Chapter 263 Going to Court I: Confronting Dominic
Cecilia watched as Alaric and her father walked away.
She made her way to the spectator seats, where more and more people were trickling in, finding their places, and settling down.
"Cecilia." A familiar voice suddenly cut through the murmurs.
Cecilia turned, pleasantly surprised. "Seraphina! What are you doing here?"
"Well, how could I miss my godfather's trial?" Seraphina had a knack for being unusually casual about things.
In truth, the whole "godfather" business was a label Seraphina had given on a whim. In the Yakurosean Empire, appointing a godparent was a formal affair requiring a ceremony with the parents' involvement. But Seraphina was nothing if not unconventional.
"Where's Dashiell?" Cecilia asked quickly.
"Cecilia, I've noticed your concern for Dashiell has totally overshadowed any interest in me. I must say, I'm quite offended," Seraphina replied, a bit irked.
Cecilia was momentarily at a loss for words. "You're married now. If I care about him, it's the same as caring about you, isn't it?"
"Ugh, don't even use the word 'married' around me. It's disgusting!"
"…" Cecilia was speechless. "So, how's the living situation with Dashiell? You two sharing a bed and all?"
"Not great. We live separate lives. I see him every day, but it's just like swapping beds—nothing more."
"Dashiell got hurt because of you. Couldn't you at least show a bit more concern?" Cecilia was genuinely frustrated.
"Magnolia's hired him a private nurse—young and pretty. What more could I possibly do?"
"Are you jealous?"
"I'd love it if he fell for that nurse and left me. Then I wouldn't have to deal with him at all."
Cecilia realized that having a pleasant conversation with Seraphina was becoming increasingly difficult.
She understood where Seraphina was coming from. In her previous life, Cecilia didn't know the full story. Even now, if she were Seraphina, understanding the truth didn't make it any easier for Cecilia to accept Dashiell, who had, in Seraphina's eyes, been the one to cruelly separate Seraphina from Sebastian.
As for Sebastian's ulterior motives, Dashiell chose to handle it in his own way.
Cecilia respected his decision.
"Dominic's here," Seraphina suddenly said.
Cecilia's attempt to offer more words of comfort to Seraphina fell short.
She glanced over to see Dominic making his way towards them.
"What are you doing here?" Seraphina asked, her tone clearly lacking any warmth.
Her opinion of Dominic had soured significantly. Once, she had seen him as almost saintly, and his love for Cecilia had seemed almost heroic. Now, she thought he looked, well, rather unimpressive.
She had once thought Dominic was quite handsome, with a refined demeanor. Now, she felt that Alaric outshone him effortlessly.
"After all, Cecilia and I once had a romance. Out of humanitarian concern, I thought I should come and see how Theodore's trial is going," Dominic said, always adopting a very moral and humble demeanor.
"Well, thank you for that," Cecilia replied with a faint smile.
In front of so many people, she wasn't about to make a scene with Dominic. Besides, Dominic was clearly here to see Theodore convicted, so she might as well accommodate him.
"I heard that Alaric is handling the case?" Dominic suddenly inquired.
Cecilia had informed Henry the day before the trial that he wouldn't be needed, which had caused some tension, but Henry, as their employee, couldn't do much about it. Cecilia settled the matter with a bit of a penalty, and that was that.
The Yakurosean Empire also had regulations that required lawyers to be registered with the court well in advance of the trial. Alaric had been properly registered and had undergone a series of checks to become Theodore's defense attorney.
This news should have still been under wraps, yet Dominic seemed to know all about it.
This could only mean one thing. Dominic had been deeply involved in manipulating the case, tracking every development.
Cecilia responded with a neutral tone, "Yes."
Dominic asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "Has Alaric even tried a case before? I'm not doubting his abilities—he's certainly surprised us all over time. But still, the law isn't something to play around with. If he doesn't do well, Theodore's sentence could be harsher."
"Well, since Mr. Kingsley is here to observe Theodore's trial, you might as well sit and watch. As for the outcome, it's none of your concern. If you worry too much, I might start to think you have ulterior motives."
Dominic's expression darkened noticeably.
Cecilia was clearly indifferent to Dominic, even disdainful. It was evident she had little regard for him.
Dominic bit his tongue, figuring he'd let Cecilia realize her mistake once the verdict was in. No need to get into a war of words with her now.
As he moved to take a seat next to Cecilia, someone deliberately walked by and bumped into him.
Dominic nearly lost his balance and almost toppled over. He quickly grabbed onto the seat for support.
"Sorry about that, but this seat is mine," Cassius said, plopping down without hesitation.
Dominic's face visibly darkened.
He couldn't exactly confront Cassius, given his upbringing. Everyone knew that Cassius, the spoiled rich kid, had little regard for anyone else and could cause trouble if provoked.
Dominic endured it, straightening his posture and smoothing out his clothes awkwardly. With a hint of sarcasm, he remarked, "Did Alaric appoint you as his knight?"
"Of course," Cassius replied with a smirk, "Alaric treats Cecilia like a precious gem, so I'm here to ensure she's well-protected. Wouldn't want her getting bitten by some ill-intentioned person, now would we?"
"Cassius, watch your tone," Dominic said in a low voice, clearly irked.
"I'm already being polite. I haven't even mentioned how some dogs still call their masters 'Daddy'…" Cassius deliberately referenced an old incident.
Dominic's face turned even gloomier.
He had hoped that the incident was long forgotten.
Grinding his teeth, he stormed off.
Seraphina watched with a hidden sense of satisfaction as Dominic left in a huff.
Turning to Cassius, she remarked, "I usually see you as a lazy good-for-nothing, but I didn't expect you to actually come through when it matters."
"You, of all people, have no right to judge me!" Cassius shot back. "Let me tell you, Seraphina, my abilities are beyond what you can imagine."
"Don't get too full of yourself," Seraphina warned, sensing the hostility in Cassius' tone.
She thought, 'We haven't had any past issues, so why the sudden aggression today?'
"Court's starting," Cecilia interjected, sensing the tension between Cassius and Seraphina.
She genuinely felt that with their personalities, these two might just lead to a clash.
Cassius held back his retort.
He wasn't keen on getting into a spat with Seraphina, especially when Dashiell had a soft spot for her!
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
