C48
With full attention, Farrell stood up. Even in front of the whispering audience, the man maintained an extremely professional attitude that even seemed arrogant.
"In the place is a bit noisy."
The judge opened his mouth at Farrell's comment.
"All, please be quiet."
As the whispers diminished, Farrell slightly inclined his upper body and expressed his gratitude. The authority he exuded was evident.
"I also have some questions for Laura Emerson."
Laura swallowed nervously. The questioning of the defendant's witnesses began.
"Mrs. Emerson, this is a simple question, so don't get too nervous."
"Yes."
"The testimony I heard a moment ago is that the young duke rejected the young duchess and went for a walk. When was that approximately?"
"Definitely in spring, so it was exactly around this time last year."
"Late spring. Something comes to mind when the end of spring arrives. Certainly, at the end of Cassius's spring, there was a festival called 'Little Liena's Birthday.'"
"What?"
Laura was puzzled by the sudden change of topic.
"Do you remember that festival held last year?"
"Your Honor, this is a topic that has absolutely nothing to do with the trial."
"It matters. You'll know when you hear it."
"Let's hear it first."
Sharon objected, but it was not accepted.
"Please answer my question. Do you remember 'Little Liena's Birthday' from last year?"
Perhaps to avoid spilling unnecessary information, Laura gave a brief answer with a cautious expression.
"I remember."
"As far as I know, Duke Cassius offers different special meals to his employees every day of the festival."
"Yes, that's correct."
"What was the special meal served that day?"
"Well, that was..."
It was difficult to remember exactly. There are not just one or two festivals in Cassius, but at least twice a month, do you remember them all?
Sharon objected again.
"What does that have to do with today's trial?"
"Exactly. It's not relevant. It's not relevant. Directly."
Farrell's eyes shone intensely.
"I just want to talk about how uncertain and variable human memory is."
"Are you suggesting an error in the witness's memory about Young Duke Cassius?"
"It's a matter of possibility rather than necessity. It's an incident that happened approximately at the same time, but it's unlikely that the witness remembers in detail what happened on the day of the festival. If the gravity of the matter is different, how can the level of memory be the same?"
"Isn't a festival a very special event in everyday life?"
"There are over 40 official holidays in Cassius every year."
"Is that how many times the witness remembers the Young Duke rejecting the plaintiff's request?"
Farrell gestured as if he were concerned.
"I don't know why you're being so aggressive. I'm not saying this in the sense that the witness's memory is completely wrong. This means that even if the incident itself is true, there may be errors in minor details."
The lawyer looked around the room and asked questions.
"The witness testified that the Young Duke rejected the plaintiff's request even when he had free time, but is this really true?"
Laura hastily exclaimed.
"I'm not lying!"
"I'm not asserting that the witness committed perjury. However, the fact that the young duke seemed to have a lot of free time is ultimately the subjective judgment of the witness."
Finally, the main point emerged.
"Firstly, Mrs. Emerson is a domestic servant who stays by the plaintiff's side most of the time. How accurately can she know whether the young duke is busy or not?"
Moreover.
"She seems to have had a significant bond with the plaintiff. There is a very high possibility that subjective feelings are involved in the trial."
He didn't stop there; he lifted a stack of papers from his seat.
"My client suffered from heavy work and couldn't rest comfortably even at home. Here I present as evidence a schedule that records the defendant's agenda for the past two years."
The judge examined the documents handed over.
"It's definitely full of work."
"The accuracy of the schedule has been verified by several people, including Mrs. Chris, the defendant's assistant. It's very objective evidence."
Compared to the testimony of a single maid, it is true. Those were the words hidden behind this.
He is also skilled. If Farrell had bombarded Laura with questions, people would have seen him only as a cruel lawyer threatening the poor maiden.
Ethel calmly analyzed the situation.
"A minimal cross-examination created the impression that Laura's testimony was completely unreliable."
She could feel the atmosphere of the audience, which a moment ago had been cold towards Leandro, gradually warming.
However, we also had something to say about Leandro's "busy" schedule.
"Your Honor, please pay attention to the periodic reports schedule here."
Sharon, who had been given a copy of the schedule just like the judge, tapped the document with her finger.
"We have business trips scheduled once or twice a month, lasting an average of one week."
"That's correct."
"Isn't that quite unusual?"
"That's too much. Besides, the details are scarce. I have other full schedules."
Farrell quickly began to explain as if he knew that question would arise.
"I planned to go to the capital to periodically report to Duke Cassius on the territory's management status. Because travel time is long, processing work will surely be relatively reduced."
Sharon asked abruptly.
"Is it necessary to report face-to-face every time? So frequently? Isn't that inefficient?"
"The position of lord carries great responsibility. Since the young duke is a successor, he must seek advice directly from his father."
"Even if you take the direct magic train, it takes two days to reach from Ashton, where the Cassius mansion is located, to the capital. A round trip takes 4 days. Is a man so busy that he can't even spare a moment for his wife wasting four days on the tracks?"
"You're working hard for his territory."
"I want to ask. Minus four days from a week, do you need three days to prepare a report?"
"Reporting is not everything. He attends noble meetings held at the imperial palace, helps with family business, and participates in minimal social activities..."