The transmigrator blinks alot, looks around. Reads the room. Looks back to the villainess.
"Wait a minute... I'm getting ahead of myself. Who do you have to represent you?"
"What?" The villainess looks confused.
"Represent you. You can't go to trial representing yourself. He who is their own lawyer has a fool for a client, as they say."
"I'm innocent!"
The prince nods, "And I have accepted your plea." He gestured to himself, "Look, I simply can't ignore this. Just because you are engaged to me doesn't mean I can just sweep these accusations under the rug. The evidence is quite persuasive... Oh wait. You thought I was passing JUDGEMENT?"
Everyone looks around, confused.
The prince laughs, "Oh... oh my. I'm so sorry. I didn't explain, this is the PRE-TRIAL. Not the trial. I'm sorry. No. I'm just ANNOUNCING that charges are going to be brought against you. Furthermore, I am going to have to recuse myself from the proceedings."
The heroine looks confused, "Wait, what?"
The prince turns to the Heroine, "Well, yes. I can't very well be the judge for my own fiance, can I? I mean, what an incredible conflict of interest! Nobody would take any judgment from me seriously. No. I'm going to have to find someone to be the judge. A neutral third party, maybe someone from another country entirely." He gestured to the villainess, "And you have to be made aware of the evidence against you and have time to properly form a defense. I mean, what sort of ruler just, JUMPS someone out of nowhere, announces they are on trial, then expects them to defend themselves without even having time to review the evidence?" He snorted, "A Hot-headed lunatic, that's what!"
Everyone in the room just gaped at the prince who was well-known for being a hot-headed lunatic.
The prince nodded slowly, "So, I have stated the charges against you, I will have my assistant provide you with copies of all statements and evidence to be used against you. We'll need some time to organize things, so two weeks should be plenty of time to find someone to be the judge in this matter, and for you to get legal representation, of course." He nodded and stroked his own chin in thought, "Yes. Let us meet here in two weeks. We'll bring in the witnesses so they can be interviewed and cross-examined and..."
The prince paused and then shook his head slightly before he continued, "For the record, I really didn't wish to do this, but I simply cannot ignore what I've been told. I don't know how you could be innocent, but I certainly hope to be proven wrong. Of course, I hope you don't flee the country or any such nonsense as I would take that as an admission of guilt." he spread his arms wide, "I'm afraid that the rules on this sort of thing are clear and my hands are tied. This matter is now out of my hands. All I can say is, may justice prevail, whatever form it may take."
He turned to his assistant who had been stunned into silence, "I'm afraid I've simply lost any desire to partake in frivolity. Please summon the carriage, I shall be retiring for the evening, effective immediately."
