A Fortune-telling Princess [Novel] Chapter 283

“M-Mother? Father?”

“……”

“……”

The trial opened.

It was a trial that drew the eyes of countless people. Naturally so, since it was a case where a child of only thirteen had committed murder.

And not just one murder, either. He had murdered three children. Of course society’s attention would gather.

“Mother! Father!”

“……”

“……”

“H-How could you…?”

Standing in court, Kennel trembled as he looked at his parents. A moment ago, the judge had made one proposal to Kennel’s parents. And at their answer, Kennel could not help feeling rage and despair.

Does it feel like being abandoned by your parents?

Watching that sight from the edge of the courtroom, Camilla clicked her tongue inwardly again and again.

Juvenile law.

A young criminal who had not yet turned fifteen was given one chance.

The court’s thinking was that when a young adolescent committed a crime, the parents who should have disciplined and guided him properly also bore responsibility.

The law created for that purpose was juvenile law. It allowed the parents to pay part of the price for the crime in their child’s stead.

Which reduces the sentence that goes to the child by that much.

For example, if the punishment given to the child was ten years in prison, the parents could go to prison in the child’s place for up to five of those years. In other words, the child could serve five years and the parents five years.

I wondered if the law here was as Xed up as the other world’s too.

Camilla could not help being disappointed when she learned that young boys and girls could not be sentenced to death or life imprisonment.

Of course, she understood to some degree that children might commit a grave crime by mistake and be given a chance.

But.

There were clearly people like Kennel, people who had not made a mistake, people whose minds themselves had rotted beyond saving. Did it make sense for someone like that to receive a lighter punishment simply because he was young?

Still, well…

It was not the maximum sentence of death or life imprisonment, but the sentence given to Kennel was by no means light.

One hundred years.

It practically meant he should rot in prison until he died. It was no different from a life sentence.

Camilla was fairly satisfied with the judge’s ruling.

And a moment ago, in accordance with the law, the judge had made a proposal to Kennel’s parents.

Since they bore responsibility for standing by until their child committed such crimes, did they intend to take on part of the sentence given to him and serve it in his place?

Of course, this was in no way compulsory. It was entirely the parents’ choice. Since the sentence was one hundred years, they could serve up to fifty years in his place.

Naturally, anything less than that was also possible. Ten years would do. Even one year would not matter.

“Hngh.”

“Th-This… hhh, hhh….”

Gathered in one corner of the courtroom, the parents of the children killed by Kennel’s hands watched the situation with tears and slightly anxious expressions.

After all, the sentence of the bastard who had brutally killed their children might be reduced by as much as fifty years.

Hmm.

Camilla, on the other hand, could easily predict the result. She had been watching Kennel’s parents since they entered the courtroom, and not once had they met their son’s eyes.

And the answer they gave a moment later was exactly as Camilla had expected.

“No.”

“We will not serve any of his sentence in his place.”

Kennel’s father and mother both shook their heads. Without the slightest hesitation.

“Mother! Father! It’s me! Me, Kennel! Your only son!”

“……”

“……”

Kennel, whose entire body was tightly bound, shouted and called to them, but the two of them did not give their child even a single glance to the very end.

“H-How could you…?”

At first, Kennel had stared at the two of them as if he could not believe it, but his gaze gradually filled with rage. In the end, tears welled in his eyes.

Tsk, tsk.

What a shame. I don’t feel sorry for you at all.

Camilla’s gaze was utterly indifferent as she watched Kennel get dragged out, tears dripping from his eyes.

It’s actually a shame he isn’t being executed.

What if that bastard lives disgustingly long? My taxes are going to feed and house that piece of shit. Ugh, what a waste of money.

After grumbling inwardly for a while, Camilla turned her head toward one place.

She saw a child endlessly stroking the back of a man who was crying soundlessly.

Of course, the man could not feel the child’s touch at all.

It was Rana and her father. After soothing her father for a long time like that, Rana stared blankly at Kennel as he was dragged from the courtroom in tears.

You must be disappointed.

It would have been better if he had received a greater punishment.

Well, his life is over, so I suppose it is a great punishment.

He had certainly been socially buried. Camilla had mobilized every bit of power she could use and made every last press outlet in the Empire report on this matter in detail.

Public interest and fury had grown enormous, to the point that protests demanding his execution were taking place in several locations. Kennel’s face being exposed across the Empire happened in an instant.

But could that compare to the pain of a child who had died so young without committing any crime at all?

Maybe I should’ve tormented him more while I had the chance.

Sent the divine beasts a few more times too.

“Tsk.”

Clicking her tongue lightly, Camilla quietly left the courtroom as well. What was the point of lingering over something already finished? She could only pray that bastard would rot miserably in prison for the rest of his life.

[Lady Camilla!]

A moment later, Rana came running toward her.

Then she abruptly grabbed Camilla’s hand.

[Thank you.]

Contrary to Camilla’s expectations, Rana’s face was full of smiles.

[I truly thought that person’s…]

“That bastard’s.”

Camilla shook her head and corrected Rana’s words.

He was not a person, after all. How offended would people feel if they were treated as the same kind as something like that?

[Th-That bas… ahem. I truly thought that bastard’s crimes would never be revealed.]

She had been so heartbroken and anxious, worried that no one would ever find even her body, worried that her father would keep suffering as he searched for her.

[Thank you.]

Rana bowed her head with sincere gratitude.

“Yes, be very grateful.”

I’m only being this generous because you’re young. I’m really not the kind of good person who purely helps with annoying things like this for free, you know.

[Pfft!]

For the first time, a loud laugh burst from the child’s mouth. Seeing that, a faint smile settled on Camilla’s lips too.

[Big sis, please tell my dad not to be too sad.]

“…All right.”

The child’s body was gradually growing faint.

Camilla knew very well what that meant, so she did not say anything more.

At her short answer, the child smiled even brighter, then quickly disappeared.

“She must have gone.”

“Yeah.”

Only then did Arsian come closer and speak to her.

Although he had come all the way here with her, once he realized that Rana the ghost was afraid of him, he had kept as much distance as possible.

Our Arsian really has changed a lot.

In the past, he would not have cared at all whether a ghost was afraid of him or not. Camilla gave a small laugh and approached him, linking her arm through his.

The noisy matter was over now.

Was there only something worth celebrating left?

“Arsian.”

There would be a very large event soon.

“Graduation is almost here.”

Arsian, a third-year, was finally graduating.

*****

Pat pat pat pat.

“Big sis!”

Wham!

As Camilla entered the graduation hall, she let out a small laugh at the little figure who ran toward her and threw himself into her arms.

“Rio, did you come to congratulate your big brother?”

“Yes!”

As Camilla toyed with Rio’s soft cheeks out of habit, her gaze turned behind him.

The Duke of Sepra was standing there, and she could also see a child cautiously watching for the right moment to speak to her.

After giving the Duke of Sepra a light bow in greeting, Camilla approached Sena.

“Hello to you too, Sena.”

“Yes….”

The child’s expression had brightened at Camilla’s greeting, but as if even exchanging such a light greeting embarrassed her, she blushed slightly.

Who would believe it?

That the god of the Eva Church, which had once thrown the world into turmoil, was inside the body of such a shy and kind child.

Was its name Lu?

She had heard it was the name Sena had given it.

[Why on earth do you get so embarrassed only when you stand in front of that woman? Did you do something wrong? With a great being like me beside you, why are you living like this?!]

…Perhaps even now, it was nagging Sena about one thing or another.

Camilla straightened Sena’s slightly rumpled clothes. After retying the ribbon on her blouse, Camilla lightly stroked Sena’s hair. At that touch, a faint smile appeared on the child’s lips and then vanished.

After exchanging brief greetings with the people she knew, Camilla looked around inside the auditorium where the graduation ceremony was being held.

Pride filled her face.

Because their problem child Arsian was finally graduating?

Well, that too.

They’re selling well.

Because the auditorium was decorated with a great many very familiar items.