Chapter 63: Opening Ceremony of the Reversal (18)
Three crimes were raised in this case.
The crime of threatening and attacking the actress Ivonne.The crime of murdering the actor Antoine.The crime of kidnapping, imprisoning, exploiting, and murdering three minors.
Kidnapping, imprisoning, and exploitation of minors? When he was just called a serial killer, I had still had some good impression of them
Now that I hear it like this, Im not sure if it was a good idea for Lady Anais to step in.
The Circus Troupes reputation has fallen by 2.
[Current reputation of the Circus Troupe: 13]
As the exact charges were revealed, the looks directed at Wonderstein grew darker.
It was only thanks to Anais that the publics reaction had been somewhat contained, and if she hadnt stepped forward, the quest might have failed the moment the judge announced the charges.
The spectators on the defendants side quickly regained their composure.
Regardless of what happened, they had no choice but to trust Lady Anais and watch the progress of the trial.
Viscount Dosville, on the other hand, looked disappointed as the peoples reaction quickly faded.
Originally, according to his plan, the public opinion should have shifted the moment the charges were announced.
Please explain the outline of the case, prosecution.
Yes.
Lord Dosville stepped to the centre of the stage.
He cleared his throat and began his narrative.
This case began ten years ago.
His storytelling skills were remarkable, just as the rumours had said. He vividly described the events as if he had been at the scene himself.
Strange incidents occurring during rehearsals.
Rumours about ghosts witnessed in various places in the cabaret building.
Girls disappearing at intervals of two to three years.
Threatening letters and an attack on the actress.
A murder that occurred during the performance.
The revelation of a hidden underground space.
And the discovery of the bodies of missing girls in that place.
His eerie and sinister demeanour heightened the shock and tragedy of the case.
Even those who already knew about the case couldnt help but feel a natural anger when listening to his words.
But heres the thing.
He had taken the case to dramatic heights and then changed direction.
He targeted the people from the cabaret.
He emphasized how poorly the theatre had handled the situation.
The premature conclusion of the manager, She probably ran away with a man.
The directors callous insistence on continuing the performance despite the actress being attacked.
And even the cold-hearted decision of the theaters owner to cover up the case.
He carefully selected the parts that were difficult to justify and criticized the theaters handling of the situation.
His cunning rhetoric effectively piled up negative emotions toward the perpetrator before directing it squarely at the people from the cabaret.
Accusations against the cabaret poured from the prosecutions side of the courtroom.
The defenses side also reproached them for mishandling the case.
Anais put on a relaxed smile in the face of the Dosvilles attack, but she was not at ease inside.
She had figured out the reason why he was attacking the Rose Windmill people.
If the Rose Windmill people continued to face accusations, they would naturally start thinking like this:
The Ghost did the wrong thing, but its that scoundrel whos the real villain, so why are we the ones being blamed?
The anger at receiving unfair treatment.
That would naturally be directed at the current suspect, Wonderstein.
The Dosvilles move was not only tarnishing the honour of the Rose Windmill but also aiming to create a rift between them and Anais.
Anais Bergson (20): A charismatic defence attorney with a sharp mind. Me.Frank Wonderstein (27): The person who treated my illness. She confessed to him and he is convicted.Ella (16): The deputy ringmaster of the circus troupe. She was in charge of the performance on the day of the incident.The Ghost (??): A person who could pass through walls. He lived underground in the cabaret and exploited young girls.Ivonne (19): The cabarets star singer. She was threatened and attacked by the Ghost.Antoine (42): The cabarets leading actor. He died after a light fixture fell on him from the ceiling.Sabo (22): A sergeant in the mounted police unit. He was the investigator for the Ghost case.Lord Dosville (29): The accuser in the case. He is very eloquent.
All our staff members provided each other with alibis. The audience remained in their seats. Except for one person.
At this point, Lord Dosville raised a piece of paper as if he had found the first-place prize in a treasure hunt, waving it high and making a loud noise, surveying the audience.
Who is that person?
That would be him.
The steward pointed to Wonderstein.
People in the room buzzed with excitement, discussing the testimony he had just given.
There were no traces of an outsider entering.
Access to the ceiling through any other passage was impossible.
The culprit had to be among the people inside.
And there was only one person missing from their seat at the time.
It looks like weve reached a conclusion quickly. Who is the culprit?
He extended his arms toward the audience on the side of the accused.
The spectators, feeling triumphant, shouted with joy.
Hes the culprit! That guy is the culprit!
The moment the invincible man is pointed out as a suspect, the trial is over!
Kill him! Execute him!
You filthy scoundrel!
Confess your guilt without hesitation!
Even amid the uproar, Wonderstein remained calm.
He gazed at Anais with a quiet smile.
Of course, his composure was only on the surface.
Inside, he was burning with anxiety.
[Circus Troupes Reputation has fallen by 7.]
[Current Reputation of the Circus Troupe: 3.]
With a reputation of only 3 remaining, there was little he could say.
Viscount Dosville would have criticized the audacity of the accused who attempted to make excuses, which could have greatly tarnished his reputation.
In this situation, he had to trust Anais.
He hoped that she would notice the contradictions in Lord Dosvilles claims.
Do we really need to hear further testimony? Your Honour, please render your judgment promptly, Anais said.
The judge furrowed his brow at the Lord Dossville.
He was well aware that such testimony alone wouldnt lead to a verdict.
However, he was making such statements to elicit cheers from the audience.
That didnt sit well with him.
Maintaining a calm demeanour, the judge turned to Anais and said, First, we need to hear the defences perspective. Counsel, would you like to question the witness we just heard?
Is there anything to question? The witness has all stated clear and undeniable facts
Viscount Dosvilles face broke into a mocking smile.
He also knew that this level of testimony wouldnt result in a guilty verdict.
But this immediate trial was nothing more than a political show.
If the headlines in tomorrows newspapers read The Only Suspect Defended by Viscount Vergsongs as Lawyer, it would be enough, he thought.
Of course, Anais was confident that it wouldnt come to that.
She rose from her seat, wearing a self-assured smile.
It seems that the Viscounts claims are contradictory, she said.
At her words, Viscount Dossville burst into a bitter laugh.
How absurd. Do you have any evidence to support your claim that my conclusion, the accused is the only suspect, is contradictory? Show me.
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