As the judges took their seats, the trial began.
After listening to the investigator's account of the incident, the judge asked Penelope if she really thought it was Bridget's doing, and asked Bridget to provide a rebuttal.
Trials involving supernatural powers are often more ambiguous than other cases, as there is often no evidence left.
In fact, if you think about it, it was an easy trial.
Because the judges just have to listen to the defendant and the plaintiff, make guesses, and make a decision.
The judge didn't intend to drag this case out either. He thought it was fair compared to other cases involving supernatural powers.
But this time, the King's government was involved, so the attention was focused on it and it was a headache.
Julian's gaze, sitting high up in the congregation, was also sharp.
The judge tried hard to ignore Julian and ordered Bridget to clean up the judges.
"Hmm."
The judges, their expressions blank, turned away for a moment to mutter something among themselves, then listened to the story of the Countess Weatherby and the Baroness Beaumont.
"We attended Lady Winston's tea party on the same day, at one o'clock. The miscarriage occurred a week later, on the same day."
Madame de Beaumont became so emotional that she buried her face in her handkerchief and wept bitterly.
The sight aroused compassion in those who saw it.
"You were purified on the same day, and you had a miscarriage on the same day, huh? It's not a common coincidence. Viscountess Winston, could you use that ability to harm others?"
"This ability does not have any physical effect."
"Is this the truth without even an inch of falsehood?"
"Yes."
Bridget answered without wavering.
"If I had had that ability, Penelope Hudson would not have been safe when my husband brought her into the house."
The people sitting in the congregation nodded.
Penelope intervened.
"It was Bridget who suggested that we live together in the mansion! We weren't on bad terms back then. So even with those abilities, she wouldn't have hurt me!"
"Was it Viscountess Winston who made that suggestion?"
"Yes, that's right. But Miss Penelope is mistaken in thinking that we weren't on bad terms. What wife can maintain a good relationship with her husband's mistress?"
"Lies! Those clothes were a gift from that girl back then!"
The judge struck down his gavel.
"This is a sacred court. Behave yourself, Miss Penelope!"
Penelope bit her lip as if indignant and closed her mouth.
"Is it true what Miss Penelope just said?"
"That's not true. I brought Miss Penelope into the mansion simply so that I would be able to keep a close eye on my husband, where I could see and hear him, rather than having him play with his mistress out of sight. And the clothes and jewelry."
Bridget looked somewhere in the congregation.
"My costume shop employee, Mariam saw me being robbed. She happened to be there."
Mariam's eyes widened when she was pointed out.
She came not as a witness today, but to be the first to hear and spread this amusing gossip to the costume shop guests.
Preparing such stories had a considerable effect on the sales of the costume shop, so the costume shop often sent Mariam, who was like a snail, to such places.
It wasn't surprising that Mariam was here since Bridget had chosen Mariam to bring her that day because she seemed like the best person to tell the story.
"Miss Mariam, would you like to come see me?"
At the judge's request, Mariam obediently took the witness stand.
It wasn't difficult to verify Mariam's identity, as many of the ladles in the congregation knew that she was a dresser.
"Did you really see Miss Penelope stealing Viscountess Winston's clothes and jewels?"
Mariam nodded with a slightly excited expression as she stood in such a prominent position.
"Yes, I saw and heard it clearly when I went to Winston's house. She was scuffling because the maid caught her stealing. Mrs. Winston and I happened to see it. There was a lot of yelling. I think Miss Penelope was caught stealing Mrs. Winston's present that day. I also heard Miss Penelope shouting. 'You are his wife and I am his concubine, so you are acting like a mistress to me?"
Mariam Imitated Penelope's squeaky voice with great skill.
When the people in the congregation laughed at her imitation, she got excited and tried to do a little more, but the judge stopped her and she left the witness stand in regret.
Penelope glared at Mariam as if she was going to kill her and then shouted.
"That has nothing to do with this case! Your Honor, this case is about Bridget Winston using her evil tricks to cause pregnant women to have premature or miscarriages. Please don't let this turn into a case of love affair!"
The judges were gossiping among themselves and discussing something.
The judge asked Bridget.
"Yes. So, are there other people who have been purified and are fine?"
Eric raised his hand in a flash.
"Yes, I am a witness."
"Please come forward."
Eric recounted his experience of receiving Bridget's cleansing.
There was no room for refutation, as many people had already heard rumors that Eric's illness had been cured.
The Countess of Weatherby, sitting in the dock, argued.
"Sir Eric would not have done any harm, as he is the son of Countess Spencer with whom Viscountess Winston is close. But we are in a different position, as we did not bribe Viscountess Winston at the tea party and were hated."
"Was this a place where bribes were exchanged?"
"Yes! Lady Winston takes bribes at tea parties!"
Countess Weatherby was incited by her husband to reveal Bridget's true identity at this point.
Regardless of the trial results, the goal was to make the public aware of how immoral Bridget was and to have her socially condemned.
Then, protests to oust the government could begin again.
Bridget wasn't afraid of being hated. If she had been afraid, she wouldn't have become a government official or taken bribes and acted vainly.
She spoke calmly, not caring about the damage to her reputation.
"You say that you were hated for not giving bribes, but you were purified by me. If you felt that I hated you, why did you accept the purification so readily?"
Baroness Beaumont claimed.
"It was for the baby in my stomach... Even if I can see it, if it's good for the baby, what can't I do as a mother?"
There was a tear in her voice.
"If I had known this would happen, I would not have put myself in those dirty hands!"
She was really grieving the loss of her baby.
She, who had been blaming herself, shouted excitedly.
"Save my baby! Save my baby! What did my baby do wrong that you killed him! Save him!"
The scream made even the onlookers feel complicated.
The judges were muttering something among themselves again.
"I understand your feelings, but please calm down, Baroness Beaumont. You may be dismissed."
Bridget Intuitively felt that the scream had touched the hearts of the judges.
Anyway, they lost their baby and had no way to visually prove their purifying powers.
"Have you anything else to say, Viscountess Winston?"
"As I said, I am not capable of physically harming anyone. Nor do I know why such a regrettable incident occurred to Countess Weatherby and Baroness Beaumont. However, I can prove that Miss Penelope is using her grief to create false agitation."
Then she requested a witness.
But Anna came running with a pale face and whispered to Bridget across the pews.
"The employees who agreed to testify have disappeared!"
The employees at Winston Manor who had agreed to testify that Penelope had faked a premature birth suddenly disappeared.
Bridget was embarrassed.
From a distance, Cedric was looking this way, fidgeting.
Anna said.
"He clearly came with the butler, but he disappeared in an instant!"
"No way."
Bridget glared at Penelope.
Penelope was smiling.
'What did you do with them...?'
Bridget was appalled.
Then the judge asked,
"The witness did not appear? Are there any other witnesses?"
Bridget bit her lip.
Cedric's testimony was of little use as he had also heard from other maids that Penelope seemed to be acting suspiciously in her room.
Anna stamped her feet.
"What should I do?"
"It's okay, Anna. Just calm down and watch..."
Bridget looked somewhere in the congregation.
Bridget still had one trump card left to play for the highlight of this trial.
It was the Countess of Highbury.
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Thanks for the update~!
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