The Heroines Who Framed Me Are Clinging to Me

Chapter 2 - One Month After the Execution

One month had passed since Lee Han was executed.

A grand banquet was being held in the Imperial Palace.

The purpose of this celebration was to honor the achievements of the three heroes of the Hero Party.

Notable figures from across the continent gathered.

The grand hall of the Empire, known as the "Great Assembly Hall," was a spectacle in itself, filled with high-ranking officials from the Britannia Empire, high priests from the Holy Constantine, and representatives from the guilds that controlled the continent\'s economy.

A high-ranking nobleman, staring absentmindedly at the chandelier hanging in the center of the hall, muttered to himself.

"So, this is the hall they use once every three centuries."

"Every piece of material here is of the highest quality...I heard that chandelier is carved from diamonds."

"Hoho..."

Even the elites were momentarily awed as they glanced around, admiring the opulence.

"We will now welcome the three heroes."

— Creeeeak!

The massive doors at the center of the hall slowly opened.

A flood of light poured in, almost as if to crown the heroes.

The spectators shielded their eyes, marveling at the sight.

The three heroes stepped onto the high platform.

"Ah..."

A soft gasp from someone in the crowd triggered a wave of applause that filled the hall. It took five full minutes before the applause finally subsided.

Click.

Out of the three, Princess Aina stepped forward.

Her golden hair, shimmering like threads of gold, and the dignified tilt of her chin elicited admiration from the crowd, but only for a moment, before she began to speak.

"Thank you for this warm welcome. To receive applause from such distinguished individuals is truly an honor. It seems we truly risked our lives to defeat the Demon King for moments like this."

Her tone was fitting for the occasion—gracious, dignified, with just the right hint of playfulness.

The atmosphere in the hall instantly lightened, accompanied by gentle laughter.

"It’s thanks to the three heroes that we can all sleep soundly at night!"

"No, it’s because of the unwavering support from all of you that we were able to succeed. We owe you our deepest thanks."

"Hahaha! None of us will regret our support for this Hero Party. Isn’t that right, everyone?"

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!

Thunderous applause once again filled the hall.

The Empire. The Holy Constantine. And the financial guilds. It was rare for all these powerful factions to be in such agreement.

\'This is my chance.\'

Aina clenched her fist.

Her goal had always been the same: to claim the imperial throne. Joining the Hero Party as a princess and deciding to execute Lee Han were all calculated moves to secure her path to the throne.

As a result, she now had the title of having slain the Demon King and the reputation of having thwarted the conspiracy of the traitorous hero from another world.

\'With all the continent\'s power brokers gathered here, I need to leave a strong impression.\'

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

She could already feel her ranking in the line of succession had risen by two or three places.

Only one obstacle remained: the First Prince.

He had held the top spot in the line of succession for over a decade, solidifying his position and the support of those around him. To surpass him, Aina needed to maintain this momentum.

That’s why this moment was so crucial to her.

The speech she was about to give.

She had rehearsed it countless times.

Aina took another step forward, standing with Claire and Aria behind her, as if she were the spokesperson for all three heroes.

"With these hands, I killed the Demon King."

Waaah!

After the applause subsided, Aina continued.

"She was a being who spread terror across the continent. Adults trembled with fear, unsure if they would be captured by demons whenever they left their homes. Children counted stars while waiting for their missing parents. It was too sad to be thankful for the countless stars visible on our continent."

The hall fell silent, the somber tone of her speech resonating deeply.

Sensing that her words were having the desired effect, Aina raised her voice.

"As a princess of the Empire, I could not stand by and watch such suffering. I decided to join the Hero Party. To save the people..."

In the highest seats, farthest from the platform, two middle-aged men were seated. One of them, a middle-aged man dressed in priestly robes, murmured.

"It seems Princess Aina prepared well. She naturally took the center stage."

This was Julius, a high priest and one of the thirteen archpriests who upheld the Holy Constantine, overseeing the papal office.

"Hmm."

The response came from a tall, broad-shouldered elderly man with stark white hair who still stood strong despite his age. This was Reinhardt, the Chancellor of the Britannia Empire.

Though seated together, the Empire and the Holy Constantine were clearly rival nations.

Not pleased with the tepid response, High Priest Julius inquired.

"Is the Emperor not coming?"

"This is a place to highlight the heroes. His Majesty, in his profound wisdom, has chosen to avoid overshadowing them with his presence."

"Perhaps he decided to stay away because the Holy Emperor did the same."

A young fox with the cunning of a century-old one.

Reinhardt ignored Julius’s remark and continued to listen to the princess\'s speech.

Her grand but compelling speech had now reached the point where she discussed the treachery of the hero from another world.

"Lee Han! He was a pawn of the Demon King. Throughout our journey to defeat the Demon King, he continuously hindered us. The three of us gathered evidence proving his allegiance to the Demon King, which led to his trial..."

She solidified the accusations against Lee Han, ensuring that he was remembered as a traitor. In the process, she cleverly twisted Lee Han’s accomplishments to make them her own.

Those who had not seen the truth simply believed her words.

Only the most experienced had a vague sense of doubt.

"Do you believe her words to be true, Chancellor? I reviewed the trial, and there were many points of suspicion."

At Julius’s words, Reinhardt clicked his tongue.

"It must be true."

"You’re defending the Empire\'s princess, despite your reputation for cold pragmatism."

"You’re no different. It’s been a while since the Holy See had a saint appear, hasn’t it?"

"That’s true enough."

In politics, truth doesn’t matter.

Only whether something is beneficial or not is important.

Therefore, politicians must be adept at lying.

Lies are beneficial in most cases.

\'Of course. Sometimes it comes back to bite you.\'

Like when you get caught up in a battle over the truth.

If a lie were to be exposed to the public, all the achievements built on that lie would crumble like a sandcastle.

"If what they’re saying is a lie, they’re building a castle on sand. But that sand won’t collapse."

"Why not?"

"Don’t you see? The hero from another world is dead."

Right on cue, the princess’s speech ended.

Waaah-!

The hall erupted in applause and cheers.

Considering that every person clapping was at the pinnacle of society, each applause was more valuable than gold.

A castle of gold was being built on the ground where the heroes stood.

Watching this, Reinhardt made his conclusion.

"The dead cannot speak. Now begins the era of the three heroes."

◆

The applause and cheers erupted before her eyes.

\'...I did it.\'

Aina clutched her trembling chest.

Even when she had struck down the Demon King, her heart hadn’t trembled like this.

But now, as she basked in her success and the rewards it brought, her heart raced.

That man cheering over there was the Empire’s Minister of Finance.

The one standing was the head of the Agricultural Guild, capable of causing millions to starve with just a word.

Even the cold-hearted Chancellor Reinhardt was applauding.

\'Ah.\'

The doubts about Lee Han were not raised.

The three heroes knew better than anyone that the trial and execution of Lee Han had been little more than a farce.

\'But it was the right thing to do.\'

Aria, Claire, and Aina herself—each of them had agreed on Lee Han’s execution.

There had been an unfortunate incident where Lee Han, in his final words, had sown discord.

Because of that, there had been a moment where things grew tense between Aria, Claire, and herself.

But for now, they had agreed to stick together.

\'It doesn’t matter.\'

No matter what happened, Aina would use it to her advantage.

To take one step closer to the throne.

And now, that throne was only a few steps away.

She just needed to surpass one more person.

The man standing there, clapping with a pleasant smile. The First Prince.

He had once seemed like an insurmountable wall...

\'Five years should be enough.\'

Aina smiled as she waved to the audience.

"Thank you."

It was a pure smile, radiating happiness.

The most powerful people on the continent were applauding her.

The throne was hers.

Just as Aina felt that certainty—

"I cannot agree!"

Someone threw cold water on her victory.

The hall fell silent in an instant.

A woman in a turban had stood up.

"Lee Han would never do such a thing! I can swear to it!"

Her fierce shout echoed through the hall.

Someone nearby asked.

"Who are you to make such a claim?"

In response, the woman removed her turban.

Pointed ears emerged.

"...An elf?"

Someone muttered.

But there was uncertainty in their voice.

Though her ears were pointed, one of them had been cut off halfway.

Her golden hair, typical of an elf, was so short that it didn’t even reach her neck.

But her deep, mysterious eyes left no doubt that she was indeed an elf.

"I am Serena. Once a member of the Hero Party."

Murmurs spread through the crowd.

Serena continued undeterred.

"I swear on the honor of the elves. Lee Han would never betray humanity."

Princess Aina’s lips trembled slightly.