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The evidence was a thick stack of papers.
The Inquisitor accepted the bundle and asked, “What is this?”
“It’s a collection of statements.”
“Statements?”
“Testimonies from fellow students regarding Professor Edelina.”
Judging by the thickness, it was clear that a significant number of students had participated. The Inquisitor’s eyes narrowed.
“If these turn out to be false statements…”
“You’ll punish us for perjury?”
“…”
“Everyone wrote them with that in mind. If you just look at the first page, you’ll see the oath they all signed.”
At a glance, they were flawless, perfect statements. A look of hesitation crossed the Inquisitor’s face, but he could not ignore evidence that had been formally submitted. The sound of pages turning filled the room, and the audience watched the entire process in a heavy silence.
-They actually pulled it off.
-I wonder what’s written in there?
The chat, the people in the courtroom, and I all waited for the result…
“I will recognize its validity as evidence.”
After meticulously checking even the last page, the Inquisitor announced he would adopt the statements as evidence. He then turned to Brandon with a somewhat cold gaze.
“Witness. It is claimed here that many students were too afraid of you to speak favorably of Professor Edelina. Is this true?”
“Wh-what? No, that can’t be! There’s no way the children are afraid of me! They actually like me quite a lot!”
“Pfft! Hahaha!”
The person who laughed out loud in Brandon’s face was none other than Oscar.
-??
“You… you! Why are you laughing?!”
Knights stepped in to block Brandon as he trembled, looking ready to bolt from the witness stand. Despite the threatening atmosphere, Oscar spoke nonchalantly.
“Well, you reported Professor Edelina by over-interpreting something that wasn’t even a big deal. Given the nature of our school, it’s an unspoken rule that everyone just laughs off comments that push the boundaries a bit.”
The Inquisitor’s lips twisted slightly, but he didn’t stop Oscar from speaking. Sensing the Inquisitor’s change of heart, Oscar continued with a smiling face.
“Ah, of course, I am also a devout follower of Ralphican. But sometimes, passion can be a bit excessive and cross the line.”
“But Edelina’s research this time went too far! And she habitually made remarks insulting Ralphican—”
“Oh, come on~ That was just her trying to grab the attention of those of us who were trying to slack off and skip studying. Since you don’t care about the students’ attitudes, Professor, I guess you wouldn’t know about those struggles?”
Oscar shook his head as if he found Brandon’s ignorance pathetic.
“That’s why Professor Brandon’s classes are so boring.”
Brandon’s face turned beet red at the blunt course evaluation.
“My classes have good reviews—”
“Maybe from the students who want to sleep? Since you don’t even say anything when they do.”
-Sounds like a dream class, lol.
-I’m definitely signing up for that one.
“Ugh…!”
“Then really…”
“He reported her… over something so trivial…”
“In that case, is an execution even necessary…?”
“Silence!”
As the courtroom grew increasingly rowdy with people intrigued by the exchange, the Inquisitor slammed his desk. He then made his announcement.
“I will conclude today’s trial here.”
-What???
-It ends like this?
A sudden conclusion—and while Edelina had the upper hand, at that.
-Then, could it be?
“Due to the emergence of new evidence, we will resume tomorrow.”
…For now, it seemed Edelina’s life had been extended.
“It’s a miracle.”
Those were the first words Ilian said as he caught up to me after we left the courtroom.
“The fact that it’s a public trial has started working in our favor. The reaction of the common subjects is quite unusual.”
“Exactly! Everyone seems to view it as a nasty incident triggered by Professor Brandon’s jealousy of the successful Professor Edelina!”
Emily had arrived as well. I believe she had been waiting outside the courtroom; I wondered how she’d heard.
“If you listen closely, you can hear from outside! Plus, people other than me came to watch too! They were saying, ‘A trial with the Saintess in attendance… it’s a lifelong regret that I couldn’t get a seat!’ I don’t know the exact numbers, but the competition for audience seats must have been incredibly high!”
She was acting as if failing to get into a trial where a life was on the line was the same as failing to get concert tickets for a popular singer.
“Now that Professor Brandon’s testimony has lost its weight, she’s practically saved. Between the incident at the Marquisate and now, Professor Edelina’s thread of life seems remarkably tough.”
Well, she is the heroine, after all. Regardless, did Ilian really think Edelina would be found not guilty?
“In times like these, the weight of the testimony of the absolute majority tends to carry more power.”
“Besides, it’s a narrative of young students fighting against a corrupt professor to save an innocent person!”
“In this situation, if they proceeded with Professor Edelina’s execution without clear evidence, the Order would look like the villain.”
Ilian gave a smirk that made him look like a cunning rogue.
“From the moment the Saintess intervened, the impact of this trial was no longer confined to the Great Cathedral. The Order has no choice but to be mindful of public opinion.”
“And since the other side promoted it everywhere, it’s been in the newspapers and everything!”
I see. We ended up using their own calculations against them. Their opinion was that the Inquisitor would tuck his tail and back down now that so much attention was focused on the case. With this, I could wait for tomorrow with a peace of mind.
“Oh? It’s His Holiness the Pope!”
Emily quickly slowed her pace and bowed her head. The Pope, dressed in ornate ceremonial robes, was walking from the opposite end of the hallway. Ilian gave a brief salute, and I gave a small nod. The Pope didn’t seem to have any intention of chatting; instead of speaking, he simply gave a playful wink as he passed by.
…What was that about? Did something happen?
“The Hol—Father seems to be in a good mood.”
Ilian touched his chest as if he’d gotten goosebumps, noting that such behavior from the Pope was rare.
“Ugh… what on earth is he thinking? I can’t read His Holiness at all!”
Emily looked pale as a ghost.
To think he gets such a review even from those closest to him. I realized the Pope’s popularity was truly at a level one couldn’t witness without shedding tears.
“Or… is there something going on between the two of you?”
Ilian asked me, framed as a ‘reasonable suspicion.’
‘Well, something did happen.’
He did help me meet Edelina. Was he seriously trying to drop hints just because he did me that one favor?
“Anyway, it’s a relief. Sir Hereis will be pleased.”
He was right. The details of the trial had shifted, and witnesses who weren’t supposed to appear showed up, which was quite flustering, but somehow it all worked out. It was nothing short of a godsend.
“The heresy charges brought against Edelina Peyers are deemed to lack sufficient proof. Therefore, I declare her not guilty.”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
At the trial held again the next day, Edelina was acquitted of all charges, just as everyone expected. There was no resistance from Cardinal Samuel or the Orthodox Faction. Regarding the discovered Magic Stone, it was brushed off as something she possessed because she was actually conducting research commissioned by the Empire.
Of course, the fact that Magic Stones were not allowed outside of Imperial-provided labs was pointed out, but it ended with the research lead being dismissed for administrative negligence. I suspect the Crown Prince’s influence played a role in that.
I was walking back to my quarters with Emily after leaving the courtroom with a light heart when someone suddenly blocked my path.
“Saintess! Hello!”
This boy, who had suddenly blocked the way yet was bowing at a ninety-degree angle—making it unclear if he was being rude or polite—was wearing an apprentice butler’s uniform. It looked like it belonged to the Imperial family rather than the Order.
“Hey! Even if you’re a child, how dare you block the Saintess’s path! Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you’re in for?”
When Emily scolded him, the boy trembled like a puppy caught in the rain.
“I-I’m sorry…! But, well, I’m really sorry, but it’s an urgent matter…!”
“What is it?!”
“His Highness the Crown Prince asked me to bring you to him urgently!”
“His Highness? Ouch! The Crown Prince?”
Emily accidentally bit her tongue in surprise and turned to look at me. It was a signal asking what to do. I didn’t particularly feel like going, but I was curious about why he wanted to see me. When I told the little butler to lead the way, his face, which had been waiting with squeezed-shut eyes, brightened instantly.
“I apologize for the suddenness.”
The Crown Prince didn’t look particularly sorry. Setting aside his expression or tone, he had basically snatched me up using a rude method as if he’d been waiting for the trial to end.
“I’ll be returning to the Empire the day after tomorrow. I felt I had to give my greetings as soon as possible.”
So that’s how it was.
From the start, it made no sense for the heir of a nation to stay in the Holy State for this long. Originally, he probably intended to leave after seeing the protagonist, but if he extended his stay because of Edelina, it made even more sense.
“That’s a shame. The Holy State is usually quite lonely, but it’s been lively for a while thanks to you, Your Highness.”
I didn’t enjoy it, but the people of the Holy State felt differently. They even placed bets on whether the Crown Prince would find me or not, and held debates over whether he’d get bored and leave soon. Living an ascetic life of eating nothing but grass in a closed-off Order, they seemed to have lost their minds over a new stimulus.
“Haha! That’s an honor. My younger sister doesn’t seem to feel the same way, though. My servant arrived today and said the Princess held out as long as she could before finally throwing a massive tantrum!”
Ding!
The sound of the Crown Prince’s laughter—he was clutching his stomach as if it were the funniest thing in the world—overlapped with the sound of someone crying nearby.
‘Is that the Marquis?’
It seemed Edelina was released immediately after the trial. The Marquis and the protagonist, who had been waiting anxiously in front of the courtroom, welcomed her warmly. The Marquis hugged Edelina and sobbed, while the protagonist stood quietly by her side, holding out a block of white tofu.
-LOL, do they eat tofu after getting out of prison here too?
-The fact that tofu exists in this world is hilarious.
-You can really tell the developers are Korean.
“Well, she’s doing my work on top of hers, so she must be having a hard time. I’ve been away for quite a while, so it’s about time I head back.”
“You should return quickly, if only for the Princess’s sake.”
“Indeed.”
Was this all he wanted? I was wondering if he’d sent a child as a messenger just to say this, making it hard to refuse, when the Crown Prince suddenly blurted out something unexpected.
“By the way, I won’t be going alone.”
…That goes without saying. He’d be going with a multitude of attendants.
“It’s been decided that the Saintess will be coming with me.”
…?
“Ah, His Holiness said it would be a surprise announcement. I can’t see through the veil… but you look surprised!”
He must have caught the silhouette of my jaw dropping. I was surprised, alright. It was sooner than I thought. But it was also the perfect timing. Right after Edelina’s trial had concluded.
“The timing is just right. His Majesty is also on his way back.”
Had the schedule been moved up? Regardless, it was good news.
“By the way… could I ask you for one favor?”
I didn’t know what it was, but I told him to go ahead. The Crown Prince’s lips twitched as he hesitated, before finally speaking.
“Well… that is, could you perhaps bring a maid named Lita along with you?”
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The Gloomy Maid in the Teen Romance Simulation Game is Actually A Guy
Chapter 88 / 112