Chapter 2

"……………Huh?"

The second son of the Chancellor opened his mouth in astonishment, speechless.

"Ah, don't equate the righteous act of punishing evil with bullying!"

The third son of the Knight Commander argued, his face flushed. But to the onlookers, it seemed as if he was flustered, having been caught in a vulnerable spot.

"But think about it. The actions of the Marquis' daughter take place out of public view, with no witnesses. However, our actions are being seen by everyone here."

"Th-that's………"

At the words of the eldest son of the Chief Justice, both the second son of the Chancellor and the third son of the Knight Commander were at a loss for words.

Indeed, the testimony was based solely on the self-report of the girl with the soft, curly hair, and there was no concrete evidence or other testimony. In other words, her act of 'bullying someone in a group' could not be proven, but their actions were a clear fact here.

To the eldest son of the Chief Justice, the current situation looked exactly like the bullying scene the prince had described.

"Whose side are you on?"

"Of course, on the side of justice and truth."

The prince glared, but the eldest son of the Chief Justice answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

For him, who had grown up watching his father, a judge, dedicate himself to his duties since childhood, it was the obvious answer.

"Come to think of it, isn't it natural for the Marquis' daughter, as the prince's fiancée, to advise a man with a fiancée not to be overly familiar?"

"………What?"

"Rather, if she didn't do that, she would be criticized for not fulfilling her duties as a fiancée, wouldn't she?"

"But, but……"

"Moreover, while there are many rumors about her, there are no rumors of her being unfaithful or engaging in evil deeds. Most of them are about her being jealous of this girl or bullying her."

"So, what's your point?"

"Here's the thing."

The eldest son deliberately paused.

"Isn't it because the prince was unfaithful in the first place?"

"……………………."

Everyone fell silent. The second son of the Chancellor, the third son of the Knight Commander, and even the second prince.

The students, their guardians, and the school staff in the hall were all silent. Indeed, everyone was thinking, "That's true."

"Tsk, that's not it! That's not it at all!"

The second prince, who was the first to regain his composure, raised his voice, which was tinged with panic and sounded rather pitiful.

"But, the prince became close to this girl right after she enrolled, didn't he? At that time, there were no bad rumors about the fiancée."

Indeed, a murmur could be heard from somewhere in the hall.

"Considering the timeline, the bullying started after the prince favored this girl, and the rumors spread based on that."

"That's not true!"

"Then, please present clear evidence."

The prince's voice, raised in denial, was drowned out by his own fiancée's.

"Everyone here can surely testify to the prince's unfaithfulness. But the crime the prince accused me of is based only on the physical evidence here, isn't it?"

The Marquis' daughter's words were left unsaid, but they implied that physical evidence could be fabricated.

And that, too, sank into the hearts of everyone in the hall, giving them a sense of reality.

"You there, young lady."

The Marquis' daughter pointed to a junior student who had come forward at the prince's request and was standing there.

"Tell us when and where you saw me bullying her."

"E………"

It was a reasonable request, but the junior student, also a daughter of a minor noble, was so shocked that she froze.

"If you really saw it, you should remember the date and place, right?"

"Th-that………"

"Quickly. Just tell us what you saw."

"You! That's why I'm saying you shouldn't bully junior students!"

The junior student's face was turning pale. The Marquis' daughter, though not overly domineering, was leaving no room for argument. Probably unintentionally, the junior student, a senior and from a higher-ranking family, and even the prince's fiancée, who was known as a model of ladylike behavior, was clearly intimidated.

Seeing this, the prince immediately began to condemn his fiancée.

"………I see. So, you call this 'bullying,' Your Highness."

"……………Ah."

Only now did the prince realize that the people around him were looking at him with distrust.

"Your Highness, calling that bullying is a bit of a stretch, don't you think?"

And as if speaking on behalf of the people around him, the eldest son of the Chief Justice said.

"Well, but……"

"Her statement was just a factual inquiry. It wasn't particularly domineering, nor was it an order or a compulsion. Rather, she simply wished for a testimony that was clearly necessary for her position."

If the junior student had responded to the request and provided the date and place of the bullying, it would have been highly disadvantageous for the Marquis' daughter. Yet, there was no point in forcing such testimony. The prince, pointed out by the eldest son of the Chief Justice, was at a loss for words.

"But! Didn't you see it just now? She was threatening………"

"If she had asked the girl to say she didn't see it, your claim might have held, but that's not what I heard."

"Gr………"

The prince was speechless. The second son of the Chancellor was flustered by the changing tide, and the third son of the Knight Commander, unable to follow the conversation, had given up and was dazed.

"Ah, are you saying I'm lying?"

But then, the girl with the soft, curly hair, who had been clinging to the prince's arm, spoke in a sad voice.

"I was really bullied, and you're saying it's a lie?"

"That's not what I'm saying."

The eldest son of the Chief Justice gently interrupted the girl with the soft, curly hair, who had tears in her eyes and was starting to protest.

"Verifying the facts is the most important thing in such a judgment. A fair and impartial judgment can only be made with objective facts and the rational judgment to discern them."

"But, I was really sad………"

"Unfortunately, emotional arguments cannot sway a judgment."

He spoke calmly, as if trying to convince her, but his statement was clear and left no room for argument.

Even the girl with the soft, curly hair, who was usually so composed, was taken aback and speechless, her eyes wide open. Of course, no tears flowed.

【Disclaimer】

Regarding the title, I have changed it from "Fair and Impartial" to "On the Side of Justice and Truth" (as of 22/11/20).