Chapter 78 The Sudden Toll of the Death Knell: The Witch, Defendant vs. the Grim Reaper Prosecutor...
“Yes.” Lilith paused for a moment, then answered truthfully, “She conspired with my brother to try to murder me twice, which is why I finally decided to take revenge on her.”
“Can I really believe what you’re saying, Lilith?” Isolde clutched her skirt tightly, looking extremely distressed.
“Ever since I revealed my identity to you, I have never lied to you again.” Faced with Isolde’s unexpected questioning, Lilith was a little nervous, but she still tried to calm herself down and explained, “If you are willing, I will tell you the whole story clearly and exactly as it happened. Although I am indeed a ruthless woman when it comes to my enemies… I can honestly say that I would never deceive my friends, much less hurt you. Please believe me.”
Isolde remained silent, neither confirming nor denying. Lilith took her hand and led her into the restaurant, where they sat down at a table. Lilith then explained to her the entire story of the Mauro incident.
“I understand.” Isolde lowered his head solemnly and took Lilith’s hand. “It’s like this, Maria’s sister… was one of the few friends I made after coming to Italy, but she passed away a few years ago. In the last letter she wrote to me, she asked me to take good care of her only sister, so although Maria and I never met, we exchanged letters a few times.”
"I see……"
"The idea of poisoning almond cookies with bitter almond oil was actually my idea for her." Isolde blinked awkwardly, her brows furrowed, looking somewhat uneasy. "She told me that she couldn't stand her husband's long-term domestic violence and wanted to kill him to regain her freedom, so I sent her the poisoned oil made from bitter almonds."
“If she really had that kind of awareness, maybe I could have become her friend.” Lilith recalled Maria’s voice and smile with a heavy heart. “Just like when I stood up for her at her funeral, I really hoped to help her.”
"Later, she asked me for an abortion prescription, telling me that she would soon leave Venice to live a free life. I even made an appointment to meet her after she settled in Verona. But I had no idea about any of this related to you, nor did I know that the poison I hoped to use to help her get rid of her nightmare would be used on another innocent woman."
As she spoke, Isolde could no longer hold back her tears.
“Lilith,” she said, gripping the red-haired girl’s hand tightly, tears streaming down her face, “I thank you for your honesty, and I…respect your decision. Having known you for so long, I know you and Maria are absolutely different people. You are not only intelligent and persistent, but also very clear-headed. A woman like you should never be defeated by someone like Lorenzo. But I also ask you to promise me that when you one day rise to a high position and stand at the top of this world, you won’t persecute other innocent women like Maria did, okay? Women have already suffered too much persecution from men in this world…”
“Isolde,” Lilith looked at her with the most sincere gaze, her green eyes sparkling like jewels, “even if you hadn’t said these things to me, I would have done as you said. I would never have let you down. In fact, I just promised today to sponsor a little girl in my family to attend a convent school. I am very proud of myself for doing such a thing. If it weren’t for Aunt Elena’s generous help in sending me to receive an education, I would never have had the opportunity to gain the knowledge I have today.”
"Lilith, I misunderstood you." Isolde took out a handkerchief to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes. Suddenly, she felt Lilith hug her tightly.
“Actually, I’m really happy that you’re willing to tell me all this. Shouldn’t friends speak freely?” Lilith smiled and patted her back. “It’s a great honor to be able to clear up the misunderstanding and have your support. Your words let me know that I’m not alone. I’ve always longed for a society where women don’t have to be looked down upon, bullied, or restricted because of their gender. Although I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to rewrite the rules of this world… I will definitely keep striving for it.”
“I believe you can do it.” Isolde hugged her friend tightly. “You definitely can. It’s getting late. I’ll send someone to hand the messenger over to you when I get back to the post station. Lilith, I can’t go to court with you, this is all I can do for you. But I believe everything will go smoothly.”
"Thank you." Lilith smiled sweetly and waved goodbye to her friend.
/
The morning before the trial. Lilith was sitting at her vanity combing her hair, preparing to get ready to go to the law firm for final preparations, when she suddenly saw Cecilia rushing up to her.
Since Cecilia became the manager of the Rome branch, Lilith no longer proactively assigned her work unless specifically instructed to do so, simply allowing Cecilia to conduct business freely and granting her a high degree of autonomy. Therefore, Cecilia's flustered appearance inevitably made Lilith uneasy.
"What's wrong? What happened?" Lilith frowned. "Let me guess, did the messenger that Isolde brought escape?"
“No, it’s not about Lorenzo. It’s news from Rome,” Cecilia explained. “The Pope has passed away.”
Lilith suddenly stood up and stared at her blankly.
“The Medici family of Florence used to work for the Pope. They provided him with services from the time he became a cardinal.” Lilith’s eyes widened. Her business acumen and gourmand instincts told her that she smelled a piece of meat that was too fat to be true, so much so that she didn’t even dare to imagine tasting it.
“Our largest client in Rome is Cardinal Innocent, who has a long-standing feud with the former pope. It is precisely because of his open and covert struggles with the pope that he chose the Canaro Bank from his hometown of Venice as his asset manager.”
“Cecilia, you must get to Rome before Lorenzo… no. Before all the Italian bankers, and help Bishop Innocent ascend to the papacy.” Lilith gripped Cecilia’s hand tightly. “Unfortunately, I have to appear in court now and can’t go with you to help you…”
“Madam, please believe me.” Cecilia stood tall and said seriously, “I am the manager of the Rome branch. I know what to do. I will do my best to complete this mission.”
“There’s no time to lose, let’s set off now. I think Aunt Elena must have received the news by now. Just in case, I’ll write another letter to Florence. This is a once-in-a-century opportunity. If we can act as the Pope’s representatives, it means that all the tithes paid by the Christian world to the Pope will flow through the accounts of the Cognir…” Lilith couldn’t even imagine the terrifying profits this meant, and she was trembling uncontrollably with excitement. She kept telling herself, calm down, calm down, calm down.
"Cecilia, just do your best. It doesn't matter if you don't succeed. Safety first. You must come back safely no matter what. I'll be here waiting for your good news."
“Yes, ma’am.” Cecilia bowed respectfully to Lilith. “Take care of yourself at tomorrow’s trial.”
"May God bless us." Lilith rarely uttered such religious pronouncements. She didn't believe in God, much less in the popes and bishops who lived extravagant lives while claiming to be God's servants. But she wasn't powerful enough to change the rules of the world, so she could only adapt to it all, and seize every opportunity to climb the social ladder to get everything she wanted.
Watching Cecilia's departing figure, she vaguely realized that she would have to appear in court alone tomorrow. No, she wasn't truly alone. Hannah, the maid Heinrich had given her, would accompany her; the lawyer introduced by Madame Bianchi would be her right-hand woman; and she had the witness sent by Isolde as a final trump card. She had nothing to fear. This was merely a harmless little episode on Knarro Bank's path to the pinnacle of European power; everything would proceed smoothly.
On the morning of the trial, St. Mark's Basilica rang its bells seventy-seven times to commemorate the end of the former pope's seventy-seven-year life. Lilith, dressed in her favorite heavy black silk gown, draped in a black veil, and wearing the necklace and ring given to her by Heinrich, entered the courtroom of the Committee of Forty with the utmost poise and grace, surrounded by her legal team, and elegantly took her seat in the defendant's dock set up in the center of the courtroom.
This is the highest judicial body of the Venetian Republic. All forty members are from prominent Venetian families, and to maintain judicial impartiality, they rotate every quarter. In court today, they will vote to determine whether Lilith is guilty or not guilty.
After all the judges present had arrived, the presiding judge led everyone in swearing an oath of justice and honesty to Saint Mark and then declared the court in session. The prosecutor, clad in a black robe and carrying a thick stack of parchment, stepped into his seat. Lilith immediately recognized him as Lorenzo's younger brother, Leonardo Condalini, the legendary "Prosecutor of Death."
It is said that he became the youngest and most promising prosecutor in Venice right after graduating from law school. During his three-year term, he was undefeated and sent countless defendants to life imprisonment, exile in Eastern Europe, or to the gallows in the square.
"Based on Mr. Lorenzo Condarini's report and the prosecutor's investigation, Mrs. Liliana Canaro Schmidl has been charged with three crimes."
"First, she is suspected of hiring someone to kill her husband, Heinrich Schmidl."
"Secondly, she hates her sister-in-law, Maria Canaro, for murdering her."
"Finally, she was charged with arson, setting fire to the Condalini family's spice warehouse to inflate prices and make exorbitant profits. That is the contents of the indictment. The clerk will read aloud the key evidence to you all—the testimony of Miss Donata, a maid who once worked for Liliana." Leonardo's gaze swept coldly over Lilith, then respectfully shifted to the judge seated on the high platform.
The judge gestured for the court clerk to come forward and read the testimony. Lilith listened intently, her ears perked up. Although there were some exaggerated parts, the testimony's account of the murders of Heinrich and Maria was largely true, except for the part about the warehouse arson, which had some flaws because Tata was unaware of the specific details of the plan at the time.
Although Tata is dead and cannot recant Lilith's testimony, this statement is almost the only evidence Lorenzo's side can produce, so Lilith still has room to refute it.
"Mrs. Schmidl, do you plead guilty?" The judge gave the defendant the opportunity to plead her guilty.
“No. I deny all three charges. I did not do these things.” Lilith calmly and resolutely defended herself, following the script she had prepared with her lawyer beforehand.
"First of all, the very first accusation is utterly absurd. My fiancé is still alive; he is not dead at all."
The words had barely left her lips when the courtroom erupted in uproar. Every member of the panel involved in the trial was a regular in Venetian high society and naturally remembered that Lilith had been living as a widow for the past six months; some had even attended Heinrich's funeral. The judge had to bang on the table to signal for silence.
"Do you have any evidence?" the judge pressed.
“Heinrich’s brother Wilhelm can testify for me. He is currently waiting to be summoned in the outer corridor.”
"Summon William Schmidl," the judge ordered.
William was called to court. He took a deep breath and began to deliver his prepared testimony:
“The lady is right. My brother is not dead. He was attacked by bandits on his way to Venice. His men were all killed, but my brother survived. To avoid retaliation from the bandits, he left Venice under an assumed name. Therefore, the lady did not know that my brother was still alive. Later, before the pandemic, my brother returned to Venice to visit his sister-in-law, and she finally discovered that my brother was not dead.”
"Is this person in Venice now?" the prosecutor pressed.
"No. My brother had to rush back to Frankfurt. But he and my sister-in-law have a very good relationship..."
“It should be noted here,” Leonard interrupted William directly, “that William worked for Mrs. Schmidl at the Cnarro Bank for nearly six months. Therefore, the witness’s testimony is not convincing.”
"Did William really work for you?" the judge asked.
"Yes. He did work for me, but he had no reason to give false testimony for me. If Heinrich is dead, William will be the first in line to the title of Viscount Schmidl. If he didn't already know his brother was alive, why didn't he hurry up and inherit the title instead of becoming an apprentice at my bank? Besides, even if Heinrich isn't in Venice now, he can come back anytime after he finishes his business. Once he returns, my innocence will be clear."
Lilith explained slowly and deliberately, concealing the infighting and power struggles within the Schmidl family. The judges in Venice couldn't possibly know what was happening in Frankfurt, and she naturally wanted to take advantage of this information gap.
"Then, according to the witness, why did Heinrich leave Venice at this time?" the prosecutor pressed.
“Your Honor,” Lilith’s lawyer said, “the prosecutor’s questions involve privacy and are not within the scope of our discussion today. In addition, besides Mr. Schmidl’s brother, there are other people who have also been in contact with Heinrich and can testify that he is still alive. They can be summoned at any time if necessary.”
The judge nodded. "Since the prosecution has failed to provide concrete evidence or compelling witnesses to support the claim that Lilith hired someone to commit murder, and multiple witnesses can testify that the victim is still alive, then the first charge cannot stand. Mrs. Schmidl, do you have anything to say about the second charge?"
Lilith glanced at the prosecutor's nonchalant face. They showed no sign of disappointment at the dismissal of the first charge, leading Lilith to conclude that their true intentions were never to be seen.
After all, Lorenzo filed these lawsuits three months ago. At that time, even Lilith didn't know her husband was still alive. Perhaps Lorenzo later learned of this, and while he wouldn't drop the charges, he didn't intend to make it his primary target. So, what exactly was their purpose?
"Before allowing the defendant to present his defense, I request that a prosecution witness be called to court," the prosecutor said before Lilith could speak. "Countess Isolde Althae."
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Author's Note: Finally, we've reached the courtroom scene, haha! For the sake of narrative flow, the trial proceedings are mostly fictional, and many details have been omitted! However, the Venetian judicial system is indeed very interesting. Theoretically, it should belong to the Roman law system (after all, it's in Italy), but the system of forty people voting together is somewhat similar to the common law jury system.
The next update will be on Wednesday! I've been incredibly busy lately, and the ending is particularly difficult to write. To maintain quality, I've been revising my drafts, so progress has been slow... But I'll still try my best to maintain a pace of five chapters per week until the story is finished! Hope you all enjoy reading! Love you all!
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