“Did the daughter also live at the Rovans estate? I mean the ten-gold-a-month shack.”
When the exact amount came out of the presiding official’s mouth, the spectators stirred.
“Ten gold…? Was the shack gilded?”
“Even considering how wealthy the East is, that is far too expensive. Who would give such lodging to an employee…?”
“Order, order! This is not a banquet hall.”
Bang, bang. Ollas struck the gavel twice, calling the spectators to order.
Matella’s flustered gaze turned toward Liselotte.
Perhaps recalling what had happened at the shop, she repeatedly sent pleading looks toward Crystal.
Crystal and her husband, however, seemed not to understand the meaning and merely frowned as if telling her to behave herself.
Seated at the plaintiff’s bench, Liselotte feigned ignorance.
Yesterday, she had filed a complaint for damages over unlawful occupation of the residence.
Of course, it would not yet have been delivered to her.
Therefore, depending on how things were said here, every statement would…
‘Become evidence in another lawsuit. Go on, say whatever you can.’
As if prepared in advance, Matella answered brazenly.
“We did not live together, but I visited every week to regularly check on my mother’s condition. I have also brought a physician’s certificate.”
When she handed a sheet of paper to the clerk, it was passed directly to the presiding official.
After skimming through the contents, Ollas set the paper aside and replied,
“Understood. Counsel, proceed with the witness examination.”
Liselotte rose from her seat and calmly walked to the witness stand, asking,
“It has been stated that because your mother, Mrs Hezela, is in poor health, all matters have been entrusted to you, her daughter, Matella. Is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“It has been stated that Mrs Hezela lived in a shack because she did not receive proper severance pay from House Rovans. Is that correct?”
“Yes.”
Matella’s confident answer, showing not a hint of hesitation, echoed through the courtroom.
Liselotte glanced at the mana stone brooch, then checked Eren, who was seated in the gallery.
He gave a small nod.
The activation count of the incantation placed began.
Three lies. One of them.
Feigning ignorance, Liselotte continued.
“The belongings in the shack consist of three wooden trays and one water cup. Is that correct?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“It has been confirmed that all other belongings were moved out. Then why were those items left behind?”
“Because there was nowhere to move them to. House Rovans’ gardener doesn’t earn a high salary. I also don’t have a steady job, so I didn’t have the means to take in additional belongings.”
“Three wooden trays and a water cup would not take up that much space.”
No sooner had Liselotte finished her question than Crystal’s husband raised his hand from behind.
“The counsel is currently questioning based on assumptions that are not factual!”
“Well. Yes. Plaintiff’s side, refrain from assumptions.”
Ollas, who had been lounging back and stroking his beard, waved his hand dismissively.
‘With just dishes and a water cup, she could have simply shoved them into a cupboard.’
But throwing away someone else’s belongings at will would also constitute unlawful dispossession.
She was reminded once again that understanding something intellectually and accepting it emotionally were separate matters.
Phew. After letting out a deep breath, Liselotte smiled again at Matella and asked,
“You stated that you are currently suffering from financial hardship. However, it appears that over the past few months you have been purchasing expensive accessories in the shopping district. Is that correct?”
“…Pardon?”
As the flustered Matella failed to answer and asked back, Crystal’s husband immediately raised an objection.
“Your Honor! This line of questioning is unrelated to the case!”
At some point, Ollas had dozed off, his head bobbing.
Liselotte deliberately extended her hand toward the spectators.
“Recently, when I went to a jewelry shop, I happened to run into Miss Matella. There, she was asking the shop manager for their opinion on how much money she had spent in their establishment.”
More accurately, she had been browbeating them.
Before the presiding official could issue a warning, Liselotte continued quickly and thump, planted both hands on the witness stand table.
“The same Miss Matella who says that without the severance pay of her mother she is suffering financial hardship to the point of having nowhere to move even three trays and a water cup.”
Facing Matella, who glared at her with venom-filled eyes, Liselotte smiled brightly and bowed her head.
Bringing her face close, Liselotte quietly whispered.
“That is right. Because it is evidence obtained illegally, I am only saying it now.”
Whoosh. Rising to her feet, Liselotte boldly pointed at the brooch pinned to Matella’s chest.
“You are also wearing the magic stone brooch that I yielded to you there, are you not?”
Even a low-grade magic stone was by no means cheap for a commoner. The nobles who knew this stirred.
“Presiding Official!”
At Crystal’s husband’s shout, the court officials standing behind shook Ollas awake.
Standing straight, Liselotte ignored the outcry.
Matella’s distorted face, her fists clenched as if she might strangle someone at any moment, looked quite vicious.
Toward her, Liselotte firmly recited the facts.
“The witness stated that after requesting retirement from House Rovans, she stayed in a ten-gold-a-month shack in lieu of the gardener’s severance pay of three hundred silver that House Rovans failed to provide. Therefore.”
Smiling brightly, Liselotte delivered the conclusion in her gentlest tone yet.
“I will demand from the principal, Miss Matella, the rental fees for one year and three months of unlawful residence after retirement.”
Turning toward Ollas, who was only now scrambling to his feet, she explained as simply as possible.
“Due to joint ownership, five gold of the ten-gold rental fee is deemed to be Anne Rovans’ share. For fifteen months, that totals seventy-five gold. From this, subtracting the severance pay of three hundred silver, I will claim seventy-four gold and seven hundred silver from Miss Matella.”
Yawning widely, Ollas finally issued a belated warning when he could no longer ignore Crystal’s husband, who was repeatedly raising his hand in protest.
“Hmm. I will accept the defendant’s objection. Conduct questioning relevant to the case.”
“This is relevant to the case, Presiding Official.”
Click, clack. As she walked back to the plaintiff’s seat, Hedmilton handed her the documents he had prepared in advance.
Taking them, Liselotte walked to the presiding official’s bench and presented the papers.
“Yesterday, I filed a suit regarding Mrs Hezela’s unlawful residence. I request that this matter be consolidated with that case.”
Consolidation meant that the ruling in this case would also affect the case involving Hezela and Matella.
In other words, for Matella to avoid paying seventy-four gold and seven hundred silver,
‘She would have to say that Hezela did not live in the shack in this lawsuit.’
From the outset, the exorbitant rental fee itself made no sense.
Both the Gaol side and Matella knew this, yet they simply made use of the law as it suited them.
‘So I made use of it as well.’
After reviewing the complaint Liselotte had submitted, Ollas nodded.
“I accept the consolidation.”
With this, Matella found herself in a bind.
Since her belongings were still in the shack, it could be construed as meaning she was still living there even now.
In other words, it meant she would have to pay five gold in rent for this month as well.
Realizing her predicament, Matella slammed her fist hard against the witness stand.
“I have never heard anything like that! And if my mother was the one staying there, why should I be the one to pay?”
“Witness, did you not clearly state that you had been entrusted with Hezela’s authority?”
When Ollas asked while flipping through the documents, she hurriedly made excuses.
“That was just because I had no choice but to receive the authority in order to stand as a witness…”
“To be entrusted with authority means to accept all responsibility as well.”
The Perida Empire was a place where families formed the foundation.
What happened to a family was also the responsibility of the person who would become its future head.
Of course, renunciation was possible.
If one agreed to abandon the family and hand it over to someone else, the responsibility would not carry over.
But Matella had received the authority in order to stand in this courtroom as a witness.
It meant she had also agreed to take on the debt.
Matella looked at the Gaol couple with trembling eyes.
But neither Crystal nor her husband met her gaze.
Not one of them even pretended to be surprised.
