"Wasn't she knocked down while trying to escape?"
"Where is Henry's house?"
I decided to take the guard to Henry's house. It was surprisingly tidy. When I asked the guard if he had cleaned it, he said he hadn't touched anything. He mentioned it had been like that when he arrived at the scene yesterday too.
"Where was Henry's wife found?"
"Over here."
The guard pointed to the kitchen. There was a small window, but no other escape route. I asked again,
"Where was Henry?"
"He was over there."
He pointed to the bedroom door across from the kitchen. Henry had been slumped against the doorway, which seemed unnatural for someone trying to flee. He had been struck from behind and died instantly. As I looked around, I noticed something odd. A teacup was on the table, and one of the chairs was slightly pulled out.
Oddly, the table was positioned between Henry and his wife. On the floor, a kettle lay overturned. If Henry always beat his wife after drinking, she wouldn't have been making him tea. Yet, the teacup and kettle suggested she had been serving him just before she died.
This meant a third person had been present.
Back in the courtroom, I searched for John.
"I heard John was the first to report this. Where is he?"
John raised his hand from the witness stand. He looked exhausted, likely from being questioned by the guards since yesterday.
"You said you reported it to the guards because you thought someone had died?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Did you often hear screams from Henry's house?"
"Yes... After he drank, there were always screams and cries from the house."
"Then why did you think someone had died this time, just because of the usual screams?"
"The screams that day were different. You know what I mean, my lord—it felt ominous."
"So you called the guards."
"Yes, I did."
"Why didn't you go to the house when you heard the screams? If Henry often beat his wife, you could have checked the scene."
"I was too shocked to think of that."
"Was anyone else there who heard the screams?"
I called the witnesses. Henry's house was on the outskirts of the village. They just looked at each other, and no one raised their hand. I asked John again,
"Only you heard the screams and reported it. Henry���s house is on the edge of the village. What were you doing there at the time?"
"A-Are you suspecting me?"
"Why are you answering back when I'm questioning you under the lord's authority?"
*I'll definitely find a reason to kill this bastard later.*
"N-No, I'm sorry."
"Answer me. What were you doing then?"
"I was just... taking a walk."
"What time was it?"
"Around midnight."
The guard replied. Even by local standards, midnight was late. I asked John,
"Taking a walk at midnight?"
"I couldn't sleep."
There wasn't much to say about walking around because he couldn't sleep. There was no curfew in the domain, after all. But I found John extremely suspicious. Everything about him felt unnatural.
If it were me, even if I took a midnight walk, I wouldn't go near the house of a man who drank and beat his wife. There was circumstantial evidence of a third person in the house, and John's behavior was suspicious, but there was no hard evidence.
I kept staring at John, looking for something to pin on him. I felt a sense of unease about him. As I stared, I realized what it was.
This guy had been walking last night, then spent all day with the guards, but his clothes were too neat. Even someone going on a blind date wouldn't dress this well. There was no way he'd wear such clean clothes just to step out at night.
"Guard."
"Yes, my lord."
"Let's go to John's house right now."
John's face visibly paled. I told the guards to hold him and rushed to his house. If my hunch was right, there'd be crucial evidence there.
And there was. When the guard and I opened the door, we found a bundle of clothes in a corner basin. The bloodstains looked like they'd been splattered with a sprayer—these clothes shouldn't have been in John's house.
I took the clothes and returned to the courtroom. John's face was already deathly pale.
"I'll give you a chance to explain."
I showed the bloodstained clothes to the witnesses and guards. John knelt, trembling, and spoke.
"I was... so angry."
I looked at him.
"How could she go to that scumbag... I liked her first! I liked her first!"
"Why did you kill her?"
"I knew Henry was drunk yesterday. I waited until he passed out, then went to Julia. She was my childhood friend, and she welcomed me with tea. I told her to leave Henry and live with me. That worthless, abusive man was no good for her."
This guy was a filthy NTR scumbag.
"But Julia rejected me! She chose that insect over me! When she turned her back on me, I... I just..."
"Take him away."
I was already planning to kill him anyway. NTR attempts are unforgivable. The crowd murmured at the unexpected turn.
John probably killed Julia, changed his clothes at home, and went straight to the guards. With so much evidence against Henry, he must've thought they'd arrest him immediately. He didn't expect to be held until the next day, just to participate in the trial.
I looked at Henry. His face was a mix of grief for his wife's death and betrayal by John.
"Henry, look up."
"Y-Yes, my lord."
"Your trial is not over."
The guards and crowd began to murmur again. I let it slide, as it was the atmosphere I wanted.
"Wasting your life and not cherishing your wife is a grave sin."
"My lord..."
Henry sobbed.
"I sentence you: from this moment, swear to me that you'll quit drinking and find a new job. Though John committed the crime, your sins are not light. Repent and atone for the cruelty you inflicted on your wife."
"My lord...!"
I shook my head.
"That is all."
When I return, I'll tell Sierri what to do.
"Sierri, shall we begin today?"
"Yes..."
Sierri's face flushed as she slowly lowered her pants in front of me. I was slightly disappointed she hadn't chosen a skirt as her sleepwear, but the way her hips stretched the waistband as she pulled down her pants was oddly stimulating. Sierri dropped her pants and stared at me.
I shook my head at her expectant gaze. Today, instead of receiving pleasure from Sierri, I planned to pleasure her myself. With a gentle smile, I gestured for her to join me on the bed.
"Today, we'll try something different. Sierri, come sit here."
I patted the mattress, and Sierri obediently climbed onto the bed. I supported her back and pulled her fully onto the bed. Her light body sank into the soft mattress, causing the bed to shake slightly. Sierri stared at me, her eyes wide with uncertainty. Her expression alone made me harden.
"Bring your legs together."
"Like this?"
Sierri pressed her legs together on the bed. I then spread her knees apart, forming an M-shape. Startled by the sudden movement, Sierri tensed her body. I soothed her.