Obsessed with a High-Ranking Esper (BL)-Chapter 324: Let this Imperial Lord serve you.

The trial unfolded with relentless precision. Laws broken were announced one after another, each accompanied by evidence. Tons of documents, images, and videos were presented to the people of Virelia. The more they saw, the angrier they became.

Thaurion was not only charged with corruption and cruelty, but also with orchestrating the attack on the Crown Blade Vanguard and harming his ex-concubine. Every revelation stripped away another layer of his former prestige.

The trial was not a single-day affair. It stretched across three days, each one a public humiliation. Thaurion’s name, once spoken with reverence, became synonymous with disgrace. He hated Jian Rui with a burning passion. Given the chance, he would slaughter them all, drink their blood and revel in their screams. But chained and silenced, he could only glare.

On the third day, the Divine Council passed their decision unanimously. Jian Rui looked at the floating screen, reading the punishment they had agreed upon: imprisonment for life in the Imperial Capital Prison.

Internally, Jian Rui sneered. That was too merciful.

And so, with the authority of the throne and the will of the people behind him, Jian Rui changed it.

He stood up, his presence commanding. His voice was steady, cold, and unyielding as he delivered the verdict.

"Thaurion, you have been found guilty of crimes against the very people you had sworn to protect. We sentence you to lifetime isolation in the dark dungeons of Trabeko for the rest of your years."

Gasps rippled through the chamber. Everyone knew Trabeko was more than a maximum prison. It was an abyss. A place where even the strongest minds unraveled within months. Hard labor on the mining planets would have been mercy compared to that pit of despair.

Jian Rui’s expression did not falter. He looked less like a son sentencing his father and more like a ruler imposing justice. The council members exchanged uneasy glances, for they understood, death would have been kinder. In Trabeko, madness was inevitable, and Jian Rui had chosen the harshest fate imaginable.

But Jian Rui did not care what they thought. There was no way he would allow Thaurion an easy time.

When the verdict was read, most of the public were pleased. This was a punishment befitting the crime. Some, however, whispered that it was heartless considering the father and son relationship.

The counter-response was swift. Those who called Jian Rui heartless were attacked by others, voices rising in fury: "You didn’t lose your family members. That’s why you are sympathetic to such a wicked man!"

The scolding came fast, and soon the barrage of comments was filled with praise.

***

The trial had drained him. Jian Rui slumped into the couch the moment he returned to his palace, his golden garments heavy, his body aching from the weight of judgment.

Seraphyne’s projection shimmered into existence, her presence regal even in light. "You did good, son."

Jian Rui exhaled, his voice weary but resolute. "Thank you, mun. At least now you can do whatever you want with him... to avenge your anger."

Seraphyne’s eyes softened. "I am so proud of you. This is your world now. You can marry Stannis openly, and he can keep his title as Marshal."

Jian Rui blinked, startled. "How is that possible? Won’t the Divine Council oppose?"

Seraphyne tsked, her tone sharp but affectionate. "Darling, you don’t know how much power you hold now. You can do what you want, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone."

Just then, the door opened. Jian Ci stormed in, arguing with Stannis. "You could have let me win once! Marshal, aren’t you supposed to curry favor with your brother-in-law?"

Jian Wei followed, laughing. "You looked so pathetic when you were defeated. I saved a picture of your mech lying on the ground and sent it to Yu Xi."

Jian Ci froze. "...Do you want my man to despise me?"

Stannis chuckled, settling beside Jian Rui. Jian Rui smiled faintly, resting his hand on the backrest, the gesture giving the illusion of an embrace. "Send it to me. I want to make a poster of it."

Jian Wei grinned, tapping at his floating screen. "Let me send it, it’s so hilarious."

Jian Ci rushed forward, blocking Jian Wei’s path. "Delete it!" he demanded, his face flushed.

But Jian Wei dodged easily, laughing as he tapped at his floating screen. "Not a chance."

Jian Ci lunged again, only to hear Seraphyne’s voice. Her projection leaned in with curiosity. "Let me see."

"Mum!" Jian Ci groaned.

"What? I am just curious," Seraphyne replied, her tone playful.

Jian Ci threw his hands up. "I am going to have Yu Xi beat your ass in a mech battle."

Stannis chuckled from the couch. "Sure."

Just then, Jian Ci’s screen lit up with a message from Yu Xi: Your mech looks good eating dirt.

Jian Ci froze. "...."

Now even his man was mocking him. His face twisted in despair. "This isn’t over," he muttered to his family before storming out in a hurry.

"I have to go too," Jian Wei said, still grinning. "I have got an experiment waiting for me."

"Go ahead," Seraphyne replied warmly. Jian Wei left, and Seraphyne’s projection flickered, her final words lingering: "You two have fun." Then she vanished in an instant.

The room fell quiet. Stannis looked at Jian Rui, and Jian Rui looked back at him. For a moment, silence stretched then they both chuckled at the same time.

"What?" Jian Rui asked, his lips curving.

"Nothing," Stannis said, his gaze steady, his voice soft. "I am just so happy."

Jian Rui rubbed the back of his head, his smile faint but genuine. "I missed you."

Stannis’s eyes never left his face. "I miss you too. More than you could ever imagine."

Jian Rui shifted, a slow, languid movement that brought him closer. His voice was a soft, silken command in the quiet room. "Let this Imperial Lord serve you."

Stannis’s eyes, usually so sharp and assessing, softened. A flicker of something hot and yielding passed through them. "As you wish, my lord," he murmured, the playful tone in his voice unmistakable.

That was all Jian Rui needed.