Here we are at Chapter 35. Time for the aftermath of saving Sophia. I do not own Code Vein. They belong to Bandai Namco. I only own my OCs. Here's chapter 35. Enjoy.
Chapter 35: Free Like Water
After rescuing Sophia and detaining Count Valmeck, Yuki and Fuyumi's parties collected more evidence of his drug smuggling operations. Once they felt they had enough, they brought the count and the evidence to the king for his judgment on the matter. In the audience chamber, the king and queen sit on their thrones along with Princess Iris. Fuyumi's family stand on the sidelines while Sophia stands across from them since she's from a different family. Because she was listed as a victim in one of several crimes committed by Count Valmeck, her family was also brought in to act as witness, primarily her father and brother. Yuki could see the somewhat confused and disgruntled looks on their faces. While it was highly unlikely Duke Ramona was involved in the drug trade since they found no evidence to suggest as such, Yuki hates it that he's basically getting away with using and abusing Sophia like that. But, the real world is not like a fairytale story. Count Valmeck kneels before the royal family, his wrists tied and two guards flanking him. The one thing Yuki did not understand was... why was Empress Philine Hawke here in this little trial? Perhaps because the drugs were being smuggled to her country. There were several other nobles and ministers here in attendance as with all meetings in the audience chamber with the king.
"Now then, the trial for Count Valmeck shall commence. What does the plaintiff have to offer?" King Mikhail announces, turning his attention to Fuyumi.
"Your Majesty... under my authority as a knight of this kingdom, I conducted an investigation into Count Valmeck's finances. My suspicions stem from the fact that as a count, Count Valmeck had far too much wealth for his station, even with his current business ventures. The idea was he had to be getting the extra money from somewhere else that was not on the books. Therefore, we sent our servant, May, and my daughter, Yukitsuki, had Veronica aid her in a more thorough investigation into the matter," Fuyumi explains.
"You mean you had spies and trespassers illegally sneak into my home and plant false evidence of my supposed crimes!" Count Valmeck exclaims.
"Count Valmeck, you will have your chance to speak. For now, stay your tongue," King Mikhail commands and the count grits his teeth and shuts up. "Continue, Ser Fuyumi,"
"Thank you, Your Majesty. In May and Veronica's investigation, they found evidence that Count Valmeck was doing business in an illegal drug trade with Willow's Wale. A dangerous drug that can cause death in high doses," Fuyumi says.
"The drug causes feelings of intense euphoria, but it can also make the body feel heavy and dulls the mind. This makes whoever takes it more susceptible to manipulation. There have been accounts of women being given this drug in the past before being raped by the ones who gave them the drug. In fact, on the night we took Count Valmeck into custody, he had given the same drug to Sophia with the intention of, pardon me for saying, having his way with her. Luckily, I've encountered cases like this before in my travels and studies with medicine, so I had an antidote on hand and saved her," Veronica chimes in.
"Count Valmeck, do you dispute these statements?" King Mikhail asks.
"I do, Your Majesty. I do not have any dealings in any illegal drug trades. I've never even heard of this 'Willow's Wale' before today. Also, you heard that woman. She's seen this thing before. How do we know she isn't the one involved in the drug trade? She certainly sounds like she could make it, if she has an antidote with her. Why would she have something like that in the first place? I was only having a peaceful dinner with my fiance. She wasn't eating much, so I assumed she wasn't feeling well and decided to escort her out of my residence to her carriage. It was then that I was assaulted and the next thing I knew, I was tied up and these people had invaded my home and taken my beloved fiance from me. I swear, I'm the victim here!" Count Valmeck argues.
"What does the victim in this case, Lady Sophia Ramona, have to say about that?" the king turns to the young woman.
Sophia looks between him, the count, her family, and Yuki's family. It's only when she sees Yuki's face, her smile of support, that Sophia makes finds her resolve.
"Count Valmeck's defense... is a lie," Sophia says, making the count look horrified. "He forced the drug down my throat to make me easier to control. Then he took me to his bedchambers with the intention of violating me. It was only thanks to the timely intervention of Lady Veronica and Lady Yukitsuki's party that I was saved from a cruel fate. Count Valmeck is the true culprit in all these events, Your Majesty,"
"Lady Sophia, you are being deceived. I love you so much, my darling!" Count Valmeck is almost in tears now.
"The only deceiver here is you, Count Valmeck," Sophia retorts.
"Ser Fuyumi, do you have further evidence of Count Valmeck's connection with the drug trade?" King Mikhail asks.
"Indeed, Your Majesty," Fuyumi walks up, handing over several documents to the king. "These are documents showing transactions with Count Valmeck's signature. It also shows that the destination for the drugs was in the Gravlon Empire. And the sums he made from the drug sales. The numbers coincide with his growth in monetary wealth in a short time period. We've also found the count's personal stock of Willow's Wale for his own use and information on where he cultivates the drug,"
"Those documents are fake! Your Majesty, do not be deceived by these vile women. The mean to betray you. Look at everything they done to me, to one of your loyal subjects!" Count Valmeck cries.
"If anyone's loyalty should be questions here, Count Valmeck, it is yours. I recognize this signature and it is indeed yours. I believe I have all I need to see here. Count Valmeck, in light of all the evidence presented before me, I hereby declare you guilty of conspiring in illegal drug trade, false imprisonment and attempted sexual assault of Lady Sophia. As such, you will be stripped of your name and title and all of your assets will be confiscated by the royal family. We will decide what to do with them at a later date," King Mikhail declares.
Count Valmeck looks mortified at hearing this. He never thought he'd be reduced to becoming a mere commoner. Worse, one about to go to jail. He looks to Duke Ramona, hoping the man will offer him some sort of life line.
"Duke Ramona, I know that you had your daughter enter an engagement for marriage with the now former count. What do you say about this?" King Mikhail asks.
"I will be officially annulling the engagement, Your Majesty. I do not wish for my daughter to be tied to a man who not only attempted to violate her, but is also a criminal in the eyes of the royal family," Duke Ramona says.
And now Valmeck looks as pale as a ghost. His last lifeline just got cut. As for Yuki, she bets Duke Ramona only said that about Sophia as a ploy because the king was questioning him. He never cared about her in the first place.
"Very well. With that settled, as for your punishment, Valmeck... I will be leaving that to Empress Philine Hawke," King Mikhail says.
"Huh?" Valmeck felt like he misheard.
"I happily accept, King Mikhail. You see, I conducted my own investigation into the drug trade happening in my own country and we found the people Valmeck was selling the drugs to. Apparently, there were a few nobles who did not have any true loyalty to me and were using the drug trade to fund their shadow operations, hoping to amass wealth and power to stand against me. We've already captured them and harsh punishments have been laid out. But, they did cause me a little trouble, so I am quite annoyed by all this," Empress Philine states.
"Then as a gesture of friendship, we will hand Valmeck over to you and leave his punishment in your hands. Valmeck, your fate lies in the hands of the empress now," King Mikhail says.
And Valmeck's complexion went from bad to worse. The empress has been brutal when handing out punishments to those who cause harm to her empire. He glances at her, seeing the slight sadistic smile on her face. She would show him no mercy at all.
"Take him away," Mikhail waves his hand and the guards take the former count away, practically dragging him across the floor as he lost the will to stand up now. "Well, I shall call this case closed now. Thank you all for taking the time to be here. And thank you, Ser Fuyumi, for uncovering another case of corruption within our kingdom. Your contributions will not be forgotten. I will see to it that you are properly rewarded for this,"
"You are too kind, Your Majesty. But, in this case, I was just a parent looking out for her daughter," Fuyumi glances at Duke Ramona. "For some people, family is the most important thing. And I'm not referring to status or political use or bloodline,"
Duke Ramon narrows his eyes, but says nothing. With the trial over, people begin leaving the audience chamber. As Sophia trails behind her family, she glances back at Yuki as she walks with her family. A thought comes to mind. More importantly, a choice. One which she now has the strength to make.
...
At Duke Ramona's estate, the duke calls Sophia to his study.
"I suppose this was a mistake on my part. Had I known about the former count's illegal business ventures, I never would've entertained the idea of setting up an engagement between you and him. I won't be making that mistake again," the duke notes, sitting behind his desk.
Sophia knows his real meaning. He never even apologized to her for setting up the engagement in the first place. He's just upset that he won't be able to get the money and support from the count to further his own agendas. Honestly, Sophia has become tired of his fixation with maintaining the family's 'good' name.
"We should be grateful that Crystalglove's uncovered his crimes beforehand. Had it been long after, House Ramona might've fell with him," Sophia notes.
"Be that as it may, there is still the matter of your future engagement. I haven't made any decisions yet as this whole mess has just now come to a close. I'll be more precise in my options and make sure they don't have anything that could hurt our family's position. For now, simply focus on your studies at school. I'll let you know when I've made a decision," Duke Ramona says.
Sophia clenches her fist, "Father... I want to marry Yukitsuki Crystalglove and become her wife," she suddenly announces.
Her father freezes for a moment, "You want to... excuse me?"
"You heard me. I want to marry Yukitsuki Crystalglove," Sophia repeats herself.
"Has this whole affair made you give way to your senses. She's a woman, the daughter of a rival family. Worse, she has no noble's blood within her. You are a daughter of House Ramona. You will marry a man and bear him an heir because that is how the world works. How noble society works. Are you telling me that you wish to join that family of fools, who will destroy their house once their generation reaches its end because they cannot follow the rules of our people? I didn't raise you to be such a hopeless fool," Duke Ramona argues.
"Raise me? And how exactly did you 'raise' me, Father? By treating me coldly, never showing me any ounce of love or affection? By using me as political tool to be sacrificed for your own selfish ambitions? By looking down on me simply because your wife is not my mother? You've never raised me, not like how a real family does with their children. As I spent time with Yuki, I saw the truth. I saw how her family raised her. With love, with support, with true loyalty regardless of bloodlines or social status. And you say they will destroy their house because they can't have children as women? No, they haven't destroyed their house. They've strengthened it. Look at their accomplishments, their accolades. The Crystalglove name will forever be recorded in the pages of history. Generations in the future will remember their name and know what they've done for our country and the whole continent itself. More importantly, they've become a shining example to other women out in the world. That for women of noble society, they can be more than just political props, more than just trophies whose only task is to have babies like some brood mare," Sophia says, her emotions growing.
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting off now? Has spending time with that commoner whore made you go senile? Women of noble society play a key role in that society. They ensure the noble bloodlines that rule and protect the kingdoms of the land will continue for generations. So even someone with commoner blood in her veins like you can play a huge role in shaping our society," Duke Ramona barks off.
"Noble society? You think that without the nobility, the common people and the country will fall apart?" Sophia retorts.
"We control this country. We command the army, the territories, the money, and the laws. The common folk wouldn't know what to do with themselves without us. Of course, this kingdom would fall without us. They have no power," Duke Ramona argues.
Sophia laughs, "Hahahaha, you're even more foolish than I thought. Majority of the people who inhabit this and other countries are commoners. And more importantly, no noble bloodline starts off as noble. All noble bloodlines started out as commoners who were there when our country, and others, were first founded and named themselves nobles. Look at Fuyumi Kusanagi. A commoner from a foreign land who rose to power, not with bloodline, but with her own power, her own skill, and her own determination. And her daughter has shown of her own talents, gaining the respect and praise of those around her, regardless of her own origins. It's as plain as day to see that besides the royal family, the Crystalglove family is the strongest family in the kingdom. If it wasn't for Ser Fuyumi and her family, we would've lost the war with the empire, and our own house would be no more. They see each other as people to love and support, not as tools to use and cast away when they're no longer useful. Something you know nothing about. You know nothing about judging people based on their real worth, and that's precisely why you will never beat Yuki's family. Because that's precisely what they are and what this house is not: a family," Sophia says.
Her father looks livid now, "You dare lecture me about measuring people's value? About how a family, a noble family, should act? As if you know anything about this land and the people in it. And the Crystalglove's stronger than my house? They allow commoners to become a part of their family, and they cannot produce heirs to keep the bloodline going. They will fall and I will watch them do so and enjoy it with glee. Those that stick with the traditions of the nobility shall prosper and those who stray from it shall falter. That is the way of things,"
"They will not fall. They will continue to prosper, walking down their own paths. And they will inspire others do to the same, just as they inspired in me," Sophia retorts.
"Ha, you definitely have spent too much time around that commoner whore," her father insults Yuki yet again.
Sophia's expression turns dark, "That's the last time you'll insult her... Spirits of water, engulf my enemies... Aqua Prison!" she takes out her wand and casts a spell.
"What are you-mmph!" Duke Ramona finds his head caught in her water prison.
He claws at it, trying to get some air, to no avail.
"I have stomached your abuse for far too long. I only did so because I was alone. Because I had no one to rely upon. But now I do. And they have shown me love and warmth that you never did. You never saw me as your real daughter, so I'll do you a favor, Father. I hereby sever all ties with the Ramona family and name. I am no longer your daughter, and I am no longer our tool to possess and use as you desire. I shall leave this retched place and never return. And you will not stop me or do anything to coerce me to return. But, I will make you this promise: if you ever make any kind of moves that threaten Yuki or her family. If you try to harm any of them in any way... I will drown you myself," Sophia threatens him. She releases the spell and Duke Ramona collapses onto his hands and knees as he gasps for air. "Farewell Father... No, Duka Ramona. Pray we never cross paths again," Sophia says and turns to leave.
"You... damn... traitorous... bitch," Duke Ramona gasps, glaring at her back.
"Oh yes, I almost forgot," Sophia glances at a book on a nearby desk. Picking it up, she throws it straight into Duke Ramona's face. "I've always wanted to do that. Goodbye," Sophia waves goodbye, a spring in her step now.
As she walks through the halls of her now former home for the last time, she comes across her brother Thorsen.
"Sister, I heard some strange noise. What did you do to upset father this time?" Thorsen stares accusingly at her.
"Oh, nothing much, just severing my ties to this sad excuse for a family," Sophia says with a smile.
Her words trip him up, "W-What?! What did you just say?" now he's getting upset like his father.
"It's exactly what I said. I'm no longer a part of this family, so I'm leaving. I want nothing more to do with you two self-centered pieces of garbage ever again," Sophia says.
"What?! How dare you-Ugh!" Thorsen reaches for her, only for Sophia to kick him between his legs, making him fall to the floor in agony.
"You don't know how long I've wanted to do that. Ah, I feel so much better now. Well, ta-ta~," Sophia walks past him, not giving him a second look.
Sophi quickly grabs a few personal items of her own along with her personal finances, put them all in a suitcase, and then walked right out the front door of the Ramona estate. She gives the place one final look.
"Good riddance to bad rubbish," Sophia mutters before walking away from that cursed place for the last time.
And that's the chapter. Count Valmeck falls from his position and is punished for his crimes. Meanwhile, Sophia stands up to her family and severs ties with them to have her own life and freedom back. Where will Sophia go now that she's free? Until then, please Read and Review.