting to speak with him, but ultimately, no one approached.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Rembrary waited for everyone to leave. When he was alone, he slowly grabbed the staircase railing and descended to the first floor.

Perhaps sensing the movement, Jeremy, who was drinking water provided by a staff member, glanced back.

A flicker of surprise crossed Jeremy’s face as he saw Rembrary.

His eyes widened, as if he hadn’t expected Rembrary to be there.

“Jeremy.”

Rembrary quickened his pace.

However, before Rembrary could reach him, Jeremy left the witness stand and began walking in the opposite direction.

“Jeremy?” Rembrary called out.

As Rembrary quickened his pace, Jeremy also sped up.

When Rembrary started to run, Jeremy ran as well.

Rembrary could have easily overtaken Jeremy, but he stopped as he reached the hallway, wanting to avoid making a scene.

‘Why is he running away like that when he’s supposed to return to the witness stand anyway?’

* * *

Thirty minutes later, as the trial resumed, Rembrary returned to the waiting area on the second floor.

Jeremy stood in the witness stand, looking up at Rembrary.

He glanced around nervously, as if ready to run again if Rembrary looked like he was coming down, even with people watching.

“Jeremy Ladderun.”

Only after the judge called his name did Jeremy break his gaze with Rembrary and look ahead.

Soon, the investigators brought Duke Ladderun back, and the judge resumed questioning Jeremy.

While the previous questions had been basic and easy, this time, most of the questions were difficult to answer.

Still, Jeremy managed to answer them one by one.

“Does Jeremy Ladderun believe that all the charges against the Duke are justifiable?”

The judge finally posed a question that was particularly difficult for a son to answer.

The onlookers were tense.

Regardless of Jeremy’s involvement with the Duke, such a question would be difficult for any close relative.

“Yes.”

However, Jeremy answered firmly without hesitation. The judge, who had been looking at the documents, looked at Jeremy over his glasses.

“Really?”

The judge asked again, and Jeremy answered indifferently, “Yes.”

The judge scribbled something on the document with his pen and continued, “Then, Jeremy Ladderun, have you ever been involved in the Duke’s actions?”

“No.”

“Have you ever given the Duke even a small amount of help?”

“No.”

“Have you ever turned a blind eye to something you knew about?”

“No.”

Jeremy answered firmly each time. Not satisfied with that, he frowned for a moment and added something he hadn’t been asked.

“I had no idea what my father was doing. I was so disappointed when I found out he had been caught by the Inquisitorial Order [a religious police force] that I ran away from home. Since then, I’ve cut ties with the family, so I know even less.”

It was a complete disavowal.

The people in the waiting area clicked their tongues.

“If he does that, it will be easy to inherit the estate and title…”

“I don’t know if he’s being clever or heartless.”

“Maybe both.”

“He could have just said he didn’t know.”

The Duke looked at Jeremy with a sad expression, and when the judge asked if he had any objections, he said no.

After a few more questions, the judge called the next witness, and Jeremy stepped down from the witness stand.

A person in the row behind Rembrary quickly got up and went down to the first floor.

However, before that person could reach the witness stand, Jeremy addressed the judge.

“If my testimony is no longer needed, may I leave now?”

The judge looked through his documents and nodded.

“You may.”

Jeremy nodded in acknowledgment and turned around.

Sensing that it was now acceptable to speak to him, Rembrary leaned on the railing and asked, “Jeremy, don’t you need to pick up what you dropped?”

Jeremy, who was about to leave, stopped and looked up at him. He frowned.

“What thing? I didn’t drop anything, Your Highness.”

“You dropped it while running. Look carefully around there.”

Jeremy reflexively lowered his head and then flinched.

“It seems you’ve found it.”

All eyes focused on one spot.

Jeremy had apparently dropped a small Redrin statue [a religious icon] that had fallen between the seats.

Because it was considered disrespectful to leave the Redrin statue on the floor, an investigator quickly approached and picked it up.

“Here it is.”

The investigator held out the statue to Jeremy. However, instead of taking it, Jeremy just stared at Rembrary.

“Why are you doing that?” Rembrary asked with a smile.

Jeremy only raised one corner of his mouth, as if to say, ‘I know what you’re up to.’

Then, Jeremy took the statue and held it in his hand.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, I’m taking it with me.”

Throughout the exchange, Jeremy showed no signs of distress. He greeted Rembrary as if to show off and walked towards the exit.

Rembrary remained leaning against the railing, watching the scene.

The atmosphere grew tense, and the others, except for the two of them, exchanged uneasy glances.

But at that moment, just as Jeremy was about to leave through the exit with the statue, a short scream was heard from a blind spot not visible to Rembrary on the second floor.

“Jeremy!”

The Duke, who had been standing blankly, shouted towards the entrance.

The investigators rushed towards the commotion.

After a moment, they brought back the fallen Jeremy.

The people on the second floor craned their necks, wondering what was happening, and then screamed.

“Oh my god, what is that!”

“What happened?”

One of the witnesses behind him urgently asked Rembrary, “Your Highness! What have you done to my son!”

Duke Ladderun, who had been ignoring Rembrary’s very existence, finally lost control and shouted.

Rembrary smiled and informed him, “That statue Jeremy picked up… it’s not what that child dropped.”

The judge, who was patting his chest as if he felt unwell, asked, “What do you mean by that, Your Highness?”

“It means Jeremy doesn’t even recognize his own things.”

Duke Ladderun’s mouth gaped open, and he shook his head.

“That can’t be. That can’t be!”

Rembrary simply shrugged and said nothing more.

Duke Ladderun got up from his seat and ran to Jeremy.

The investigators tried to stop him, but he mustered unexpected strength to shake them off and lifted the fallen Jeremy.

“Jeremy! Wake up! Tell me that guy is talking nonsense! Jeremy!”

Jeremy didn’t move.

Instead, the stone-like part of Jeremy’s face quickly cracked, and pieces broke off, falling from the Duke’s hand.

The face beneath the stone was that of someone already dead.

The Duke abruptly dropped Jeremy and got up, shaking his head.

“It can’t be. It can’t be!”

The Duke, shaking his head rapidly, suddenly let out a scream and shouted, looking at the sky, “Luciche! Yurish!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than he began to bleed from his mouth and collapsed. It seemed he had bitten his tongue.

“Stop the Duke!” the judge shouted, and the investigators rushed in.

Rembrary leisurely went down to the first floor.

“He’s already dead!” the investigator shouted, taking his hand off the Duke’s pulse as Rembrary approached.

“Your Highness?” the investigators asked with troubled glances.

“Your Highness, please go upstairs.”

“Your Highness, this is not a sight for you to see.”

Rembrary ignored their pleas and placed his hand on Duke Ladderun’s head.

A brief flash of light appeared and disappeared, and the Duke’s eyes began to focus again.

As soon as the Duke regained his senses and saw Rembrary, he screamed in an even louder voice than before.

“Why did you heal me! Why did you save me!”

Rembrary smiled gently.

“Because I am a priest.”