CHAPTER 2

5 years later

Edgeworth awoke the smell of breakfast; although he's been living here for the past 5 years, German breakfast didn't smell nearly as good as breakfast in America, and he couldn't help but wish he awoke to a breakfast of blueberry pancakes like his father made for him on Sunday mornings such as this.

He quickly got dressed, putting on his cravat on to complete his favorite look. He loathed having to be homeschooled by private tutors with Franziska (especially when Mr. von Karma took over the reigns of the classroom.) and having to go to school 7 days a week. He grabbed his books on law and made his way down the stairs, only to be greeted by a riding crop wielding 7 year old.

SMACK! "YOU FOOL, MILES EDGEWORTH! YOU ARE 1 MINUTE AND 33 SECONDS LATE!" SMACK! "A VON KARMA IS NEVER LATE!"

Edgeworth smirked as he rubbed his shoulder. "Good morning to you as well, Franziska." When Franziska is this angry, she's adorable...if only that riding crop didn't sting so much...

SMACK! "Sit down! Class is about to start, and my papa is teaching us today." Her childish high-pitched yelling had ceased from eardrum shattering to a quiet roar, and although Franziska was smiling with pride as she said this, he saw right through her eyes to see how scared she really was. He couldn't blame her; he was nearly trembling with fear himself. He pulled a chair out at the large, wooden table and took a seat.

The butler had brought them their breakfast of an english muffin each with tea for Edgeworth and a glass of milk for Franziska. Mr. von Karma had deemed Miles old enough to drink coffee for breakfast at the age of 13, but he couldn't stand the taste, so he opted for tea instead. Franziska was still too young for anything but milk. When they had finished their breakfast, Manfred von Karma approached them from out of the shadows and set a test out for each of them on the foundations of prosecuting and had them set their books aside; He pulled out his 24-karat gold pocket watch. "You have 3 minutes each to complete this exam; and you both should know the rules by now:" Manfred snapped his fingers. "NOTHING less than perfection is acceptable."

Edgeworth began reading over the exam; Piece of cake... He answered all 10 of the questions correctly, and did so while counting how long it took him to finish: 2 minutes and 17 seconds. Around 30 seconds later, Franziska finished her exam and Manfred put on his reading glasses as he took up both tests to look over them for any and all inperfections. Miles' heart was beating faster and faster with each passing second as the God of Prosecutors looked over his test. Mr. von Karma looked up with a smarmy and sinister smile;

"Very good, Miles. You have met my criteria."

Edgeworth stood up out of his chair and bowed for his mentor; "Only perfection is acceptable, sir."

Manfred only let out a "Hmph." as he set Edgeworth's test on the dining table and prepared to look over Franziska's next. He looked more and more discontent with each passing second; Miles looked over at Franziska and saw her sweating bullets in the seat beside him; At first, he felt grateful that he wasn't a 7 year old being forced to compete with a 15 year old in the study of law, but a little while afterwards, he felt sorry for the little girl. Finally, Manfred looked up from her test.

"Franziska, you failed to meet my expectations." He took out his binder and pulled out a copy of the von Karma creed, which Edgeworth had known all too well by now, and shoved it towards the young blue haired girl. "I believe you know what to do with this."

Franziska spoke up as sweat rolled down her face; "B-but, papa, I...!"

Manfred von Karma raised his hand and struck the young girl across the face with it. Knowing his was unable to do anything about it, Miles just hoped she didn't cry like last time as her eyes remained fixtated on the floor beside her, which was the position it had been set in after her father's blow. Luckily, she didn't.

"Sorry, papa. It won't happen again." Manfred remained completely apathetic, as if he didn't even slap his 7 year old daughter as she began copying down the von Karma creed in cursive 1000 times over while Miles received more lessons on prosecuting. By the time lunch had rolled around, Franziska was only halfway there, and she wouldn't be able to eat or even leave the table until she was done.

Manfred went out to the back porch to smoke a cigar during Miles' lunch break in which he received a tuna sandwich with a side of carrots and a cup of tea; he looked over at Franziska knowing full well she wouldn't get lunch today. He tore off a piece of his sandwich and held it towards her. "Here, Franziska. Do you want some of my sandwich?" SMACK!

"No! Not if I get it from you!"

Miles knew this routine all too well; he set the piece of his sandwich down on his napkin. As what happened last time, Franziska kept stopping her copying of the creed to glance down at the sandwich piece Edgeworth had set aside for her; finally, when she thought he wasn't looking, she took it and ate it quickly, before her father could come back inside/ before she thought Miles would notice. Miles took a sip of his tea; "You're welcome." Franziska let a out short "Hmph." and continued her work on copying down the creed.

When Manfred dismissed Miles for the day and stole away to his study, Miles did what had become a tradition to him everyday after school; retreated into his room and wrote into a journal. The original one his father had given him had long been filled, but he kept it as a memento in memorial of his father. He wrote about what had happened at school today, how he made a perfect grade on his test, how Manfred had struck Franziska, and how he remembered when Mr. von Karma often struck him like that when he had started to learn the von Karma way.

After writing the day's events down, he closed the book and stuffed it inside of the drawer of his end table, and began to wait for Franziska to come to his room when she was through being punished. He closed his eyes and took a nap.

SMACK! Franziska's riding crop stung him even worse when he wasn't prepared for it. He looked up. "Hey, Franziska. How can I help you?" Fortunately, unlike the sandwich deal, this happened every day. Franziska just shot him a cold stare. Everyday at one point she would come into his room and treat him with disdain and contempt; when she started doing this a couple of years ago, Miles was frightened, but he had grown used to it by now, and had also learned what she liked for him to do during these visits. Like everyday, he sat up and made room for Franziska to sit beside him on the bed, and like everyday, she refused. He began to tell her stories of the things he had done with Phoenix and Larry; her favorite story was the classroom trial. She tried hiding her interest, but Miles knew he had every ounce of her attention, so he continued.

When he was done, Franziska turned and walked out of the room. Edgeworth couldn't help but feel sorry for the young girl. She had never had any friends or even met anyone outside of him, her father, and the family servants. Everyday, she would come into his room and want to hear the same stories about him and his friends, and everyday he'd tell her the same stories. After this daily exchange, Miles had one of the butlers bring him a cup of tea and he'd watch the sun set in the German sky out in the vast backyard of the von Karma manor; He would wonder about Larry and Phoenix, wonder about his dad, and just wonder about life outside of the manor. Sometimes, he would bring his journal and write a story about lawyers and prosecutors and the like; however today was not one of those days. He thought to himself as he took a sip of his tea; Ah, how the dog days of life have just began.