The Old Lion still preferred to get straight to the point, but Tyrion didn't rush to answer.
He looked around: Where was that beautiful and venomous sister of his?
How could she miss the sight of Dwarf "crying his eyes out"...
Sure enough, he found Cersei on the second floor on the west side, with other noble ladies.
Beside her, arm in arm, was the Little Rose of Highgarden, and they looked as close as sisters.
Hmm... they were almost truly sisters, Tyrion grinned in that direction.
"Answer my question, Tyrion," Duke Tywin's cold voice came from the high platform.
His smile vanished, and Tyrion's expression immediately turned serious as he stood upright again.
He looked at the Old Lion: "I apologize, I am truly too nervous, please, Lord Hand, repeat the question."
Glancing at Duke Tywin, whose neck had a vein bulging, Duke Green spoke: "Tyrion Lannister, do you admit to the crime of murdering Oberyn Martell?"
Tyrion shook his head: "I do not."
Buzz!
Tyrion's response caused a stir in the hall.
The Lord Steward then called out loudly: "Silence! Silence! Silence!"
After silence was restored, Duke Green's voice broke the pause: "Hand of the King Tywin, Lord Mace, since Tyrion is unwilling to admit his guilt, let us bring in the witnesses directly."
As the three dukes discussed in low voices, Tyrion suddenly said: "I am guilty!"
The entire hall seemed to freeze for a moment, and hundreds of eyes focused simultaneously on Tyrion's position.
Duke Tywin gazed at Dwarf for a while, then said: "Very good, I hope you will be honest; it will be to your advantage."
Advantageous... did his amiable father mean that the executioner would be more swift when chopping off Dwarf's small neck?
"I wish to confess before all you lords..."
Tyrion scratched his cheek with one finger: "Where to begin... I admit I am a little rascal, and my sins are countless."
His tone was sincere: "I've slept with whores, not once but hundreds of times. I've sometimes been unkind to my servants... I've gambled, and what shames me more, I've cheated. I've spoken much ill of the Red Keep's officials, often making lewd jokes about them."
He looked at the Old Lion, a slow smile curving his lips: "I've secretly wished my sister dead, and harbored the same thoughts about my father, our eternal Lord Hand—Lord Tywin Lannister."
The hall was noisy, with whispers, laughter, curses, and shouts for blood.
"Silence! Silence! Silence!"
Duke Green glanced sideways.
Duke Tywin stared unmoving at Dwarf who dared to provoke him, while Lord Mace seemed to be red-faced from trying to suppress his laughter.
After a pause, Duke Tywin slowly spoke: "If you continue to speak nonsense, I will, according to the laws of the realm, strip you of your right to speak."
Tyrion, however, tilted his head: "Alas, I am confessing, Lord Presiding Judge."
Hearing this, Duke Tywin's eyes narrowed slightly.
Lord Mace then cleared his throat and said: "Tyrion Lannister, please do not test our patience. We are interrogating you concerning the death of Prince Oberyn."
Tyrion shrugged, then scanned the room, placing a hand on his chest: "I confess before all you lords to tell everyone that I am a Half-man who only knows how to wag his tongue, and not an assassin capable of killing Prince Martell alone."
He looked around once more: "My lords, allow me to remind you, he was the Red Viper, famous throughout the Seven Kingdoms.
My wise lords, I take the liberty of reminding you again, Prince Oberyn was the strongest assassin in the Seven Kingdoms."
Buzz! A low murmur of discussion arose among the crowd.
In the gallery, the Earl of Hellholt, Harmen Uller, from Dorne, suddenly stood up: "You must have used dirty tricks, you despicable Little Devil, I will kill you!"
The Dornish nobles in the gallery began shouting for blood.
Duke Green and Lord Mace exchanged glances, and both almost simultaneously gestured downwards.
Subsequently, Crabb's Blue Cloaks and Tyrell's Green Cloaks, along with the Red Cloaks and Gold Cloaks, worked to maintain order.
Once the still-furious Dornish nobles had settled back down, Duke Green's warning voice came across: "If you disrupt the order of the trial again, I will consider it a challenge to the impartiality of Crabb-Tyrell-Lannister, and I will, according to the laws of the realm, expel you from the Throne Room."
Lord Mace shook his head with a sigh.
His voice was only audible to the three dukes on the high platform: "The Dornish have been too far from the center of the Seven Kingdoms for too long; they have little reverence left for the Iron Throne."
Duke Tywin gave Lord Mace a cold glance, then said: "They will return."
Having said that, the Old Lion looked down at the platform.
Tyrion deeply felt the true reality; the Dorne Envoys who had accompanied the Red Viper had already decided he was the murderer.
To be precise... they absolutely did not want to hear any defense in his favor; they only wanted him to be the murderer of the Red Viper.
Feeling the Old Lion's gaze, Tyrion looked up to meet it.
He read a certain mockery in those golden-tinged pale green eyes, and the Little Lion couldn't help but clench his fists.
Duke Tywin withdrew his gaze and, after a pause, declared: "The prosecution has called many witnesses.
We will first hear their testimonies, and then you may present your defense or call defense witnesses."
His gaze shifted downwards: "Please note, no one shall interrupt a witness without the permission of the Presiding Judge."
Tyrion grinned: "Yes, Lord Presiding Judge."
It came as no surprise to Tyrion that the first person to testify was the Red Viper's mistress, whom he had brought from Dorne—the only third party in that room—Ellaria Sand.
After swearing to the Seven Gods to tell the truth, she began her testimony: "I had just woken up when I saw Dwarf holding a dagger and the Prince lying motionless on the ground... there was blood everywhere.
This man is truly a demon.
I wasn't mistaken; I saw the demon's face.
This man was even cursing the Prince with his eyes closed; it must have been a wicked ritual.
He was also smiling eerily.
I saw it all!"
She pointed at Tyrion: "This man is definitely the murderer! Everything I said I saw with my own eyes, I swear."
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