Two months ago, the catastrophic trial in Flondeck caused an earthquake-like change.
Secretaries who participated in the case file review and patrol officers who protected the witnesses were demoted on various pretexts, and several senior prosecutors were implicated. Taking advantage of this situation, the Castain Royal Court sent several commissioners to fill the personnel gap.
Carmen, the chief justice, who was wise enough to protect himself, knew that keeping silent at this time would not do him any harm.
In response to this, Penny privately conveyed her family's goodwill. As a graduate of the Royal Law School, she was dispatched to Flondeck to gradually turn the city's judicial circle into the privileged domain of the Golden Sparrow Flower.
"I will soon return to Castain, so you don't have to worry about your position. The Leinshman family admires your expertise in law," Penny said.
Carmen thought that the Leinshman family must have made a lot of effort to create the current tricky situation, but the situation was stronger than the person, so he could only smile, using the kind and friendly tone of an elder speaking to a junior, "I express my heartfelt thanks. After you return to the capital city, please convey my gratitude to your father."
After Penny responded politely, she casually asked, "How will Albert Fraley be arranged?"
"After a detailed investigation, it was found that the 30,000 gold coins in his account do not exist. The bank also said that it was a mistake during internal transfer, which caused the problem. According to convention, he will be demoted from being a direct prosecutor and transferred to the third-level court,," Carmen replied.
The young lady felt a bit regretful. The bank had only agreed to provide temporary false accounts, and after the incident, it would clarify the error as being caused by some careless accountant who sent the wrong transfer cheque, adjusting the accounts back. For a bank that valued its reputation, this was the maximum level of compromise.
After all, forcing a financial institution to lose its credibility was not in the interest of the family.
There were still many people in the Elder Council and several palace ministers who were dissatisfied with the Leinshman family.
The Minister of Finance was one of them.
Moreover, His Majesty the Emperor was already concerned about the phenomenon of excessive aristocratic power and seemed to want to make up for the mistake of his predecessor, St. George VII, who had given too much power, and has been closely monitoring the movements of the major families.
It was okay to do some small actions for personal grievances, but if it went too far, it would inevitably make the father doubt his ability
The struggle for power within the family was no less fierce than a group of wildcats smelling blood. This was an inevitable conflict for every wealthy family with a strong lineage.
"No, you are too merciful. He must bear all the responsibility for the stability of Flondeck's judiciary," Penny said.
The Chief Justice nodded readily, "That's settled then."
" At least he's lucky he won't spend the rest of his life in jail," Penny's mood brightened slightly. "If he were to come begging for my forgiveness before I leave Flondeck, I might consider giving him another chance. But by then, I'll be wearing the dirtiest shoes I can find and make him lick them ten times over."
The lingering heat of late summer and the drizzling rain of autumn made the air in Flondeck sticky, leaving a damp film on the skin of anyone who walked through it.
Jenny dodged the puddles on the road and made her way towards Flondeck Detention Center along the main street of the old district. Although the rain was not heavy, the wind was strong enough to blow her umbrella askew. After a few attempts to set it right, she gave up and walked along the eaves of the houses like a kitten, with fine raindrops wetting her pretty blonde hair but not dampening her good mood.
Today was the day when Albert would be released after two months of detention.
Compared to the tidy streets and perfect drainage system of the new district, the roads in the old district are nothing but mud roads in the countryside. Despite her careful steps, Jenny's pants still got dirty.
She really missed the apartment on Ram Street. However, her imprisoned lover and frozen account left her unable to afford the rent, and the only cash she had left was barely enough for basic expenses.
Luckily, the houses in the old district were cheap enough, otherwise she and her grandmother and little dog Black Jack would be homeless.
But all the difficulties were about to be resolved. Her man was finally free.
"Miss Jenny, it's an honor to run into you on the street." A carriage stopped in front of Jenny on the way, blocking the relatively clean path. The head of the 13th Court's proxy chief justice, Al Dunavan, leaned out and warmly greeted her.
"Thank you, but I'm busy. Please move your carriage," Jenny raised her eyebrows and said impatiently.
She found the man repulsive, who had been pestering her after Albert was imprisoned. In two months, she had refused his invitations to date at least eighteen times.
"Sorry, I already have a husband," Jenny showed him the engagement ring on her finger.
Al smiled happily, "It's normal for ladies in high society to have several lovers besides their husbands. It's an elegant tradition." He tried to continue tempting this low-born girl.
"Unfortunately, in our village, if a woman is not faithful to her husband, she will be driven out." Jenny rolled her eyes and answered.
But no matter how she refused, the man continued to pester her like a buzzing fly.
Al continued as if he hadn't heard Jenny's words, "Please don't hurt my heart that surrenders for love. Seeing a beautiful lady caught in the rain and not offering a coat and carriage hardly qualifies one as a gentleman. Please come aboard, and we'll go to a tasteful salon for a drink."
Jenny pulled up her pant legs and walked around the carriage on the mud, "If you're a gentleman, please stop bothering me."
The proxy chief justice's face changed. He had planned to seduce Albert's lover while he was in prison, play with her, and then immediately abandon her to take revenge for his lost position in the past.
Dealing with such an inexperienced and former prostitute, it was easy to win her over with a few sweet words and some money when the man was imprisoned and couldn't even afford decent jewelry.
And Al was confident in his looks and status.
Usually, after just a few times, many girls who wanted to transform themselves from sparrows to phoenixes, would willingly surrender their bodies to him. But he soon found out that this girl was as stubborn as that damned Fraley and not easy to deal with.
The enraged judge shouted, "Don't count on Fraley anymore. He's done for. Don't pretend to be virtuous. Don't you want the shiny necklace and gorgeous dress? In a few years, poverty will turn you into an ugly old woman."
"Yeah," Jenny turned her head, "a magnificent mansion, pretty jewelry, and clothing are all very nice things, but unfortunately, I just don't like them."
"Damn it, I hate the Fraley family," Al thought, sitting back in the carriage, frustrated and embarrassed.
The rain gradually stopped, and the buildings on both sides of the road became sparser. Few people were willing to live near the detention center.
When Jenny saw the thick walls and heavily guarded gate of the prison, she suddenly became nervous.
She sneaked to the side of the road, found a relatively clean puddle, and used her fingers to comb her wet hair while looking at her reflection in the water.
"I hope I don't look too disheveled," the girl murmured.
"No, you look beautiful," came the man's voice from behind.
As Jenny turned around, surprised and covering her mouth, her lover, whom she had been separated from for two months, was standing behind her. The food in the prison was terrible, and he looked much thinner, with a withered face and hair that was a mess, but his eyes were still bright and clear.
Jenny threw herself into Albert's arms and finally couldn't hold back her tears.
Holding his beloved girl and letting her vent for a while, Albert smiled and said, "Come on, let's go home."
"Okay," the little wildcat lifted her head and didn't even bother wiping away the tears from her eyes. "Let's go home."
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A week later, Penny learned of Albert Frayley's marriage. It was said that the wedding was very plain, with no guests invited except for Detective Lime from the police station.
The father in the capital had urged her several times to return to Castain. At the royal court, a position as a chief prosecutor was waiting for her.
The young lady didn't know why, but she hesitated for several days before setting off, as if waiting for something.
Sitting in the carriage surrounded by her private guards, she thought hard for a long time, but still couldn't figure it out.
Penny had simply forgotten how much she had cared for and loved the dog that had been stewed into a delicacy. For something she didn't like and had never invested any emotions in, it didn't even qualify to become a toy for a young lady.
The church's order to close the city was finally lifted in early autumn, and even Emperor did not expect that after three whole months, the Holy Warriors would still have nothing to show for it.
Turning the richest city into a parasite that needed to be fed with money was not the intention of Emperor.
After all, he had already shown enough respect to the Church, and there was no need to undermine the interests of his own country.
"Please understand that the lockdown order must be lifted, but the knights can still stay in Flondeck to continue their search. Castain can only promise this," the Emperor's envoy said to the Church.
Flondeck regained its vitality, although there were fewer merchant ships coming and going than before. But everyone believed that in less than half a year, Flondeck would once again become the most prosperous commercial metropolis.
After the wedding, Albert Freely sent job applications to the judiciary institutions of several major cities, but there was no good news. He waited for two weeks, and the only reply was a rejection letter from a personnel officer who was curious about what was behind the lawsuit.
In addition to the usual formalities at the beginning of the letter saying that there were currently no available positions, the lengthy paragraphs were full of enthusiasm, inquiring about the details of the trial.
Albert threw the letter directly into the trash.
"Maybe all the good positions in big cities are already filled." Albert thought to himself. He lowered his expectations and only sought a job as a secretary, but still could not succeed.
The unemployed former prosecutor began to look to the small town courts, sending out more than a dozen letters of hope. He refused to give up, even refusing to leave his home or his desk. He believed that there would always be a place that would hire him, afraid that he would miss the notification of his employment because of his temporary absence.
As long as he could return to the courtroom and to the trial bench where his dreams could take flight again, Albert was willing to live twenty years less.
He waited silently day by day, like a statue sitting at his desk, only jumping up to the window when he heard the bells of the mail truck outside, hoping that the mail truck would bring him good news.
But every time, he could only watch with disappointment as the mail carriage passed by outside the house and gradually went away.
Three months had passed quickly, and the surplus savings were almost gone because of the bail money paid earlier and the penalty for being dismissed from the First Court. The cash at home quickly went towards rent, food, and Grandma's medicine.
On the dining table, the dishes that used to have meat and soup were replaced with potatoes. After eating potatoes for several days in a row, Albert complained to Jenny, "Can't we have some fish soup?"
Black Jack, the few-month-old sheepdog in the midst of a growth spurt, also whined and complained. Potatoes shouldn't be on the menu for carnivores.
Jenny nodded and went out wearing a small coat. When she returned in the evening, she smiled and carried a net full of sardines and beef, but the pretty coat with lace on the collar was missing.
" I'm so tired. I bought them at the market outside the city, where the fish is cheaper than in the city." Jenny said.
"In fact, it's not much cheaper. Round-trip fare on the coach costs four silver coins. It's almost the same price when you take that into account." Albert said, somewhat dismissive of the women's shopping smarts.
"Oh. You're right." Jenny still had a smiling face until she entered the kitchen. Then she showed a painful expression and kept rubbing her feet. She didn't tell her husband that she walked to the port.
Albert enjoyed the dinner very much.
After the diamond necklace, gold leaf pocket watch, and high-end sofa chair slowly disappeared, Jenny tentatively asked, "What about trying another job?"
Then Albert's roar frightened her, "Don't you even believe that I can return to the judiciary?"
"You will definitely be able to go back," Jenny promised. "You just keep writing letters, and leave the other things at home to me."
A few days later, Jenny pulled back a small wooden cart and a pile of pots and pans. She woke up early in the morning, just before daybreak, bought several large bags of vegetables and some meat, carefully cleaned them, and then busied herself in the kitchen for the morning.
By almost noon, the crispy and delicious meatballs, golden fried fish fillets, fragrant offal soup, and boiled greens were all ready.
She took the small cart to the market, and by before two o'clock, she had sold everything. Jenny called it a "lunch box" and sold it for one and a half silver coins per serving. She made different varieties every day, and both the market vendors and nearby clerks loved it.
At night, she could make some snacks and sell them at the night market until midnight. And so it went, day after day, with Jenny only able to sleep for five hours each day.
"Now, it's my turn to support this family," Jenny thought proudly, and the feeling of exhaustion would disappear in an instant.
Albert had finally lost hope. He was finished, not even the simplest of rural circuit courts would take him.
He counted and realized that he had sent out a total of fifty job applications, all of which had yielded no results. This meant that the former prosecutor, once regarded as having limitless prospects, had been completely abandoned by the judicial community.
It wasn't until then that he seemed to wake up from a drunken dream and noticed that many things were missing from his home. The small living room that used to be crowded with objects was now empty, and his grandmother's gentle gaze carried a hint of reproach. The small wild cat that always brought warmth and joy was now difficult to spot.
Albert sat on the steps outside, petting the little dog that sat obediently beside him. As the evening approached, the brilliant orange ribbon of light in the sky gradually faded into a deeper black. On the black fabric, small and scattered stars began to appear. The moon, surrounded by the stars, created a cold white light on the night sky. He had finally waited for the person he had been waiting for.
Jenny struggled to pull the cart full of pots and pans toward home. Every few steps she had to take a break. When she looked up and saw Albert, she immediately dropped the cart and ran over. "Why are you sitting here? Did you get another rejection letter? Don't be upset. Someone who understands will appreciate you."
Albert looked up at Jenny. The girl's round face had become thinner, with a sharp chin. Her beautiful eyes were surrounded by dark circles, dull and lifeless. Her slender fingers were red and swollen from cold water and knife wounds. He stood up and said in a resolute tone, " I don't want to be a prosecutor anymore, never again."
"Don't worry, Albert. I'm here for you. Everything will be okay. You will definitely succeed." Jenny patted her chest and comforted him.
"I'm sorry, Jenny. You've worked hard during this time. I have figured it out. Those who are blinded by the fog of the past and refuse to look forward will always be cowardly failures." Albert hugged Jenny and then said, " I'm going to the market tomorrow too. I, Albert Fraley, even if I have to sell box lunches, will be more successful than anyone else."
Compared to Flondeck, the royal city of Castain was even more magnificent.
At the beginning of Byron's establishment, the original site of Castain was a small ancient town with only a low wall. Surrounding it were barren plains. After conquering the Black Continent, Emperor Komo had the idea to build a new capital.
According to the mystical school and the church, on the night when the emperor returned from the conquest, he dreamt of a divine revelation. In the desolate land and the dilapidated city, beneath the starry night sky, the stars shifted from their usual course, emitting a fiery glow as they formed a massive, fiery red cross in the sky.
"This is the coronation bestowed upon me by the gods," thought the emperor.
Shortly thereafter, he issued the order to build the new capital and personally oversaw the surveying and marking of its boundaries. Riding his horse out from the center of the old town, he galloped in every direction, but still could not decide where the new city's boundary should be.
His followers seemed to sense the birth of something great and tremblingly asked, "Your Majesty, how far do you want to go forward?"
The emperor replied, "Until the god who leads me stops."
Craftsmen and master builders from all over the country flocked to the site, but their numbers were still not enough. So the army put down their weapons and took up the tools of labor, becoming workers and bricklayers. It wasn't until the death of the Emperor that Castain was only half-built.
It took the second heir half a lifetime to give the city its initial shape, and it wasn't until the third heir that the immortal Castain rose magnificently from the earth.
To this day, every stone of the city is imbued with a profound sense of history. Even the mosaic inlaid paintings on the roads of any street, which have faded with time, may have been created by a master who was enshrined in an art temple.
Even the execution ground was no exception.
The cylindrical arch structure of the actual wall formed an arc, creating an oval shape inside and outside the execution ground. The tiered seating along the surrounding walls gave it the appearance of an outdoor theatre. In fact, watching executions was one of the hobbies of the people of Castain.
Several death row inmates were escorted to the center, where the executioner read out their sentences and arranged for each person's punishment. Whether it was the use of the hammer, the wooden stake, or the hanging, it had all been prepared for them. When the last name was read, the official deliberately paused, "Eric Andreas, notorious gang leader, smuggler, and murderer, has been sentenced to the extreme penalty."
The audience erupted in commotion. The prisoner was bound to a wooden frame, and each of his limbs was tied to four strong bulls that pulled in opposite directions, tearing him apart. Only the most heinous criminals deserved such a terrifying punishment.
But Eric's performance was disappointing. The man, with his head shrouded in a black hood, seemed to be in a trance, offering no resistance and making no effort to struggle as he was tied up. Even when the cloth was stuffed into his mouth, a customary measure to prevent the prisoner from screaming obscenities, the gang leader put up only a token resistance.
In the audience, a handsome mixed-race man watched the execution with great interest. As the impostor breathed his last breath, he burst out laughing. "I never thought I'd witness my own death."
"Mr. Andreas, please do not disappoint our master," The man sitting to his right, with a noble demeanor, said, "The task our master assigned must be completed as soon as possible."
"Of course, I will always remember the master's kindness," Eric replied, but at the same time, he thought to himself, "But before that, I need to vent."
He still remembered the malicious ridicule of the damn prosecutor in the Flondeck courtroom and the feeling of having his butt examined by hundreds of eyes.
Who would dare to offend him in prison? But the prosecutor's words quickly spread throughout the dark world.
"Do you know? Andreas was raped in prison."
"Ha-ha, I must ask him about how he felt at that time when I get the chance."
The bigwigs of the underground world made this their hottest topic. Whether they were his allies or enemies, they all wondered what kind of ordeal the kid had gone through.
"I swear, you will pay for this," Eric Andreas clenched his fists cruelly. Outside Castain city, his henchmen had prepared several carriages to take him to Flondeck.