𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 - Neuvillette

𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬

OMG 50 READS IN ONE CHAPTER?? THANK YOU ALL SO MUCHH ❤️

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

After the audience had cleared and the tense atmosphere has settled, you, Lumine, and Paimon went to see Monsieur Neuvillette to ask him why Tartaglia had been pronounced guilty. It was more or less Lumine's idea, but you and Paimon had no problem with it. You were even a bit surprised she had so many friends in so many places.

We walked up to him as he was exiting. "Hey, Monsieur Neuvillette, what's going on? Shouldn't he have been cleared already?" Paimon asked.

"Apologies, this is also the first time I've encountered such a situation. However, according to the rules established at the conception of Fontaine's court system, the Oratrice's judgment is the final verdict of the court." He crossed his arms. You couldn't help but be in awe again as he spoke.
The way he is so focused on justice...that's so cool! I wish I could be an attorney like him one day...

"All I do is follow court procedure. As for why the Oratrice came to the conclusion it did, you should probably ask someone one knowledgeable than me."
More knowledgeable than him? Then it'd have to be....no way. Lumine and Paimon know Lady Furina herself?!

"If even the Chief Justice doesn't know, then we have to ask the Hydro Archon herself." Lumine confirmed your thoughts. Actually, Lady Furina was sitting right above us, so we all turned around to look at her.

"Ah...Wh-Why are you looking at me? I had nothing to do with it..." She got more and more agressive as she spoke, the 'do with it..' coming out more like a spit.
Her eyes turned up into a worried expression. "I-I don't know what happened there, either...HEY, STOP STARING AT ME!"
You were a little bit surprised. In all the trials/operas your parents had taken you to see, Lady Furina was never this insecure or brattish. You glanced at the other three. They looked completely blank, as if they weren't surprised at all.

The audience began to murmur and whisper amongst themselves, doubting if Furina and the Oratrice really made the right judgment. A bead of sweat dripped down Lady Furina's face, but she quickly brushed it away and regained her composure.

"Ahem...my dearest citizens, did you really think we'd allow an incorrect verdict to be handed out in this court? Did you really believe that the judgment could be mistaken, or be the result of some random mishap? Don't tell me...you thought even I had been blindsided by the Oratrice's result?"

Lumine whispered under her breath again, to you and Paimon: "But she was literally just dying over having a few people look at her..."
You and Paimon held in a laugh. I mean, of course she'd been blinded by the judgment. Everyone was.
"Yeah, and the way she looked just now, it was pretty obvious she had no idea what's been going on.." Paimon agrees.

"However, given the state of things, I shall give you an explanation. Everything that just took place - including my supposed shock and bafflement - was part of an elaborate performance, with every action meant to stir up drama and excitement."
You took a look around her. Lady Clorinde was standing next to her, with her arms crossed. She looked like she wanted to get out of here. Obviously she wasn't buying Furina's act. You held in a laugh again.

"And of course," Lady Furina went on, "for every performance, there is a script. Everything has unfolded exactly as I expected from the very beginning. As the embodiment of the very concept of justice, the Oratrice shall never render an arbitrary judgment!"
"If you thought Childe had nothing to do with the serial disappearances case, it is only because you have been blinded by the superficial appearance of innocence...Everything he's done, not to mention the danger he poses, are beyond ordinary comprehension and completely unforgivable!"