Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Beo/You must come back, I...

Heinrich's arrival declared that the balance of victory had completely tilted towards Isabel.

The Inquisitor didn't dare to look at Gryffin's face again. No matter what his relationship with the church was, if he dared to blatantly abuse his power for personal gain and bend the law in such a situation, he would be on the headlines of the newspapers the next day.

Gryffindor was clearly aware of this.

He stared at Heinrich with a sinister look in his eyes. After a long silence, he sneered, "Mr. Duke, do you know what you are doing?"

The Queen had no desire to rupture relations with the Church. If she had simply abandoned the Duchess, the situation would have quickly passed. However, Heinrich's strong support represented the Duke's support for Isabel.

Grinfin was unsure whether this was the Queen's intention, or a personal decision of the Duke's Mansion or Heinrich.

Whatever it was, the purpose of this trial had been defeated.

"Mr. Bishop, do you have any more evidence to provide?" the inquisitor hinted.

Gryffin gritted his teeth and was silent for a long time before saying, "No more."

"Alright." The Inquisitor rapped his gavel and waited for everyone to quiet down before saying, "According to the laws of the Joint Royal and Church Tribunal, in the absence of sufficient evidence, a hearing and voting system should be adopted. Let's vote now."

Every audience member who listened to the entire process was given an anonymous ticket.

Ten minutes later, the results came out.

Gryffindor stood up and left without waiting for the announcement. Before leaving, he stared at Isabel and sneered, "We all know the truth. This isn't over yet."

Now, he was anxious to return and investigate whether there was anyone else behind Heinrich's arrival. If it was a personal act, then everything could be saved. If it was the Queen's intention, he would have to consider it carefully.

But before he could leave, Isabel's smiling voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Yes, it's not over yet, Bishop Gryffindor." She stood up slowly, and when everyone was about to leave, she suddenly took out a new document.

"Oh, what's going on?"

"What is the Duchess going to do?"

"Not sure, let's take a look..."

…

The reporters in the front row keenly smelled the scent of news, and immediately sat back down, took out their pens and started taking notes, but Isabel walked straight up to them.

Audrey received a look from her sister and helped her distribute the stack of documents.

"What is this?" The reporters flipped through the pages curiously. As they read the words, their expressions grew increasingly serious. "Oh, God..."

The people in the back row became more curious and sat back down.

Along with Gryffin, who had reached the door, and the Inquisitor, who had already stood up...

Everyone had different expressions, staring at Isabel who slowly walked to the front of the stage.

She held up the document and smiled, "Thank you very much, Mr. Bishop, for preparing such a grand trial for me. This is a rare opportunity. I also have a document to submit to the Inquisitor."

Griffin's expression gradually became serious. The judge hesitated for a moment and said, "I'm sorry, the trial has ended. If you wish to submit a new case, please go through the procedure again. We will need to notify the parties separately..."

"Oh, no, no, no, the person involved is right here." Isabel chuckled and turned to everyone. "I will personally sue Bishop Gryffin for eleven crimes. All the evidence is here." This understated sentence was like a thunderclap.

"What? Sue the bishop?!"

"Oh, isn't this a trial for the Duchess? How come it's the other way around?!"

…

Gryffin and the believers around him looked solemn.

"Please stop talking nonsense. Bishop Glanfin is the supreme leader of the Holy Light Church in Ceylon. No one except Your Holiness is qualified to judge him!" The believers shouted coldly.

Isabel raised an eyebrow. "Really? But according to the Joint Court regulations, both the royal family and the church are subject to supervision, including Bishop Griffin. This is the law you used to judge me. Now, can you make an exception?"

The believers were speechless.

But Isabel refused to give in and looked at the Inquisitor again: "Or is it that this is not a place to uphold fairness and justice, and as an Inquisitor, I will give privileges to certain people?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the eyes of the reporters in the front row widened, and everyone stared at the Inquisitor and the believers.

Yes, there are always people with privileges in this society, but on the surface, they have to use all kinds of excuses to disguise equality and justice, just like the last fig leaf that can never be removed in full view of the public.

Gryffin clenched his fists and was about to approach Isabel when he was stopped by Heinrich.

He lowered his voice and yelled, "What are you playing at?!"

Isabel looked back calmly, her hand already opening the first page of the document.

"I've already said, thank you for preparing the stage and for bringing me so many audiences. Your performance is over. Now... please listen carefully."

She paused, and Emily, who had been waiting silently for a long time, finally appeared and raised her voice: "Granfen Johnson, the first charge is embezzling a ransom of 300,000 Ceylon rupees; the second is accepting bribes and imposing exorbitant taxes in the name of the church..."

She read it out while showing the evidence.

That thick document contained not only a detailed breakdown of Granfin's ransom payment, but also the testimonies and signatures of the merchants who had been coerced into donating. If the trial had been entirely a battle of public opinion, this document now served as irrefutable evidence.

From legal provisions to criminal charges and various evidence presentations... Grinfin was nailed to the pillar of shame from all angles.

The whole audience fell silent.

Gryffindor was left gasping for air as he stared at Isabelle and snatched the documents from Emily's hands, "These are fake! They're all forged!"

"Don't worry, we have witnesses."

On the side, Herman, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke.

He clapped his hands, and Charles quickly stood up with the merchants, led by Mr. More.

"This is a signed letter from eighteen factory owners, led by the White Company." Herman slowly unfolded the paper. "Every merchant in Haddonfield is required to pay 30% of their profits as a sin payment each year. In addition to this, there is also an additional donation for church schools. All of this donation money ultimately goes into Mr. Griffin's account."

Griffin saw the merchant testifying, and anger flashed in his eyes: "You...how dare you..."

Mr. Moore did not lower his head, but stood firmly beside Hermann.

Yes, if it were during the era of technological monopoly, he would not have dared to offend the church. But now it was different. They had the White Family and the Duke's House as their backers, and they were all businessmen who had made their fortunes through speculation, so they naturally saw the situation clearly.

Gryffin looked at Isabel and Hermann opposite him, and suddenly realized that he had stepped into a trap - everything was planned by them.

He had gathered so many people to build momentum for the trial, trying to use public opinion to bring Isabel down. But he never expected that the other party would take advantage of his so-called advantage.

The final mine exploded unexpectedly, the identities of prey and hunter were reversed, and Griffin became the defendant.

"Mr. Bishop, do you have anything to say about this?"

"The documents detail the source and destination of your funds. Is that private mansion in District 9 really in your name?"

"Two years ago, you recruited a group of young men and women into St. Petersburg, and they haven't been seen since. Are you aware of this?"

…

Questions flooded towards Gryffindor like a tide.

The reporters' questions were relatively mild, but outside the gate, the people who had listened to the entire process could no longer contain their anger.

Everyone in Kent, and indeed everyone in Ceylon, has experienced oppression to some degree. It's only in recent years, with the gradual relaxation of church policies and the power of faith, that this contradiction has gradually become the elephant in the room.

But at this moment, an archbishop of such a high status actually did so many shameful things, which was too different from his usual image!

Everyone was not stupid, especially the people of Kent. They all knew that the Duchess had brought them new business opportunities, and another young lady from the Norman family had broken the technological monopoly. They were retaliated against just because they had offended the church, and even such a ridiculous charge as marriage swapping could be fabricated.

Just think about it, if the Duchess can be bullied, what about ordinary people?

For a moment, the human wall formed by the black-clad believers could not stop the angry crowd, especially when Emily revealed that Gryffindor had taken away a group of children under the banner of recruiting saints, everyone was completely unable to sit still.

As soon as Emily finished reading, Kevin suddenly rushed in with a group of workers.

"Down with the church!"

"Down with Gryffindor!"

…

Gryffin fled in a panic under the escort of the believers.

When the chaos subsided a bit, Audrey was the first to shout, "We want fairness!"

"Please give a fair verdict!"

"Please treat us all fairly!"

"Punish Gryffin severely!"

Everyone shouted together.

The Inquisitor was about to run away when Isabel stopped him: "Sir, the evidence is right in front of you. Are you afraid to pronounce Griffin guilty?"

"Or..." She paused, then slowly picked up the church emblem from the ground, "Do you need me to make your faith public and stand with Gryffindor?"

The judge was stunned. That was the badge he had secretly thrown away when he saw the situation was not good, but it was seen by this woman.

Under normal circumstances, having faith would not be a problem, but at this moment, once she exerted her ability to incite, he would be devoured by the angry crowd.

There was no other choice, so the judge had to adjust his wig and declare Griffin guilty in a mosquito-like voice.

Gryffin clenched his fists. Even though he stared at the Inquisitor, he couldn't say much with so many eyes on him.

The Inquisition has no legal authority over church personnel and must hand them over to St. Petersburg for disposal.

He was the plaintiff one second and a prisoner the next. The situation changed so quickly that Gryffin went from being stunned to being angry, but finally he gradually calmed down.

Gryffin smiled sinisterly, "What a show, Miss Norman."

He stared at Isabel, and gradually sorted out his thoughts.

The farce just now was too sudden. The clear evidence and the angry crowd made Gryffindor confused. But when he calmed down and thought about it, he realized that there was nothing to be afraid of.

The so-called joint court of the royal family and the church is just a decoration. Even the judges are their own people, and the so-called charges are just to fool people.

What really caught people off guard were the workers who rushed in, but upon closer inspection, some of them were still waiting and watching - they had no idea about the sudden change in the situation. Some were infected by anger, while others were still hesitant.

Yes, Gryffin had been the Archbishop for so many years, and his image was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Could he be convicted based on just one trial?

According to the procedure, he had to be escorted to St. Petersburg. Once there, he would have a chance to catch his breath and fabricate some public opinion to whitewash himself, and the storm would be over.

So, when he was actually taken away, Gryffin was actually relaxed and felt ridiculous for his previous panic.

He glanced at Isabel with disdain. "Goodbye, Miss Norman. I hope your tricks won't be so cheap next time."

"Goodbye?" Isabel raised an eyebrow. After Gryffin's figure gradually disappeared, she lowered her eyes and said, "There will be no chance of seeing each other again."

Audrey heard this and looked puzzled: "What do you mean?"

Isabel was in no hurry to explain.

The trial finally ended here, and her tense nerves began to relax.

Glancing at Audrey, Heinrich, Jenny and the others, Isabel felt an indescribable emotion.

After a long while, she suddenly hugged Audrey and gave her a belated greeting: "Long time no see."

Audrey was startled for a moment, then hugged her sister back: "I hope you're happy that we're here."

Isabel stared at her sister and smiled. "I used to not think that something unexpected like this would make me happy."

"What about now?" Heinrich asked suddenly.

Isabel raised her eyes and paused: "A little happy."

"Just a little?" Anna teased.

Isabel chuckled and answered seriously, "More than a little, more and more."

As family members appeared one by one, my heart was like a puzzle, gradually being filled up.

She had to admit, it was a wonderful feeling.

Audrey's eyes were moist. She looked into those ice-blue eyes and felt that something was changing, yet it seemed as if nothing had changed.

-

At Winston Manor, the family finished their rest and gathered in the living room.

Isabel was surrounded in the center for "trial". Miss Norman, who had always been at the top of the food chain, was at the bottom today and answered all the questions from everyone.

Audrey asked first. She watched her husband and sister working together so well today, and narrowed her eyes as she questioned, "Did you plan everything long ago? I'm just worrying for nothing!"

Herman tilted his head to look at his wife and said calmly, "I didn't. I was just a pawn arranged by your sister."

Heinrich bandaged the wound while staring at Isabel: "What about me? Am I just your pawn?"

Jenny and Mary looked at each other and couldn't help laughing.

Anna muttered, "Oh, Bella, did you guess that Gryffindor would find Wakeman? Otherwise, why would you act so calm?"

…

A series of questions bombarded Isabel.

This was different from the trial during the day. If she didn't tell the truth, she could guarantee that she wouldn't have lunch tomorrow.

She chuckled, sighed, and shook her head, "I'm not God, how can I calculate every detail? Your arrival was not something I expected."

Heinrich lowered his eyes. He was a little quiet tonight, but when he heard this, he couldn't help but speak: "Why? You think I won't come?"

Audrey also fell silent. She held Isabel's hand and kneaded her palm unconsciously.

Isabel smiled: "Maybe, I'm just used to handling everything on my own."

"This is a bad habit. I hope you can change it." Audrey looked up and said seriously.

Isabel didn't give her a perfunctory response. "Okay."

She was going to change.

This wasn't to improve her chances of winning; in fact, according to the original plan, she could have won without her family or Heinrich.

She had been collecting evidence of Granfin's crimes since the opening of Huaxia Air. Sophia's death was a signal, and Isabel knew the church would not let her go.

Indeed, she moved her family to protect them and to avoid any accidents that would tie her hands. After all, she never intended to avoid a fight.

The so-called marriage exchange incident was not terrible. Isabel wanted to use this incident as a fuse and a signal to attack the church.

She needed an opportunity to make everyone realize the horror of the church and understand that they have the ability to resist.

"Did you arrange the workers led by Kevin?" Herman asked his only question of doubt.

"Yes," Isabel admitted frankly, "someone has to be the match that ignites the anger. Without anger, there would be no courage to resist."

If the trial really goes according to the stable process, Granfin may also use words to incite, so Isabel cannot give him a chance to defend himself. As long as he is nailed to the charges with evidence and "public opinion", no matter what the result is, he will definitely not be able to turn over at the moment.

Griffin brought trouble upon himself. His previous accusation of Isabel's marriage swap would be considered as intentional murder. This was also her last trump card - offense is the best defense.

Of course, this was also due to Gryffin's arrogance. He had been the archbishop for too long, and it was his home ground. How could he have imagined that someone would want to sue him in such a completely disadvantageous situation.

It would be fine if it was a closed courtroom, but it was a grand occasion created by Gryffin himself, which was really shooting himself in the foot.

"Once Gryffindor is transferred to St. Petersburg, your plan will be ineffective." Hermann said lightly.

Isabel: "I know."

Of course, she wasn't so naive as to think that she could convict Gryffin just based on a word from the judge.

As long as he was given some breathing space, he would have the opportunity to prolong the battle. Even if the evidence was irrefutable, with Cyril and St. Petersburg heavily guarding him, Gryffin might even turn around and say that Isabel was deliberately throwing mud.

The situation is even more unfavorable, especially when the Queen's attitude is unclear.

Audrey opened her eyes wide: "Bella, what do you want to do?"

Isabel was about to respond perfunctorily, but under her sister's glare, she had no choice but to smile and say, "I won't let him leave Kent."

Everyone was stunned.

Heinrich frowned. "What do you mean?"

Isabel raised her eyes and said lightly, "Kill him."

Everyone was shocked.

"Now you know why I don't want to tell you everything?" Isabel shrugged.

Everyone felt complicated.

On the one hand, I was impressed by Isabel's frankness, and on the other hand, I was amazed at her boldness.

The elders made excuses to leave and gave them space to discuss the matter.

In the room, Hermann was lost in thought. He probably understood what Isabel meant. "When do we move? What preparations do we need?"

"Tomorrow night, please help me prepare these." Isabel took out a list.

"Is there anyone suitable?" Heinrich glanced at his wife.

Isabel raised her eyes: "What do you think?"

Heinrich chuckled. "Gladly to help."

Audrey stared blankly at the three of them discussing how to kill someone, their tone as natural as if they were discussing the weather. Finally, she could only say dryly, "What about me? What do I do?"

Isabel pinched her sister's face and chuckled: "Please make me a sweet blueberry cake and wait for me to come back, okay?"

Audrey took a deep breath and nodded solemnly: "Yeah!"

The aqua-blue eyes stared at her sister seriously, "You must come back, we are all waiting for you at home."

Isabel was silent for a long time, then patted her sister's head and said, "I will."