Funinna, please let me steal your heart!

Luna bowed slightly: "I'm very sorry."

She looked at the two people opposite her. The shrewd and capable defense attorney was already covered in cold sweat, while Judith was extremely uneasy.

Where had they ever seen anything like this before?

"Before we begin the debate, allow me to restate the current state of the case."

Navelette picked up the record.

“Twenty-three days ago, Mary Bestina, the former lead actress of the Darkmoon Theatre, disappeared without a trace. The reason for her disappearance is also unknown, but the possibility of abduction or murder cannot be ruled out.”

"But so far no clues have been found about the killer. Without a doubt, this is a case that is extremely vague on all levels."

Funina: "Isn't everyone saying she's a victim of a series of missing girls?"

"But this is just a rumor, and there is no concrete evidence to suggest that she is involved in the serial disappearances of teenage girls."

Navelette put down her notes and looked at Luna.

"And Ms. Luna, what are your accusations against Ms. Judith?"

“She killed Mary Bestina.”

Judith quickly replied, "I didn't!"

The defense attorney adjusted his glasses: "That's right, Miss Judith couldn't have done that, because—she had no motive to kill her closest friend."

With this statement, the defense at the trial truly began.

"Friends?" Navia asked, puzzled.

"Yes, without a doubt, they are best friends and inseparable. According to the testimonies of many members of the troupe, they get along very well. Although there were a few minor conflicts, they made up quickly."

"Miss Judith had no reason, no motive to kill her friend!"

Navia and Luna exchanged glances.

Navia gave her a sympathetic look and shrugged with a wry smile.

Luna smiled and said, "Miss Judith, that's not very kind of you."

Funina asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"

This is also the question the audience wanted to ask.

"You have absolutely no trust in your defense attorney."

A sudden jolt went through her. The defense attorney, a beat slow, abruptly turned to look at Judith, whose evasive gaze only confirmed the truth.

Nothing is more torturous than being accused by someone who doesn't believe you.

“Miss Judith, could it be that you….?”

Luna slammed her hand on the railing... She wanted to slam her hand on a table, but unfortunately there wasn't one for her to do so. Then she pointed:

"She concealed her true relationship with Miss Mary!"

27: Pinching hair is a common trick.

If there's any unwritten taboo between the defense attorney and the accused, it's undoubtedly distrust.

Defense counsel must trust the accused and consider the other party's interests in everything they do;

Similarly, the accused should trust their defense counsel and make no reservations.

If any one of them fails to do this, the entire trial will become a torment.

Funina exclaimed in surprise, "That's taboo! The defense attorney and the accused haven't had complete trust! But what's the real relationship you're talking about? Are they actually sisters or something?"

"Not sisters, but lovers."

There was silence.

Furness rubbed her forehead, seemingly overwhelmed: "Wait, lover? She's a woman, right? And Marie Bestina is a woman too, so doesn't that mean...?"

She blushed.

"Huh!? Girl... girl... eh? Really?"

The audience was also taken aback.

"What kind of development is this?"

"Love killing?"

"Does Lady Funina think there's a problem with this?"

When suddenly asked a question by the audience, Fu Ningna, despite her still flushed cheeks, cleared her throat and replied:

“My people, Fontaine is an inclusive nation, and there is not a single law that forbids this!”

However, she has no inclination in that regard!

After she finished speaking, she hurriedly urged:

How do you know they're lovers?

"I have objections!"

The defense attorney was furious; he had to call a halt.

"The accused has not told me the whole truth. I need to speak with the accuser again. I want a recess! I want the court to adjourn!"

Funina slapped the armrest in dissatisfaction: "What? This is just the beginning!"

How can a show start with commercials right at the beginning? That's unreasonable, that's terrible! It's like they've just built up the audience's interest and then cut it off abruptly. That's just too much.

She had to protest.

Thump! Navelette tapped her cane.

"Silence, the request is reasonable, court will adjourn for half an hour."

"Half an hour is too long, shorten it to ten seconds!" Funina demanded.

Navelette banged her cane harder: "Court adjourned!"

.................

The noisy trial has now adjourned, and Luna and Navia have gone to the backstage dressing room of the opera house.

"I didn't expect the court to adjourn so soon after it started," Navia said with her hands on her hips, looking helpless.

Luna leaned against the wall and said softly, "According to Fontaine Law, in this situation, the court can indeed adjourn to communicate with the defense attorney again."

Otherwise, it would just be bullying.

Navia sat back in the chair, leaning forward and rocking the chair, trying to make conversation:

"Judith committed murder, that's the truth, but the defense still has to prove her 'innocence.' Although I've seen many trials like this, is this really justice?"

"Of course."

Luna approached Navia and gently rocked back and forth on the chair.

Navia raised her face, blinked her azure eyes, and stared intently into Luna's crimson eyes.

"How to say?"

"Victory is justice—if the other side has brought us down in a legal and compliant manner, then victory and innocence belong to them."

"Because we are not powerful enough to clear the name of the dead."

If you're not as skilled as others, you'll suffer setbacks; that's perfectly normal.

Navia shifted her gaze: "...Indeed."

What matters is strength.

Without sufficient power, she was unable to prove her father's innocence.

“…I don’t even know if I have the ability, or if I’m fully prepared, to prove my father’s innocence,” Navia whispered.

Three years have passed, and despite searching for so long, there hasn't been a single breakthrough in our search.

"But now you have the ability to speak for the dead."

Navia slowly shifted her gaze back, then chuckled.

"Indeed! And now I have Miss Detective as my partner, which is even more reassuring than having 100 more guns in stock!"

“I still think 100 guns would be more reassuring,” Luna said with a smile.

Partner...it sounds like a good word, but when she puts on the mask and becomes a phantom thief, that word turns into "enemy".

Life is indeed full of drama.

As Luna was reflecting on this, she caught a glimpse of a restless hand approaching her face and pinching a strand of her golden hair.

"What are you doing?" Luna asked.

Navia snapped out of her reverie: "Hmm? Ah... I suddenly realized you're blonde like me."

There are many blonde people in this world.

For example, a blond traveler who hasn't yet arrived in Fontainebleau.

Navia then asked, "But you don't look like a Fontainebleau person. Weren't you born in Fontainebleau?"

"No, my father is from Liyue and my mother is from Mondstadt... That's what I heard my 'father' say."

I know nothing else.

The name Luna was written on a card that was tucked into her basket when she was just a baby.

There is no surname, only a given name.

Wow, you're mixed race! You're so beautiful, your parents must be very good-looking too!

Luna had no intention of responding further, and simply smiled and said, "Thank you."