“I think I should spend more time with my daughter.”
At that moment, Antina was carefully placing a cup of warm water on the small wooden round table in front of the sofa.
Arka looked around the room, his gaze eventually settling on Antina as he asked softly,
“Excuse me, is there an empty room available here?”
Hearing this, Antina also glanced around the space. Aside from the living room, there were no other places to stay in the house. Having a guest sleep in the living room truly wouldn’t be proper hospitality, and she couldn’t help but look a bit embarrassed.
Sensing Antina’s discomfort, Arka quickly waved his hand and said,
“I saw a hotel on the second floor of Lions Street on my way here. I’ll just stay there for the night.”
“Come take a walk with me, Luo Jiani.”
Arka extended his hand, but instead of taking it, Luo Jiani crossed her arms over her chest and stood next to him.
“Hmph, I suppose I can reluctantly accompany you on this walk!”
Although she said this, judging by her expression, she was actually quite happy to go out with Arka.
It wasn’t until dusk that Luo Jiani returned.
According to her, Arka had checked into a hotel on the neighboring street. It turned out they found the inns and pubs on Lions Street to be a mixed bag, full of unsavory characters, and not a single one seemed reputable.
…
Early the next morning, Antina began packing her things.
She deliberately put on a veil, covering her face completely. After all, the Berryette matter had become a huge sensation thanks to the hype generated by her and Renith. If she didn’t cover her face, they probably wouldn’t even be able to step through the courthouse doors today.
Vista carefully checked all the affairs within the law firm, and once he confirmed everything was in order, he stood on a street corner, waiting for Luo Jiani to bring her father.
The trial was scheduled at the heart of Mobis City – the Mobis City Central Court. Due to the intense public interest stirred up by the Berryette case, this hearing was drawing significant attention.
The group boarded a northbound tram, and after about an hour, they arrived at the Mobis City Central Court.
Though it was still early morning, the entrance of the Central Court was already completely packed, crowded with reporters and photographers.
“What a huge crowd…”
Vista couldn’t help but exclaim. He had only ever seen scenes like this in newspapers.
Luo Jiani nodded in agreement; she had never even read a newspaper and was also stunned speechless by the spectacle.
Once the two had somewhat recovered from their astonishment, Antina led the trio towards the side entrance of the Central Court.
Coincidentally, they encountered Angelica along the way, also with her face covered. She had taken Antina and Renith’s advice, escalating the matter to the Mobis City Central Court and plastering Berryette’s scandals all over the newspapers, regardless of whether they were true or false.
Of course, this move had attracted a swarm of reporters and paparazzi. Every day, they’d shove microphones at her, flash their cameras, and bombard her with questions.
Angelica had absolutely no desire to deal with this mob solely focused on hot topics. The flashes from the portable cameras often stung her eyes.
Antina had also been bothered by these reporters for a while, but because she had never practiced law in Mobis City and hadn’t been out much lately, the reporters couldn’t track her down. Now, the public was buzzing with speculation about who dared to take this case.
Just as Luo Jiani was about to go over and greet her, perhaps some nearby reporters or photographers sensed something, or maybe a gust of wind lifted her veil – in an instant, a photographer captured Angelica’s uncovered face.
Suddenly, the veiled Angelica was surrounded by a sea of reporters and photographers.
“Miss Angelica, what are your thoughts on today’s trial…”
Intense flashes of light hit Angelica’s face. She kept trying to block them with her hand, but it was futile.
“Miss Angelica, do you think you have a chance of winning?”
“Miss Angelica…”
The reporters fired questions one after another. Angelica opened her mouth, but didn’t know what to say.
Facing such a throng, Angelica demonstrated the composure and professionalism of an underground singer. Taking a deep breath, she forcibly pushed her way through the crowd and replied firmly,
“No comment.”
Although the process was rough, and her carefully applied makeup was smudged by the crowd, Angelica still managed to enter the Central Court gates safely.
Antina felt a twinge of guilt; she seemed to have forgotten to tell Angelica that every courthouse had a dedicated back entrance, and few people used the main one directly. Not that the back entrance meant no reporters, just relatively fewer.
“She’s amazing.”
Rogarnie suddenly blurted out this sentiment.
Arka, standing nearby, smiled and gently patted Rogarnie’s head, saying,
“An excellent mentality – truly a rare talent. This kind of thing is cultivated gradually during one’s development; it’s hard to achieve overnight.”
“You’ve grown so tall…”
Under everyone’s gaze, Rogarnie suddenly felt incredibly embarrassed and crouched down abruptly. It seemed there was still a huge gap between her and Angelica.
After some difficulty, the group found the back door of the Mobis City Central Court. Arka shooed away a couple of reporters, and they finally managed to enter smoothly.
Antina first located Angelica, who was retouching her makeup. She asked her to wait there a moment while she went to the registration office.
When the registration officer saw Antina write down her name, his eyes lit up, and he asked,
“Are you Antina, the student of Professor Grace at Imperial Central University?”
“Yes, and you are…?”
Antina turned quickly, looking at the officer’s face, but couldn’t place him.
“I’m not Professor Grace’s student, I’m from a neighboring department. I just loved sitting in on her lectures – she was absolutely brilliant. Since I often hung around the law school, I occasionally heard your name too.”
“Like you, I’ve also benefited from Professor Grace’s guidance.”
“The whole city is focused on this trial. Ms. Angelica has become a representative of the common people, while Berryette represents the nobility… Please, you must win!”
Antina replied with a smile,
“Don’t worry, it’s already won.”
Antina returned to the group and confidently led them towards the courtroom.
Several police officers stood at the main entrance. Antina calmly presented her lawyer’s license, Angelica’s plaintiff complaint, and the spectator passes for the others.
Due to the time constraints, Antina hadn’t had a chance to prepare a spectator pass for Arka. Just as she turned to look at him, she saw him casually waving a spectator pass he’d apparently obtained from somewhere.
“These things are easy enough to get. My little elf mentioned yesterday while shopping that you needed this for entry, so I picked one up. This trial is quite popular… but it’s nothing compared to spending time with my daughter.”
Regardless of the means, everyone successfully entered this tall, spacious, and solemn hall of justice.
Looking around, the spectator benches below were mostly full, leaving only a small area near the plaintiff’s section – just enough for Rogarnie and the others to sit. People on the benches were whispering to each other, their murmurs forming a low but constant hum of background noise.
“I heard this case has become a huge deal. I wonder how it’ll be decided today.”
“That plaintiff looks pretty fragile. I hope she can handle the pressure.”
“The defendant is a noble. This probably won’t be straightforward, but I still hope the plaintiff wins.”
Amidst the murmuring, the judge, wearing a grayish-white curled wig, finally took his place.
Clad in a black judicial robe, he walked with steady steps to his seat, adjusted his wig slightly, and then firmly struck the solid wooden gavel on the table.
The crisp “rap rap rap” sound immediately echoed through the courtroom.
The spectators, who had been chattering moments before, immediately fell silent, their eyes turning towards the judge. The entire courtroom became quiet, with only the faint sounds of breathing audible.
“Summon the plaintiff and the plaintiff’s attorney.”
The judge’s voice resonated powerfully within the courtroom.
Antina removed her veil and gently patted Angelica’s slightly trembling shoulder, whispering reassuringly,
“Don’t be nervous, I’m here.”
As the two stepped forward, the crowd began whispering again, curious about which lawyer had the audacity to take on this lawsuit.
“Silence in the court!”
A few more sharp raps of the gavel followed.
With Antina and Angelica on the stand, the judge proceeded with the next step:
“Summon the defendant and the defendant’s attorney.”
Soon, Berryette was escorted to the stand by two police officers. He looked haggard, but a hint of resentment and hatred flickered in his eyes. The lawyer opposite him was the last bit of “care” Baron Matthan had granted his son, currently standing nearby with a stern expression.
“Plaintiff, please present your oral statement.”
The judge instructed.
Thus began the intense legal battle between the two sides. Antina’s arguments were clear, logical, and sharp, systematically exposing Berryette’s crimes.
With ample evidence and relevant witness testimonies, Berryette’s lawyer found little room for rebuttal. He could only stubbornly resort to clauses from the Nobility Code, trying to argue for a reduced sentence.
However, Berryette himself became restless during the proceedings.
He openly confronted the judge, his face contorted with rage as he threatened to kill Angelica and the judge once he got out. His voice boomed through the courtroom, causing gasps among the spectators.
“Just you wait! I won’t let any of you off!”
Berryette snarled menacingly.
Combined with the immense pressure from public opinion, the judge was terrified that a huge crowd might storm the court if the verdict was unsatisfactory. He had initially considered going easy on Berryette to curry favor with Baron Matthan, but that thought was now completely abandoned.
Reduced sentence?
He was threatening to kill him. Clearly, he should be given the harshest possible sentence – make it severe, so severe he’d hopefully never get out.
“The basic facts of the case are clear. On July 30th, Goddess Era 255, the defendant Berryette harassed the plaintiff Angelica, and on July 31st spread rumors, damaging and insulting the plaintiff’s reputation. This led to the plaintiff losing her job and enduring immense social pressure and public scrutiny.
Following investigation by relevant authorities, the plaintiff’s attorney’s statement, and six pieces of witness testimony, it has been established that Berryette has a significant history of prior unpunished crimes, forming a complete chain of evidence.
…
Regarding the sentencing, the defendant denied the alleged facts during the court session and exhibited behavior confronting the judge and the plaintiff. According to Articles 136, 241, and 257 of the Imperial Criminal Code, the defendant is hereby sentenced to nineteen years of imprisonment, with a one-year suspension.
This verdict takes effect immediately.
Does either party have any objections?”
Seeing no objections from those present, the judge ignored Berryette, who was still ranting in his ear, and brought down the gavel.
