"The trial begins!"

"Name of the accused?"

"Wenwu. Wait, I'm not a criminal—I've been framed."

"Silence! No pointless talk. You'll get time to defend yourself later."

"Attempting to assassinate Princess Royal?"

"I told you, I'm innocent! I don't even know what the princess looks like. How could I assassinate her? Let Princess Royal come out for a face-to-face confrontation."

Wenwu really couldn't stand their smug certainty that he was the killer.

"Hmph. Princess Royal remains unconscious, yet you demand her presence? Clearly, you're—"

"Judge No. 5, control your emotions."

"My deepest apologies, Chief Judicator."

Though every judge seemed convinced he was guilty, the white-bearded old man at the center—Chief Judicator Bai—felt fairly just.

"You keep calling me the murderer. What proof do you have?"

Wenwu was dying to know why they pinned it on him. If they just needed a scapegoat, his luck was rotten.

"Judge No. 3, explain."

"Yes, Chief Judicator." Judge No. 3 stood, bowed respectfully. "I'm an elder of the Imperial Magic Association. My words on magic carry full authority."

*Authority? Nobles can invent any excuse to kill a commoner.*

"For security, royalty bear a tracking magic. Anyone touching them leaves a magical imprint. You understand?"

Wenwu got it—but he truly couldn't recall meeting the princess.

"Then... where was Princess Royal attacked?" Wenwu asked.

"Magic shows you met her on the road, then took her to an alley."

*Alley? Could it be her?*

"Does Princess Royal have red hair and purple eyes?"

"Correct."

That night hadn't been a dream. After the passionate kiss, Wenwu blacked out—he’d been ambushed by the princess.

"Chief Judicator, he’s confessed! Sentence him!" Judge No. 5 urged eagerly.

"Hold on. Answer two questions first. Let me die knowing the truth."

"Ask."

"First, Princess Royal left the palace herself—I didn’t seek her. So 'assassination' makes no sense. Second, if I attacked her, how did she return to the palace?"

"This..."

Wenwu’s questions stunned every judge. None had a solid reply.

*Hmph. Wanting my life won’t be easy. I’m no pushover—years of study weren’t wasted.*

"Sophistry!" Judge No. 5 snapped. "Assassination uses knives, ropes, poison. Nothing happening then doesn’t mean nothing later. Princess Royal collapsed right after touching you. Who else? Make him reveal how to wake her—or hang him publicly for attacking royalty!"

Wenwu was stunned. What reckless judgment—trampling on human life!

All eyes turned to Chief Judicator Bai, awaiting his verdict.

"Wenwu, can you wake Princess Royal?"

*Just a clueless transmigrator... How would I know? I don’t even remember that night.*

"No... I can’t."

"Then I sentence criminal Wenwu to hang at noon tomorrow for attempting to assassinate royalty."

"Hey! This is injustice! I’m innocent, you—"

"Take him away!"

Soldiers dragged Wenwu to a dark, damp dungeon.

He sat on a cold stone bench, staring through the bars at the sky. His otherworldly life would end before it began. They say the dying recall the past—and Wenwu thought of Silver, whom he’d driven off. *If only I’d pinched Silver’s tail back then... maybe this wouldn’t be my end.*