Evelyn's eyes swept over everyone. She saw the anger in the eyes of Tox and the veterans, and she also saw the fear and trembling of the old man and girl on the other side.
She took a deep breath, her chest rose and fell slightly, and she slowly walked through the confrontational crowd, step by step, towards the end of the hall and stood at the foot of the lord's seat.
The torches cast flickering light on the surrounding walls, illuminating the faces of everyone in the hall with clear outlines. Tox's face was pressed against the cold stone slab by Hek, and the sound of heavy breathing was particularly clear in the silence.
Evelyn stood under the steps of the lord's empty throne. The simple long dress on her body looked out of place in this dark hall, possessing a strange power to attract attention.
Her eyes did not stay on any of the tense soldiers, nor did she look at the military officer who made a big mistake, but looked at the other side of the hall.
There, an old man with gray hair was protecting a trembling young girl with his body. The girl's face was buried deep in the old man's arms, and her thin shoulders were twitching uncontrollably.
After a moment of silence, Evelyn's voice finally sounded, so gentle that it instantly diluted the solemnity in the hall. "Old man and girl, come forward, don't be afraid."
After thinking for a while, she slowly opened her mouth and asked her first question:
"Tell me, where are you from?"
The old man was stunned by the sudden soft words. He raised his wrinkled and frightened face, his lips were trembling, and he forced himself to stand upright and answer the question of the big man in front of him:
"Madam... my family, before Lord Suleiman came, lived at the foot of the mountain Mountains of the Moon."
Evelyn listened quietly, with no emotion or anger on her face. She pondered for a moment, and then asked a question that surprised everyone:
"So, since Lord Suleiman came here, have those savages from the mountains come down to rob you again?"
This question was like a pebble thrown into a lake, causing ripples in the tense heartstrings of the veterans. They did not understand why those damn Wildlings were involved in the trial of Tox.
But the old man seemed to have been touched by a certain switch. An extremely real light flashed in his fearful eyes. He straightened his back and his voice became much louder:
"There used to be! Those beasts! But now! Wildlings never dares to come again! Thanks to Master Suleiman for defeating them! We... our whole family is very grateful to Master!"
Evelyn nodded and calmly said two words: "Very good."
The atmosphere in the hall changed subtly. This strange opening question subtly shifted the tone of the crime trial from an accusation against a clerk to a gratitude for the rule of Suleiman.
Evelyn's eyes still stayed on the old man, and his voice was calm and unhurried:
"In the beginning, before my master came to rule here, savages often came down from the mountains to steal your food, your women, and everything you had."
"Did your family... suffer any losses at that time?"
This question was like a dull knife, piercing into the old man's painful memories. His eyes widened instantly, his cloudy eyeballs were filled with bloodshot eyes, and his voice was filled with uncontrollable hatred:
"Of course I suffered a loss! Madam! They...:::::. They didn't leave alive! My son! They were hacked to death with an axe!"
By the end of the old man's words, his voice was hoarse and his body was trembling with excitement. However, upon hearing this answer, Evelyn's face showed a faint arc.
Evelyn still spoke slowly and in a low voice, "In the past, High Mountains Wildlings's army came to rob her. Now, Mr. Su Lymond's men have robbed your daughter."
Her voice paused, her eyes swept over everyone present, and finally returned to the old man.
"Tell me, which one was robbed and caused greater losses to your family?"
The entire hall was deathly silent, and everyone held their breath. This question was too sharp and direct, who would suffer the greater loss...
But the old man was stunned. He didn't even need to think about this question. He almost yelled and blurted out, "Of course Wildlings robbed the big losses!"
"They steal everything! And they kill people! They are devils!"
She succeeded. Evelyn nodded again, her tone still calm. "Very good."
Witnessed by everyone, and admitted by the victims themselves, Suleiman's rule, even if there is one erring officer, is thousands of times better than the past era. Tox's sin is firmly limited to him personally, completely separated from Suleiman's rule.
Just when everyone thought she would use this as an excuse to give a lighter sentence, Evelyn changed the topic. "Old man, how many daughters do you have at home?"
This question was so commonplace that everyone who was tense just now was a little confused.
The old man was also stunned for a moment and replied subconsciously, "Madam... I have three daughters at home."
Evelyn continued to ask, "Who are they married to?"
The old man answered honestly, completely unaware of the intentions of this important figure in his eyes. "Madam, my eldest daughter and my second daughter are both married to farmers like me, who farm for Master Suleiman."
Evelyn finally showed a gentle smile on his face, with a kind of compassion unique to nobles looking down at the lower class. "In that case."
"Think about it, your other daughters are all married to farmers who farm the land for Mr. Suleiman, and they may have to work in the fields their whole lives."
She stretched out her slender fingers and pointed at the military officer on the ground who was too ashamed to raise his head. Her voice was full of temptation, "But look, Tox."
"He is the military officer of the lord. He is the earliest and bravest Warrior who followed your lord. He has a bright future."
"He has taken a fancy to your daughter. He really likes her, but he just used the wrong method. He will definitely not treat her badly."
Finally, she looked at the old man and the girl who was still sobbing and gave the final multiple choice question.
"Think about it, is it better for your daughter to marry an ordinary farmer, or to marry a lord's steward with a promising future?"
"I can make the decision, under the witness of Seven and under the auspices of the monks, let Tox marry your daughter as his wife."
Evelyn's words were like thunder, exploding in the old man's mind. A disaster that could lead to the death of his family, unexpectedly... It turned out to be a good marriage that would allow my daughter to have food and clothing for the rest of her life?
He was stunned. He looked at Evelyn, then at the Tox on the ground who had made mistakes, but was indeed a "big shot", and then thought about his daughter's future.::::::
What this lady said seems to make sense!!
The matter was settled in this way. When the old man held his daughter's hand and walked out of the lion's den, there was no trace of grievance or fear on his face. Instead, there was an incredible joy and deep gratitude to Evelin.
They felt that this important lady was really a reasonable and kind-hearted person.
Lord's Hall The heavy door slowly closed after they left, cutting off the light from the torches outside. In the hall, all the gentle smiles on Evelyn's faces disappeared without a trace the moment the door closed.
Her expression became as cold as the cold wind of the North, and a cold light shone in her sapphire-like eyes.