A/N: It's a letter because Von Karma doesn't believe in computers. Or something. Just roll with it.
LawyerGirl227: Close, but not quite; I am planning to do some Letters to Miles interludes as well, but this letter is plot-relevant so it had to be from Edgeworth this time.
Interlude Two
Letters to Phoenix—1
Dear Phoenix,
I'm sure you heard about my father, but you may not know what happened after and why I missed New Year's. I've been adopted by a colleague of my father's, and since he lives in Germany I do too now. It's strange to speak another language every day, especially since I'm only just getting good at German. I have a lot more schoolwork now; Mr von Karma has instructors for me and a governess for Franziska. That's his daughter—I guess that makes her my sister now. You were the one who always wanted a little sister. Of course, she calls me her little brother, because she's always correcting me when I get a word wrong. She thinks that because she's 'teaching' me, she gets to call me that, because that's what older sisters do. I can't convince her that that's not how it works. She's only three!
I should keep this short. I really just wanted to make sure you weren't too worried about me. Now that you know where I am, maybe you could write back? Larry too, I suppose—just try to keep him from writing anything too idiotic, will you?
Love,
Miles
Von Karma eased the letter-opener under the flap of the envelope, neatly slitting the paper and leaving the top wide open. He withdrew the letter and unfolded it, leaning back in his chair to read it.
The best thing he could have said about it, he concluded, was that Edgeworth had exceptional penmanship for a ten-year-old. The prosecutor contemplated burning the letter, that an overly-sentimental servant wouldn't find it in the trash, but ultimately he tucked it into a drawer. He'd have to quietly encourage this letter-writing habit. For one, it was free information (and handwriting samples, noted the part of his mind that was always in court) and perhaps more importantly, when Edgeworth's friends never replied to his letters, the boy would be crushed. He needed to let go of such sentimentalities if Von Karma was ever to mould him into the ideal prosecutor. He had no desire to fail in the boy's training and suffer a second shame at the hands of the Edgeworth family.
Although, Von Karma reflected, he'd have to think of some way to separate Gregory's brat from his own daughter at some point. This 'sibling' notion they'd taken hold of would be distracting to both of them, and equally importantly, it wouldn't do to have Franziska get too attached to the whelp.
After all, Edgeworth wouldn't be around forever…