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LOS 86
Giles recognized this melody. It was a piano piece Anna had once played for him. Feeling his emotions subside, he searched for any trace of Anna.
But Anna was nowhere to be found. Only the music she played filled the courtroom.
How could he have forgotten that name?
Giles's breathing slowly steadied. He could finally see clearly before his eyes. The voices echoing through the hall could no longer torment him.
He looked toward the gallery. Concerned gazes were focused on him, as he had been exhibiting strange behavior—grimacing as if writhing in agony, then suddenly looking around in surprise.
In their eyes, Giles could read fear.
No matter how things proceeded afterward, he had to see this trial through to the end. How he behaved in the courtroom was a matter of his own free will.
He felt he knew what they wanted from him.
And what they wanted so badly that they had plunged needles into his veins.
He felt it was time to peel away the layer of fear that was now nothing more than an illusion.
Meanwhile, as Giles remained silent, the judge shouted once more.
“Giles Hessen! I have ordered you to testify regarding your crimes!”
“I killed people.”
A surprisingly calm voice brought silence to the courtroom.
Finally, everyone was hearing the voice of the devil—a voice they had only ever seen and heard through the media—in person.
“During the war, I was fulfilling my duties as a soldier on the front lines. Having survived a fierce battle, I was transferred to a military hospital in Ipswin, and shortly thereafter, I received orders to be stationed in Ipswin for the time being. Since my sister was living in Ipswin, this was welcome news to me. I intended to rush to see her as soon as I recovered.”
His voice, calm and devoid of inflection as if reading a serious book, made the audience hold their breath.
People looked bewildered. Giles Hessen looked perfectly normal; he wasn't raving mad or spitting out cursed words.
He was ordinary.
The fact that someone was so utterly ordinary was profoundly disconcerting to them.
“However, I was not given much time. Beldam was losing the war and was, in fact, on the brink of defeat. Even the remaining soldiers stationed in Ipswin left to aid Beldam. When the situation turned, the people of Ipswin started a revolution. It was obvious what would happen even without seeing it. Instead of following my comrades back to Beldam, I ran in the opposite direction. It was to save Celeste.”
A small murmur arose.
Giles's confession differed from the story people knew.
“I attempted to escape Ipswin with Celeste, but all efforts failed. Unable to let my sister die, I made a deal with the Ipswin Revolutionary Army. I was promised that if I surrendered all my assets and joined the revolution, both my sister and I would survive. Thus, I followed orders to execute the nobles who had failed to escape Ipswin. Among them were distant relatives and close friends. I had to kill them. Otherwise, Celeste would have died.”
“Didn't you kill her yourself?”
Someone couldn't contain themselves and shouted the question. The judge struck the gavel, demanding silence.
However, Giles did not ignore the question.
“After some time passed, I was brought before a tribunal once again. I was told that if I did not kill my sister, I would be abandoned to die. But even after arriving at the scene, I simply could not kill Celeste. My desire to live was desperate, but I couldn't bring myself to do such a thing. So, I intended to give up. However, Celeste, who showed clear signs of having been tortured, did not even recognize me and committed suicide by stabbing herself.”
“He's lying!”
“Silence! Silence!”
At the judge's shout, the surroundings fell quiet once more.
Setting down the gavel, he spoke to Giles.
“Giles Hessen, the defendant has previously sworn to speak only the truth within this court.”
“I have spoken the truth.”
“If you attempt to insult the court, you will not escape the maximum penalty!”
“It doesn't matter. There is nothing I can change anyway. Everyone knows I am a condemned man. You speak as if there is some final mercy left to bestow upon me.”
“Defendant!”
“Pass the death sentence. Put the rope around my neck, as was originally intended. I will return to face death whenever I have finished the final duty I must fulfill.”
The people in the courtroom seemed extremely flustered that Giles was not reacting as they had expected. This was not the picture they wanted. He was ruining the finale of their grand piece of theater.
Of course, there was no malice in it.
He was simply telling the truth.
“I killed people. Therefore, I have no objection to the fact that I deserve punishment. However, I have no intention of dying by your hands just yet. My crimes have been inflated, distorted, and fabricated. Admit that you pinned false crimes on me to mock Beldam. And punish me only for my actual crimes. When that time comes, I will step onto the execution platform without regret.”
While people thought his words were utterly brazen, they couldn't bring themselves to pour out condemnation.
No one could find a cleverly packaged lie in his voice or gaze. Even some of those who had been criticizing Giles fell silent. What is that man saying right now? What was fabricated? Why isn't the court offering any rebuttal?
The people's attention now shifted to the other side.
They now wanted an explanation. They hoped someone would prove that Giles was trying to deceive them again with a petty lie.
Giles saw the presiding judge whisper something to the judges sitting on either side before producing the sentencing document.
A bitter smile escaped Giles's lips unconsciously.
“The defendant, Giles Hessen, indiscriminately massacred a total of 103 citizens of Beldam and committed the grave crime of personally murdering his own sister, showing no remorse for his crimes. Accordingly, the court sentences the defendant, who attempted to mock Beldam and insult the court, to death.”
Even after the sentence was read in full, the people remained silent for a while. Then, as if trying to lead the atmosphere, someone clapped. Then, one or two people cautiously followed suit.
Looking toward the center of the courtroom now filled with the sound of applause, Giles simply smiled. He had long ago learned how to resign himself to an unchangeable reality.
Soldiers unbuckled the belts restraining him to the chair, grabbed his arms, and dragged him out. Instead of protesting, Giles followed the soldiers' lead and left the courtroom obediently.
But that didn't mean he intended to be dragged straight to the execution ground.
This was his only chance.
Not long ago, Luise had whispered in his ear.
'After the trial, you'll be taken back to the safe house by car. You're too famous a prisoner to be thrown in a regular jail, and the higher-ups want you in a place where the military can maintain total control over you. Unless there's a traitor inside, you wouldn't even dream of escaping.'
Giles felt the texture of the key she must have hidden. The small key was sewn into a clever spot inside the sleeve of the prisoner's uniform he was wearing.
'Head straight to Larson Wharf by car. It's best not to delay. The ship is scheduled to depart shortly after your trial ends.'
'A ship?'
'Anna will be on that ship. On the day of your trial. Don't think of it as an ordinary ship. It's a transport ship for prisoners. The higher-ups will put Anna on that ship and kill her without a trace. They want to completely seal off any possibility of rumors. After all, Anna is essentially a witness.'
'Is there no way to stop her from boarding?'
'I don't know that much. The higher-ups didn't tell me much either. This is all the information I can provide. The rest is up to you. I can only give you one last chance to save Anna.'
'Why are you helping me, Luise?'
Luise did not answer that question.
Giles knew he would never hear her answer.
The soldiers shoved him into the car. Taking advantage of the moment they climbed in, Giles gripped the key and calmly unlocked his handcuffs. However, he did not move immediately.
Instead, he waited until the car started moving. The soldiers, believing he was still restrained by the handcuffs, paid him little attention.
Giles counted in his head.
The rest was entirely up to him.
Larson Wharf. That place was the only thing Giles needed to remember.
It was just as the car entered the road and began to pick up speed.
Suddenly, having freed himself from the handcuffs, Giles snapped the neck of the soldier sitting to his left with one arm.
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