The Judge had been perplexed all morning until news of an injustice reached his court. He could hear the beating of the drum coming from the front gates of the station. He rushed to the courtroom, joining Inspector Lee, only to see a familiar face storming in.

"Mr. Golden!?" the Judge gasped, "What is the matter? Did someone rob you?"

"Judge!" Mr. Golden roared, "I found Fae's murderer!"

"What!? Really!? Who?"

Mr. Golden pointed, "This woman—My wife!"

Mrs. Golden was dragged in behind her husband before being thrown to the ground, her golden accessories scattered across the tiles. The Judge and Inspector Lee were shocked by the sight, but the moment they noticed her swollen hands everything clicked.

"Court in session!" the Judge cried out as he shuffled to his desk, ignoring Mrs. Golden's cries for help. The court quickly took their positions, staffs rattling on the tiles in a deafening call to order.

Juuuuuuustiiiiiiiiiiice is mightyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

The Judge began, "Mrs. Golden, you're accused of Fae Fae's murder. How do you plea?"

"Innocent, of course!" she shrieked, struggling against the guards. "Unhand me, you brutes! Do you know who I am?"

"Silence, criminal!" Mr. Golden snapped. "Your honor, she's the one who killed Fae Fae, I am certain!"

The Judge asked the prosecuted, "Where were you when Fae Fae went missing?"

"I-I was out of town!" she stuttered. "With friends! I did nothing illegal!"

"Can they vouch for you?"

"Why would they dirty their shoes in a place like this?"

"How dare you!" the Judge slammed his lion-dog gavel. "Inconsiderate little...Do you know Fae Fae!?"

"Why would I? She's just a dirty whore! A woman who sells her body for money. No honour, no virtue. A living trash of an honest society!"

“YOU!” Mr. Golden was about to tear her a new one, until Inspector Lee shook his head no.

The Judge asked "Did you know Mr. Golden was seeing Fae Fae, for...entertainment services? That he desired to pay for her freedom and marry her into his family?"

When Mrs. Golden folded her arms in denial, the Judge pressed, "Surely you knew, either straight from your husband’s mouth or your own womanly instinct. Or has your rich life dulled your senses?" Mrs. Golden scoffed, playing with her hair. The Judge noticed her swollen hands, "And how did your hands get swollen?"

"I slipped in the courtyard," she replied with a snort. "My maid stepped on the hems of my robes, forced me to trip and fall into the dirt. Inconsiderate little brat.”

"Liar!" Mr. Golden interjected. "You hate the garden. Always complaining about the bugs and flies during the summer. You always took the long way around."

"A woman can change," she sneered back.

The Judge shook his head at the bickering, "Where is your maid now?"

"I fired her and expelled her from the house! She was completely useless."

Just then, Martial Yellow Sister entered the courtroom tapping her cane about. She was followed by a series of people; a lone frail looking maid and several men, the Golden Residence’s personal sedan chair and palanquin bearers.

“I think you should apologize to her,” Martial Yellow Sister quipped with a smug grin.

The witnesses all knelt before the Judge and greeted him with a humble bow. The maid chanced a side glance at her former employer lady. All it took was one sharp look from Mrs. Golden, and the maid felt she lost 10 years of her life.

“Fear not!” Mr. Golden stepped forward to protect her. “I as Master of the house will make sure you receive proper treatment regardless of the results today. No one will force you or harm you. So please, do the right thing and tell everyone what happened!”

The maid bowed her head, steeling herself, “Some months ago, M-Mrs. G-Golden hurt herself b-before leaving Green Lion Valley. She had us go deep into the valley area, but never told us why.”

Seeing she was the first to submit, the palanquin bearers took this opportunity to save their hides, “S-sire! She instructed us to-to follow a woman a-across a secluded trail. Th-then she got out alone and went into the valley after the other lady for a bit, before coming back shortly after and had us hurry back home. She paid us to not speak of th-the event sire.”

“L-lies!” Mrs. Golden shouted and waved her hands about, like a child covering up their vandalizing art on the wall with their small arms, “D-don’t listen to them, Judge sir! Th-they are obviously out to harm me! Th-they always complain how I mistreat them, but I have been nothing more than kind to their living expenses!”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

“Hah!” Mr. Golden snorted at the nonsense, “If you were truly innocent, their honest hearts would never dream of framing you! You are the one who went after Fae Fae and murdered her! You came back home in a fright, but went about gaslighting me that I had bad eyes. Now I understand why you locked yourself in your room for half a month since that day!”

Mrs. Golden suddenly went, “You think you’re all high and mighty, but tell me who truly got you through one financial crisis after another. You think you can be the king of one of the most famous goldsmith, without the help of my family – your in-laws. Don’t be naive! This is all just a round about means to divorce me, on the grounds that I have yet to give birth to the next generation for the last 20 years of our marriage!”

“Your honour!” The old rich man cried out, “Do not believe her lies!”

“Hah! You say I am lying, but where is your proof you old coot!”

As if on cue, Martial Kim returned to the constabulary. He wasn’t alone. He brought back two unlikely friends to join in the trial. He bowed, “Apologies for the wait your honour. Allow me to introduce to you to one of Fae Fae’s friend – and the last witness to ever see her alive.”

Everyone turned to get a good look as to who this person would be. When Mrs. Golden gave an offhanded glance over her shoulder, she blanched and covered the side of her face as if she was a celebrity about to be spotted by a fan.

Entering the court was a steadfast woman with a clean shavened head. She wore soft sand-yellow robes with a grey and orange checkered sash around her body. One hand was held up to her chest in a prayer, the other was counting a trail of exotic prayer beads the size of marbles by the presses of her thumb through her smooth palms with well practice movement.

The Judge stared at her, looking her up and down. He stood up from his seat to bow his head in greeting, “H-how may I address you? Madam? And may I ask, what is your relationship with the victim?”

“Amitabha.” The bald woman chanted a prayer and returned a soft bow, “I am the Chief Nun of the North Wind Temple, a monastery dedicated for women to worship safely. We also operate as a temporary shelter for lost souls or those who seek religious guidance. Fae Fae is...was, a good friend of mine.”

The Chief Nun paused to honour the name in silence. "I apologize for my late arrival. I have been attending a major gathering in the mountains with the Elders of our religious order. I just returned today. It is thanks to this young master who appraised me of the situation...Poor Fae Fae.”

"And you were the last to see her? When was that?" the Judge asked.

"Many months ago," the Chief Nun replied. "Fae Fae visited to arrange a large donation to North Wind Temple. She mentioned she had to hurry back for a performance that night. I hadn't heard from her since before setting off to the gathering."

"Oh?” The Judge wondered out loud, “What sort of donations would require the head of the temple?”

“Fae Fae has been giving away most of her earthly possessions to North Wind Temple, and to any others I have introduced to her.”The Chief Nun explained, “It seems she has been plagued with demons of the heart, ones she chose not to divulge. But I knew she was troubled... Then...”

“Th-then what? By all means speak the truth.”

The Chief Nun said “The woman kneeling next to me was at North Wind Temple. She had been praying to a Goddess of Fertility, for a chance to bear children for her child. I also gave presented her an amulet for blessings of childbearing...”

After glancing at Mrs. Golden, the Chief Nun continued, “After Fae Fae left that evening, as my temple sisters and I were closing the doors for the night, I saw this woman follow my friend. I meant to check on them, but I had to attend to a senior visitor who slipped down the stairs. At the time, I assumed the woman was just an admirer of Fae Fae’s. It often happens even when she visits. But...I am ashamed to have jumped to such conclusions.”

“Sh-she’s lying!” Mrs. Golden began to panic, “I’ve, I’ve never been to North Wind Temple or been to Green Lion Valley! All false accusations!”

“Amitabha. A devoted follower of the Great Buddha does not lie,” The Chief nun would bow in a small prayer, “To speak of false words is against our sacred tenets.”

Martial Kim step forward to add, “And I have one more witness, to back up her claims!” When the Judge wondered who it was, or why he only brought in one human being – the young master held up something gripped in a cloth.

A rock.

"Deadwood worms," Martial Kim declared. "Local only to Green Lion Valley, hidden in the rotting wood and mud of the location. Mrs. Golden's swollen hands prove she encountered them when and where Fae Fae was murdered. Furthermore, please look closely, your honor."

Martial Kim flipped the rock, revealing a glittering stain. Inspector Lee almost touched it, but the Judge slapped his hand away when they remembered the worms were toxic.

"Gold dust," Martial Kim explained, "left from using this rock to hammer the hairpin through Fae Fae's chest like a nail."

“...OOOOOOOOOOOOOH!” The Judge and Inspector pointed at Mrs. Golden in realization. "The damning evidence is present! What do you have to say?" the Judge demanded.

"I-I didn't kill her!" Mrs. Golden panicked, cursing her swollen hands. "She was trying to kill herself! I only followed her to pay her off, to forget my husband. To think, he would be daft enough to marry a prostitute into the Golden Family? The disgrace that would fall upon us! The ruin!"

“Silence! I loved her more and you know it you jealous old cow!” Mr. Golden lunged, but was restrained by the court guards, “Why would she kill herself? She agreed to marry me! I was going to give her freedom, she had a happy life ahead of her!”

"How would I know what she was thinking? She kept stabbing herself with a hairpin, crying some bastard name Noonien! But she couldn't commit, always stopping because it hurt. I got fed up waiting for hours and put her out of her misery!"

Mr. Golden was possessed by the beast of his emotions in his heart and he erupted in fury. Were it not for the many guards tackling and piling onto him, he may have landed a good punch or even strangle his first wife in raw rage. "I loved her! She was the only one who truly understood me! Unlike you! You never appreciate anything I’ve done!"

“Put a sock in it you horny old man. She was nothing more than a pleasure toy for you!” Mrs. Golden sneered. "That cursed whore was trying to kill herself. I merely helped her along! I'm no criminal! I’ve done nothing wrong! Why, you should ALL hail me as a hero of this honest society by getting rid of the trash!"

"SILENCE!" The Judge's gavel cracked. "Mrs. Golden. The Evidence is clear and you just confessed to murder. Inspector Lee! Take her to the cells – she'll wait for her execution!"

“With pleasure, your honour!” Inspector Lee bowed, cracking his knuckles after waiting for this moment for so long.

When he grabbed Mrs. Golden and started to drag her away, reality finally settled into her mind. She tried to deny it all, kicking and screaming like a child throwing a tantrum, “I’M NOT A MURDERER! YOU’RE ALL THE MURDERERS HERE! YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO ME! I WAS ONLY HELPING! I WAS HELPIIIIIIIIIIING!”

And thus, that was the answer to it all... if only Fae Fae was awake to see it...

Fae Fae...