AN: Spoilers for Spirit of Justice, Case 5!
So, this was just a small idea that popped into my head when I played through Spirit of Justice. When you examine the safe in Inga's quarters, and you're asked what the combination to the safe could be, choose "the date the DC act was enacted" and you will get quite the cute scene, with Edgeworth replacing Nayna and whispering the answer to Rayfa! :D So I just HAD to turn this into a small oneshot!
Hope you'll enjoy, and sorry for any mistakes I made!
Memory
"Drat, it's locked!", Phoenix cursed. "Looks like a four-digit code is needed to open this thing. Most likely a date then."
Miles frowned. They had investigated everything in Justice Minster Inga's private quarters – except from this safe, and he was sure there had to be some vital clues inside that would help them with solving the minister's murder.
But what could the code be?
"Do you have an idea what the combination could be, Your Benevolence?"
The girl – Rayfa – jumped a bit at Miles addressing her, as if her mind had been far away from here.
"Uh… uhm… no, I do not."
She still looked incredibly pale, and her eyes were still a bit red from crying earlier. It was no surprise, though. She had just lost her father after all, and Miles knew better than anyone here what that meant. But nevertheless, there was still something about her – something refusing to yield. She was a strong person, in her own little way.
"Edgeworth, I may have two or three ideas about possible combinations", Phoenix said. "The first being… the date when the Defense Culpability Act was enacted. Do you remember the date of that, Your Benevolence?"
"Huh? I – "
For a short second, Rayfa appeared to be taken aback, even in shock, before she blushed, clenching her fists in anger. "O-Of course I know, Barbed Head! It was the – the – the, uhm…the… it was the…"
"Uh... Your Benevolence?"
"I'm still thinking, Barbed Head! It was – it was – the…" She let out a frustrated growl. "I… don't… I'm the crown princess of Khura'in! I know everything! And that date – it was –"
Wait – that sentence. He had heard a very similar sentence somewhere before… from someone very much like Rayfa…
Ah, he remembered. It had been years ago, when he had still been a teenager, living in Germany.
"Miles Edgeworth! Of course I know that!"
His younger sister, Franziska, was glaring at him. They were currently eating dinner, with the rare occurrence of Mr. von Karma – Franziska's father and Miles's adoptive father – joining them, and of course, Franziska just had to turn it into a competition of who-knows-the-most again, just like she always did. Though she was only seven years old, she was trying to outdo him at every opportunity – but mostly when her father was somewhere around, and Miles was growing tired of her never-ending attempts of "defeating" him, turning their sibling-like relationship into a bitter rivalry. He simply raised an eyebrow at her.
"You do? Well then, pray tell. Who was the founder of the so-called Three-Elements-Theory?"
"Well, I-I –" For the shortest of moments, insecurity flickered through her grey eyes. "That is… it was… his name was… uhm."
" 'Uhm'? I'm afraid that is not the correct answer, Franziska." Miles couldn't keep the smugness out of his voice. Maybe beating her at her own game yet again would finally make her stop badgering him.
"Shut up! I'm still thinking!"
"Oh, come on. You obviously don't know his name."
"Grrr!" She slammed her fists down onto the table. "I do! I do know his name! I'm a von Karma! My knowledge is perfect! I know everything!"
"That's enough, Franziska."
Mr. von Karma's voice startled both of them.
"B-but…" Franziska bit her lip. "…I really do know –"
"Did you not hear me the first time? You clearly don't know his name."
"But…" Her previously defiant, confident attitude had melted completely, and her voice sounded almost fragile now. "…Papa… I… I… h-have perfect knowledge… like a true v-von Karma…"
"Enough of this now." Mr. von Karma was growing impatient. "You did not know his name, therefore you do not have perfect knowledge which proves you are no true von Karma yet. Now, I don't want to hear any more of this! Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir.", Miles answered, in a perfectly calm tone of voice, just like he was supposed to.
Next to him, Franziska let out a sound that almost sounded like a strangled sob and leaped out of her chair, punching him hard into his arm.
"I hate you! I hate you, Miles Edgeworth!"
She stormed out of the room and Miles could have sworn there had been tears in her eyes just now.
Mr. von Karma simply leaned back,and took a sip of his glass of wine. "How very disappointing", he muttered.
Miles stared at his plate, realising he was probably the most awful brother in the world.
He looked at the girl reminding him so much of his sister when she had been at her age, now furiously calling for Nayna to help her out, even though she knew her caretaker was absent right now. Maybe now, he could do what he should have done all those years ago.
"Your Benevolence…"
Rayfa looked at him with a sort of angry desperation in her eyes, and he smiled, bent down, so he was at her height, and whispered very softly, so only she could hear it:
"The date the DC Act was enacted was June 14th."
In case you're interested, the name of the guy that Franziska didn't know was Georg Jellinek, and his Three-Elements-Theory is an actual thing; a very important theory in constitutional law (at least here in Germany), because it was one of the first defining what a "state" actually is. :)
