Chapter 6. Sentence (2)

Translator: Lili

“I didn’t kill Elma, Edwin! I swear!”

“I know, Shushu.”

Watching her cry in frustration, Edwin ran his hand through his hair roughly, calming himself before speaking again in a steady voice.

“I’ll do my best to get the charge reduced to involuntary manslaughter. If we’re lucky, we might even get it down to negligence causing injury. I’ve already spoken with the victim’s family… That way, you won’t go to the national prison but to a private one.”

“But… either way, I would be guilty. Guilty of a murder I didn’t commit…”

“Shushu.”

Edwin reached through the opening beneath the glass divider and held her hand. The warmth of his touch made Shushu look up at him, and his vivid green eyes glimmered with unwavering conviction.

“Trust me. I’ll find the real culprit and clear your name. I’ve already spoken to a friend about it. So… just hold on a little longer.”

Shushu’s eyes wavered at his words. The friend Edwin referred to was someone she knew of—a legendary lawyer famous enough to appear in newspapers, someone who had supposedly been transcribing legal texts as a hobby since the age of ten.

But Shushu couldn’t easily speak. Everything seemed to be a burden on Edwin in the end. If she could bear the entire responsibility of this case alone, Shushu would have chosen a life sentence without hesitation.

However, that wasn’t the reality. Shushu’s last name was Mailey, and no one in Logwin was unfamiliar with her mother, Garnelly Mailey. Likewise, no one was unaware that Garnelly had been Edwin’s guardian.

— The Scientist of the Century, Mother to a Murderer? The Case of Shushu Mailey, Daughter of Edwin’s Guardian, Garnelly Mailey…

The thought of such headlines, ones that the press might publish if the case went public, haunted Shushu. In the end, she could only nod and accept Edwin’s proposal.

***

Even as the final moments of her departure arrived, Garnelly didn’t come out to see her off. Shushu hadn’t expected much from her reclusive mother, but when Edwin handed her belongings over, Shushu’s eyes still stung with emotion.

‘I’m sorry, Edwin.’

Guilt pricked at Shushu’s chest. To think that such a scandal would taint the family so shortly after she had taken on its name. As Edwin passed her the bag with her belongings, Shushu, with a despondent face, accepted it. He shook his head as if to reassure her.

“Don’t worry about it. Honestly, I’m sorry, Shushu. If only I’d found a better solution…”

“No!”

Shushu hurriedly shook her head. Anyone who knew the situation would recognize Edwin had done his utmost. If anything, it was precisely because he had done so much that Shushu felt weighed down by guilt. It wasn’t disappointment in him but her sense of responsibility that crushed her.

“Edwin, you don’t need to apologize. I should be the one saying sorry. You’re not even involved, yet because of me…”

She was about to promise that she would repay him someday, her face full of shame, when Edwin suddenly snatched her bag. Without a word, he carried it himself to hand over to the transporter. Shushu, stunned, watched him in surprise, but Edwin didn’t turn his head. His voice, when it came, sounded oddly cold.

“It does involve me.”

“Edwin?”

The unfamiliar tone made Shushu’s voice waver anxiously as she called his name. Then, Edwin opened the door of the transport vehicle and turned back to her, his usual gentle smile on his face. Kind and warm, as always. Only then did Shushu’s nervous expression soften, and she managed a faint smile of her own.

“Thank you, Edwin. …I guess this is really goodbye.”

With those words, Shushu climbed into the vehicle. Though it was a simple act of boarding, the sensation was dizzying enough to make her eyes squeeze shut.

‘This is it. I’m really leaving…’

As the thought struck, emotions she had managed to keep at bay came rushing in. Most of all, fear.

Moving to an unfamiliar place is nerve-wracking enough, but going to prison, be it national or private, was terrifying. Her hands trembled, and Shushu’s face showed how scared she was. She could feel Edwin’s gaze on her, as though he were watching her intently. Yet, through the narrow gap in the vehicle door, all she could see were his lips, leaving her unable to discern the expression in his eyes.

“Shushu.”

Edwin’s voice, soft and reassuring to the last moment.

“I’ll wait for you.”

That calm promise was all she remembered.

The vehicle door closed, and the transport began to move. Clenching her hands tightly, Shushu couldn’t tear her eyes away from the scenery outside the window. She wasn’t leaving forever, and her mind knew that, but her heart wouldn’t accept it. Still, she refused to cry. Somehow, crying felt like admitting she truly was guilty. So, she gritted her teeth and held back her tears until she arrived at the prison.

***