C51
Before we realized it, Sharon was holding a box-shaped artifact with a voice sounding vividly.
"My husband, the young Duke Leandro, is the representative of the lord to whom the Duke has formally delegated authority. Also, the Duchess has been dead for a long time. If it's not me, who is the hostess of Cassius Mansion?"
"Lady Liena!"
The head maid, who realized the situation late, had an uncomfortable expression on her face.
"So, strictly speaking, ma'am, you have no right to physically punish me or those girls or influence our working relationship. I didn't want to tell you so much, but you're so angry because I gave a portrait, I can't help it."
Anyway, in the recorded voice, the head maid repeatedly said only things that were unfavorable to the current person.
"I'm sorry, but the young Duke also told me that it would be better to keep entrusting domestic affairs to Lady Liena. So, no matter how hard you try, ma'am, you won't be able to have authority you didn't have before."
Click, Sharon finished the recording by pressing the button.
"This is a conversation that took place between the witness and the plaintiff in Cassius Mansion just 11 days ago. It was recorded using the recorder we have here."
"Ah."
The head maid covered her face with both hands and let out a groan.
"You testified earlier that you really served the plaintiff as a hostess even though you clearly had no authority, but this is evidence that directly contradicts this."
"Well, that..."
"This voice tells us a few things. First, Marianne Neuer, who can be said to be the representative of the duke's employees, actually did not consider the plaintiff as a hostess."
Sharon continued talking, pointing with her finger.
"Second, she showed an attitude far from polite, which was clearly noticeable even in her voice."
The head maid began to tremble.
"Third, the plaintiff had no means to sanction the employees, and it is very likely that the defendant ignored this fact even though he was aware of it."
"Liar!"
The head maid suddenly shouted and pointed at me.
"She took the recorder and said she would take it to Lady Liena!"
"Witness!"
"This is robbery! Are you not ashamed to submit stolen items as evidence?!"
Before Farrell could stop her, the maid, immersed in a psychological situation, detonated the bomb. And that too by self-destruction.
"That's stupid."
Not only was she not polite to me, but she personally strengthened Sharon's argument.
"First of all, she wasn't the type of character to use her brain."
The head maid suddenly looked at Liena and made up an excuse.
"Miss, that woman does whatever she wants... I really didn't know this would happen, and I handed her the artifact..."
She seemed to have lost her judgment in a situation where she made a crucial mistake and ended up holding Liena. It was an error born of blind loyalty.
"It's not theft."
Sharon said calmly.
"The plaintiff received the recorder that was in the possession of a servant at that time, with due understanding."
"She said she would give it to the miss, but she didn't!"
"Do you plan to return it properly? After this trial ends."
"How is that possible?"
"Let me ask you the opposite. Did the plaintiff ever mention how long it would take?"
"What?"
"According to imperial law, as long as it's not taken without permission and there is an intention to return it, the crime of theft is not established."
"Nonsense!"
"If you don't believe me, you can ask the lawyer over there."
As it was true, Farell had nothing to refute.
"Your Honor, I think we need time to examine that evidence more closely."
Instead, he tried to find a way out on the other side.
"First of all, there is no confirmation that the owner of the voice in the recording is the witness, and, as you know, the history of recordings used as evidence in court is brief..."
"That's so strange. Aren't you the first defense lawyer in the history of the Empire to present a recording as evidence? Lawyer Farrell Phillip."
Sharon's lips drew a soft line.
"The trial of case number 647EC288 that took place seven years ago. You, the lawyer for the accused at that time, were the first to introduce to the world an object called a recorder."
The judge agreed.
"I remember it clearly. It was a legal dispute between Cassius, Birod, and the two ducal families over the ownership of a rock called a sacred object."
There's quite a complicated story involved here. The novel treated the noteworthy incident in its own way.
However, what matters now are not the detailed circumstances, but that the recorder was the decisive factor in Cassius's victory at that time. An invention by an eccentric inventor that Liena was fortunate to obtain.
"Many people suspected that it was the first time they used a recorder. Until Lawyer Phillips fully proved the evidence of the recorder."
Sharon opened her arms as if she really admired it.
"It was really good. Everyone had no choice but to admit it. It also showed that the voice recorded by the recorder is no different from what one actually hears with their ears, and that although it can erase the recorded content, it cannot manipulate it.
The reason it cannot be manipulated is due to the special properties of the magic stone used to manufacture the recorder... But this is not important, so let's skip that.
"Thank you. This saved me the trouble of arguing about the authenticity of this recording."
Farrell fiercely bit his lips. This was the first time he experienced such an emotional reaction.
It's worth it. What strongly binds him at this moment is his own past. It's also considered the famous defense of the century.
"... I admit it. The witness treated the plaintiff in an unacceptable way for an employee."
Marianne looked at Farrell with astonished eyes.
"As expected, his mind turns quickly."
After quickly understanding the situation, he stopped defending Marianne.
"But isn't this the personal deviation of the witness? That alone does not mean that the plaintiff was treated unjustly to the point of not being able to maintain a marriage..."
"As Lawyer Phillips said a moment ago, the witness is the 'representative' of the employees. The representative who should set an example is like this, so other people must have been very polite in accepting my client."
"Stop making assumptions!"
"Your Honor, I have a question for you. Did any of the testimonies presented by the defendants mention the issue of the maid's attitude?"
The judge closed his eyes for a moment and recalled.
"There was none."
"That's strange. As you can see from the background murmur, that recording is a conversation that took place in front of a large number of servants."