Chapter Text
Tokyo's weather is different from London's, with fewer gray skies, no thick fog to obscure the surroundings, and a river that doesn't emit the same pungent odor as the Thames.
While life may not be as prosperous as in London, the city's vitality is like the steaming morning dew. Although insignificant, it's uncertain whether the afternoon's heavy rain and thunder will be the same as the morning's. The dew that quietly disappears has no bearing on it.
Life is like water passing under a bridge.
Who would have thought that Prof. Watson, with whom I was laughing and joking just a few days ago, would now be a dead man?
And the murderer who was arrested was a Japanese university student.
“Naruhodo Ryunosuke, that student who kept apologizing and looked like he wanted to bully him could be the murderer? No way!”
Reading the morning paper, the woman picked up the oolong tea on the table and took a sip. The woman's gaze shifted from the cup to the ticking grandfather clock, then she drained the rest of the tea and put it in the sink.
“It's almost time for my appointment with Prof. Mikotoba, so I'll be going out!”
Putting on a straw hat to protect her from the sun, the woman shouted as she turned her back on the empty house.
While Naruhodo watched with admiration as Asogi confronted the bailiffs, his eyes suddenly turned to a British woman who entered the defendant's lounge.
" Ahh! You are, Miss Lorraine? What are you doing here?
When the bailiffs on both sides saw this Englishwoman, they immediately stood up straight, as if they wanted to make a good impression on the other party, Asogi glanced at the other party without taking it seriously. But after hearing Naruhodo's voice, she turned back to look at her friend.
" Naruhodo, you know her?"
" Yes, she has a strong interest in our literature. I've seen her reading a book in the department library. It was only when she came to me and asked me about Japanese literature that we got to know each other."
"An British maiden who is interested in our culture? Interesting ......"
The Englishwoman, as she approached the two, bent her knees and then crouched slightly, spreading her hands slightly to the sides of her body.
" Naruhodo-san, it's good to see you again!"
The other party smiled shyly and put his hands on his head in embarrassment.
" “Hmm, but is something going on with Lorraine-san's visit to this great court?"
The woman who had taken off her straw hat, revealing short black hair and dark brown pupils shook her head, her gaze implying worry.
" I saw your name in the newspaper, and I knew you wouldn't be the murderer of Professor Watson. So, I asked the people involved so that I could at least come and find you."
"Someone relevant? Come to me?"
Asogi and Naruhodo glanced at each other, and both saw the doubt in each other's eyes.
" Asogi, hello." A low, energetic, and dignified voice attracted everyone's attention and they turned their heads.
A woman in a kimono bowed in their direction.
"This, this is ...... Professor! You're here too."
" Because this matter is more or less related to me."
The middle-aged gentleman called Professor spoke in a calm tone but gave off an impression of leadership.
That's right, Asogi. Let's go to the judge's office right away."
"Judge's ......?"
The gentleman nodded You were looking for you."
Noticing that Naruhodo's expression seemed a little puzzled, Ms Lorraine came up beside him and whispered:
That's your university's forensic science professor, Professor Mikotoba. It is thanks to his assistance that I was able to enter this great courtroom this time."
" Why, why did Lorraine-sama come to the Grand Court?" Naruhodo wondered.
"Because I believe you are innocent Naruhodo." A wide smile appeared on her face, making Naruhodo not react for a moment.
"Though we've known each other for a short time, I can sense that you wouldn't do something like that. I came to this great court to express my 'trust' in you."
"Miss Lorraine ......"
"So cheer up! You're not fighting alone, that Mr. Asogi, I'm sure he must have had the good sense to be willing to act as your defender!"
Naruhodo looked down and wiped away the tears that had risen from the corners of his eyes, and gave a heavy hmmm.
“Sorry to interrupt your conversation." Professor Mikotoba's voice suddenly appeared.
The young woman in kimono and Asogi were no longer in the defendant's lounge.
“Yes...... yes!" Naruhodo straightened his back, while Lorraine stared curiously at Professor Mikotoba.
“I am Mikotoba Yujin, a professor of forensic medicine at the University of the Brave League."
“My, Professor Mikotoba ......」 Naruhodo seemed to be pondering as he looked at Mikotoba with “respect“ in his eyes」.
“Asogi said, you are his ...... good friend."
Naruhodo's expression, at the moment, could be described as surprise and emotion.
After Asogi and Naruhodo went into the courtroom, Mikotoba and Lorraine stayed in the defendant's lounge.
"Is it a good idea to let Naruhodo defend himself? Although Mr Asogi is here, he's a non-law student, isn't it too difficult?" Lorraine paced back and forth in the room, looking in the direction of the door from time to time.
"The two of them will come up with a solution, the person who can make Asogi call him his best friend is not just a commoner."
Professor Mikotoba seemed confident.
When the door was reopened, Lorraine saw Naruhodo, who was still sweating coldly, and Asogi, who was wearing a proud and appreciative smile.
"Naruhodo! You haven't been found guilty yet, right?"
"Erm, yes! It's just a 30-minute recess for now, and it seems that they're going to call another Englishman as a witness." Naruhodo Ryunosuke's cold sweat hadn't completely dried up, and Asogi was also looking grave.
"Englishman?" Lorraine was confused.
Asogi Kazuma's reply contained contempt for the cowardly actions of the Japanese government, "It was the woman who was dining with Professor Watson at the time of the crime, and it seems that she was hidden from the police because of her status as an Englishman."
Hearing the hostility implied in Asogi's words, Lorraine frowned.
"It's like this ...... Even if you're British, there's nothing to be afraid of. Since you were able to survive the two-hour trial, that means you are favoured by the Goddess of Law, Naruhodo."
"Miss Lorraine." Naruhodo was a bit taken aback, obviously not understanding where the confidence in his opponent came from.
"Everyone is equal before the law, and justice does not stop at exposing the truth just because of who the other party is. The British are human beings, just human beings, and we are nothing special."
Asogi Kazuma's eyes flashed with admiration, his tone faltered, "You seem very different, Lady Lorraine."
"Each person is an individual, and my thoughts are not representative of the whole of England. Certainly not even Her Majesty, the Queen, can speak for me."
Asogi Kazuma raised his eyebrows in some surprise "Wow......? That's a really, really bold idea."
"Well then, I wish you both the best of luck and no matter how arrogant and haughty you hear that Englishman's comments, there's no need to pay any attention to them."
When only Professor Mikotoba and Lorraine were left in the defendant's lounge, Lorraine looked out the window at the clear sky.
London should be misty or rainy at this moment, right? Is that man drinking in boredom?
She thought to herself, but a moment later, She scoffed to herself.
Now that I've become a betrayer, I can only think about these questions.
"Miss Lorraine, if I remember correctly, isn't it true that your schooling career is coming to an end?"
Professor Mikotoba opened her mouth to find a topic, and Lorraine turned her gaze to the middle-aged gentleman in front of her. From the time he had capriciously run away to Japan, this professor who was closely related to his origins had always been helpful.
"Yes, Professor. I plan to travel to England with a group of Japanese students."
"To observe Asogi, is that it?"
Professor Mikotoba seemed to have read Lorraine's mind, making Lorraine hesitate for a few seconds before confessing frankly.
"It's not just because he's 'Asogi', it's because he's also a 'lawyer from Japan'. I wanted to see what he could do first. Besides, I'm worried about what will happen if he goes up against the Reaper."
Professor Mikotoba was deep in thought as well, and Lorraine sighed.
"I must find more helpers, helpers who can calm both sides down. If it's just me and Miss Susato, there's no way the two of them, who hate each other, will be willing to find the truth."
A certain inspiration from beyond the heavens caused Lorraine to pause, her gaze slowing to the closed doors of the courtroom as she mouthed the words:
"Perhaps, if it was him, it could be done?"
Mikotoba's curious eyes followed her to the door, but she saw nothing.
"Miss Lorraine, have you thought of anything?"
"Yes, Professor. I was thinking about Ryunosuke Naruhodo," Lorraine's right fingertips tapped the inside of her wrist.
"What if he were to go to England with Asogi?"
It took Professor Mikotoba a long time to find his voice and his mind.
"Are you saying that Naruhodo should go to England with Asogi? However, that boy's grades are okay, and he does not have the qualifications to be a lawyer, so it may be more difficult to get the Japanese government to agree to let him go to England to study than to let Asogi go."
Professor Mikotoba's tone was full of difficulty, and Lorraine remembered that to allow Asogi to study in England, this professor had been traveling around looking for opportunities.
It would not be a good idea to cause this professor any trouble because of her whim.
Lorraine's head ached as she calculated her existing assets, her estimated future income, and the expenses she would incur after she returned to London.
"If it's a matter of rent, perhaps I could ask Mr Sherlock? At the moment I should still be able to afford Naruhodo's tuition fees, but it would be more beneficial to both me and Naruhodo to have the assistance of the Japanese or our government.
Lorraine paced back and forth, contemplating how she was going to solve the most realistic problem in her life.
"And if you want Naruhodo to go to England as a judicial student, the consent of the Japanese government is essential. But even you, Professor, had to run around to get Asogi to get the status of a student, what should I do to get the Japanese government to agree?"
Professor Mikotoba clasped his hands to his chest as he whispered a few names, his indistinct pronunciation making it impossible for Lorraine to tell who the professor had in mind.
"Miss Lorraine, would you like to bet?"
The sudden question confused Lorraine, and Professor Mikotoba's expression was grave and full of struggle.
"A bet? What do you mean by that?"
"If I'm right, that Englishman should be the 'real' murderer of Professor Watson. However, I don't think Professor Watson's death was a simple homicide. After all, Mr Watson was involved in a 'major case' in the UK, one that ruptured diplomatic relations between our country and the UK."
Lorraine's heart felt like it was immersed in a glacier, and the coldness crawled from her back to her brain, causing her to involuntarily shiver.
"When you say gamble, you don't mean that you want me to 'negotiate terms' with the government of my country, is that what you mean?"
Mikotoba's silence was the most intuitive answer.
All his thoughts and feelings became unravelling knots at this moment, like a traveller walking in the boundless desert, or like a steamer in the sea, unable to find any buoy or lighthouse.
Lorraine suddenly felt as if she had returned to that incompetent and ignorant self in the courtroom eight years ago.
Not knowing the truth, I could only feel the pain and despair, and could not even decide on my own how I should live.
The prosecutor on the bench looked at the defendant with a bewildered look of anger and hatred.
The defendant, expressionless and without a trace of guilt, looked up at the judge like a lifeless puppet.
After spending years of his own life, even betraying Death, when Secretary Bankix had become the Crown Prosecutor who had turned all the criminals in London to fear him, he was finally at a loss on this island, unable even to touch the edge of the truth?
"Professor Mikotoba, may I ask you a question?"
Under the professor's concerned gaze, Lorraine, who had finally regained her senses, suddenly threw out a sentence.
The professor was unsure, but he nodded his head to indicate that Lorraine should ask.
"Our country and the Japanese government signed the Treaty of Peace and Navigation between Japan and Britain, in principle, Britain's consular jurisdiction in Japan is no longer valid. But in this case, if Britain wants to activate the right of consular judgment, it means that the two governments have already negotiated and reached an agreement at least in the past few days."
As the words came out of his mouth, a line of thought gradually emerged before Lorraine's eyes.
"I was thinking that the victim was Professor Watson, and that the murderer was probably a British woman who had been given consular jurisdiction by the British Foreign Office. And then the defendant's original defense was 'Asogi', which means that we can at least boldly surmise that it was a high-level British need that allowed Asogi to make it to London. But what was the 'reason'?"
Lorraine lifted her head and looked at Professor Mikotoba with gradually clearer amber pupils.
"Is it possible for you to know anything about that reason?"
Professor Mikotoba shook his head, his tone tinged with regret.
"There is indeed some truth in your theory, but I must tell you honestly, Miss Lorraine. In the beginning, I did my part in allowing Asogi to study in London. Therefore, I don't think there is any 'reason' why the British hierarchy needs Asogi to go to London so urgently. I would even argue that the opposite is true and that Asogi should be the one who actively wants to go to London."
Lorraine's eyes dimmed a little for a moment as she stubbornly continued to struggle.
"You are right, but it is a fact that Asogi was willing to give up the possibility of staying in school for Naruhodo. And the British government - no! The British Foreign Office seems to use its consular jurisdiction when necessary, but Asogi's sudden intervention should have caught the top brass off guard. If there was a senior government official who knew that Asogi was going to study for the London Judiciary, and who had a patronizing relationship with Professor Watson's murderer, I think I can guess who it would be."
With a ray of light in front of him, Lorraine's eyes once again looked towards the door of the defendant's lounge, hoping that the trial would have a good outcome as soon as possible.
"Asogi said, last night, he temporarily applied to become Naruhodo's representative. Originally, he was supposed to defend the defendant, but I had to intervene to do so."
Professor Mikotoba's words were like providing a brand new clue, causing Lorraine's breathing to suddenly become heavy and rapid.
"Last night? Then, just now, Your Honour asked Asogi to look for him, could it be for this matter?"
Mikotoba shook her head "I'm sorry, I'm not sure about that. But Asogi took the initiative to ask for a change of agent, this matter is true, I can assure you."
After a long silence, Lorraine sighed somewhat wearily.
"In that case, the key to getting Naruhodo to go to England now may be Asogi himself."
When Asogi and Naruhodo appeared in the defendant's lounge again with the same happy face that they had survived the disaster, Professor Mikotoba relaxed his stiff back and smiled like a spring breeze on his face. Lorraine, on the other hand, pressed her right hand to her heart and gently patted her chest.
"Naruhodo. This time it worked, congratulations." The appreciation and joy in Asogi's eyes were visible, and his aura was no longer as tense and intimidating as it had been before the trial.
Naruhodo Ryunosuke was much more confident as well, and although he was still in a bit of a state of disbelief, he quickly adjusted himself to the situation.
"So, let me say thank you, Asogi."
Professor Mikotoba stood at the back, looking at the two teenagers with a pleased face.
"It was really hard work."
"I congratulate you both on the Judgement of Innocence."
Susato's gentle voice finally gave Lorraine a real sense of having successfully survived the crisis, and she arched her eyebrows, reflecting the harmonious look of the young girl with her back to herself and the two young girls in black uniforms standing together in her eyes and deep in her memory.
If Naruhodo succeeded in going to the English court with Susato and Asogi, it would be a beautiful and harmonious scene in the courtroom in London!
The lady from England couldn't help but think so.
Later, when Mikotoba said, half embarrassed, that Miss Brett would be sent to Shanghai to be judged by the Consular Court, Asogi fell silent, while Naruhodo, who could not hide his excitement, asked why.
"She has initiated the consular jurisdiction." The attendant who walked into the defendant's lounge looked puzzled, but it was also clear that he was not in a hesitant mood.
"Hoso, Hoso Detective-!"
Lorraine sized up the waiter and then glanced at Naruhodo.
Naruhodo interrupted Inspector Hosho's congratulations and inquired somewhat anxiously about the matter of consular jurisdiction.
" Our country," Detective Hoso closed his eyes, and Lorraine clenched her bottom row of teeth, feeling the discomfort of shame climbing up her back.
"There's no way to sanction foreigners for their crimes."
Naruhodo reluctantly asked who then would sanction Brett's crimes, and Asogi responded blandly.
"The consular courts of the British Empire - across the ocean where our voices cannot be heard."
Bewilderment and overwhelm hovered over Naruhodo, and Lorraine spoke out with some difficulty.
"Generally speaking, even the Consular Court cannot be lenient with the sentence for the great offense of murder. Not to mention that in the case of an Englishman murdering an Englishman, the judges of the Consular Court are unable to favor either side, no matter what."
"But, Professor Mikotoba, I still can't agree." Asogi's eyes were full of puzzlement.
"The recent signing of the Treaty of Peace and Navigation between Japan and Britain should have invalidated British consular jurisdiction."
Mikotoba's expression was a mixture of sadness and joy as he confirmed Asogi's information.
"Unless it is a 'major case' of high political importance to both countries ......"
Asogi's fists clenched, his voice almost echoing throughout the lounge.
"Otherwise, the Consular Jurisdiction cannot be activated easily!"
"That is to say, this case is both major and highly political." Lorraine's words made the people in the audience fall into deep thought.
"Even if it was a student, it's too unusual that the governments of two countries would have a 'private date' for that woman."
Lorraine shook her head, hesitant to tell the two teenagers what she had suspected while waiting for the judgment to come out.
In the end, it's up to Inspector Petty to sort out the awkwardness.
"The Foreign Office of the British Empire has applied for extradition in this case. The British government also seems to be very cautious about the 'killing' of foreign students."
"Everything will change in the future. With our hands, we can make it happen."
Professor Mikotoba's calm and steady tone changed the atmosphere of the scene.
"Facing the upcoming 20th century, everything in this society is in the midst of drastic changes. One day ......"
Professor Mikotoba's eyes swept over Asogi and Naruhodo before finally meeting Lorraine's eyes and giving her an encouraging pause.
"The time will come when justice can be meted out to people like that."
Yeah, we can't stand still. Whether it's Brett or the case back then, justice will come to the world with the arrival of the truth. For that reason, she couldn't give up yet, and she definitely couldn't give up, and she had to let them persevere, even the young girls and boys that she had placed her "hope" in!
"Well, we can change this era." Asogi's tone was full of determination, while Lorraine glanced at Naruhodo.
At the bottom of Naruhodo's eyes, there was both agreement and longing for Asogi's words, but there was also a hint of gloom and depression.
The mind of a teenager is always so easy to see through in this person's body. But Naruhodo must not be allowed to raise futile expectations, she must talk to Asogi as soon as possible. Naruhodo can also go to the British judicial study method!
Professor Mikotoba makes light of the boring topic, and they easily discuss where they're going to hold the celebration, while Susato briefly leaves the defendants' lounge after saying that he's going to attend to Naruhodo's release. Detective Sergeant Hoso, on the other hand, said that he had to call a rickshaw first, and then left the lounge.
The four people present had their thoughts, and the originally bustling lounge gradually quieted down.
"Asogi." Lorraine and Naruhodo's voices sounded at the same time, the two of them looked at each other, while Asogi's eyes moved between the two of them in confusion.
"What, what's wrong? You both seem to have something to say."
"Uh......" Lorraine's awkward gaze shifted to the lounge floor, her head skimming as she gestured for Naruhodo to speak first.
"I want to say thank you again. Today, it was thanks to you."
While the two teenagers were talking to each other, Professor Mikotoba Yu walked over and patted Lorraine on the shoulder.
"It's better to wait and find a chance to discuss it with him in private and see. That boy has always been very attentive to the affairs of his close friends, and I don't think he'll turn down your proposal. But now really isn't the right time, you need to wait a little longer."
"Okay. Thank you, Professor Mikotoba."