The days leading toward the trial proved to be more consternate than expected. Woohyun’s absence created an imminent void, both in their hearts, but also professionally. He was the only person with the resources to afford a lawyer. Without him, the case was guaranteed its debacle. Such had always been the case; victory belonged to the wealthier side.   The entire household arrived at court, expecting to have received a humane greeting the least. Their expectation towards society was too high a standard; a proper welcome they received none of.   “State your name and your reason of visit,” a man in a police officer uniform appeared before them. He seemed all too eager to chase them away, looking down at those he deemed unworthy of his attention.   “We are here regarding the case of Daeyeol,” Hyunmi said, holding the letter with the golden seal for him to see. As the officer narrowed his eyes, she amended her words. “The case of Lee Daeyeol.”   Daeyeol flinched at the name, and it was Donghyun who wrapped his tiny fingers around the elder in an attempt to calm him.   “Ah, right, the case of the missing child,” the officer spoke. He eyed the entire assembly of people, less than pleased to have a crowd. Upon sighting Jineul, he narrowed his eyes with scrutiny. “Will all of you be attending the trial?”   “Yes,” Hyunmi answered.   A sudden realization—unbeknown to the others—triggered a malicious smirk to creep over his face. “You may follow me. My name is officer Lee Howon. I shall be… assisting this trial.”   The manner his grin seemed to grow deeper upon his emphasis stirred on a nauseating feeling. They were granted no other option but to follow him as he led them into the room of their trial.   The average sized space was nearly full with attendees they had never seen before. Some bore familiar faces, such as Kim Sunggyu, Lee Sungyeol, and Sungjong who sat next to an elderly couple. The pair kept throwing glances at Daeyeol, thus likening the possibilities of being his parents.   Hyunmi felt a pang of pain in her chest when her eyes sought the entire room, yet failed to find the one she had unconsciously been waiting for. Had her irrational behavior driven him away for an eternity? She stopped her mind from thinking about him when a greater matter was at stake. They had to fight for Daeyeol.   Howon led Hyunmi and Daeyeol to sit at the defendant's table in front, for they were considered the guilty party. When Dongwoo followed, Howon quickly held his hand up to maintain a reasonable distance, akin to a person frightened to catch a contaminated disease.   “This area is for the sane. I have been made aware of your lunacy and can therefore not allow your entrance. It would be favorable if you could exit the court and not spread your contagious disease around,” Hoya spoke.   Instead of feeling angered, Dongwoo protruded his lips and looked down with anguish. He pulled the emerald colored scarf higher to cover his nose, as if concealing his breathing could lessen this so called lunacy from being spread. Or perhaps, it was an attempt to hide himself from their condemnations.   “Are you insane, dear officer? My brother ain’t a lunatic. You had better watch your language,” Hyunmi spoke, glaring viciously at the man she wished to rip apart at the moment.   “Is that a threat, Miss? Do not forget you are the defendant today. Anything you say and do may be held against you during today’s trial. So please, I beg of you, do continue your threat for it shall enlighten my heart to see your downfall,” Howon continued, grinning maliciously at the woman who was in the minority. Seeing her silence of defeat surged a greater arrogance in him.   “We apologize, truly,” Daeyeol was quick to step in. He whispered calming words to Hyunmi, pulling her to their seat while bidding adieu to Dongwoo. The rest of the orphans took the elder in before another commotion ensued. A wise person knew which battles to fight and which ones to walk away from; this was the latter.   “I see Rika,” Jangjun noted, his eyes gazing to the seat on the opposite side of the room. His remark came out as a mere observation, lacking the excitement he usually held when sighting her presence. He did not even intend to approach and greet her.   “The judge leading this trial is Mr. Kim Myungsoo himself. Naturally, Mrs. Kim Seulyi and Rika would be present,” Sungyoon spoke.   “Huh, his wife and mistress. How appropriate,” Jangjun chided, the disconsolate frown sinking in his face. He looked away, wanting to ignore the person who pulverized his heart while having to endure the presence of the man he loathed the most.   The murmurs in the room turned quiet when Myungsoo appeared in the courtroom with his honorable black gown.   “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We shall now institute the case regarding Lee Daeyeol, second legitimate child to Mr. Lee Wonyoung and Mrs. Kim Kyungok. In the year of 1841, Lee Daeyeol was reported missing. However, as reports indicated, Lee Daeyeol had been under the care of Jang Dongwoo and Jang Hyunmi this entire time,” Myungsoo spoke, looking up to meet Daeyeol’s eyes. “Is that correct?”   “Yes, Your Honor,” Daeyeol spoke in a monotone voice, attempting to conceal the trembling.   “What events took place that led up to this union between Lee Daeyeol and yourself? Miss Jang Hyunmi, perhaps you would like to enlighten us with a brief account?” Myungsoo asked, maintaining the firm and neutral prosecutor’s voice.   Hyunmi gulped, feeling her hand begin to sweat under the table. The only person who knew of her true felony was Woohyun; not even Daeyeol knew of her involvement that had taken him away from his family. Yet, her moral as a law abiding citizen refused to spin a tale of lies to protect herself.   “Your Honor,” Hyunmi acknowledged as she got up from her seat. Her fingers started clutching her dress, a simple habit she had whenever anxieties reigned. “In the year of 1844, nearly twelve years ago, I saw a young boy abandoned in the street during a cold winter time. Believing he had been forsaken by his family, I offered him to stay at my place. He consented and has been with me ever since.”   “We would never forsake our child!” Mrs. Lee suddenly yelled from her seat, causing a dramatic yell through her raw desperation. “We thought he had been taken, and for years believed him to be dead. You had no right to take away our son! You are a criminal who deserves to be put behind bars!”   Her accusation perpetuated the intensity of Hyunmi’s crime and the deadly consequence available for her trespass.   Suddenly, Sunggyu got up from his seat, a smirk quickly flashing by before morphing into a stern frown. “She is a thief! A criminal! We must rid our town from evil doers! I say, put her behind bars!”   Unbelievable, Kim Sunggyu had the audacity to start a riot, unraveling a small matter into a chaotic mess. Soon, other citizens fell for his words, quickly standing up to throw similar demands to have her placed in jail. They may not have absorbed the actual detail of the incident, but simply wanted to belong to the winning majority of the lot.   Hyunmi glared at Sunggyu, seeing the devilish smirk reappear on his face. After his successful provocation, he calmly sat down in his seat and crossed his arms over the other, satisfied with the results. Oh, how she loathed him.   “Order!” Myungsoo called, hammering his gavel unto the hardwood to maintain his ruling. A stern gaze bore enough authority to settle everyone down, calming the uproar from worsening. He turned to Hyunmi, his usual emotionless gaze hinting at some sort of remorse.   “Under the clause of the child abduction law, under subjection one, a person commits an offense if, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, he or she detains a child under the age of sixteen to remove him or her from the lawful control of any person entitled lawful custody over the child,” Myungsoo recited, and others began to grasp the meaning of his words. “Under such jurisdiction, the situation does not seem too favorable to our defendant. Miss Jang Hyunmi, would you like to call forth a witness or attorney to defend your case?”   Hyunmi looked taken aback, not having anyone of such disposition. “I don’t—”   “I volunteer to contribute my testimonies to the case,” a familiar voice appeared.   When all faces turned around, they saw Nam Woohyun making a grand entrance for himself. He walked down the aisle with confidence in each stride. He didn’t turn to the orphans who beamed at him as if they had been graced with the presence of a savior, neither did he look at Hyunmi to read the surprise and indifference on her face. His focus was solely on the judge.   Hyunmi felt her heart gallop with strenuous joy. It wasn’t for the fact that a savior had appeared, but rather, because the one she had sought after the entire time finally made himself present. She fought off every muscle to keep herself from smiling.   “Please state your name and relationship to the defendant,” Howon called.   “My name is Nam Woohyun and I was a resident at the Jang residence for several months. If you would be kind enough to spare several minutes of your valuable time to listen to my testimonies, I assure you it would prevent you from making a wrong decision that would haunt your moral conscience for all eternity.”   Myungsoo scoffed a little, being familiar with Woohyun’s eloquent way of speaking. He was looking forward to the testimony that could turn around the situation to the sibling’s favor. “Do speak, Mr. Nam Woohyun.”   “My sincerest gratitude, Your Honor.” Woohyun twirled a polite bow. He then turned to the Lees, maintaining the confidence as he approached their side of the room. “The year of 1841 was a time where child abandonment rate fluctuated above the norm. I have confirmed this fact through statistics which I could easily provide you if you’d be humble enough to request of me. It also happened to be the time where the death rate of children below the age of sixteen preceded the years prior to it.”   “Such numbers exists because of criminals like her!” Mrs. Lee shot, pointing an accusing finger at Hyunmi. Her anger protruded the veins on her neck, frightening onlookers with the possibility it might rip open.   “On the contrary, Mrs. Lee, I believe she has behaved righteously. During such a desolate time where a child’s life is at stake, the brisk decision to take him in rather than weighing society’s law against her may have saved Lee Daeyeol’s life. Had she been a second late, your son may have frozen to death. The question is, with all due respect,” Woohyun paused in front of the Lee family, “Where