I am but a Fool
Author's Note: I corrected some grammatical errors and reposted the chapter. This story is told from Franziska point of view, the story of her life and her admiration for a fool of a brother named Miles Edgeworth.
It all began with a simple comment -
"Nice try, Sisca."
I was extremely enraged. The way he talked, the way he carried himself, the way he always fondled his excessive cravat in utter complacency whenever he was proven right – how can such an audacious, foolhardy of a boy ever earn himself the right to be known as a member of the Von Karma family? He is not German. He is not of aristocrat background. Sure, he is smart, I can give him that much but other than that he is nothing but a crude and inelegant man with an atrocious habit of speaking not more than a single sentence. He had even managed to steal Papa's affection away from me! (I haven't forgiven him for that.) Yet every time he speaks, every motion he exerts, has a captivating, almost feverish notion in which I simply could not ignore.
Why did he capture my attention so is beyond me; for I know I have it in me to be better, quicker and brighter than that fool of a prosecutor-wannabe. To be an equal has never occur to me – no, nay, nein! I will surpass him and have him recognize me as a rival, far more superior than any of the fools he had ever foolishly wish to compete with.
Naturally, the chance to prove my worthiness crept up one sunny afternoon during my favorite hour – afternoon tea with my Papa (and that unworthy brother of mine) in the gazebo by the riverside.
"Darling Sisca… Miles, you are both scheduled to sit for the bar exam in a week time – this is my final test to you both; I expect nothing less than perfection."
I was so excited to answer Papa's expectation that I placed my cup down a little too quickly, causing a loud clink to issue from the contact. The sound of the clashing china set did not startle me as much as it did to our beloved pet dog, Alfred - a rare Akita breed which had perched itself comfortably on Edgeworth's lap (much to my disdain) - that he sprung up from his lap and ran off immediately into the opposite direction of our house.
"Yes Papa, I will not shame you," I replied in absolute confidence, not caring if the maids have caught up with Alfred or not.
I looked over at that fool's direction; he was sipping his tea callously, taking his time to consider Papa's proposal. "Yes Sir," he finally answered after a long pause. I simply could not understand that foolishly calm nature of his. Why did Papa bring him into our family again?
"Excellent," Papa announced placidly and I watched on with hopeful anticipation as Papa rested his chin calmly on both his hands, "Here's my final test for both you: What is law?"
I was shocked by the mere simplicity of the question. The answer can easily be found on the first chapter of 'The American Constitutional Law' whereby law is a set of system or rules enforced by the society or a government body to maintain order where possible. I recited the well-memorised line in one breath, accompanied by a huge smile on my face and glanced over at the supposed brother of mine, half-expecting him to falter and lose his composure at my agility; I simply could not wipe off the victory grin from my face for I knew I had the upper hand. Whatever he hoped to say after that would just seem like he tried too hard.
I waited patiently for a whole thirty seconds, helping myself to my fourth serve of scones and another cup of rose Darjeeling tea.
"Law is absolute and I shall uphold that with nothing short to perfection – a perfect win record like a true Von Karma."
I believed that was when I lost my appetite.
I looked up from my cup to Papa who was roaring with laughter – something very rare in the household of Von Karma - while patting that fool of a brother at his back with much approval. My enthusiasm from before was promptly squelched by that heartbreaking motion and I watched on with horror as Edgeworth returned my gaze with much empathy. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. I…
"You weren't at wrong either."
His voice, oh how I hated his voice. That low, husky, despicable tone of a voice may have fooled the rest of the Von Karma (and all the young maids in the mansion) but not me; I will not be fooled by that man's pretence of a nice person.
And so when both of us passed the bar exam, I was in positive euphoria; now Edgeworth will have to recognize me a worthy rival and Papa would finally stop showering him all the attention. Years flew by, I maintained my perfect record win with utmost ease but I had begun to fear the loneliness that built up from years of solitude; and the lack of news from both Papa and Edgeworth only help to heighten my sense of insecurity.
It was on one rainy afternoon in late 2017 when I received a panic phone call from our family butler, Gerald that I learned of Papa's downfall and Edgeworth's subsequent losses to a young fool named Phoenix Wright. This came as a surprise to me but I felt neither grief nor agony at the report but was utterly disheartened at the betrayal exhibited by that fool of a brother who had failed to inform me any of the news. Am I truly unlikeable that none of them actually cared to keep in contact with me? The silence of the room was not a comforting answer. I made haste for the intercom and notified the servants of my departure for Los Angeles, packed within fifteen minutes and never looked back. I will have my answers somehow, and the fastest, surefire way to get them will be to question Edgeworth himself.
I remembered vaguely bits and pieces of the following months to come. Now that Papa was imprisoned and that fool was gone (ashamed of his loss, no doubt), loneliness began its slow preferment upon my forlorn heart; finding numerous ways to mess up with my broken mind. As I stood at the podium of the prosecution bench, I felt my insides hollowed up – my mind at a complete loss; void of any sense of emotions and coherent thoughts and my heart – my heart was as barren as an empty wasteland. It was during these few months that I truly tasted defeat. There was nothing then.
Just when I thought I was truly alone, he decided to make his dramatic appearance. In the most distasteful way possible.
"You haven't changed a bit, Franziska."
My eyes narrowed and turned to the source of voice I thoroughly despised. I was completely, and utterly speechless.
"Y…You…!" Was all I could managed.
"Still the same wild mare I see."
Despite the hateful exchange of pleasantries, I could not help but stare at the utterly masculine details of his body. In just a couple of years he had grown into a full-fledged young man; no longer that skinny; otherwise pampered young master of both Edgeworth and Von Korma family but a man of absolute conviction and mannerism. I felt my breath heavy in my chest and had not the faintest idea that my staring was caught on by the pair of vigilant eyes. I tried to cling onto the anger and resentment I felt towards the fool before me ( I saw him smirked at my loss of words) yet I struggled to vocalize them into proper sentences.
"You…! How dare you…! After all this time…! You've soiled the Von Karma name and dragged it through the mud, have you not have the slightest shame?"
His calm composure only added fuel to my fire.
"Are you talking about the Von Karma family creed – 'To be perfect in every way'?"
My mouth opened, trying to form some hateful words.
"Then let's hear it Franziska –"How I hated the way he addressed me, "– How are things going at your end? I hear you are finding it hard maintaining that perfection in this country?"
His words were like venom, aimed right for my heart. I could feel my veins boiling with absolute revulsion under my skin yet I could not retort. I have not a single excuse to. Instead I bit back my pride and hung my head in shame.
"You seem to be getting crushed under the weight of it all," He leaned in forward and patted on my head gently, an act that only serve to further infuriate my rage, an act he knew all too well. "That's why I came back," I looked up and thought I saw his eyes softened at the last line.
No, I don't take any form of sympathy, especially not one that comes from the fool. I slapped his hand away forcefully and flung the other at his direction.
"Keep your assumption to yourself! I… I haven't given in yet, I have not lost!" I clutched my knuckles until they turned white and continued to yell in fury. "I will never hand this case over to you, and You -" I turned to the forgotten attorney who was previously discussing the case with me (and undoubtedly had watched the entire exchange, I could not care less at this point), "- Mr. Phoenix Wright, I will see you in the court tomorrow. Be it a lesson on the meaning of 'total victory', I will show you how it's done. Good day to you both!"
And I walked away; my mind overshadowed by that fool's malicious words and felt something sparked within me. With a renewed determination and a clearer mindset, I set off to go over the evidence and testimonials given by the suspects until I could work no more but what happened the day after that was completely out of my calculation.
My vision blacked out and I felt the cold, icy cement behind my back. This was not good; it was not good at all. While I have yet to feel any pain from any part of my body, the numbing coldness had brought in a whole new different sensation to my mind and for once in my life I was utterly terrified of murder. My murder. There must be a logical explanation to why I am lying here, quivering all alone in the dark, fearing for my life: I have just exited my apartment and was on my way to the car park before – before what?
The next moment I was screaming, the pain came in a split millisecond and my shoulder, the right to be precise, was throbbing in unfathomable pain and simmering in burning heat. Being all alone in a foreign country was scary as it was but not as much as what I was experiencing right now and certainly not as much as what I am about to in the next second. I only vaguely remembered reading this from an online article during my studies that your life flashes across your eyes when you are experiencing near death or are in a state of one. It was true. I watched my younger self constantly overshadowed by Papa and the fool's achievement; I watched as she secretly hid in her favorite spot in the garden, away from prying eyes, crying her lungs out when she failed to score the highest in the class, I watched as the younger girl followed the fool of a brother around in admiration as he solved one case after another, earning elder Von Karma affection easily…
I screamed out in frustration, the one name that I will forever bore ill-hatred for. "Miles…!"
"I am here."
Why..?
"Hush now, save your energy."
But…how? I felt my consciousness seeping in and out and I could not tell if the fool was actually there or not.
"Don't you dare die on me. Not now, not like this. Stay awake!"
That was the extent of my memory. And after that, when I was finally awake from my deathbed, everything started to crumble apart. My conviction, my belief, my trust and my life…
I ran and ran, away from the courtroom, away from my life, away from him. Even though the case was solved and no more life was endangered, I could no longer face my old enemy. It had been years since I felt something, anything, but emptiness. Now that my last hope was taken away from me, I have no reason to live, nothing to look forward to. I have dishonored the name of Von Karma.
"Where are you going, Franziska?"
I looked up from my clenched knees and stared into the never-wavering eyes of Miles Edgeworth.
"How… did you find me here?" My voice was a mere whisper; I was a complete wreck.
"Are you running away?" His question came as fast as a lightning bolt. I had nowhere to dodge.
My mouth tightened and my eyes widened with fury. When have I become so weak, so useless?
"Shut up! You.. you don't understand a thing. You can't possibly understand what it means to be Manfred von Karma's daughter!" I snapped back at him, my eyes heavy with tears as my breath ragged in my chest.
"Franziska…"
"So many expectations from people around me… expectations I must fulfill!"
My voice started to break yet I made no intention to stop. If anything, I must get these frustrations out of my chest. The sooner the better.
"I'm expected to win no matter what. Failure is never an option for me. My father – Papa, was a genius, but I – I am no genius. I always knew that…"
Miles never caved in; instead he lifted my chin up and gazed down at me gently.
"I… I had to be one. A genius like you and Papa."
I hated myself for showing my weakness in front of the one man I hated the most but the tears kept pouring down my cheeks in a never-ending cascade. I blinked heavily as Miles brushed them off slowly with his fingers.
"Franziska…" He began again, "You may never be a genius like your father but you are a prosecutor through and through."
I bared my teeth and slapped his hands away for the second time.
"No…I've thrown that away… along with my treasured whip."
For some reason, Miles's face softened and he smirked at my wretched self.
"Speaking of which," He produced the said item from the paper bag which he had been carrying for quite some time. "Wright told me to hold on this. Listen, we prosecutors do not fight for personal honour or pride. I hope you will give that a thought and think twice about what you should strike down with this whip." He passed the whip to me to which I received in complete silence, my nerve was still shock from the confession. It was a gift from Papa, a precious memory which I will forever cherish.
It was as if time sprang back to life that I stood up by my own, my shoulders no longer shaky and my tears have all dried up.
"You know, you haven't change at all Miles…" My voice was slowly regaining the confidence it used to have, "You've always… always left me alone and walked on ahead without me." At this point of the conversation, I locked my gaze upon his.
"I've always hated you."
Miles could not help but smiled at this.
"If I could win against that man… If I could make Phoenix Wright bow down in defeat, then my chance for revenge would come."
I stopped for a brief moment to search for something within the strong-willed eyes of the prosecutor I have always admired. I think I am starting to understand this so-called hatred of mine.
"This 'girl' you left behind would have risen higher with that."
He stared expressionlessly into my eyes and muttered, "I see…"
"But I can't… I can't do it. I can't change who I am," I shook my head in defeat. "I can't throw away everything I have been until today."
Miles took me by my shoulder in a response to my cowardliness and assured me in his usual calm, stoic voice. "I believe you do have the power to do so. Today, you chased after me that had left you behind all these years. And that's why we are standing side by side, right here, right now."
I bit my lips bitterly. In the corner of my eyes, I could see his eyes softened once again.
"And I have no intention of stopping. If you are going to stop walking down the prosecutor path, then this is where we part, Franziska Von Karma."
How could he…? I pushed him away with all my strength and declared angrily.
"I… I am Franziska Von Karma, don't think I'll walk in your shadow forever. Our battle –"I pointed a finger rudely at his direction, "- begins now, so you had better prepare yourself Miles Edgeworth!"
I did not see his reaction. I need not see his reaction. I pulled along my luggage and strutted away in pride; my cheeks still hot with flush, my chest still huffing from all the shouting. I am not going to lose, Miles. This 'little girl' is not going to back down without a proper fight. You have just spelt your own demise.
Five and a half year absence and here I am again, my heart felt like it was going to leap out from my throat; set aflame by the same emotionless, skeptical, too-good-of-a-guy prosecutor. As I turned around and walked away, I could almost hear him whisper the same old words which sparked the rivalry within me in the first place -
"Nice try, Sisca."