Miss Witch, please don't leave your fragrance everywhere

"We have no choice but to use the backup plan. Mr. Guard, I have something to deliver to the Grand Chancellor."

"It is forbidden to give gifts to the Chief Justice. If it is a gift of comfort, we will convey it on behalf of the lady."

"It is a very valuable item. I must deliver it to the Chief Justice personally."

Angelica took out a stack of parchment from the overloaded alien space.

"what is this?"

"This is the manuscript of Richard Kaufman, a well-known figure in the country of Lair. I want to donate it to the country of Lair. I don't trust anyone else to give it to me. I must give it to the Grand Justice to guarantee its safety."

The guard's eyes widened. In the country of Leer, everyone knew the name of Richard. It was under the leadership of Richard Kaufman that Leer gradually became a country of law with a citizen jury. The girl in front of him could actually take out Richard's manuscript. The soldier did not dare to step forward to identify it. He knew that he had no ability to identify cultural relics. If it was damaged, he could not bear the responsibility.

The guard hurriedly asked the two to wait in the lounge, and he turned around to inform the Chief Justice.

"Ms. Magician, is what you have in your hand the real thing?"

"Of course. Why would I need to lie? In the country of Lele, cheating is a serious crime. It's such a stubborn country. No matter how you think about it, I am more important than a pile of words."

Why should he be angry with the parchment? Brand always felt that he couldn't appreciate Angelica's logic.

"Is it really okay? Donating such a valuable item for my commission."

Brand asked himself, if he had such a rare cultural relic, he would definitely choose to sell it to collectors. He admired those who donated cultural relics, but as for himself, he was more inclined to consider himself an ordinary person.

Therefore, Brand felt a little guilty. In order to meet the Chief Justice, Angelica actually donated Richard's manuscript, which could be sold at a high price.

"It doesn't matter. That guy has a lot of manuscripts. So many that I have to use magic to compress them, otherwise the warehouse will not be able to store them all."

Angelica explained casually.

"Richard and I traveled around the continent together. He used to be a scribe, and he had an unprecedented drive for writing. He would write down everything he saw in words almost every time he went to a place. But Richard didn't have the ability to control the overload, and he couldn't create a different space to store the words he recorded. In the end, my overload became his warehouse."

In short, he is a troublesome person, Angelica sighed. However, Angelica did not hate Richard, otherwise she would not go to Richard's grave to see her old friend every time she came to the vicinity of the Kingdom of Leer.

However, Brand was a little confused. He had been with Richard before? But Richard was a person who lived hundreds of years ago. Brand's impression of witches remained at the level of old witches, and he did not associate them with witches.

The guard hurried back to the lounge and announced that the Chief Justice agreed to meet with the two men. So Brand didn't think about it too much, as he was more concerned about his wife's safety.

The then Chief Justice of the Kingdom of Leirber was an old man with gray hair. He vaguely guessed that Angelica was the helper found by Brand, but Richard's manuscript had extraordinary significance to the Kingdom of Leirber. It can be said that the reason why the Kingdom of Leirber was defined as the city of justice all originated from Richard.

Besides, the Chief Justice also had something to say to Brand.

Angelica gave Richard's manuscript to the Chief Justice for identification. The museum in the country of Leer houses a large number of Richard's authentic works, and experienced scholars can easily identify the authenticity.

"It is indeed an authentic work of Richard Kaufman. Thank you for your generous donation, Miss Angelica. The country of Lierber will never forget you."

The Chief Justice was a little confused by the fact that every few decades, a donor named Angelica would appear, and each time she donated something genuine.

"Your Honor, in addition to donating Richard's manuscript, I would like to discuss with you the Kelly case that has been making headlines in the country of Learbor recently."

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't help you with Kelly's case."

"Kelly is innocent! Your Honor!"

Finally, it involved something that Brand was concerned about, and he couldn't wait to speak up for his beloved wife.

The Chief Justice's attitude was completely beyond Brand's expectations, and he frankly acknowledged Brand's point of view.

"You are right, Brand. Through various evidence collection, we have reached a unanimous conclusion that Kelly is not the murderer."

"Thank you, Your Honor, for your insight! What are you waiting for? Release Kelly immediately."

“…We can’t do that.”

"Why? You've done all the research and know that Kelly didn't do it."

The Chief Justice couldn't stop sighing. His position meant that he couldn't be honest with Brand.

"Brand, we don't have the power. We have collected evidence, but the decision is in the hands of the Citizens' Trial Committee. We will open the court on time tomorrow, and the result of the trial will determine Kelly's fate."

"Does that mean I have to go through the process again? Then I'm willing to wait another day."

Brand, who failed to understand the hidden meaning, showed his joy on his face, while the Chief Justice lowered his head in shame, muttering to himself.

“The power is not in our hands.”

I hope you can forgive our sins, Brand.

It's really just a process... because public opinion has already sentenced Kelly to death.

【Witch TIPS】

"This world...will one day be covered in ash..."

45 The Witch Lady and the Fanatic

On the day of the trial, Brand got up very early. When he prepared breakfast, he even accidentally made an extra portion for his wife. But in fact, the trial would end in the afternoon at the earliest, so he would not be able to make it in time for breakfast anyway.

In the Middle Ages, most of the less prosperous regions maintained the habit of having two meals a day. Depending on the local customs, there was a distinction between breakfast in the morning and dinner at noon. The economic conditions of the country of Leer were sufficient to live a good life with three meals a day.

"Hmm~"

Angelica yawned lazily. When Abigail woke Angelica up this morning, she wanted to stay in bed as usual. However, compared with the past, Abigail felt that Angelica was really sleep-deprived this time. Did she do something last night?

"Mr. Brand, you can give me the extra portion."

"No problem. Miss Magician has a good appetite. My wife Kelly always says she wants to lose weight, but I don't think she is fat at all. The women I know are extremely concerned about their figure, unlike Miss Magician who dares to enjoy delicious food."

Brand, who was looking forward to his wife's return today, was in a good mood and joked with Angelica about her figure.

"Girls all care about their figures, but I don't have to worry about that. I can eat whatever I want. As for my secret to maintaining my figure..."

Abigail and Eva, who were laughing, suddenly became quiet. Abigail held her breath, not wanting to miss any details. Having slept in the same bed with Angelica before, Abigail knew that Angelica had a hot body hidden under her wide magic robe. Compared with her own poor development, Abigail always felt frustrated.

On the other hand, Eva is not yet at the age where she needs to care about these things. Anyone who cares about Eva's figure now can be dragged out and judged. However, a woman's sixth sense tells Eva that this issue is very important.

Angelica slowly revealed the truth.

"Of course a beautiful girl like me will even give way to fat."

"Angelica, you're such a jerk!"

"The big sister in the hat seemed to have said something nonsense."

Angelica's self-evident conclusion caused dissatisfaction among the two girls. Brand had already seen Angelica's self-satisfaction and was not surprised by it.

Angelica enjoyed breakfast for two with elegant manners. She had forgotten most of the knowledge about Santa Barbara Girls' Academy, but she retained her muscle memory in her dining style. Combined with Angelica's outstanding appearance, no one would doubt that she was a lady of noble birth when she was dining quietly.

When she was studying at the Santa Barbara Girls' Academy, Angelica had signed up for classical ballet. In fact, Angelica was not interested in classical ballet at all. She just thought that girls wearing white silk ballet costumes looked good. Once Angelica learned faster, she could guide other girls as an older sister and do whatever she wanted to them. It was precisely because Angelica's mind was not on the right track that she almost forgot the classical ballet she had learned not long after graduation, and the same was true for other knowledge that she forgot.

Brand originally wanted to take his daughter Eva to greet Kelly, but Angelica advised Brand not to do so. Although he didn't quite understand Angelica's reason, Brand still followed Angelica's advice.

"Be good, little Eva. Daddy promised to bring mom back today. Wait for me at home."

Brand kissed Eva's forehead, and went to the trial venue with Angelica, feeling refreshed.

Kelly's trial was also a public trial. Angelica and Brand set out late, and the courtroom was crowded with people. The guards of the Kingdom of Leer maintained order, and many people traveled from neighboring countries to watch this public trial.

The public trial started on time. The Chief Justice announced that the criminals would be brought up. When Kelly, who still had a bandaged wound on her forehead, was escorted to the dock, the audience erupted in thunderous cheers, all condemning Kelly. The Chief Justice had to wait for the guards to calm down the angry crowd before the court officially opened.

Brand had hired a lawyer for Kelly. He had made all the necessary preparations before Angelica arrived. Seeing the people in a state of excitement and the idle gallows, Brand felt a little uneasy. Brand prayed silently, hoping that the Citizens' Tribunal would give Kelly a fair verdict.

The citizen jury of the country of Lair belongs to every citizen. In principle, every citizen is a member of the jury. Each jury selects members by drawing lots. There are several situations in which a person will be removed from the jury. The first is leaving the country of Lair. The second is having a bad record. Even if it is a small amount of theft, he will be permanently expelled from the jury. The third is if he has a close relationship with the plaintiff or the defendant. In order to avoid suspicion, he cannot be selected for the jury in the trial. Therefore, Brand is not on the jury's reserve list.

The defense lawyer listed the solid evidence that Kelly was innocent. The content of the lawyer's statement was all facts that Brand knew. There was no direct evidence to show that Kelly murdered her and Brand's child. The audience was silent, and they were all waiting for someone to speak.

"Citizen representatives...do you have anything to say?"

Normally, the plaintiff, the defendant and their defense attorneys have the opportunity to express their own views, and the citizen jury is responsible for listening in until the end, when they discuss the outcome of the trial based on the evidence provided by both parties.

Kelly's murder case is somewhat special. The victim is already dead, and Brand firmly supports his wife, so he prosecutes Kelly in the official name of maintaining public order. Citizens will choose a citizen representative as a spokesperson and the prosecutor of this case.

Now, it is up to the citizens’ representatives to speak for them.

"My opinion is - a carefully planned murder."

"?!"

After the citizen representative spoke, the people in the audience burst into cheers again. There was no doubt that the people of Leerber sincerely supported this representative.

Brand was confused for a moment, but the citizen representative's subsequent speech made him even more dumbfounded.

"The more evidence the defendant cites to clear the suspect, the more it proves how ingeniously this case was planned. The key question is: none of the evidence you cite can explain why the suspect did not shed tears for the victim's death during the public testimony."

The defense lawyer made a helpless defense.

"My good sir, this is speculation, not evidence."

"There is only one reason why the suspect didn't cry, she is the murderer! The reason is that she is tired of the victim who can only lie in bed all day! You tried to prove that the suspect is innocent and that everything was just an accident. Then how could a mother who lost her child accidentally be indifferent to the death of her child? She was even stingy with a tear! There must be a hidden story behind this! Please remember the truth left by Mr. Richard - the eyes of the citizens are sharp!"

46 The Witch Lady and Judgment

The speech of the citizen representative won such a thunderous cheer from the citizens that Brand's excited shouts were completely drowned out.

"No! He has no evidence at all, he just uses the same rhetoric as public opinion!"

Brand even wanted to rush up to debate, because the defense lawyer he hired seemed to have foreseen this outcome and made almost no effective defense afterwards.

Angelica stopped Brand.

"Wait a minute, Mr. Brand, if you rush forward it will be considered as contempt of authority."

"Authority? They are clearly trying to murder Kelly! How can a citizen jury be convinced by such a debate without any evidence..."

"Will do."

Angelica gave a sharp answer.

“That’s the nature of the City of Justice.”

"What...you said, the essence...?"

"Richard Kaufmann, the founder of the City of Justice, was a paranoid and stubborn man. He founded the City of Justice based on a certain idea: Richard longed for the right order. He believed that nothing could be above the law. Even a noble figure like the Emperor of the Rhine Confederation should be punished like a commoner if he broke the law. Richard created a citizen jury, which selected representatives from the citizens to make judgments, instead of relying on the judgment of the judge, in order to seek absolute justice."

Richard believes that factors such as nobility and religion can easily lead to interference from judges. Nobles can use their noble status to plunder young girls and slaves of their choice, and priests of the church can make a lot of money under the guise of religion... It is the common people who suffer every time, and the law should protect the common people, but can judges really speak for the common people?

The answer is no, so we must unite the civilians, let them stand together, and give them the right of a citizen jury. In this way, when civilians are treated unfairly again, they will have the ability to resist, because they know that the law is truly on their side.

Richard's original intention was indeed good, but Angelica firmly opposed Richard's approach at the time. Until Richard's death, he did not reach a consensus with Angelica on this matter. However, the difference in ideas did not affect their friendship. Even though Angelica disagreed, she did not make any changes to the County of Lier after Richard's death.

"However, citizens often do not have complete legal knowledge. They always act on their own emotions. Whoever can win the support of public opinion will be favored by the citizen jury in their defense."

Richard's last words: Citizens have sharp eyes. This sentence has become a famous saying in the country of Leer. Unfortunately, the reality is not as good as Richard imagined.

"The truth and false rumors, as well as the order of reporting, will have unpredictable effects on the direction of public opinion. What's important is that public opinion and citizens are a group, and it is much more difficult for a group to admit mistakes than for a single individual. When public opinion is in a frenzy, it is basically impossible to do so. Even if the Citizens' Tribunal votes unanimously that there is insufficient evidence to prove Kelly's murder, public opinion will not let it go. They will think that the Citizens' Tribunal has betrayed the citizens, not that their views are wrong."

It is said that in psychology, there is a view that groups are very emotional and lose their individual thinking ability. The reason for the creation of the City of Justice is the hope that the law can be equal. At first, the law punished the powerful, and Richard died contentedly, but it was far from his true ideal.

Richard hoped that citizens and those in power would be equal before the law. However, after giving the power of adjudication to citizens, it naturally evolved into citizens' natural hostility towards the powerful. In other words, if one side is the powerful and the other side is the common people, then the judges in the citizen jury who do not support the common people will be considered to have "betrayed the citizens" and "must have accepted the dirty money of the nobles" and be despised or even expelled from the country. As for whether something is right or wrong, you have to think about it after taking a stand, or even don't have to think about it at all.

Citizens do not have complete knowledge of the law - this is the fatal weakness of the citizen jury. They may not be able to clearly realize that they are here to infer the case.

Brand felt his mind go blank, and the cheers of the people around him seemed a thousand miles away from him. After the witch confessed, Brand finally understood that Kelly had already lost the case when public opinion was not on her side.

“They don’t want to see the truth…”

Brand grabbed his hair in despair.

"They just want to hang Kelly... to get what they think is justice!"

"Yes. The City of Justice has never been a place to unravel the truth. What everyone says is the truth. Since the citizens say Kelly is the murderer, then no matter what the truth is, she must be the murderer. The matter has already spread, and the judges will protect the reputation of the City of Justice and choose to acquiesce. You should understand this, Mr. Brand, the City of Justice will not wrongly accuse any good person, and there has never been any wrongful conviction."

It was a slogan that made the citizens of the City of Justice feel proud, but now it made Brand shudder.

"Kelly!!!"

Brand couldn't accept it. He couldn't watch his wife die, and he couldn't accept that his wife would die with a stigma. Brand suddenly burst out with infinite power. The witch closed her eyes and chanted a spell quietly, imprisoning Brand and not letting him get close to the execution ground.

The trial process was hilarious and boring.

The opening statements and the detailed evidence presented by Kelly's defense attorney took up 90% of the time, and the speeches of the citizen representatives and the discussions of the citizen jury used the remaining 10% to announce the result.

Amid the people's shouts of "Hang her!" and "Hang her!", the citizens' jury passed the decision unanimously.

Defendant Kelly, guilty, sentenced to immediate execution.

The desperate Kelly was pushed to the gallows, which was the meaning of people coming to watch the trial.

Citizens have no interest in overturning Kelly's verdict. They are eager to see justice done. After all, everyone has played a role in the process of doing justice.